The state of Assam derived its
name from the word som' which means unequal
or unrivalled. True to the meaning of its name,
the state is unrivalled in terms of its natural
beauty and the simplicity of the people. In the
Mahabharata and the Puranas, Assam has been
referred to as 'Kamarupa'. The inhabitants of the
state are a mixture of the Mongol-Aryan culture.
The Ahoms ventured into Assam somewhere
around 1228 A.D. The present name Assam
derives from the name of a Sino-Tibetan tribe,
the Ahoms who came to Assam from China and
Thailand, began their rule from 1228 AD and
remained a force to reck on within the political
arena till 1828 AD.