CHAPTER II

POLITICAL HISTORY
Section I
THE RISE AND CONSOLIDATION OF THE ABOH KINGDOM

In the beginning of the thirteenth century a band of hardy

hillmen found their vay into the eastern extremity of the Brahmaputra
Talley. They were the forefathers of the Aheas who were destined to
set-up ami rule over a kingdom in Assam for more than 600 years.
They were a branch of the great Tai race and belonged particularly
to the Shan Section thereof, which occupied the northern and eastern
hill tracts of Upper Burma and Testern Yunnan.

Divine ancestry was attributed to the Ahem kings both by

the Deodhais or the Ahom priests and also by the Brahmin priests at
later date. According to the Deodhais, Lengdan (or India of the
Hindus) asked his son Then Khan to go down to earth to establish a
kingdom there. As he was unwilling, his sons, Khunlung ('prince-
elder') and Khunlai ('prince-younger*) descended to earth from heaven
by a golden chain in the year 568 A.D. and set feet on Ifungri-nungram.
Lengdan presented them an idol called 8omdeo, which was to be the
tutelary deity of the Ahem kings, a magic sword or Hengdan, two drums
for invoking divine notice and aid and four cocks for telling the
mmens. Khunlung and Khunlai built a town at Hungrimungram.
• »

1. Sait, A History of Assam, pp. 75-75; Kashinath Tamuli Phukan,

Assam Buranji, pp. 1-3.
 23

Khunl&i ousted Khunlung from Mungrimungram whereupon

Khunlung with the Somdeo canw to and founded a new kingdom in
Hungkhumungjao. He left seven sons of whom the eldest, who got
as his share the kingdom called Mungkang, inherited the Somdeo.
Khunl&i at Mungrimungram was succeeded by his son Tyaoaijeptyatpha
who is said to have founded the Aijepjfera; Tyaoaijeptyatpha died
childless; then a descendant of Khunlung and Khunchu came to occupy
the vacant throne. On the death of this descendant of Khunlung
and Khunchu, the kingdom was divided, Mungrimungram going to one
of his sons and tf&ulung to another. The son who got Vaulung and
his descendants ruled for 333 years and the line then becoming
extinct, another of Khunchu*s descendants was elected king of Vaulung.

Sukapha : Sukapha, the founder of the Ahom kingdom in Assam

was one of the grandsons of this descendant of Khunchu, who was
elected king of Vaulung. In consequence of a dispute with his brothers,
Sukapha left the country for Assam in 1215 A.D. carrying the Somdeo
with him after^having dispossessed the Baja of Mungkang of it without
his knowledge. For thirteen years Sukapha wandered about the hilly
country of the Patkai with his followers, horses, and elephants till m
1228 A.B. he arrived in Khanjang. Crossing the Khamjang river in
rafts he came to Nongnyang lake. He occasionally raided Naga villages.
Hagas attempting to resist his advance were defeated and dealt with
severely. He caused some of them to be killed and roasted, compelling
their relatives to eat their flesh. The morale of the resisters thus
3
broken, the Nagas in the neighbourhood hastened to make their submission.
1. Kashinath famuli Phukan, Assam Buranji, p . 6.
2. Gait, A History of Assam, p. 75.
3. S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buran^ivS.M.), pp. 6-ff.
 24

Sukapha moved from place to plaoe in search of a most

suitable habitat to settle down upon. Dangkaorang, Khamhangpuna,
Namrup, the Sesaa river, the Dihing, Tipam, Abhaypur, Habung,all
lay on his route. At Habung, the Ahoms started cultivation. Then
to the mouth of the Dikhu, Ligirigaon and Simaluguri. In 1253 Sukapha
arrived at Charaideo. At Charaideo a city was built. There was
rejoicing, horses were sacrificed and prayers were offered. Sukapha
subjugated the Horans and the Borahis who were in possession of the
neighouring country. He adopted conciliatory measures towards them
after having once defeated^them and treated them as equals and by
encouraging inter-marriage helped their fusion into one common
nation. These tribes used to supply elephants, dye, honey andmmats
and other products of the jungle in lieu of revenue to the Ahom kings.
He maintained contact with his borther rulers at home by sending
presents of gold and silver. He died in 1268 A.D.

Sukapha ms a brave and enterprising prince, fired by pio-

4

neering zeal and the adventurer spirit. Sukapha made appointments to

two great and important offices of the State, the Bar Grohain and the
Bura Gohain - offices whose incumbents were to play important and
powerful roles throughout the Ahem rule. Sukapha was vise and judi­
cious in his treatment of the conquered Morans and Borhhis but his
treatment of the hostile Nagas was ghastly.

1. S.K. Bhuvan, Assam Buranji (S.M.), p. 7.

2. Maniram uewan, M.S. Buranji Yiveka^Katna (D.H.A.S. No. 272),
f.4b.
3. Gait, History of Assam, p. 78.
4. ibid., p. 79.
 2 5

Suteupha : Suteupha succeeded Sukapha. In his reign

the Kacharis left the country east of the Dikhu to the Ahoms and
there was an expedition against the^Naras, which was defeated and
its conanander, the Buragohain slain. The next king Subinpha distri­
buted Ahom subjects between the Bar Gohain and the Bora Gohain.

Sukhangpha : There were hostilities between the Huns and

the Baja of Kassata with heavy losses on both sides. The enemy was
weakened and sued for peace and Rajani, the daughter of the Kamata
king was given in marriage to the Ahem king* The ruler of Mungkaz^
demanded of Sukhangpha payment of tribute which the latter refused.

Sukhrangpha : Sukhrangpha* s half brother, Chao Pulai (son

of Rajani), the Baring Raja conspired against him and fled to the
Baja of Kamata who marched to Athag&on and to Baring. Sukhrangpha
5
opened negotiations and made up differences with Chao Fulaii

Sutupha : Sutupha, brother of Sukhrangpha succeeded. There

were disputes with the Chutiyas. In 1376, the Chutiya king visited
Sutupha and invited him to a regatta on the 8afrai river. Ihile on
board the Chutiya king's barge without attendants, the Ahom king was
6
treacherously murdered. Ho prince worthy of the throne was found by
the great nobles and so the country was ruled for four years by the
Bar Gohain and the Burha Gohain.
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 25

Tyaokhamti : In 1280 the third eon of Sukhangpha,

Tyaokhamti was raised to the throne. He marched as a rmy against

the Chutiyas to avenge the assassination of Butupha. W h e n the king

left, placing the elder queen in charge, she conspired against the

king's favourite younger queen v h o was ordered to be beheaded on a

false charge. T h e ministers helped b y setting her adrift on a raft

o n the Brahmaputra, as she was pregnant. The king returned victo­

rious but he was so m u c h under the influence of the elder queen that

he could not punish her for her cruel but unjustified treatment of

his favorite wife nor prevent h e r committing numerous acts^of oppression.

The irritated nobles caused h i m to be assassinated in 1389.

There was n o suitable successor and the g reat nobles ruled

without a king. One T hao Cheoken came across a youth of royal presence

named Sudang in a Habung village iriiere Cheoken had g one for trade in

cattle and on enquiries found that he was the son of Tyaokhamti's

younger queen. A B r ahmin gave shelter to the queen who died after

the birth of S u d a n g and brought up S u d a n g w i t h his own children. The

B u r h a Gohain on coming to know of the facts, consulted the other

ministers, brou^it the yoi^h to the capital and placed h i m on the

£
throne.

Sudangpha: The reign of S u d a n g p h a also called 'Brahman

Prince' marks the first stage in the g r o w t h of Brahmanical influence

amongst the ihoms. M a n y Hindu rites and ceremonies began to be

observed. The Brahmin who brought up the king was appointed adviser
3
to the k i n g and his sons important officers on the frontier.

1. Kashinath Tanuli Phukah, As sen B u r a n j i , p. 14-if

2. ibid., p. 15; Go lap C h a n d r a Barua, A h o m Buranji, p. 49.
3. Kahinatn Tamili Phukan, Assam Buranji, pp. 15-ff.
 2 7

T h e T i p a n c h i e f s v h o c o n s p i r e d a g a i n s t t h e k i n g v e r t

i n v i t e d t o a f e a s t o n t h e o c c a s i o n o f s u c c e s s f u l c a t c h i n g o f e l e p h a n t s

i n t h e r o y a l s t o c k a d e a n d o v e r p o w e r e d a n d p u t t o d e a t h a t t h e h e i g h t

o f f e s t i v i t i e s w h e n a l l g r o u n d s f o r s u s p i c i o n h a d b e e n d i s a r m e d . T h e

k i n g t h e n c o n c i l i a t e d t h e T i p a m i a s b y m a r r y i n g t h e d a u g h t e r o f a

T i p a m i a C h i e f K h u n t a i . A T i p a m i a , T a o S u l a i , w h o h a d a l r e a d y b e e n

e n a m o u r e d o f t h e q u e e n b e f o r e h e r m a r r i a g e p r e s e n t e d h e r a r i n g . T h e

k i n g d e m a n d e d e x p l a n a t i o n . T a o S u l a i f l e d f o r h e l p t o S u r u m p h a ,

k i n g o f M u n g k a n g w h o s e n t a n a r m y a g a i n s t S u d a n g p h a . I n a t r e a t y i n

1 4 0 1 t h e F a t k a i w a n f i x e d as t h e b o u n d a r y b e t w e e n t h e t w o c o u n t r i e s

a f t e r S u d | n g p h a h a d p e r s o n a l l y d e f e a t e d t h e i n v a d e r s a t t h e h e a d of

h i s a r m y .

T a o S u l a i t h e n f l e d t o K a m a t a . i n e x p e d i t i o n w a s s e n t t o

K a m a t a b u t t h e B a j a a v o i d e d w a r b y g i v i n g h i s d a u g h t e r B h a j a n i t o

S u d a n g p h a . S u d a n g p h a c o m p l e t e d t h e s u b j u g a t i o n of t h e T i p a m , K h a m j s n g

a n d i i t o n t r i b e s . H e r e m o n s t r a t e d w i t h t h e N a r a B a j a f o r t h i s h a v i n g

e n c o u r a g e d t h e s e t r i b e s t o w i t h h o l d p a y m e n t o f t r i b u t e . H e b u i l t a

t o w n a t D h o l a a n d l a t e r m a d e h i s c a p i t a l a t C h a r g u y a n e a r t h e D i h i n g
3

r i v e r . T h e n r u l e d S u j a n g p h a ( 1 4 0 7 - 1 4 2 2 ) a n d S u p h a k p h a ( 1 4 2 2 - 1 4 3 9 ) .

T h e i r r e i g n s w e r e u n e v e n t f u l .

S u s e n p h a : S u s e n p h a l e d h i s t r o o p s i n p e r s o n a g a i n s t T a n g s u

N a g a s w h o h a d c o o m i t t e d x*aids a n d r o u t e d t h e m i n a s e r i o u s e i g a g e m e n t
4

t h a t c o s t t h e A h o a u i 4 0 l i v e s . P r e s e n t s a r e s a i d t o h a v e b e e n B e n t t o

t h e k i n g b y a r u l e r o f s o m e c o u n t r y t o t h e e a s t a s a t o k e n o f f r i e n d ­

s h i p a n d b y A k h a m p a M a g a s a s a t o k e n o f t h e i r s u b m i s s i o n .

r . G o l a p c E e u a d r a S a r u a , A h e m B u r a n j i , p p . 4 9 - f f .
2 . I b i d . , u p . 5 0 - f f .

3 . K a s h i n a t h T a a u l i P h u k a n , A s s a m B u r a n j i , p . 1 7
4 . S . E . B h u y a n , A s s a m B u r a n j i ( S . M . ) , p . B .
 28

He appears to have been a good monarch/whose reign the country is

likely to have enjoyed comparative peace, prosperity and contentment.

Suhenpha l There was renewed warfare with the Tangsu

Nagas who routed an Ahom detachment and cut off the head of the
Bargohain, but were ultimately defeated. In 1490 war broke out with
the Kacharis who defeated the Jhoms who had to sue for peace and
send a princesa to the Kachari king. In 1493 Suhenpha was assassi.
nated by some men of the Tairunghan clan, who had been punished for
A 2
stealing paddy from the royal granary.

