International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

The Tradition of Manuscript Writing and the Development of Libraries in Pre-Colonial Assam

This article examines the tradition of manuscript writing and the evolution of indigenous library systems in pre-colonial Assam from the 5th to the early 19th century CE. Before print technology, handwritten manuscripts on sanchipat and Tulapat were the primary media for knowledge transmission, produced under Ahom royal patronage, Koch courts, and Neo-Vaishnavite Satras. Using historical analysis, codicological study of 185 manuscripts, and ethnographic fieldwork across twelve Satras in Majuli, Nagaon, and Barpeta, the paper traces how manuscript culture shaped institutional repositories such as the Ahom Gandhia Bharal and Satra Puthi Chang. Techniques of manuscript preparation, including sanchipat processing, jao diya rubbing, and use of hengul and haital pigments, reveal sophisticated material responses to Assam’s humid climate. Preservation practices involving Adhikar based access, Burhi-bhoral inventories, daily airing, and Neem and jatimati fumigation functioned as formal library protocols. The study identifies three phases: early Kamarupa pustak bhara tied to courts, monastic collections from the 8th to 14th century, and systematized Bharal Ghar after the 15th century. Results show that these repositories were not passive storehouses but active libraries performing acquisition through xastra-daan, classification by subject, preservation via ritualized seva, and circulation regulated by Adhikar. Their significance lies in demonstrating a decentralized, community anchored model of knowledge management that integrated state administration, religious practice, and literary culture. Recognizing these systems repositions pre-colonial Assam within global library history and challenges colonial narratives that framed such collections as mere hoards. Contemporary manuscript conservation must align scientific methods with custodial ethics to sustain this living heritage. The findings provide an evidence base for culturally sustainable heritage management that trains Bhakats as conservator librarians and documents Burhi-bhoral metadata, ensuring that preservation, access, and use remain balanced through social rules rather than only technology.