The area of the present district was an integral part of the Chutiya kingdom during the medieval period. After the defeat of the Chutias, the Ahoms placed Sadiya-khowa gohain to rule the region. Later, the Matak kingdom rose in its place after the Maayamoria rebellion. The ancient name of Tinsukia city was Bengmara. It was later made the capital of the Motok Kingdom when a member of the former Chutia royal family named Sarbananada Singha established his capital at Rangagarh situated in the bank of river Guijan. In 1791 AD, he transferred his capital to the city of Bengmara. Bengmara was built by King Sarbananda Singha with the help of his Minister, Gopinath Barbaruah. The city was built in the middle of the present city of Tinsukia. It was declared the 23rd district of Assam on 1 October 1989 when it was split from Dibrugarh. Several tanks were dug in the days of Sarbananda Singha viz. Chauldhuwa Pukhuri, Kadamoni pukhuri, Da Dharua Pukhuri, Mahdhuwa Pukhuri, Bator Pukhuri, Logoni Pukhuri, Na-Pukhuri, Devi Pukhuri, Kumbhi Pukhuri, and Rupahi Pukhuri. Apart from these ponds, there are many ancient roads constructed in different parts of the Muttack territory. Godha-Borbaruah road, Rangagarah road, Rajgor road, and Hatiali road were main roads within the territory. In 1823, the British first discovered tea plants in Sadiya and the first tea plantation was started in Chabua near Tinsukia. The name Chabua comes from "Chah-Buwa"/tea plantation. In 1882, the Dibru–Sadiya Railway was opened to traffic by the Assam Railway & Trading Company, centred on Tinsukia, and a turning point in the economic development of north-east India.
Economy
Tinsukia is an industrial district of Assam. The Oldest oil refinery in India is situated at Digboi and places like Margherita and Ledo are famous for open cast coal mining. Tinsukia is one of the premier commercial centres in Assam. It is an industrial district, yet it produces a sizeable amount of tea, oranges, ginger, other citrus fruits and paddy. The district also has a cosmetic plant of Hindustan Unilever.
Transport
Tinsukia is well connected by airway, national highway and railway. It is 532 km by road from Dispur, the state capital of Assam. The nearest airport is Dibrugarh Airport which is about 40 km from Tinsukia with daily connection from Delhi/Guwahati and Kolkata. The New Tinsukia railway station connects Tinsukia with the rest of the country.
According to the 2011 census Tinsukia district has a population of 1,327,929, roughly equal to the nation of Mauritius or 4.22 percent of the total population of Assam. This gives it a ranking of 371st in India. The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 14.51%. Tinsukia has a sex ratio of 948 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 70.92%. Hindus 1,181,347 88.96%, Christians 76,877, Muslims 40,000 as of 2011. The major indigenous communities of the district are the Tea tribes, Moran, Chutia, Ahoms, Sonowal Kachari, Motok, Misings, Singpho, Tai Phake, Khamyang and Nocte. There are migrant communities like Bihari and Bengali. Tea Tribes who were brought by the British in colonial times also form a large section of the population.
is famous for birds and is a biodiversity hotspot with over 350 species of avifauna providing unique habitat for globally threatened species. A safe haven for extremely rare white-winged wood duck and many migratory birds. Its feral horses are precisely sufficient to make the visitor wild. Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the last remaining lowland tropical wet evergreen forests of Assam. It spreads over an area of 300 km2. in the southern and eastern parts of the district. It is home to various types of wildlife like the hoolock gibbon, pig-tailed macaque, slow loris, tiger, elephant, clouded leopard, and hornbill. An ayurvedic spa has been opened recently which offers traditional ayurvedic KERALA massage by a trained therapist. The Nature Cure Centre at Barooah Lodge, behind Barooah market, also provides Jacuzzi baths, acupressure treatment and physiotherapy as well. The message given here has therapeutic values and has the power to rejuvenate the body.