Supimpha : Supimpha set himself to tracing out and punishing

those who were responsible for his father's murder. The Burha Gohain
who m s suspected of complicity revolted. It is said that the king
sent away one of his wives who was pregnant to a Naga Chief, because
the qu.« bed praieed hi. b.m ty in the king'. pre.ence » h i . ccing
to pay tribute. The king died or was assassinated in 1497.

SuhuE^ming, the Dihingia Raja (1497-1539): Suhungmung'

assumed the Hindu title Swsrga Narayan. The Brahmanioal influence
was on the increase. He is also known as Dihingia Baja because he
made his capital at Bakata on the Dihing. In 1504 the Aitonia Nagas
revolted. They were defeated and acknowledged Ahom supremacy by
sending to the Ahom king a daughter of their chief and four elephants
and agreeing to pay annual tribute of axes, gongs and amber. In 1512
4
the Habung country was annexed to the Ahom dominions.
1. Sait, H i s t o r y o f Assan, pp. hft-rfc. /
2. Ibid., p. 85f S.K. BhuyanJ Assam Buranji(S.M.), p.9; Golap Chandra
Barua, Ahom Buranji, pp. 52-ff.
3. Gait, History of Assam, pp. 85-ff; S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji(S.K.)
. 9.
S
ait, History of Assam, p. 86.
 29

In 1513 h o s t i l i t i e s with the Chutiyas began with the

Chutiya B a ja , Dhir Narayan invading the ihooi t e r r it o r y . The Chutiya

forces were defeated on land and in a naval encounter* Shhungmung

took possession of Kungkhrang and the country round Namdang. The

Chutiyas t r ie d to recover le s t t e r r it o r y and in 1520 attacked the

Ahom f o r t at Mungkhrang. Hie Chutiyas had suceess and got back the

lo s t t e r r it o r y . Two years la te r the Chutiyas su ffered d efeat near

the mouth of Sesaa r iv e r and the Ahemoadvanced and erected a f o r t

at the mouth of the Tiphao r i v e r . In 1523 the Chutiyas besieged the

Tiphao f o r t . Suhungnung a rriv e d with reinforcements and routed the

enemy who sued fo r peace. Peace overtures f e l l through because of

Suhungnung in s is t in g on having the heirlooms o f the Chutiya king, h is

g o ld c a t , gold elephant, and gold um brella. The Chutiyas f o r t i f i e d

th e ir p o sitio n near Sadiya but were dislodged and pursued as fa r as

the Chautan (Chand&ngiri) h i l l . The Chutiyas kept the Ahoms in check

by r o ll i n g down heavy stones. As fro n ta l attack was of no a v a i l , the

Ahom s o ld ie rs were ordered to climb up the p recipitous h i l l and attack

from the re a r; th is they d id with g re a t d i f f i c u l t y by h old in g on th#

creep ers, reached the summit and surprised the Chutiyas who f l e d . The

king and h is e ld e st son f e l l and the p rin c ip a l queen k ille d h e r s e lf .

The heads of the Chutiya king and h is son were buried under the steps
* 3
of the temple at Charaideo. Hie whole Chutiya country was annexed and

a new o f f i c e r , the Sadiya-khowa Gohain was appointed to administer

4
th is conquered t e r r it o r y . On return to Charaideo, Suhungnmng sig n a lis e d

• S.K. Bbuyan, Assam Buranji ( S . U . ) , pp. 10-11.

2. Kashinatn Tamuli Phukan, Assam Bur an 3i , p. 19.
3. t t id .,
4 . 8 .K. Bhuyan, Assam B u ra n ji, (S .M .), p . 12
 30

hie victory by performing the Rikkhvan Ceremony, The Chutiyes

later revolted but were put down, Die Sadiya-khowa Goh&in wan
attacked by Phukangmung, a chief of a neighbouring hill tribe,
Phukangmung was defeated end killed. Another trouble-seme local
Chief now submitted and sent his daughter to the royal seraglio.

Suhungmung proceeded to the Dihing country and appointed

officers to administer the frontier provinces of Habung, Dihing
and Banlung. Suhungmung saw Senglung and m s struck by his digni­
fied appearance and coming to know that Supimpha's Queen was pregnant
before she was sent away to the Naga Chief, became favourably disposed
towards Senglung, her son and created the high appointment of Barpatra
Gohain for him and made it equal in rank to those of the Bargohain and
the Burha Gohain despite the latter*s protests. The Barahis, Chutiyas
and Horans were placed under the Barpatra Gohain,

In 1526 Suhungmung marched gainst the Kaeharis, in the

Dhansiri valley. At Barduar a bathing ghat and at Marangi a fort
with brick walls were constructed under his orders. Though the
Kacharis defended themselves valiantly with bows and arrows, they
were ultimately defeated with a heavy loss of 1,700 dead on the
battlefield. Later the Kachari king, Detsung began to give trouble
again, whereupon an army was sent against him accompained by
Suhungmung himself upto Harangi. Troops were sent up both banks of
the Doyang, Detsung retreated and fled to hie capital Dimapur.
1, Gait, History of Assam, pp. 88-ff.
2. Esshinath Tamuli Phukan, p. 21-ff.
Detsung was pursued farther till he was at last captured and pot
to death. The Kachari resistance was crippled. Detsung's head
was buried in the Char&ideo hill. Three princesses were taken to
the king's harem. The ihoms became masters of the Dhansiri valley
and of the ihole of the Kachari possessions north of the Kalleng
river in Nongong. i permanent official* the Marangi-khowa Goh&in
was appointed for the Dhansiri valley. Suhungmung after the victo­
rious campaign offered oblations to the dead and sacrifices to the
2
Gods. The Ahcms and the Kacharis used cannon in this war.

In 1537, Viswa Singh, the Koch king visited the Ahom Raja
and offered presents. Suhungnung also gave presents to the Koch
Raja in return. Envoys were also sent to the Raja of Kanipur and
3
presents were exchanged. There were expeditions against the KhanjaiMS,
Tabling and Namsang Nagas, under the king's sen, Suklen. The Khamjang
Nagas yielded but the Tablung and Namsang Nagas made the ihoms retreat,
4
though later they also submitted.

The year 1527 saw the first Muhammadan invasion under the
great Tasir of Ahom land recorded in Ahom history. The ihoms hotly
pursued the intruders and captured forty horses and about twenty to
forty cannon. Suhungmung proceeded to Sals. Duimunisila was taken
possession of, a fort was constructed at the mouth of the Burai river
and a detachment was placed at Fhulbari. Subsequently, expeditions
were sent down the Kalleng and up the Bharali. Slaves and booty were
taken. The king left a strong guard at Narayanpur. Muhammadans
renewed hostilities and advanced up the Brahmaputra. The ihoms won
1. S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji (B.h.), p. 14.
2. Golap Chandra Barua, ihom Buranjl, p. 60.
3. Kashinath Tamuli Phukan, p. 22.
4. Gait, History of issam, p. 95.
 32

t h e b a t t l e a t T e m a n i a n d p l a c e d g a r r i s o n s a t S a l t , o n t h e B h a r a l i

a n d a t S i n g i r i . S i n g i r i u n d e r B a r p a t r a G o h a i n w a s a t t a c k e d b u t t h e

M u h a o n a d a n f o r c e w a s d e f e a t e d a n d p u r s u e d a e f a r a a K h a g a r i j a n

( N o w g o n g ) a n d t h e i r c o m m a n d e r , B i t M a l i k v a a a l a i n . H o r s e s , C a n n o n

a n d g u n s v e r e t a k e n . B a r p a t r a G o h a i n v a a p r e s e n t e d w i t h a b e a u t i f u l

g i r l b y t h e k i n g , a n d h o n o u r e d b y t h e p e r f o r m a n c e o f t h e R i k k h v a n

C e r e m o n y f o r h i m .

I n 1 5 3 2 a M u h a m m a d a n c o n m a n d a r n a m e d T u r b a k v i t h e l e p h a n t s ,

h o r s e s , a r t i l l e r y a n d f o o t s o l d i e r s i n v a d e d t h e c o u n t r y a n d e n c a m p e d

o p p o s i t e t h e f o r t a t S i n g i r i . S u h u n g p i u n g * s s o n , S u k l e n c r o s s e d t h e

B r a h m a p u t r a a n d a t t a c k e d t h e M u h a m m a d a n e n c a m p m e n t d i s r e g a r d i n g a s t r o ­

l o g e r s ' a d v i c e o n l y t o m e e t v i t h a c r u s h i n g d e f e a t , v i t h e i g h t A h o m

c o m n a n d e r s k i l l e d . T h e M u h a m m a d a n s h a l t e d a t K o i l a b a r f o r t h e r a i n y

s e a s o n . T h e H u h a n m a d a n s s u r r o u n d e d t h e A h c o s u n d e r S u k l e n a t t h e -

f o r t o f S a l a a n d t h e i r a t t e m p t t o s t o r m t h e f o r t v a s r e p u l s e d b y t h e

A h o m s p o u r i n g b o i l i n g v a t e r o v e r t h e m .

S u c c e s s , h o v e v e r , r e s t e d v i t h t h e M u h a m m a d a n s i n t h e s u b s e ­

q u e n t e n c o u n t e r s . A t l a s t t h e f o r t u n e s o f t h e v a r t u r n e d i n f a v o u r

o f t h e A h o m s w h o g a i n e d a g r e a t v i c t o r y i n t h e n a v a l e n g a g e m e n t n e a r

D u i m u n i s i l a i n 1 5 3 3 . v i t h l o s s e s o n t h e s i d e o f t h e e n e m y b e t v e e n
2

1 , 5 0 0 a n d 2 , 5 0 0 m e n . T u r b a k r e i n f o r c e d b y H u s s a i n K h a n t o o k u p p o s i ­

t i o n a t t h e m o u t h o f t h e D i k r a i o p p o s i t e t h e A h o m C « n p . T h e M u h a ­

m m a d a n s w e r e b e a t e n i n a s e r i e s o f e n g a g e m e n t s . T h e f i n a l b a t t l e v a s

f o u g h t n e a r t h e B h a r a l i . E l e p h a n t s a n d h o r s e s b o g g e d i n a m o r a s s ,

3
T u r b a k t r a n s f i x e d b y a s p e a r a n d d e a d , t h e e n e m y l i n e v a s t h r o w n i n t o

n G o l a p C h a n d r a k a r u a , A h o m b u r a n j i , p p . 6 7 - f f .

2 . I b i d . , u p . 7 0 - f f .
3 * S . K . $ b u y a n , A s s a m B u r a n j i ( S . M . ) , p . 2 2 .
 33

confu sion and the d efea t became a r o u t. The pursu it van ca rried
as fa r as the Karatoya r i? e r on the bank o f ufaieh a temple was b u ilt
and a tank excavated to commemorate the Ahem v ic t o r y , in envoy was
sent t o the king o f Gaur who sent a p rin ce ss fo r the Ahom king.
Hussain Khan was caught and put to death. Elephants, h o rse s, cannon,
m a tch .lock s, g o ld , s ilv e r and other booty were taken. The heid o f
Turbak was buried on the top o f the Charaideo h i l l . The Rikkhvan
ceremony was performed. The use o f fire-arm s by the Ahons dates
from the c lo s e o f the war.

Suhungmung b u ilt a town at Namdang a fte r capturing i t from

the Chutiyas. A fter making h is c a p it a l a t Bakata on the Dihing,
Suhungmung s e tt le d a number o f Ahoms in the neighbourhood. A fter
annexing the Chutiya coun try, he removed 300 Ahoms o f the Gharphaliya
clan w ith fa m ilies and twelve c h ie fs from Garhgaon t o Sadiya and
another contingent o f the same clan t o the banks of the D ihing. A
number o f Brahmins, blacksmiths and artisa n s were taken from Sadiya
to the Ahom c a p it a l. A fte r d e fe a tin g Turbak*s f o r c e s , he s e tt le d the
Muhammadan p rison ers o f war in d iffe r e n t parts o f the cou n try.
S u cce ssiv e ly they were employed as cu tte rs o f gra ss f o r the k in g 's
elephants and as c u lt iv a t o r s , but having proved i n e f f i c i e n t in these
d u t ie s , they took to working in b ra s s, an occupation whieh th e ir
descendants, the l o r i a s , carry on to t h is day. In 1510 the king
g o t an enquiry made in to the number, con d ition and d is t r ib u tio n o f
3
the people who were d ivid ed in to c la n s .
r r ^ H n a t F TW i P K u k a n , ' p T S C ---------------------------------------------------------
2 . G a it, A H istory o f Assam, p . 94.
3 . I b i d ., pp. 8 6 , 8 8 , 95.
 34

In 1534 a great number of cattle died because of a very

severe outbreak of cattle disease.The S&ka era of the Hindus was
adopted in place of the Jovian Cycle. This reign not only witnessed
the growing influence of the Brahmans, but also the spread of the
Vaisnava reformation introduced by Sankar Deva. Suklen got estranged
from the king for various reasons and got a Kachari servant of the
king, Ratiman to stealthily creep into his bed room while he was asleqp
1
and 8tab him to death.

