A History of Assam c27.2

c27.2

WHEN the Ahōms invaded Assam at the beginning of the 13th century they were already in possession of a written character and a literature of their own. The use of paper was unknown, and they employed instead strips of bark of the Sāci tree, known in Bengal as Agar (Aquilaria Agallocha), the Aloes wood of the Bible, from which are obtained the perfumed chips which are so largely exported from Sylhet for use as incense in temples. The manner of preparing the bark for use as a writing material is as follows:—