Archive · 28 Jan 2026
Shehnab Sahin's Book Explores Assam's Forgotten History
Shehnab Sahin's book is a collection of short stories that take us back in time to Assam, India.
The stories are set between 1858 and 1962 and talk about the tea plantations, the Opium Wars, and the British colonialism.
The main character is Samuel Paddington, a British botanist who manages a tea estate.
The book also talks about the Chinese invasion of India in 1962 and the social changes that happened because of these events.
Sahin, who used to work for the Assam government, wrote these stories to remember and share the history of Assam that is often forgotten.
She mixed real historical events with fictional characters and stories to make the past come alive.
Shehnab Sahin's debut short-story collection, 'Colour My Grave Purple and Other Stories,' explores Assam's forgotten history from 1858 to 1962.
The stories are set against the backdrop of tea plantations, the Opium Wars, British colonialism, and the 1962 Chinese invasion of India.
The narrative centers on Samuel Paddington, a British botanist-turned-estate manager, and his interactions with plantation workers and his Cantonese wife.
Sahin's book aims to broaden Assam's historical narrative beyond insurgency and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.
The stories draw on fragments of forgotten history, weaving archival facts with imaginative storytelling to highlight Assam's connections to global events.
- Who
- Shehnab Sahin, a former Assam government civil servant and humanitarian aid worker
- What
- A short-story collection titled 'Colour My Grave Purple and Other Stories' that explores Assam's forgotten history
- When
- The stories are set between 1858 and 1962, with each story marked by a specific year
- Where
- Assam, India, with historical connections to China, Britain, and other global events
- Why
- To broaden the historical narrative of Assam beyond its associations with insurgency and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, and to explore the social transformations brought about by tea, opium, and other historical events
- Author
- Shehnab Sahin
- Book Title
- Colour My Grave Purple and Other Stories
- Publisher
- Niyogi Books
- Setting
- Assam, India
- Historical Periods Covered
- 1858 to 1962
- Key Themes
- Tea plantations, Opium Wars, British colonialism, Chinese invasion, social transformations
- Protagonist
- Samuel Paddington, a British botanist-turned-estate manager
- Notable Historical Figures
- Maniram Dewan, Piyali Barua, Ursula Graham Bower