Suhungmung was a bold, enterprising and resourceful ruler

and during his reign the Ahom dominions were extended in all directions.
The Chutiyas were subjugated, the Kachari power was broken, the
Muhammadan^invasions were repulsed and the N^a raids were effectively
dealt with.

Suklenmung : Suklenmung shifted his capital to Garhgaon and

3
so was known as Garhgaya Raja. He ordered death sentence for the
brothers of his father's assassin. He paid repeated visits to the
country conquered from the Kacharis to bring order and settled govern­
ment to the area. He got the turbulent petty Chiefs or Bhuiyas who
interfered in his efforts transported nearer headquarters for stricter
supervision. There was a Chutiya raid in 1542.

1. Gait, History of Assam, pp. 86, 97.

2. Ibid., p. 97. _ ..
3. Kashinath Tamuli Phukan, p. 23, Assam Buranji.
4. Gait, History of Assam, p. 98.
 35

Series of conflicts comnenced with the Koch king,

Her Narayan, by this time, & most powerful ruler. In 1546 Sukladhvaj
alias Chilarai, Har Narayan*s brother and General advanced with
a Koch force. The Aherns met the Koches near the Dikrai river and
in the ensuing battle heavily lost and retreated. A less decisive
action was fought at Koliabar. Subsequently at Sals, the Ahoms
1
were put to flight. The invaders remained in undisturbed possession
of the country they had occupied. They hurriedly built a road from
their capital in Koch Bihar to Narayanpur in North Lakhimpur and
moved to Narayanpur and fortified it. Suklenmung now made supreme
efforts, mustered his forces, cut off the enemy's communications.
Attempting to take ihom positions by storm, the enemy suffered
defeat and retreated with heavy losa. Suklenmung regained his lost
possessions and performed the Rikkhvan ceremony.

In 1548 there was a terrible earthquake. A conspiracy

by Dighalmar Sandikai was unearthed and the conspiraters were put
to death. The king at their request aided the Banpara Nagas against
the Banchang Nagas who were defeated. Suklenmung was the first king
to strike coins. This was indicative of greater intercourse with
4
the countries west of Assam. In 1552 the king died.

Sukhanpha : Sukhampha was also known as the Khora Raja.

He hurt his foot, while out hunting elephants. Fond of sport, the
king used to be present at 'Kheddas* or elephant-catching operations.
Seven princes plotted against him but were mercifully pardoned. This
unusual clemency failed and when they rebelled again, they were put
6
to death. „ '
1. Golaphhandra Barua, Ihom buranii, pp.79-ii. |6* Gait, History of
2. S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji(S.M.)>p. 30. I Assam, pp. 99-ff.
3. Golap Chandra Barua, ihom Buranji, p. 81. I
4. Gait, History of Assam, p. 99.
5. Kashinath Tanuli Phukan, Asson Buranji, p. 24.
 36

In 1562 a Koch army under th e ir General named Tipu

advanced as fa r an the Dikhu. In the subsequent engagement that
fo llo w e d , the Ahoms l o s t . Next year C h ila ri him self came up and
the Ahoms were rou ted. The king, i t is s a id , was alarmed when a
k ite had ca rried o f f one o f h is ornaments ly in g on the r iv e r bank,
while he was bathing and considered th is to be an adverse omen,
1
fo r e b o d ii^ the su ccess of C h ila r i, "the king o f k ite s * . The Ahom
king with h is nobles fle d to Charai- kharang in Namrup. The Koches
plundered the country and C h ila ri entered Garhgaon. Later the
Burha Gohain, Aikhem, came suing fo r peach, which was granted on
acknowledgment o f Koch supremacy, cession o f considerable t e r r it o r y
on the north bank^of the Brahmaputra* d e liv e r y o f sons o f c h ie f
nobles as hostages and d e liv e ry o f s ix ty elephants, s ix t y p ieces of
c lo th and gold and s ilv e r as indemnity.

A fter C h ila ri l e f t Sukhampha returned to h is c a p it a l,

in s titu te d an enquiry in to the causes o f Ahom r e v e rse s, dism issed
the Burha Gohain f o r negligence in defence p rep a ra tion s, appointed
one Kankham in h is p la c e , ordered elab ora te f o r t i f i c a t i o n s aid
m ilita r y and defence arrangements. Narayanpur was recovered . Sala
was occu p ied , f o r t s were constructed at the mouth o f the Dikhu and
at S ala. Hostages taken by the Koches were returned. A number o f
Koch artisan s came with the Ahom hostages, in clu d in g p o tte rs sk ille d
in the a rt o f making images o f the Durga and other Hindu d e i t i e s .
F in a lly the Koches under Tipu and B hitarul were d efeated at the mouth
o f the Dhansiri in 1570. In 1577 reb els against the Koch king,
. KaShinath Tamuli Phukan, Assam Buranji, p. 26.
2. Gelap Chandra Barua, Ahom B u ran ji, p p . 8 7 - f f .
 37

Nar N&rayan numbering more than 1,400 were given p o l i t i c a l asylum

and s e ttle d in Ahem t e r r it o r y by Sukhampha. In 1585 the Koch kingf
Baghu Bob gave h is daughter Sankala in marriage to Sukhampha with
dowry o f eleph an ts, horses and a hundred d om estics, Sukhampha gave
in return twentytwo elephants and twelve h orses.

In 1563 the Chutiyas ca rried out ra id in g e x p e d itio n . The

Bar Sandhikai marched to Sadiya and defeated the Chutiyas, k i ll i n g
a thousand and taking three thousand p riso n e rs. There was a lso an
invasion by a Dhekeri Raj from Nowgong Chapari, which ended in the
rou t o f the invading f o r c e . There was a su ccessfu l exp ed ition against
a c h ie f named Bhela R aja whose c a p it a l was occupied by the Ahoms.
An exp ed ition against the A ito n ia Papuk and Khcmteng Nagas was su ccessfu l
as a lso another against a r e b e llio u s grandson o f a Bhuiya Chief named
Pratap R a i. A Naga named Phusenta was d efea ted . In 1576 the Mara
R aja o f Mungkang advanced upto Khamjang but h o s t i l i t i e s were avoided
under a tr e a ty whereby Sukhanpha paid 16,000 rupees. Mara R aja having
f a ile d to f u l f i l h is part o f the tr e a t y , h o s t i l i t i e s ensued ending
u ltim ately in the d efea t o f the Nara R a ja 's fo r c e s near the Sesea
3
R iv e r. In 1574 there was a v iru len t epidemic o f sm all-pox. In 1596
there was a bad earthquake in which one o f the k in g 's palaces c o lla p s e d .
The king married a number o f w ives. The palace he b u ilt at Sonapur and
the one at Salakh tali were destroyed by lig h tin g and by f i r e r e s p e c tiv e ly .
The Vaishnava ten ts were being preached and propagated by d is c ip le s o f
Sankar Deb and Hadhab Deb, numerous S attras were being se t up and many
people in clu d in g some o f the h igh est o f f i c i a l s embraced the Mahapurusia
4
Dharma. Sukhampha died in 1603.
1 . G a it, H istory o f Assam, up. l6 l-1 0 3 .
2 . S.K. Bhuyan, Assam B u ra n ji(S .M .). p . 4 1 .
3 . G a it, H istory o f Assam, pp. 1 0 0 ,l 0 2 - f f .
4 . I b i d . , pp. 102-104.
 Section 2
THE PERIOD OF THE MUHAMMADAN Y U S

Susengpha - Pratap Singh ( 1603-1641 ) : Susengpha was

also known as Burha Raja, as he was already advanced in*Yge when he
ascended the throne. For his wisdom, he was called Buddha Swarga
Narayan and for his great deeds and exploits and prowess, he was
called Pratap Singh, Jana Manik, Raja of Jaintia offered Pratap
Singh his daughter, asking him to fetch ker by a route through the
2
Kachari territory of the Kachari Raja, Pratap Narayan. Pratap
Narayan refused necessary permission and raided Ahom territory.
In 1606 Pratap Singh sent troops to Raha. The Kacharis retreated
to Maibong. Pratap Singh sent fresh reinforcements up the Dhansiri
valley. The Jaintia princess was ultimately successfully brought
3
to Ahom country through Raha. The strong garrison left at Raha in
charge of Bundar Gohain was put to flight, by the Kacharis under
Bhim Darpa, Pratap Narayan's eldest son. Sundar was amongst the
4
killed. The disaster was due to Sundar's indifference for which
the responsibility was of his son Akhek who poisoned his mind against
5
the king. Pratap Singh came to terms with Pratap Narayan by giving
him a daughter of one of his chief noble3. Indra Ballabh who succeeded
the Kachari king Bhimbal in 1637 sent envoys to Pratap Singh to enlist
his friendship. His requests did not find favour in the Ahom Court, as
the same were considered not to be couched in sufficiently respectful
terms,1
6
5
4
3
2
1. Kashinath Tamuli Fhukaa, Assam Buranji, p. 2V.
2. S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji(S.M.), p. 50.
3. Ibid.,
4. Kashinath Tamuli Phukan, p. 29.
5. S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji, p. 51-ff.
6. Gait, History of Assam, pp. 107,118.
 39

P ra ta p Singh m arried M angaldahi, the daughter o f th e

Koch k in g P a r ik s h it by g i v i i ^ tw en tyth ree elep h a n ts and r e c e iv in g

w ith the p r in c e s s , tw enty fem ale s la v e s and s i x fa m ilie s o f d o m estics.

In 1615 b roth er o f P a r ik s h it , B a li Narayan, d e fe a te d by Muhammadans,

was g iv e n s h e lt e r by P ra ta p S in gh . A ls o a Muhammadan t r a d e r , suspected

o f b ein g a sp y , was murdered near K o lia b a r and h is two boats were

lo o te d . Shekh Qasira, the G overnor o f B engal sent a p u n itiv e e x p e d itio n

to invade the Ahom cou n try under Saiad Hakim and Saiad Aba Bakr w ith

upwards o f ten thousand h orse and f o o t and fo u r hundred la r g e s h ip s ,

accompained by S a t t r a j i t , the Thanadar o f Pandu and Gauhati and a ls o

by Akhek Gohain. The invaders reached K o lia b a r and won th e f i r s t

b a t t le a g a in s t th e Ahoms• Another Ahom army came, but i t s commander

b ein g t im id , was superseded; h is successor su rp rised the Muhammadans

in a n ig h t a tta c k both by*land and w ater and t o t a l l y d e fe a te d the

3
Muhammadans. Saiad Aba Bakr and oth er le a d e rs were k i l l e d ; S a t t r a j i t 's
4
son was s a c r if ic e d to th e Goddess Kamakhya. E leph an ts, h o rs e s , war­

s h ip s , b o a ts, cannon, guns e t c . , f e l l in t o Ahom hands. P ra ta p Singh

triu m phantly retu rned to the c a p it a l and perform ed the Rikkhvan

ceremony. B a li Narayan was i n s t a l l e d as t r ib u t a r y R a ja o f Darrang

5
w ith th e t i t l e Dharma Narayan.

