Gold Washing in the Brahmaputra Valley
(1) Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh River beds filled with Gold, case of Ancient Kamrupa The Brahmaputra valley was well known for its river beds filled with auriferous deposits in the ancient and medieval times. Infact gold washing, in the distant past, was a very traditional and lucrative economic activity of this region. Unfortunately, the craft fell into oblivion, like many other ancient crafts of Assam, in the late 19th and early 20th century with the advent of British colonialism, although the role played by this dynamic river system also demands our scrutiny. Today, all that remains of the craft are names of rivers (Subansiri, for instance, meaning 'golden flow') or communities (like the Sonowals) along with tiny flakes of gold which could be found in the alluvial deposits of these rivers. The Mahabharata, Arthashastra and Tezpur copper plate inscriptions mention gold washing. Some scholars suggest that the Classical accounts - that of Megasthenes (350–290 ...
