Assam came under the East India company’s rule in 1826 according to the treaty of yandaboo. The serampore trio came into Assam and set up a centre at Guwahati in the year 1829. The American Baptist Mission Foreign society sent a mission under Reverends Nathan Brown and Oliver cutter to Assam. 

They brought a printing press along with them and settled in India. Another renowned missionary, Miks Bronson also came to India. They established several schools and published textbooks for school children. But due to the local people’s suspiciousness Bronson shifted the centre from Jaipur to upper Assam. In the middle of the 19th century the First Baptist Church was established at Guwahati and in the same year at Nagaon and Sibagar. 

They started converting people to Christianity and give education. The missionaries at Nagaon founded an orphanage, started schools and hospitals when the missionaries did not get much success in their attempt to go to the hilly region to spread their activities. 

In 1841, the Welsh presbyterian missionary came to khasi jaintia Hill. They established several schools for boys and girls. They also extended their activities in Garo Hills, Nagaland, Darrang and Nagaon district. Then in the last quarter of 19th century the church missionaries came to Assam and spread their activities in Darrang District. 

In the first decade of the 20th century the Roman Catholic Mission came and established centres at Shillong, Guwahati and Haflong. It is interesting to note here that the medium of instruction in the primary schools started by the East India company was Bengali. It was because of the demand raised by the Bengali residents of Assam that Assamese was a dialect originated from Bengali Language. As a result the company officials introduced Bengali as a medium of education in Assam in 1836.

But the American missionaries helped in removal of Bengali language and Assamese language was reintroduced as medium in 1873. Assamese was also used since then as the language of the court at the lower level. 

The Christian missionaries played a vital role in the development of modern education in Assam. They wrote several books in Assamese language. The missionaries translated the Bible into Assamese and this was the first Assamese book in print; the first Assamese newspaper “Arunodoi” was published by Nathan Brown in 1846. In 1839, William Robinson published the first Assamese Grammar “Grammar of Assamese language ” From serampore. The first Assamese Dictionary “Dictionary in Assamese and English was edited by Miles Bronson in 1867” From the activities of Christian missionaries we can see that they did excellent work in Assam and extended their activities even in Hill areas. They established several schools and colleges in the different parts of the state. Though their objectives were to spread the Christianity they helped us in our educational and social development.