In 1617 P ratap S in gh , accompained by Dharma Narayan and

o th er c h ie fs in c lu d in g the Dimaura R a ja advanced w ith an army towards

H ajo. Pandu was taken and f o r t i f i e d . The Ifiihanmadans d e fe a te d a t

A g ia th u ti r e t r e a te d t o H a jo . R einforcem en t w ith a thousand h o rs e ,

a thousand matchlock men and over two hundred boats and war slo op s

n ' m . s '." 'j b ' M T C m j n iy. X C T ; .s o . 1 'tftrrabTnsr.----------

2. Kashinath Tamuli Phukan, Assam B u r a n ji, p .3 0 ; M.S. As earn B u r a n ji,
p .3 0 ; M.S. Assam B u ra n ji (D .H .A .S . No. 5 s )f.2 5 b .
3 . Kashinath Tamuli Phukan, Assam B u r a n ji, p . 30.
4 . S .K . Bhuyan, Assam B u ran ji ( S . H . ) , p . 59.
5 . G a it , H is to ry o f Assam, p . 103, Kashinath Tamuli Phukan,
Assam B u r a n ji, p . 29.
 40

caste to the Muhammadans. Despite royal instructions to the

contrary, some hot.headed Ahom eonmanders went to the attack pre­
maturely and invested Hajo. The attack and the siege failed; the
ihoms retreated to Srighat and were defeated in several engagements,
with a large number killed and wounded. Pratap Singh ordered the
scattered forces to rally at Samdhara. After an enquiry, officers
found to have neglected king’s orders were beheaded or starved to
death or confined in royal pigsties. A new post of Bar Phukan or
Governor of the conquered provinces west of Koliabar was created;
Langi Fanisiya who rallied the fugitive soldiers at Samdhara was
2
made the first incumbent. Another new post of Bar Barua was also
created, the first incumbent being Momai Tamuli, the king’s uncle.
The tracts east of Koliabar outside the jurisdictions of the Bar
3
Gohain were placed under the administration of the Bar Barua.

In 1619 hostilities were renewed; the Muhammadans besieged

Bharma Narayan; the Ahoms came to his aid. In an engagement the
Muhammadans were worsted and fled leaving cannon, guns, horses, buffa­
loes and cattle. Lakshmi Narayan, Raja of Koch Bihar, with the consent
of the Nawab of Dacca, sent one Biru Qazi for peace negotiations.
Sattrajit, Thanadax of Pandu, wanted to make friends with the Ahoms
and exchanged presents with Pratap Singh. The Nawab of Dacca sent
fresh messengers. Biru Qasi was confined and these messengers got
no audience of the king. Sattrajit through the Bar Phukan mis -
represented the mission of the messengers. Sattrajit did not arrest
/>!. Kashinath 'famuli Phukan, Assam Buranji,p.31, S.K.Bhuyan,Assam Buranji,
if (S.M.), p. 62.
1,Go lap Chandra Barua, Ahom Buranji, pp.!03-ff.
3.Kashinath Tamuli Phukan, Assam Suranji,p.31; S.K. Bhuyan.Assam Buranji
(S.M.), p.64.
4. B.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji(S.M.) , pp. 62-ff;M.S. Assam Buranji
( D.H.A.S. No. 57, 1-f .11a,f.lib.
5. S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji (S.M.), p. 62.
 41

one Masu Gobind who conspired against Pratap Singh and fled. The
Bar Phukan who came under Sattrajit*s influence did not arrest him
as desired by the king; on the contrary, exchanged presents with
2
him at Qnananda opposite Gauhati. The Bar Phukan was imprisoned.
3
Neog succeeded him as Bar Phukan.

Fresh frictions arose after some years. Seme Muhammadan

subjects were killed in ihom territory. Pratap Singh disclaimed my
knowledge. A defaulting fiscal officer of the Nawab, Harike&h was
sheltered by Pratap Singh who refused extradition on the ground tl*t
Ahom subjects were being given asylum by the Nawab. A Muhammadan
4
force sent to seize Harikesh was defeated. Pratap Singh sent presents
and induced frontier chiefs of Umarua, Hojai, Barduar, etc., to join
him and determined to carry the war to the enemy's territory, he
reduced a number of Muhammadan forts; Hajo was also invested. The
Muhammadans were defeated in several engagements and large booty
including 360 cannon and guns was capture^. At the urgent request
from Abdussalam, Governor of Hajo, large reinforcements including one
thousand horse, one thousand matchlock men, 210 war sloops and boats
were despatched from Dacca. The Ahoms were defeated at Pandu, were
driven from Agiathuti and running short of ammunition were forced to
retreat from Srighat also. When reinforcements arrived for the Ahoms,
they drove the Muhammadan fleet back to Sualkuchi. A European in the
employ of the Muhammadans strayed away to shoot birds, was captured and
sent to the Ahom king, this being the first record of a European
enterirg Ahom territory.
. S.K. Bhuyan, Assam BuranjUS.M.), p. 62.
2. Ibid, n. 64-ff.
3. Golap Chandra Barua, Ahom Buranji, p. 110.
4. S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji (8.M.), p. 68.
5. Golap Chandra Barua, Ahom Buranji, pp. 113-ff.
 42

en terin g Ahom t e r r i t o r y .

Z ain u l-a bid in l e f t to jo in Abdusaalam a t Hajo. The f l e e t

remained in charge o f Muhammad S a lih Kambu, S a t t r a jit and M a jlis
Bayazid. The Ahoms with n early f i v e hundred ships gained & d e c is iv e
v ic to r y over the h o s t ile f l e e t , the g re a te r part o f the same including^
300 b o a ts, three hundred cannon and guns e t c . f a l l i n g in to th e ir hands.
Hajo was c lo s e ly in vested ; the enemy was reduced to g re a t s t r a i t s ;
Abdusaalam agreed to surrender. Abdussalam with h is brother and a
con sid era ble part o f h is fo rc e s on a r r iv a l at the Ahom camp were
a rre ste d , and sent up coun try. The leaders were s e tt le d in S ilpan i
and oth er p la ces and given land and slaves and the common s o ld ie r s
were d is trib u te d as sla v es among Ahom o f f i c e r s and n o b le s. Saiad
Z a in u l-a b id in , with the r e s t o f the g a rrison attempting to fo r c e th e ir
way o u t, was routed and k i l l e d , A large quantity o f lo o t in clu d in g
two thousand guns and seven hundred h orses was taken by the Ahoms.. at
Hajo. Die Bar Phukan, who m is-appropriated a number o f p ea rls and
other presents sent by the Muhammadans fo r the king fo r securing
favourable terms o f surrender, was arrested and put to death. B j and
la rg e , the Muhammadan yoke in Kamrup and G-oalpara was thrown o f f .

The Nawab o f Dacca sent Mirzainuddin at the head o f a b ig

fo r c e o f fou r thousand matchlock-men and f i ft e e n hundred h orse, together
with la rg e stores o f g r a in , ammunitions, weapons and money. Zainuddin
set h im self to restore Muhamnadan supremacy in Lower Assam. The Goalpara
Zamindars on the South bank subm itted, so did the lead in g Zamindars on
the Morth bank. S a t t r a jit was arrested and sent to Dacca. The Ahoms
T! S.K. Bhuyan. Assam Buranji (&•&.)• p . 59. * *
2. I b id , p p . 6 9 - f f .
3. G a it, H istory o f Assam, p . 114.
 43

c o l l e c t e d a f o r c e o f t w e l v e t h o u s a n d a n d a n u m e r o u s f l e e t . I n

s e v e r a l e n g a g e m e n t s t h e y w e r e d e f e a t e d . T h e M u h a m n a d a n s c r o s s e d

t h e M o n a s . T h e i r a r m y w a s " a g r e a t h o s t . " M o h a m a d Z a m a n a f t e r

s u c c e s s f u l e n c o u n t e r s a g a i n s t t h e A h o m s , e n t r e n c h e d h i m s e l f a t

1
B i s h e n p u r f o r t h e r a i n y s e a s o n t o p a s » . R e i n f o r c e d , t h e A h o m s

s t r e n g t h m o u n t e d t o f o r t y t h o u s a n d r a n w h o e n c a m p e d w i t h i n t h r e e

m i l e s o f Zairian* s C a m p .

T h e A h o m G e n e r a l s t o p r e v e n t j u n c t i o n o f t h e m a i n b o d y

o f t h e M u h a m m a d a n s w i t h Z a m a n ' s f o r c e s a t t h e c l o s e o f t h e r a i n s ,

m a d e a n a t t a c k o n Z a m a n ' s p o s i t i o n ; t h e y h a d , h o w e v e r , t o r e t r e a t

w i t h h e a v y l e a s e s . T h e S u h a o m a d a n s c o u l d u n i t e t h e i r f o r c e s a n d

i n f l i c t e d a c r u s h i n g d e f e a t o n t h e A h o m a r m y n o w d e p l e t e d a n d

e n t r e n c h e d a t B a r e p a i t a . T h e s c a t t e r e d r e m n a n t f l e d t o S r i g h a t

w h e r e P r a t a p S i n g h w a s e n c a m p i n g . T h e M u h a m m a d a n s a d v a n c e d t o P a n d u ,

c a p t u r e d t h e A h e m f o r t a t A g i a t h u t i a n d s i g n a l l y d e f e a t e d t h e A h o m

N a v y a t S r i g h a t . T h e K a j a l i f o r t a t t h e m o u t h o f t h e K a l l a n g w a s

t a k e n . N e a r l y 5 0 0 s l o o p s a n d 3 0 0 g u n s f e l l i n t o t h e h a n d s o f t h e

M u h a m m a d a n s . K o l i a b a r b e c a m e t h e r a l l y i n g p o i n t o f t h e f l e e i n g

A h o m f o r c e . P r a t a p S i n g h c o n t e m p l a t e d r e m o v i n g t o t h e h i l l s w i t h

h i s v a l u a b l e s f r o m t h e c a p i t a l . T h e H u h a m n a d a n s p u r s u e d D h a r m a

N a r a y a n w h o w a s k i l l e d . T h e y c o n s o l i d a t e d t h e i r r u l e i n K a m r u p

a n d e f f e c t e d a f i n a n c i a l s e t t l e m e n t o f t h e c o u n t r y .

1 . G o l a p C h a n d r a B a r u a , A h o m B u r a n j i , p . 1 2 2 .

2 . S . K . B h u y a n , A s s a m B u r a n j i ( S . M . ) , p . 7 1 .

5 p p . 1 1 7 - f f .
 44

In 1683 th© Muhammadans advanced up -the Brahmaputra and

encamped a t th e mouth o f th© B h a r a li. The Ahcms e n tre n ch e d them­

s e lv e s on th e o p p o s it e bank. To g a in and co m p le te p r e p a r a t io n s ,

th e Ahoms secu red a r m is t ic e b y o f f e r i n g t o s u p p ly e le p h a n t s , a l o e s ,

1
wood and o th e r a r t i c l e s . The Bar Barua r e tu rn e d t o a t ta c k a t the
2
opportun e tim e ; th e in v a d e rs d e f e a t e d , r e t i r e d t o G au h a ti; K a ja li

was r e o c c u p ie d by th e Aherns. A t r e a t y was n e g o t ia t e d under w hich

the B arnadi on th e n orth bank o f th e Brahmaputra and th e Asurar A l i

on th e sou th were f i x e d as th e boundary between th e Ahom and th e

Muhammadan t e r r i t o r i e s . F or tw enty y e a r s th e Muhammadans rem ained

in u n d isp u ted p o s s e s s io n o f th e c o u n tr y w est o f t h i s boundary and
4
th e t r a c e s o f t h e i r system o f a d m in is tr a tio n th e r e s t i l l l i n g e r .

