The lushai expedition 1871-72
"silchar the sudder ie principal station of cachar district is a small place boasting only of a few brick buildings , including the cutcherry or court house , and church .   "There is a large native bazaar , the houses in which,as well as those of most of the european residents , are built of bamboo and mud .  There are two large European shops, which , taking advantage of the necessities of the troops that composed the Expedition , raised their prices inormously."

Silchar in 'Imperial gazetteer of India'.
"the population of cachar is entirely engaged either in rice cultivation or on the tea gardens . There is only one town with a population of more than 5000 souls , SILCHAR , the civic station and head quarters of a regiment of Native Infrantry , which in 1881 contained 6567 inhabitants. In conjunction with the neighboring villages,
Silchar has been constituted a municipalaity , with an income , in 1881-82 of 1167 POUNDS . A trading fair is anually held here in January , attended by about 20000 people. 

Railway comes to silchar
The Assam Bengal Railway brought Silchar intothe railway map in 1899. The railline entered into Cachar near Badarpur Jinction'across Sylhett. A branch line from Badarpur , through the souht bank of Barak pushed upto Silchar ,past Katahal , Salchapra and gagra . The mainline crossed the Barak crossed the barak by the magnificient bridge , 454 yards in length immediatly after Badarpur and then made its way up the Jatinga  valley . through North Cachar Hills , into Assam.