Manuscript writing is a very old tradition of Assam. From Bana`s Harshacharita, belonging to the 7th century it is known that the gift from Bhaskarbarma, the king of ancient Assam, to Harsha included, inter alia, "volumes of fine writing with leaves made from aloe bark and of the hue of ripe pink cucumber". It is also known from Bana`s account that in Assam there was a tradition of painting miniature pictures. But there is no clear indication about illustrated manuscript in his account. Most of the scholars on Indian art believe that it is only from the 16th century that the Hindus started illustrating their manuscripts, long after the Buddhists and Jains. But it is known from recent investigation that there was a Hindu tradition of manuscript illustration in Nepal as early as 12th century AD. So the existence of such a Hindu tradition in Assam in an earlier date cannot be ruled out.
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