F ra ta p S ingh was c a p a b le , e n e r g e t i c , a m b itio u s , v ig o r o u s

in war and e f f i c i e n t in p e a c e . He p u t down s e v e r a l c o n s p ir a c ie s w ith

s e v e r it y . The p e t t y c h i e f s o r B huiyas who gave tr o u b le were brought

under e f f e c t i v e c o n t r o l , t h e i r power b ro k e n . One o f them , Uday who

d e c la r e d h im s e lf in d e p e n d e n t, was a r r e s t e d and e x e c u t e d . The Bhpiyas

5
were d is p e r s e d . A cen su s o f p e o p le was ta k e n . P e o p le were a l s o
6
d iv id e d o f f i n t o c la n s w ith o f f i c e r s above them. To p r o t e c t th e

K achari f r o n t i e r , fo u r hundred f a m ilie s o f Ahoms from Abhaypur ,D ih in g ,

Namdang were s e t t l e d around M arangi. F a m ilie s were t r a n s fe r r e d from

t h i c k l y p op u la ted a re a s o f Lower Assam t o s p a r s e ly p o p u la te d area s

h ig h e r up th e r i v e r . Im ig r a tio n o f a r t is a n s o f a l l k in d s was e n co u rg e d .

n ■'S.'E.’TJhuyan, 'Islam BufanTiTOQ’,“p p ------------

2. I b id , p. 73.
3. I b id , up. 7 3 - f f .
4. G a i t , H is to r y o f Assam, p . 1 1 8 .
5. S .K .B h u y a n , Assam B u r a n jiC S .M .), p . 7 6 .
6. I b id ,
 45
«

The king was a liv e to the need o f developing backward t r a c t s . The

country round the Dihing was opened out by roads to Charaideo and
Dauka. The towns o f Abhaypur and Mathurapur were b u ilt . Jamiraguri
and the p alace at Grarh&aon were p rotected by embankments; the Ladaigarh
was constru cted as an embankment f o r d efen ce. The embankment, Dopgarh
was put up as a p ro te ctio n against Naga ra id s; no Naga was to cross i t ,
1
unaccompained by a peon or K ataki. The king a lso thought o f con stru ct­
in g an embankment on the Kachari fr o n t ie r ; but the nobles advised
2
otherw ise, saying that the kingdom was a growing one in that d ir e c t io n .

Katakis were appointed to watch over M iris and Daflas and

rep ort th e ir movements to the a u th o ritie s as a precautionary measure.
Once during th is reign the Ahoms had to re tre a t w hile attem pting a
r e p r is a l on these hillm en a ft e r a raid by them. Many fo r t s were
erected e . g . , at Samdhara, S a fra i, S it a . A stone bridge was b u ilt
over the Darika r iv e r ; many bamboo bridges were mads. Numerous markets
were esta blish ed and trade flou rish ed during peace tim e. Addicted to
elephant hunting, the king used to be present at the G e d d a s * . He
came to own a thousand elephants and assumed the t i t l e o f G ajpati and
renamed Jamixguri as Gajpur. 'Padishahnamah* d e scrib e s him as "an
i n f i d e l who has a thousand elephants and a hundred thousand f o o t " .
He had powers o f orga n isa tion ; kept an eye on a l l branches o f adminis­
tr a t io n ; maintained h is a u th ority fir m ly ; meted out punishment to a l l
inclu din g the h igh est n o b le s , should he consider they deserved punish­
ment. The Bharali Barua who very much enjoyed h is confiden ce was
neverth eless sentenced to death on p roof o f embezzlement and m isconduct.
.... mmrnmmmmtmmmmmmm
. S.K . Bhuyan, Assam Buranji (S .M .), p . 6 8 .
2 . G ait, H istory o f Assam, p . 120.
3 . Kashmath Tamuli Phukan, p . 31
 46

T h e A h o m l a n g u a g e w a s t h e m e d i u m o f c o n v e r s a t i o n b e t w e e n

t h e k i n g a n d h i s n o b l e s . H i n d u s w e r e o f t e n a p p o i n t e d a s e n v o y s

( B a i r a g i s a n d K a t a k i s ) f o r t h e i r i n t e l l i g e n c e i n p r e f e r e n c e t o fche

A h o m s . T h e B r a h m a n i c a l i n f l u e n c e i n c r e a s e d . H i n d u p r i e s t s w e r e

e n c o u r a g e d . T h e t a n k o f t f i e a g a r h w a s c o n s e c r a t e d b y B r a h m i n s . S i v a

t e m p l e s w e r e e r e c t e d a t D e r g a o n a n d B i s n a t h ; g r a n t s o f l a n d w e r e

m a d e t o B r a h m a n s a n d H i n d u t e m p l e s . I h e n a e o n o f P r a t a p S i n g h d i e d

a f t e r h e h a d m a d e g i f t s t o B r a h m a n s , h e p e r s e c u t e d t h e B r a h m a n s f o r

a t i m e . A t t h e i n s t i g a t i o n o f B r a h m a n s , t h e M a h a p u r s u s h i a s w e r e

p e r s e c u t e d ; s e v e r a l o f t h e i r G o a a i n s w e r e p u t t o d e a t h . T h e S o m d e o

c o n t i n u e d t o b e w o r s h i p p e d . B e f o r e b a t t l e s D e o d h a i s o r t r i b a l p r i e s t s ^

c o n t i n u e d .to b e c a l l e d t o t e l l t h e o m e n s b y e x a m i n i n g t h e l e g s o f f o w l s .

L i g h t n i n g d e s t r o y e d t w o p a l a c e s , t h e S o m d e o * s h o u s e , t h e t e m p l e a t

B i s h n a t h a n d t h e k i n g ' s e l e p h a n t h o u s e o r ' f a l k h a n a * .

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e ' P a d i s h a h n a m a h * , t h e A h o m s o f t h i s p e r i o d

s h a v e d t h e h e a d a n d c l i p p e d o f f b e a r d ; t h e c h i e f s t r a v e l l e d o n e l e p h a n t s

o r c o u n t r y p o n i e s ; t h e a r m y c o n s i s t e d o f f o o t s o l d i e r s ; t h e f l e e t w a s

l a r g e a n d w e l l f i t t e d o u t ; t h e s o l d i e r s u s e d b o w s a n d a r r o w s a n d

m a t c h l o c k s a n d w e r e v e r y b r a v e i n n a v a l e n g a g e m e n t s ; o n t h e m a r c h t h e y

q u i c k l y a n d d e x t e r o u s l y f o r t i f i e d t h e i r e n c a m p m e n t s w i t h m u d - w a l l s

5
a n d b a m b o o p a l i s a d e s a n d s u r r o u n d e d t h e w h o l e w i t h a d i t c h . A f t e r

a v e r y e v e n t f u l r e i g n o f 3 8 y e a r s , P r a t a p S i n ^ i d i e d i n 1 6 4 1 .

1 . S . K . B h u y a n , A s s a m B u r a n j i ( S . U . ) , p p . 4 6 - f f .

2 . K a s h i n a t h T a m u l i P h u k a n , A s s a m B u r a n j i . p . 3 3 .
3 . S . K . B h u y a n , A s s a m B u r a n j l ( S . M . ) , P . 7 6 .
4 . 8 a i t , H i s t o r y o f A s s a m , p . 1 2 1 . __
5 . B l o c h m a n n , J o u r n a l o f A s i a t i c S o c i e t y o f B e n g a l , 1 8 7 2 , p . 5 5 .
 47

Burempha : Fratap Singh had three sons, Surampha,

Sutyinpha and Sai. Sai conspired to usurp the throne but Surampha
a

assisted by Sutyinpha eould frustrate his designs* On Pratap Singh's

death the chief nobles offered the throne to Sutyinpha but in
deference to his elder brother, he declined and Surampha became the
king, Surampha was bereft of morals. Having first lived with one
of his father's wives, he married a married woman of the Chetia clan
after poisoning her husband, declared a nephew of her first husband,
now adopted by her, as tha heir-apparent to the throne, and on hia
death, asked the chief nobles to furnish a son for burial with his
dead adopted eon. Exasperated beyond endurance, the nobles approached
and persuaded Sutyinpha to supersede his brother; Sutyinpha agreed
reluctantly. 1 body of armed men surprised Surampha who was deposed,
removed and ultimately poisoned to death. The Kachari envoys sent to
congratulate the king on his accession were ignominiously expelled as
the letter they brought bore the seal of a Singh £ an independent
ruler) and not of a Phukan ( a subordinate Chief). For his deposition,
Surampha is known as the Bhaga Raja
Sutyinpha:
Sutyinpha had indifferent health and suffered from curvature
of the spine. He was known as Mariya Baja and was sometimes nicknamed
'Kekora* (crooked). In 1646 an exepedition was sent to subjugate the
Baflas. The troops were so harassed by the Daflas that they had to
retreat. The Burha Grohain and the Barpatra Gohain were dismissed and
were made to appear in public in female attire. The second expedition
next year was successful and the Baflas aided by the Kirie were brought
4
under full submission. In expedition against the Khamting Magas was
fairly successful. The Tipam Raja who withheld payment of tribute was
5
put to death.
I. Kashmath 1'amuii Fhukan, Assam Buranji,p.te; b.k. Bhuyan,Assam
Bnranji(S.K). p; 79.1 2. S.K. Bhuy«o,i»Mm Bur«n1*(S.H.),pp,78ff.
4* Ibld.p. 80. I 4* Ibid, ,.61. ] 5. Galt.History of leaa«,p. 124.
 48

The installation of this king was attended with great

pomp. There were amusements; there were fights between elephants,
between an elephant and a tiger and between a tiger and a crocodile.
He put to death officials suspected of being opposed to his usurpation
of the throne. Instigated by one of hiB wives, sister of the Burha
Gohain, he had his son by his Chief Queen, daughter of Barpatre Gohain,
and Barpatra Gohain himself treacherously killed and executed respecti­
vely for suspected conspiracy. The scheming wife was made the Chief
Queen; the Barpatra Gohain*s daughter was deposed from her rank of
1
Chief Queen, The new Chief Queen sought to get another son of the
king, Khahua Gohain also murdered but was unsuccessful. Her son,
. . 2
Kukure Khowa Gohain by his cruelty and overbearing and insulting
behaviouto alienated the people and the nobles, who were unable to
secure any redress from the king. Further, the sick king could not
attend to public business and became very unpopular. The nobles headed
by the Burha Gohain deposed him. The king was poisoned and according
to some, the Chief Queen, who was responsible for so much mischief,
was buried alive with him in his grave. The Kachari king objected
to being described as "established and protected by the Ahoms* but
4
waived his objection on promise of an Ahom princess in marriage.
Catyinpha's son Sutam&la was made king in his stead.

Jayadhvaj Singh ( 1648-1663 ) : Sutamala assumed the Hindu

name, Jayadhvaj 8ing£i. On his accession, entertainment, e.g., fights
between wild animals, was arranged. Somdeo was placed on the throne;
guns were fired, bands played and larges■ was distributed. Presents
I"! Ss.k. fekuyan, Assam Buranii (S.M.). pp.
2. M.B. Assam Buranji( D.H.A.S. No. 44); S.K. Bhuyan^Asasm Buranji
3. Gaif* history*of Assam, p. 124.
4. S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji (S.M.), pp. 81-ff.
 49

were made to Brahmans. The Kaehari king, the Daflas, the fltihmanadan
Governor at Gauhati, the Baja of Jaintia sent congratulations and
presents. The Jaintia Baja's request for return of the provinces of
Disuowa and Khphanali ceded to Ahoms previously, was turned down*
Several conspiracies were detected and the conspirators punished with
ferocious severity. The Burha Gohain who was implicated was tortured
with others by placing live coal in mouth. For helping accomplices
escape, the Bar Gohain was stripped naked, whipped and made to eat
the flesh of his own son and tortured to death.

In 1650 the Lakma Nagas comitted a raid and an expedition

was sent to punish them. They were put to flight; but fresh raids
were perpetrated and another expedition was sent. A detachment of
Bafla archers accompained the Aherns. The Lakmas were armed with
spears. Fortunes changed as the operations continued, neither party
giving way. Ihen the nimble Lakmas took refuge in the hills, the
Ahom soldiers found it difficult to follow them on account of the
stony ground to which their bare feet were unaccustomed; but the
2
Lakmas' houses and stores of grains were destroyed. The Hags Chief
eventually made his submission and agreed to pay tribute and in return
was given a hill the possession of which was the subject-matter of a
3
previous dispute. In 1655 the Hiris raided and killed two Ahom
subjects. The Miris were defeated with heavy loss; twelve Miri villages
were destroyed; they agreed to pay an annual tribute of bison.horses,
tortoises, swords, and yellow beads (probably amber) and gave up 12
men to the Aherns.______________ _____________________________
1. Gait, History of Assam, p.125.
2. S.K. Bhuyan, Assam BuranJi(8.M.), p. 85.
3. Gait, History of Assam, p. 126.
 50

I n 1 6 4 7 t h e B a j a o f J a i n t i a s e i s e d a n I h o m t r a d e r ;

J a y a d h v a j S i n g h a r r e s t e d J a i n t i a t r a d e r s a t E o n a p u r ; d i p l o m a t i c

r e l a t i o n s c e a s e d f o r e i g h t y e a r s , w h e r e a f t e r t h e J a i n t i a B a j a

h a v i n g m a d e o v e r t u r e s t o t h e B a r P h u k a n a t G a u h a t i , f r i e n d l y r e l a ­

t i o n s w e r e r e - e s t a b l i s h e d . I n 1 6 5 8 P r a m a t a B a i , g r a n d s o n o f t h e

J a i n t i a B a j a , J a s a M a n t a B a i , r e b e l l e d , a n d t h e t r i b u t a r y C h i e f

o f G o b h a h a v i n g t u r n e d d o w n h i s r e q u e s t t o c o m e t o h i s a i d , d e s t r o y e d

f o u r o f h i s v i l i e g e s . T h e G o b h a C h i e f s o u g h t h e l p o f t h e E a c h a r i s

w h o w e r e p r e p a r e d t o h e l p ; b u t t h e l o c a l i h o m o f f i c i a l s s a i d t h a t

t h e i h o m s w e r e t h e p a r a m o u n t p o w e r a n d t h e i r p r o t e c t i o n s h o u l d b e

■SivigK
s o u g h t . A c c o r d i n g l y h e w e n t w i t h s e v e n h u n d r e d m e n t o J a y a d h v a j / a n d

b e g g e d f o r h e l p . T h e B a r P h u k a n o n o r d e r s f r o m t h e k i n g e s t a b l i s h e d

£
h i m i n K h a g a r i j a n ( m o d e r n N o w g o n g ) .

