The first important Ryot Sabhas were the Tezpur Ryot Sabha (1884–85) and Nowgong Ryot Sabha (1886–87). These organisations were formed by the Assamese middle-class leaders to protect the rights of peasants. Their main objectives were:
i. To protest against the new British land settlement in Assam.
ii. To demand abolition of grazing tax and reduction of land tax.
iii. To oppose the migration of peasants from East Bengal to Assam.
Although these sabhas did not play an active role in the peasant uprisings of 1893–94, their activities continued later. During the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930–34), their major demand was to reduce land tax by 50%.
To coordinate all these groups, the All Assam Ryot Sabha was formed on 8 April 1933 under Nabin Chandra Bordoloi. Later, about 300 Ryot Sabhas were formed across Assam, but most of them became weak by 1940 and eventually merged with the Assam Provincial Congress Committee.