<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><mads xmlns="http://www.loc.gov/mads/" xmlns:mods="http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.loc.gov/mads/
mads.xsd"><authority><topic authority="http://AATesaurus.cultura.gencat.cat/aat/getty_en">Assamese</topic></authority><related type="broader"><topic>South Asian</topic></related> <note xml:lang="en"><![CDATA[ The Assamese are a major ethnic group of approximately 19.5 million people centered in the Indian state of Assam in northeastern India, speaking Assamese, the easternmost Indo-Aryan language with over 15 million native speakers. Their culture developed largely in isolation along the Brahmaputra River valley, shaped by centuries of interaction with neighboring Tibeto-Burman peoples, Tibetan influences, and the Ahom kingdom established by Tai invaders in 1229. Predominantly Hindu with animist traditions, the Assamese reflect a diverse heritage of Aryan, Ahom, and indigenous influences, and their language has historically served as a regional lingua franca across parts of northeastern India. ]]></note></mads>