S h a h J a h a n , t h e M u g h a l B a p e r o r o f D e l h i f e l l s i c k i n 1 6 5 8

a n d P r a n N a r a y a n , B a j a o f E o c h B i h a r w a i t e d t o t a k e a d v a n t a g e o f t h e

c o n f u s i o n c a u s e d b y t h e w a r s o f s u c e e s e i o n t o t h r o w o f f t h e M u h a n m a d a n

y o k e . H e r a i d e d G o a l p a r a ; t w o l o c a l c h i e f s w h o f l e d t o B e l t o l a g o t

J a y a d h v a j S i n g h * s p r o t e c t i o n ; P r a n N a r a y a n * a a r m y d e f e a t e d t h e

3
M u h a m m a d a n F a u s a d a r o f K a m r u p a n d H a j o , w h o r e t r e a t e d t o G a u h a t i .

J a y a d h v a j S i n g h , a l e r t t o t a k e a d v a n t a g e o f t h e d i s s e n s i o n s a m o n g s t

t h e M u g h a l s , a s s e m b l e d a s t r o n g a r m y a n d a d v a n c e d t o w a r d s G a u h a t i ; t h e

F a n z a d a r h a d a l r e a d y f l e d t o D a c c a ; t w e n t y c a n n o n , h o r s e s , g u n s e t c . ,

f e l l i n t o t h e k i n g * s h a n d s . P r a n N a r a y a n p r o p o s e d o f f e n s i v e a n d

d e f e n s i v e a l l i a n c e a g a i n s t t h e M u h a m m a d a n s a n d d i v i s i o n o f t h e i r

Tl S . f c . h h u y a n , A s s a m B u r a n j i ( S X } , p p . 8 0 - l f .

2 . G o l a p C h a n d r a B a r u a , A h o m B u r a n j i , p p . 1 5 6 - f f .

3 . S.K. B h u y a n , A s s a m B u r a n j i ( S . M . ) , p . 8 9 .

4 . I b i d .
 81
1
possessions but hie advances were rejected. The Ahoms inarched
against the Koches, drove them aerosa the Sankosh and for nearly
three years became the undisputed masters of the whole of the
Brahmaputra valley. A number of villagers of Lower Assam were trans­
ported to the eastern provinces.

According to 'Alasgirnamah' the Aherns plundered and laid

waste the country to the south of the Brahmaputra valley almost as
far as Dacca itself. Ihen Kir Jumlah became Governor of Bengal*
Jayadhvaj Singh sent an envoy to him to aay that he was prepared
to handover to an officer of the Governor the country he had taken
3
possession of to protect the same from the Koches. Rashid Khan was
deputed for the purpose; the Ahoms abandoned Dhubri and fell back
beyond the Manas river. This retreat was not to the liking of the
Ahom King who got the two Phukans responsible arrested and chained,
ordered the strengthening of the Jogighopa fort at the mouth of the
■the
Manas and the construction of a new fort on opposite bank of/Brahma­
putra and asked Sashid Khan to withdraw, MirJomlah took the field
to*punish the lawless Zemindars of the province, especially those
of Assam and Magh (Arracan) who had caused injury and molestation to
4
the Muslima”; occupied Koch Bihar, left a garrison of five thousand
men there and on 4th January, 1662; set forth on his invasion of Assam.
The route of march lay through dense jungle and numerous rivers and
the journey was most tedious, the daily marches rarely exceeding five
5
miles.

8.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji (S.M.) ,pp. 90-ff.

Gait, History of Assam, p. 128. v
3. S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji (S.M.) ,p. 92.
4. Ibid, p. 93.
5. Gait, History of Assam, p. 129.
 52

Uir Jumlah arrived at Jogighopa vith tvelve thousand

horse and thirty thousand foot. The garrison, twelve thousand strong,
suffering from a violent epidemic disease, probably Cholera, was
overawed, gave a feeble resistance and evacuated and retreated to
1
Saraighat and Pandu. The author of the 'Fathiyah-i-Ibriyah' gives
a graphic description of this large and high ihom fort at Jogighopa
on the Brahmaputra, Mir Jumlah divided his army into two divisions,
(me marching up the South bank and the other up the north bank. The
fleet kept pace with the army. There were the large vessels or 'ghrabs*
carrying fourteen guns and fifty or sixty men each towed by 'Kios&hs'
or lighter boats. European, particularly Portuguese officers were in
charge of ghrabs. Jayadhvaj Singh despatched reinforcements to
Saraighat and Pandu. The ihoms retreated with losses. Hie fort at
Saraighat, protected by a palisade of large logs of wood was demolished,
Cauhati was occupied; Beltola fort also succumbed.
2
The Ihoms fled to Samdhara and made strenuous efforts to
check the further progress of the Muhammadans. The fortifications at
Samdhara and Simalagarh on the opposite bank were strengthened and
surrounded by trenches, in front of which holes were dug and planted
with 'Panjis'. The Darrang Baja and the DirnmndBaja made their
submission to Mir Jumlah. ifter halting at Gauhati for three days,
Uir Jumlah started on his march for Garhgaon, the issam Capital.

1. S.K. Bhuyan, issam Buranji (S.U.), p. 93.

2. Ibid, pp. 93-ff.
 53

The Mohamnadsn fo r c e arrived near the Jhom f o r t of Simalgarh,

situ ated at a very s tr o n g ,s tr a te g ic p o s it io n , p rotected by the Brahma­
putra and. a r s n g e o f h i l l s and w alls with battlem ents with numerous
cannon mounted thereon. There were trenches ou tside the w alls and p it s
studded w ith *p a n jis*. The w alls o f the f o r t were so th ick th at cannon
b a lls made but l i t t l e im pression. The f o r t was besieged and when the
f i n a l assau lt was d e liv e r e d , the re sista n ce was fe e b le and the enemy
having scaled the w all and broken open the g a t e , the defenders fle d
lea v in g th e ir guns and war m aterial to f a l l in to the v ictors* hands.
Mir Jumlah was surprised at the stren gth o f the f o r t i f i c a t i o n s and
con sid erin g the bravery o f the ihom s o ld ie r s at th is p e r io d , perhaps
i t was because o f tim id and i n e f f i c i e n t leadersh ip that they did not
1
make a more stubborn r e s is ta n ce .

The garrison at Samdhara destroyed th e ir s to re o f gunpowder

2
and f l e d . Kir Jumlah placed a g a rrison there and a Muhammadan Faujadar
at K oliab ar. Marauding was forb id d en ; v illa g e r s brought in su pplies
fr e e ly . K ir Jumlah resumed h is march from K oliabar. The Ahoms w ith
seven or e ig jit hundred ships attacked the Muhammadan f l e e t , fhen r e ­
inforcem ents from the army which was marching along a le v e l rou te some
d istan ce in la n d , a rriv ed , the Ahoms took fr ig h t and f l e d ; the Huhammadsis
captured three hundred o f th e ir s h ip s . The march was continued and the
3
Ahoms evacuated Salagarh. Jayadhvaj S in gh 's peace overtures through
o f f i c i a l s at th is stage were r e je c te d as these were suspected t o be
delaying t a c t ic s o f the Ahoms.
TZ 6 a i t , H istory o f Assam,pp. I b i - f f .
2. S.K . Bhuyan, Assam Buranji ( S .K .) , p . 94.
3. I b id .
 54

The retreating Ahom force under the Bar Gohain on the north
bank laid waste the country and forced the inhabitants to leave their
vill^es to deprive the Muhaomadans of supplies of any kind. On royal
orders, the Ahcan commanders concentrated with their forces at Lakhau
or Lakhugarh, only to retreat further up on Mir Jumlah's arrival.
Jayadhvaj Singh ordered collection of a thousand boats to remove his
property, left Burha Gohain and some others at Garhgaon and accompained
1
by a number of nobles and five thousand men fled to Namrup. He sent
envoys with presents, suing for peace but his overtures were rejected.
Kir Jumlah left the fleet at Lakhau. He was joined by deserters from
the Ahom cause and with his land forces he set out for Garhgaon, through
Debargaon, Gajpur. On 17th March, 1662, the Nawab entered Garhgaon and
occupied the Raja's palace. During the whole expedition the Ifuhamnadans
had taken 675 cannon including one which threw balls weighing more than
two hundred pounds, 9,000 matchlocks and other guns, large quantity of
gun powder, iron shields, sulphur and lead and more than a thousand
ships, many accorasodating from sixty to eighty sailors.

Mir Jumlah opened a mint at Garhgaon and caused money to be

struck. The Nawab camped at Mathurapur. A garrison was left at Garh­
gaon. Many outposts were established e.g., at Ramdang, Trimohini,
Gajpur, Dewalgaon, Daspani, Silpani, Abhaypur and from Lakhau westward
along the Brahmaputra all the way to Gauhati. 'Maidams' (burial vaults)
of Burh& Raja, Khora Raja, Bhaga Raja and Naria Raja were opened up
3
and riches therefrom taken out.
1. M.8. Assam Buranji (D.I.A.S. No. 44); S.K. Bbuyan, Asian Buranji
(S.M.),p. 95.
2. tf.S. Assam Buranji ( D.H.A.S. No. 44).
3. Ibid; S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji (S.M.), p. 96.
 T h e r a i n s s e t i n ; l o c o m o t i o n b e c a m e d i f f i c u l t ; t h e t r o u b l e s

o f t h e i n v a d e r s b e g a n . T h e J h o m s h a d n o t b e e n c r u s h e d a n d w e r e n o t

i n c l i n e d t o s u b m i t t o p e r m a n e n t o c c u p a t i o n o f t h e i r c o u n t r y b y t h e

H u h a n m a d a n s . T h e y c u t o f f c o m m u n i c a t i o n s a n d s u p p l i e s , s e i s e d a n d

k i l l e d s t r a g g l e r s f r o m t h e m a i n b o d y , h a r a s s e d t h e M u h a n m a d a n g a r r i s o n s

b y r e p e a t e d s u r p r i s e s , s p e c i a l l y a t n i g h t * I n h a b i t a n t s o f v i l l a g e s

a l s o j o i n e d t h e s e o p e r a t i o n s . S u p p l i e s c o u l d n o t b e b r o u g h t f r o m

L a k h a u ; i t b e c a m e d i f f i c u l t t o m a i n t a i n t h e o u t p o s t s w h i c h w e r e w i t h ­

d r a w n t o G a r h g a o n a n d M a t h u r a p u r w h i c h a l o n e r e m a i n e d i n M i r J u m l a h * b

w h o

h a n d s , b u t c l o s e l y i n v e s t e d b y t h e A h o n s / r e p e a t e d l y a t t a c k e d G a r h g a c o ;

t h e M a h a s m a d a n s w e r e r e d u c e d t o s e v e r e s t r a i t s . T h e o n l y f o o d

a v a i l a b l e w a s c o a r s e r i c e , a n d l i m e s . ^ S a l t s o l d a t t h i r t y r u p e a s p e r

s e e r , b u t t e r a t f o u r t e e n r u p e e s a s e e r a n d o p i u m a t s i x t e e n r u p e e s a

t o l a * F a m i n e c o n d i t i o n s p r e v a i l e d * T h e b e s i e g e d M u g h a l s h a d t o f e e d

o n h o r s e s a n d c o w s * F e v e r a n d d y s e n k r y p r e v a i l e d * M e n , h o r s e s a n d

d r a u g h t c a t t l e d i e d * T h e s o l d i e r s a n d c o m m a n d e r s a l i k e w a n t e d t o

r e t u r n h o m e *

I t t h e c l o s e o f r a i n s , c o m m u n i c a t i o n s c o u l d b e r e e s t a b l i s h e d

w i t h t h e f l e e t a n d l a r g e q u a n t i t i e s o f f r e s h s u p p l i e s a r r i v e d * T h e

H u g h a l s q u i c k l y r e c o v e r e d t h e i r m o r a l e ; t h e i r c a v a l r y w e r e o n t h e m o v e *

T h e B a d u l i F h u k a n w a s w o r s t e d i n e n g a g e m e n t a n d d e s e r t e d t o M i r J u m l a j %

3
a n d s u b m i t t e d a p l a n f o r h u n t i n g d o w n J & y a d h v a j S i n g h . J g a i n t h e r e w a s

t r o u b l e ; t h e r e w a s a f a m i n e i n B e n g a l ; s u p p l i e s d i d n o t c o m e ; M i r J u m l a j i

f e l l s e r i o u s l y i l l ; h i s t r o o p s w e r e d i s c o n t e n t e d *

I * G a i t , H i s t o r y o f A s a a m , p p . 1 3 5 - 1 3 7 .

