https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Robert_Bruce_%28trader%29Robert Bruce (trader) - Revision history2026-10-29T18:50:12ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Bruce_(trader)&diff=530668&oldid=prevEulaMatos4236 at 05:29, 13 February 20262026-02-13T05:29:39Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}<br />
{{Use British English|date=May 2018}}<br />
'''Robert Bruce''' (1789–1824)<ref>{{cite web |title=Robert Bruce Robert Bruce 1789 - 1824 from The Gazetteer for Scotland |url=https://www.scottish-places.info/people/famousfirst3223.html |website=www.scottish-places.info |language=en-gb}}</ref> was a [[Scotland|Scottish]] arms trader and mercenary soldier on the north-east frontier of India. He took steps towards the introduction of tea plantations in [[Assam]] in the 1820s.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Andreas |first1=Peter |title=Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs |date=2020 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-046301-4 |page=114 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eMHADwAAQBAJ&pg=PA114 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://liyn-an.com/tea_room/bruce/ |title=Mr Bruce's Report on Assam Tea |accessdate=2007-12-04 |publisher=Chambers' Edinburgh Journal |date=1840-01-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061220204732/http://liyn-an.com/tea_room/bruce/ |archivedate=2006-12-20 }}</ref><br />
<br />
==Life==<br />
In early life, Bruce was a naval officer.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Stephanie |title=Two Centuries Of Overseas Trading |date=27 July 2016 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-349-07376-4 |page=15 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n8K-DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA15 |language=en}}</ref> In 1823 a despatch described Bruce as Indian-born. This was doubted, however, by [[Edward Albert Gait]], who mentioned his brother, [[Charles Alexander Bruce]], and his 1809 voyage to India.<ref name="Gait226">{{cite book |last1=Gait |first1=Edward Albert |title=A History of Assam |date=1906 |publisher=[[Thacker, Spink & Company|Thacker, Spink & Co.]] |page=226 |url=https://archive.org/details/ahistoryassam01gaitgoog/page/n251/mode/1up |language=English}}</ref> According to the ''Dictionary of Indian Biography'', Charles Alexander Bruce was born in Assam, at [[Jorhat]].<ref>{{cite DIB|wstitle=Bruce, Charles Alexander}}</ref> Robert Bruce was resident at [[Jogighopa]].<ref name="Gait226"/><br />
<br />
In 1821, during the [[Burmese invasions of Assam]], Bruce involved himself in the affairs of the [[Ahom Kingdom]]. Having helped the deposed [[Purandar Singha]] muster and equip an army in the [[Dooars]], with the help of the [[East India Company]], he led it into Ahom in May of that year, against [[Chandrakanta Singha]]. Suffering a defeat, he was taken prisoner. He then agreed to support Chandrakanta Singha, against the Burmese forces of the [[Konbaung dynasty]], who was regrouping in the [[Goalpara district]]. With guns and ammunition supplied through Bruce, Chandrakanta Singha took back [[Guwahati]] at the beginning of 1822.<ref name="Gait226"/><br />
<br />
Robert Bruce is buried in the cemetery in [[Tezpur]] town.<br />
<br />
==Tea in Assam==<br />
Bruce learned from [[Maniram Dewan]] that the [[Singpho people]] grew tea, which was then not generally known. In 1823, while trading at [[Garhgaon]], he encountered a Singpho chief, who was willing to supply him with botanical tea samples.<ref name="Gait346">{{cite book |last1=Gait |first1=Edward Albert |title=A History of Assam |date=1906 |publisher=Thacker, Spink & Co. |page=346 |url=https://archive.org/details/ahistoryassam01gaitgoog/page/n375/mode/1up |language=English}}</ref> The chief was [https://namsai.nic.in/history/ Bisa Gam]. Bruce died soon after, in 1824.<ref>Excerpts from [[D. K. Taknet]], [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/51163537 ''The Heritage of Indian Tea''], Jaipur, IIME, (2002), {{ISBN|81-85878-01-3}}</ref><br />
<br />
The samples found their way to Charles Alexander Bruce, and then to David Scom.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Stephanie |title=Two Centuries Of Overseas Trading |date=27 July 2016 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-349-07376-4 |page=14 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n8K-DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA14 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Assam Tea]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruce, Robert}}<br />
[[Category:1789 births]]<br />
[[Category:1824 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Mercenaries in India]]<br />
[[Category:Scottish expatriates in India]]<br />
[[Category:Owners of plantations in India]]<br />
[[Category:History of tea]]<br />
[[Category:Place of birth missing]]<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Scotland-bio-stub}}</div>EulaMatos4236