Drinking ‘Indian Tea’ in Assam: An analysis of tea advertisements in the Assamese language (1926-1940)

Abstract

This paper analyses a campaign for ‘Indian tea’ in three Assamese newspapers and periodicals from 1926 to 1940.  There was no mention of ‘Assam Tea’ in these campaigns. Tea was promoted for its low cost—it was ‘the cheapest’ beverage available in India—even though by that time, ‘Assam tea’ was among the most expensive and sought -after brands of tea worldwide. It was interesting that In the Assamese language campaigns, the non-addictive quality of tea was emphasised, presumably in contrast with opium. The emerging Assamese intelligentsia took a moral stance against opium smoking, whereas tea-drinking became a marker of urban sophistication and refined taste. The health and financial benefits of drinking tea, along with its ‘family friendly’ qualities, can be seen as a deliberate attempt to promote tea as a powerful antidote to opium. During this period, anti-opium medicines were prominently advertised in Assamese-language periodicals. Tea was everything that opium was not—it was good for health, financially viable, and promised peace and prosperity for the entire family. Through a content analysis of these two types of advertisements, this article argues that in its own interest, the colonial state supported the promotion of tea as a respectable alternative to opium addiction.