2 , M * S . A s s a m B u r a n j i , ( D . H . I . S . N 9 . 4 4 ) ; S . K . B h u y a n , A s s a m B u r a n j i ( S . M . ) ,

p . 9 7 .

3 * S . K . B h u y a n , A s s a m B u r a n j i ( S . M . ) , p . 9 7 .
 56

The Ahom king threatened to le&Te the country in ease

the land could n ot he clea red o f the enemy." I go t o Nara," he
sa id • Peace overtures were renewed. At l e f t K ir Jumlah liste n e d
t o B a ja 's overtures and peace vas concluded* Jayadhvaj Singh would
send a daughter to the Im perial harem; twenty thousand to la s of
g o ld , s i x times th is quantity o f s ilv e r and f o r t y elephants would
he d elivered a t once; th ree hundred thousand to la s o f S ilv e r and
n in ety elephants to he supplied v ith in twelve months; s i x sons of
the c h ie f nobles to be made over as hostages pending supply of
s ilv e r and elephants w ithin twelve months, as s tip u la te d ; twenty
elephants to he supplied annually; the country west o f the Bharali
r iv e r on the north hank o f the Brahmaputra^and o f the Kallang on the
sou th , to he ceded to the l^ p eror o f D elh i; -*14 a l l p rison ers and
the fa m ily o f the Baduli Phukan to he given up.

On 9th January, 1663, K ir Jumlah gave the order to h is army

t o return to Bengal. On the return journey h is army was n ot harassed
by the enemy, hut was frigh ten ed by a t e r r ib le storm o f thunder and
lig h tn in g follow ed by a severe earthquake, the shocks o f which c o n ti­
nued fo r h a lf an hour. Rashid Khan was in s t a lle d Fanjdar at Gauhati.
The Nawab who was s e r io u s ly i l l grew worse and died ju s t b e fo r e reaching
Dacca on 30th Kerch, 1663.

1
2.
. KKashinath
.8. Assam Buranji (D.H.A.S. No. 44) ,
Tam ili Phukan, Assam B u ran ji, p . 39; S.K . Bhnyan,
Assam Buranji ( S .K .) , pp. 1 0 0 - f f .

3. K .S. Assam Buranji (D.H.A.S. No. 4 4 ) ; S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji

(S.K.r* p. 102.
 57

X ir Jumlah was aecompained on hie invasion o f Assam by a

w r ite r , Shihabuddin who wrote a d e ta ile d , c r i t ic a l and in tere s tin g
account o f the expedition and o f the people and the country. This
account mentions many matters on which the indigenous records are
s ile n t .

Jayadhvaj Singh returned, he dismissed the Bar Gohain

beating him ignominiously and s im ila r ly d e a lt with o ffic e r s who
fa lte re d in the conduct o f the war. He constructed a stronghold
at Namrup and c o lle c te d a quantity o f treasure th ere. He came under
the influence o f Brahmans; became d is c ip le of Niranjsn Bapu and
established him as the f i r s t Grosain of the g re a t in n ia ti S attra;
hearing of his fame, brought Banamali^Goaain of Koch Bihar and gave

him land f or a S a ttra at Jakhalabandha. In stigated by Brahmans, he

persecuted the Uahapurushias and kilhasome of th e ir leading members.
The Chief Queen and her married s is te r with idiom the king had a
scandalous in trigu e and whom he married la t e r , brought him completely
under th e ir con tro l. Jayadhvaj Singh died in November, 1663,
Chakradhvaj Singh ( 1663-1669) ;
Jayadhvaj Singh l e f t no sons; the nobles c a lle d in the
S a r iig Baja and placed him on the throne. The Deodhais christened
him Supungnung; he assumed the Hindu name Chakradhvaj Singh, i t the
ceremony o f in s ta lla tio n , Brahmans and Ganaks were entertained and
given valuable presents. The J a in tia Baja, the Koch Baja o f Barrang
sent envoys conveying congratulations. The Muhammadan o f f i c i a l s
arrived with presents and a reminder that the balance of the indemnity
was overdue. They were received c o o lly and were to ld that th e ir
1 7 .. nVTXmm lif fin lT T D J . 1 X H o7 3 g)Y S'X ' Bhuy lh,Assam Buranji
(S.U.), pp. 88-fi.
2. Kashinatn Tamili Phukan, Assam Buranji, p. 40.
 56

master had not respected the boundary agreed upon nor relea sed
p ris o n e rs . Aurangzeb promised to make amends, but Chakradhvaj
withheld payment. Rashid Khan, fb u jd a r o f Gauhati sent a messenger
who was refused audience fo r n ot agreeing to make the customary
obeisance on en terin g the roya l presence u n t il he at^ la s t gave way,
but could not g e t any p ortion o f the unpaid indemnity, on the excuse
that the treasu ry was empty and that the elephants were not yet
p rop erly tra in ed . Neog Fhukan and others found to be in treasonable
correspondence with the enemy were put to death.

^ In 1697+ Rashid Khan's su cce sso r, Saiad Firms Khan demanded

payment in strong language. Chakradhvaj Sing* had repaired the fo r t s
at the Samdhara and Patakallang and restored e f f ic i e n c y in the army
and on r e c e iv in g Firuz Khan's l e t t e r , made up h is mind to fig h t d esp ite

noble*? advice to the country. The Deodhais p red icted su cce ss;
s a c r if i c e s were made to Indra; a w ell-equipped army under L a ch it,
appointed Bar Fhukan, set out to wrest Grauhati from the Muhammadans.
The Muhammadan outposts at K a ja li and Bansbari were taken with numerous
p riso n e rs, h o rse s, cannon and oth er b ooty . The Ahoms constru cted fo r t s
at K a ja li and L a ta s il. Gauhati and Pandu were invested and captured
a fte r a s ie g e o f two months. P rison ers taken by the Ahoms were massa­
c re d . Warships and reinforcem ents arrived f o r the Muhammadans, but
they were driven from i g i a t h u t i, su ffered d e fe a ts , f e l l back on the
Hanaa r iv e r ; here a lso they were surrounded and w orsted, with many
k ille d and c a p tiv e s . The captured o f f i c e r s were sent to Garhgaon.

1. M.S. Assam Buranji (D.H.A.S. No. 4 4 );S .K . Bhuyan, Assam Bur an j i

2. i^K^lShuyan? Assam Buranji (S .M .), p . 109.
3. Ib id , p . 109.
4. I b id , p . I 0 9 * f f ,
 59

in ihom fort was erected near the Uani Karneswar Temple

in Kamrup in 1667 A.D. "after the defeat and death of Sana and S&iad
Firus", as recorded in an inscription in Assamese on the Kanai Barasi
rock. An old cannon at Silghat and another at Dikom also bear
inscriptions which refer to Chakradhvaj Singh’s victories. The king
was overjoyed and showered presents on his generals. Grauhati was
1
choosen as the headquarters of the Bar Fhukan. Pandu and Saraigbat
were fortified; prompt arrangements were made for the administration
of the conquered territory; a survey was carried out and a census of
the population was taken.

In 1668 there were hostilities with the Muhasmadans at

Rangamati under a Raja named Indra Daman. The Ahoms had to fall back
on Saraighat. Aurangseb appointed Raja Ram Singh to the command of
£
the Imperial army. Accompanied by Rashid Khan, assisted by troops
of the Bengal comnand, Raja Ram Singh reached Rangamati at the head
of 18,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry, with 15,000 archers from Koch
Bihar. The Ahoms opened negotiations to gain time and complete
preparations in the meantime. Ram Singh demanded evacuation of the
territory west of the Bamadi and the Asurar Ali. The Bar Fhukan
replied that he would rather fight than yield an inch of the territory
Providence 3
which/provines had given to his master. In two battles fought near
Tespur, the Ahoms were worsted, but they gained a naval battle;
4
Ram Singh had to retire to Hajo where he quarrelled with Rashid Khan.
The Muhaoraadans were also defeated near Sualkuchi, both on land and
water. Ram Singh challenged Chakradhvaj Singh to a single combat;
T , S.k. Bhuyari. Assam feuranji(S.M.), p. ill.
2. Ibid, p. 112.
3. Ibid, pp. 113-ff.
4. Ibid, p; 115.
 60

the invitation was declined and ihom generals were ordered to

renew attacks. The Ahoms won a doable engagement near Sessa, took
the fort at Agiathuti and massacred the garrison there. Soon after-
ik
wards Ram Singh attacked the Ahem army and roated it. The Bar
Phukan hurried up with reinforcements but had to retreat with the
loss of all his ships. Raja Ram Singh opened negotiations for peace;
2
hostilities were suspended for the time being.

In 1665 the Banpara Magas, attacked by the Banchang Nagas,

invoked the assistance of the Ahoms. Two expeditions had to be sent
sgainst Banchang Nagas who put up a stubborn resistance from the
fort they had erected until cannon were broight up. Their houses
and granaries were destroyed and then they submitted. The Miris also
raided and destroyed a small expedition against them. The Miris
aided by the Daflas and Deo Chutiyas were 7,500 strong, but overawed
by a larger force now despatched against them, dispersed. Their
villages were sacked and captives were taken.

Udayaditya ; Soon after suspension of hostilities with the

*
Muhasmadans Chakradhvaj Singh died. Chakradhvaj Singh's brother
Haju Oohain, Sunyatpha succeeded him and assumed the Hindu name
Udayaditya Singh and married his brother's wife. The negotiations
4
with the Muhammadans continued. But Bam Singh suspecting the since­
rity of the Bar Phukan returned to the attack. Udayaditya thereupon
renewed the war and ordered the Burha Oohain to march with 20,000
men from Samdhara to Saraighat. The Ahoms were successful on lend
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 61

but their navy was forced to retreat. The Bar Phukan arrived with
1
more ships and now the Muhamsadan navy was beaten, and a second land
victory was gained by the Ahoms. The Garos and the Baja of Rani
came to the assistance of the Ahoms, Ram Singh weakened by repeated
losses retreated to Rangamati in March 1671.

Udayaditya loaded the Bar Phukan with presents, Hadira

opposite Goalpara became the Ahom frontier outpost. Chandra Narayan,
grandson of Bali Narayan was installed as tributary Raja of Darrang
and Gandharba Narayan as Raja of Beltola, The Bar Barua and the
Bar Gohain were ordered to arrange for the defence of Kpper Assam.
The Muhammadans were evicted from Kamrup; strong fortifications were
constructed at Gauhati.

