Northeastern Indian state of Assam has its capital city, Guwahati. It is beautifully positioned with an amphitheater of forested hills to the south, and it runs parallel to the Brahmaputra River (which is crossed there).

Around 400 CE, the Hindu kingdom of Kamarupa (also known as Pragjyotisa) had its capital at Guwahati. Before it became the headquarters of the Ahom governor of Lower Assam in 1681, the town was held alternately by Muslims and Ahoms (a Tai-speaking people who had moved from Yunnan province, China, and dominated much of Assam from the 13th century CE) throughout the 17th century. The Ahom raja established it as his capital in 1786. Guwahati was ruled by the Myanmar (Burmese) from 1816 until 1826, when it was given to the British as the capital of Assam. The capital was relocated.In 1874, it was 67 miles (108 km) south to Shillong.