The Fourth Plate

At a time when India and China are cautiously rebuilding ties amid complex geopolitical tensions, few remember that one of their earliest commercial partnerships began in the lush tea gardens of Assam. 
Nearly two centuries ago, Chinese tea experts crossed dangerous borders to help establish what would become one of India’s most successful industries – a venture that offers striking parallels to today’s complicated bilateral relationship.

But first, the back-story:
In 1834, the Governor-General of India, Lord William Bentinck, established the ‘Tea Committee’ with Secretary Mr. George James Gordon at its helm. Gordon’s immediate mission was crucial yet dangerous: to acquire tea plants, seeds, and recruit Chinese experts who could establish India’s tea industry. 
The plan called for bringing 50 Chinese experts to India, but the recruitment proved treacherous. In one tragic instance, 12 Chinese tea-curers engaged by the Dutch Government were murdered. Those who agreed to share their expertise faced threats from Chinese authorities, while their families endured extortion from Mandarins.
Before Gordon had overcome these difficulties, the existence of indigenous tea in Assam was acknowledged by the Tea Committee, and he was hastily recalled from China. However, Mr. Gordon was again sent back to China to search for qualified Chinese experts to promote the cultivation and manufacturing of tea. 
During this visit, Mr. Gordon despatched three batches of tea seeds to Calcutta, and 20,000 plants raised from such China seeds were sent to Dr. Wallich in Assam in 1835–36. But due to a rodent attack in the boat and improper packing, over half of the plants died en route.

Setbacks and triumphs
The early attempts at establishing tea gardens faced numerous setbacks. The first nursery, established in Sadiya in 1835, failed when planted on an unsuitable riverside area near the confluence of the Koondil and Brahmaputra rivers. The shallow alluvial deposit over sand proved fatal for the plants, and within years, the Brahmaputra river claimed the site entirely. Some surviving plants were salvaged and replanted at Jaipur, but it wasn’t until 1837 that success came with a new plantation at Chabua, 29 kilometers from Dibrugarh, under the supervision of Chinese experts using tea seeds from China.
Facing a shortage of experienced tea labourers and processors in Assam, Gordon decided to import more workers from China. The mission proved even more challenging than anticipated. Chinese authorities, protective of their tea monopoly, actively discouraged experts from leaving.

Initially, all the Chinese men were presumed to be experts. Even shoemakers and carpenters from Cositollah and other markets in Calcutta were brought to Assam. These men were nearly all from the seaport towns of the Celestial Empire, and many had never seen a tea plant in their lifetime. Many of them had personal challenges too – having travelled a long way in unhygienic conditions in ships, inadequate food supply and other lifestyle conditions. That may have made some diffident and even irritable.
The formation of the Assam Company in 1839 gave momentum to the expansion of tea plantations in Assam. Two-thirds of the experimental plantations in Assam were handed over to the Company in March 1840. The Government also banned the cultivation of poppy for opium and allowed the establishment of tea plantations on rent-free land for the first ten years.

Need for additional workers
But local workers were not enough and the the government attempted to recruit more Chinese workers via overland routes. In 1840, Mr. Jenkins, a Government of India agent, sent a Chinese man named ‘Ayek’ to recruit workers from China’s Yunnan Province. Accompanied by bodyguards, Ayek planned to travel through Manipur and Burma’s Tamu region, carrying gifts such as gems and pearls as goodwill offerings. 
However, Ayek fled upon reaching Yunnan, marking a failed mission. Despite these setbacks, attempts to smuggle Chinese workers by sea continued in addition to Chinese men being brought from Singapore despite their lack of knowledge about tea cultivation. 
Despite the challenges, many Chinese workers performed satisfactorily in tea gardens of Assam. Their contribution, although limited and problematic at times, was an important part of the early workforce in tea cultivation. 

Cultural assimilation
Over time, the difficulties with Chinese labourers, including occasional conflicts with the local people, and unavailability of Assamese labourers influenced British planters to seek alternative sources of labour to meet the demands of the burgeoning tea industry. 
Many workers came from from other parts of the country. After completing their contracts, they settled in Assam, married among themselves and local Assamese people, and played a significant role in the formation of the greater Assamese community. As generations passed, they became more Assamese than their original ethnicity.
The fact is that Chinese experts and workers were the ones to train the British and the local Assamese people in tea husbandry and processing initially.  Their contributions led to the the growth of the Assam tea industry, which now spans two centuries.
Many of the Chinese workers were also talented artists and masons. They even helped British planters to construct their bungalows. They also excelled in creating outstanding art pieces, handicrafts, and cuisine.

Contributions by the Chinese experts
Run by an Indo-Chinese family, the Lee Hing Saw Mill at Makum was one of the biggest saw mills in Assam, while the CM Ho Factory of Makum was famous for designing and manufacturing tea processing machineries.
Many ‘China Patty’ or Chinese lanes sprang up in different parts of Assam with the China Patty of Makum in Tinsukia District of eastern Assam being the largest. Makum was no less than a miniature version of China complete with Chinese clubs, Chinese-medium schools and restaurants. The residents used to follow their customs, and rituals and celebrated their festivals with gaiety. The Chinese made the essence of their rich culture felt and this echoed in the ‘China Pattis’. 
The story of Star Rani Thin Sin, a fifth-generation Chinese-Assamese, illustrates this integration. Her great-grandfather worked in tea transportation along the Brahmaputra River, helped construct vital infrastructure, and eventually established a school. She recalls: “Around 1870, my forefather came from Sivasagar and settled at Pathalibam Torajan in Moran. The Moran Tea Factory was established by Williams and Magor & Co. Ltd. in 1902. Until then, he worked as a farmer and also as a teacher in a school he had established at Pathalibam. Occasionally, he was called upon by the manager of Moran Tea Factory to carry out repair work on the boiler engine used in the factory. They lived simple and natural lives, with very little in the way of material needs. In belief and faith, they were Buddhists and firmly held that “work is the real religion” and were never known to shirk their duties.”

Similarly, Tung Chin Tham, another Assamese of Chinese origin now based in Guwahati, has described the journey of his grandfather, Tham Choo. As Tung Chin Tham recounts: “Before the 1962 war, my grandfather Tham Choo was doing fairly well for himself as a carpentry contractor in Daflagarh. He owned an elephant and when a tea estate manager would get transferred out or change cars, he would sometimes buy one of them. So, over time, the family got to drive around in an Aston Martin or a Chevrolet or a Land Rover. With tea gardens also flourishing in Assam, Tham Choo had enough contract work. The family ate well and Tham Choo used to order his special provisions all the way from the Chinese stores in Chinatown in Calcutta. His sons who were fast growing up also joined him in his work and they formed a company called Tham Heng Brothers. He also set up a rice mill, the J Husking Mill, which the second son ran.”

Lessons from the past

Today, as India and China show signs of cautious normalization in 2025, with discussions on resuming direct flights and border trade, these historical connections offer valuable perspective. 
Just as the British East India Company had to navigate complex diplomatic channels to secure Chinese expertise, today’s India maintains strategic autonomy while managing relationships with both China and the United States. The Modi-Xi summit at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in August 2025 echoed this delicate balance. 
The Chinese experts who helped establish India’s tea industry left an indelible mark on both countries’ shared history. Their story reminds us that despite political tensions and cultural differences, practical cooperation can yield lasting benefits. 
In Assam today, the descendants of those original Chinese tea experts continue to honor their unique heritage while fully embracing their Indian identity. Their story represents not just a fascinating historical footnote, but a living testament to the potential for meaningful Indo-Chinese cooperation.

ENDS

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