An expedition of one thousand men under the Bar Barua was

sent against the Daflas who refused to pay tribute, raided a village,
killed three men and carried off forty wanen and children. The
Daflas hid themselves in dense jungle and wiped off the Bar Barua*s
advance guard. The Bar Barua twice retreated durirg the course of the
was
campaign. He/ordered by the king to be stripped naked and put to
death but on the intercession of the queen mother was only dismissed
3
and banished. By this time the Ahoms were able to make their own
cannon. A cannon at Gauhati bears an inscription that it was made
under the orders of the Sola Dhara Barua in 1672,

1. S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji (S.M.), pp. 449-ff -1-2-4

2. Gait, History of Assam, p. 157.
3. S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji (S.M.), pp. 124-ff
 62

A treasure house at H ilik a , con tain in g a g re a t s to r e o f

gpld and s i l v e r , was burnt down, as a r e s u lt of the B harali Barua
c a r e le s s ly leavin g a lig h ted pipe near inflammable m a teria ls. He
vas compelled to smoke elephants* dung. A fte r cessa tion o f h o s t i l i ­
t i e s , vigorous en qu iries sere set on f o o t f o r a rre stin g and deporting
to Namrup a l l c h ie fs and prominent people who had been d is lo y a l to
the Ahom cause.

Chakrapani, a p r ie s t and descendant o f Sankar Deb was said

to be in c o llu s io n w ith the Muhanmadans, but the King impressed by
accounts o f h is learning and p ie t y in v ited him to h is presence by
promise o f pardon, gave him land grant at Sameguri, made him h is s p i r i ­
tu al preceptor and ordered h is o f f i c e r s and people to fo llo w him. The
n o b le s, g r e a tly offen d ed , persuaded h is younger brother to conspire
with them against the king. The king’ s brother with h is adherents
entered the c i t y in the m iddle o f the night by breaking down^one of
the gates and seised the person o f the king who was poison ed. Chakra­
pani was impaled and s e t a d r ift on the Dikhu r iv e r . The k in g 's three
wives were put to death. His brother was h a iled by the p eop le as the
king.

1. S.K. Bhuyan, Assam Bur an j i (S .M .), pp. 1 2 6 - f f .

 S e c t io n 3

THE CLIMACTERIC OF AHOM RULE

Ramdhvaj : The f r a t r i c i d e ascen ded th e th r o n e and assumed

th e Hindu name Ramdhvaj. The r in g le a d e r o f th e c o n s p ir a c y t h a t made

him th e k in g , D ebera a l i a s L a ch ai/w a s made Bar B a ru a. The Bar Grohain

who c o n s p ir e d i n fa v o u r o f th e S a r in g R a ja and th e S a rin g R a ja were

p u t t o d e a th . The D e o ri C h u tiya s who were g u i l t y o f in s u b o r d in a t io n

were redu ced t o o r d e r , many o f t h e i r m ales were d e p o r te d and th e y

w ere made t o p ay a y e a r ly t r i b u t e o f b o a t s . The Mishmis r a id e d Ahom

t e r r i t o r y ; th e y su bm itted on th e a r r i v a l af a s t r o n g f o r c e and g a v e

up th e men r e s p o n s ib le f o r th e r a i d .

The k in g became s e r i o u s l y i l l and th e q u e s tio n o f s u c c e s s io n

was b e in g h o t l y d is c u s s e d b y th e n o b l e s . The Bar B aru a, D ebera was

b en t upon p r e v e n tin g th e s u c c e s s io n o f U d a y a d ity a 's s o n . The Bar Barua

c o l l e c t e d a band o f armed men, k i l l e d a l l th o s e who opposed him o r he

2
su s p e cte d t o be h is enem ies and cau sed t h e k in g t o be p o is o n e d . The

n o b le s in c o u n c i l d e c id e d t o r a i s e U d a y a d ity a 's son t o the t h r o n e , but

th e Bar B arua, h e lp e d b y h is band o f armed men, s e iz e d and p u t t o d eath

h i s c h i e f opponents and p la c e d a p r in c e from Sam aguri, Suhung on th e

th r o n e .
•

S a i t , H is t o r y o f Assam, p . 161 •
•

S.K. Bhuyan, Assam B u ra n ji ( S . M . ) , p p . 12 8- f f .

♦
 64

Suhung : Suhung took as his chief queen one of the vidoirs

of Jayadhvaj Singh. The Tipam Raja,a rival claimant to the throne
raised an army but was caught and executed by the Bar Barua who
also put to death a number of his private enemies from Gauhati. Suhtng
finding himself to be merely a puppet wanted to kill this crafty and
overbearing Bar Barua who thereupon cjused the king to be assassinated
after a reign of twentyone days only.

Gobar : The Bar Barua brought from Tungkhang a prince named

Gobar and made him king; he asked Bar Gohain at Gauhati to send the
Bar Phukan. The Bar Phukan suspecting that his life was in danger
induced the Bar Gohain and Sangrai Burha Gohain to join with him in
2
ending the reign of terror; they raised an army and marched against
the Bar Barua who was captured and executed. Gobar was also taken and
put to death after he was king barely for a month.

Sujinpha : After prolonged discussion a prince of the

Dihingia clan, a descendant of Suhungjnung, the Dihingia Raja, Sujinpha
was made king. Large sums of money were distributed and festivities
lasted for seven days on the occasion of his installation. The nobles
had appointed a new Bar Barua.

The king waited an oath of fealty from all his officers.

Cannon were posted at the gates of the city; streets were lined with
soldiers and officers were called in to take the prescribed oath.
Incensed by order, many of the officers entered into a conspiracy with
the Burha Gohain but were caught and pardoned on their swearing to
1. Gait, History of Assam, p. 161." ~~
2. S.K. Bhuyan, Assms Buran,3 i (S.U.), p. 131.
 65

be faithful. The oath taken was a two.fold one, one in the presence
of Brahmans before a Balgram of Lakshmi Narayan, a copy of the Bhagavat
and a tulsi plant, and the other according to the old Ihom method, by
1
the shedding of bloed before the great drum. The Burha Gohain
escaped; the king sent the Bar Gohain and the Barpatra Gohain to induce
2
the Burha Gohain to come back; but this was of no avail. The Burha
Gohain advanced with a force and defeated one sent against him by the
king who was seized, blinded and stoned to death; his two sons were
also put to death.

Sudaipha : The nobles urged the Burha Gohain to become king

but the Bailong Pandits were strongly opposed as he was not of royal
blood. He therefore with the aseent of the nobles installed Khamcheo
of the Parbatiya clan from Charaideo, a grandson of a former king, as
king under the Ahom name Sudaipha. Sudaipha performed the Rikkhvan
ceremony, offered sacrifices to Siva and to the Ahom Gods; married the
3
Burha Gohain*s daughter and gave him landed estate, presents and a
high-sounding title. The Burha Gohain became too powerful; dismissed
the Bar Barua, disgraced the Belmela Phukan who determined to kill the
king, killed by mistake the king's mother and fled. The Burha Gohain
was on the look-out for an opportunity to oust the Bar Phukan also who
entered into a conspiracy with the Muhammadans and surrendered Gauhati
to them in 1679. It was too late for the king to resist the advance
of the Muhaanadans and to save Gauhati though he sent an army for the
purpose on coming to know of the plot.
g0'iap chandra Barua, AhomBuranji, p. 246.
2. S.E. Bhuyan, Assam Buranji, pp. 134-ff.
3. Ibid, p.136. (S.M.)
4. Ibid, pp. 139-ff.
 66

Wavy, jealously and dissatisfaction spread; officials

allied themselves to the Bar Phukan who raised an army and advanced
towards the capital; there was practically no resistance; the Bar
Phukan made himself jester of the kingdom by the end of 1679* seized
the king and caused him to be put to death. Without even consulting
the other nobles, he raised a prince, Sulikpha to the throne.

Sulikpha : Because of his tender age, Sulikpha was known

as Lara Baja or the 'boy king*. At the instance of the Bar Phukan,
Lara Raja got Sangrai, the Burha Gohain executed. The Bar Phukan
*:/ now occupied the position recently h^ld by the Burha Gohain and
■ previously by Debera Bar Barua; he went W step further and wanted
to assume the rank of king, asserted his equality with him and clothed
hims&lf in garments which the king alone *was allowed to wear. His
triusph was shortlived. His overweening arrogance set the nobles
against him and he was assassinated. His brother, the Bhatdhara
Phukan sought the help of the Muhammadans to avenge his brother's
death and received some encouragement from prince Muhammad Azam who,
however, had not sufficient force at his disposal to attack the
Ahom country with any prospect of success.

In order to remove all possible rivals, the Lara Raja maimed

or killed several hundred scions of the royal family; he could not
find one most formidable rival, Gtadapani, son of Gobar, who eluded
3
his pursuers. Lara Raja proved to be a most unsatisfactory ruler.
Kashinath Tamili Phukan, Assam Buranji, p. 43.
Ibid, p. 143.
Ibid, p. 44.
 67

H i s i n c a p a c i t y , w a n t o f a p t i t u d e f o r p u b l i c b u s i n e s s , t y r a n n i c a l

c o n d u c t a l i e n a t e d t h e n o b l e s . T h e B a r P h u k a n e s p o u s e d t h e c a u s e o f

G & d a p a n i w h o w a s i n h i d i n g n e a r R a n i i n K a m r u p i n t h e h o u s e o f a

G a r o w o m a n , d r e s s e d a s a c o m m o n p e a s a n t a n d w o r k i n g i n t h e f i e l d s .

T h e k i n g c o u l d n o t r e s i s t t h e a d v a n c e o f t h e r e b e l s ; h i s a r m y m e l t e d

2
a w a y . T h e D a k h i n p a t G r o s a i ^ , t h e G u r u o f t h e k i n g a n d t h e B a r P h u k a n

a s k e d t h e B a r P h u k a n i n v a i n t o r e t u r n t o t h e k i n g ' s a l l e g i a n c e .

T h e k i n g w a s c a u g h t a n d b a n i s h e d t o N a m r u p a n d l a t e r p u t t o d e a t h f o r

i n t r i g u i n g t o r e c o v e r t h e t h r o n e .

T h e e l e v e n y e a r s b e t w e e n t h e d e a t h o f C h a k r a d h v a j S i n g h

i n 1 6 7 0 a n d t h e d e a t h o f S u l i k p h a a n d a c c e s s i o n o f G a d a p a n i i n 1 6 3 1

w e r e y e a r s o f w e a k a n d i n c o m p e t e n t p r i n c e s a n d o f u n s c r u p u l o u s a n d

a m b i t i o u s m i n i s t e r s , o f i n t e r n a l c o r r u p t i o n a n d d i s s e n s i o n s a n d

i n t r i g u e s , t h a t u n d e r m i n e d A h o m r u l e a n d p o w e r a n d p r e v e n t e d t h e A h o m s

p r e s e n t i n g a u n i t e d f r o n t a g a i n s t t h e i r e x t e r n a l f o e s . I n t h e s h o r t

s p a c e o f e l e v e n y e a r s t h e r e w e r e n o l e s s t h a n s e v e n k i n g s , n o t o n e

of w h o m c o u l d d i e a n a t u r a l d e a t h ; D e b e r a B a r B a r u a , S a n g r a i 8 u r h * '

G o h a i n , L a l u k B a r P h u k a n , t h e s c h e m i n g m i n i s t e r s s h a r e d n o b e t t e r

f a t e . T h e r e w e r e c o l l u s i o n s w i t h t h e c o m m o n f o e s w i t h a v i e w t o

i n d u c i n g t h e m t o a t t a c k t h e A h o m t e r r i t o r y , G a n h a t i w a s s u r r e n d e r e d

t o the Vuhajzmadans; the e r a w a s o n e o f p o l i t i c a l i n s t a b i l i t y a n d

3
a n d i n t e r n a l t u r m o i l .

Jfcu'r .
1 * S . K . B h u y a n , A s s a m B u r a n j i ( S . M . ) , p . 1 4 5 .

2 ; K a s h i n a t h T a m u l i P h u k a n , p . 4 5 , f\ s s
3 . G a i t , H i s t o r y o f A s s a m , p . 1 6 6 .
 68

Gadadhar Singh ( 1681*1696) : Gad&pani assumed the Ahom

name Supatpha and the Hindu name Gadadhar Singh. He made Barkola hie
capital. He equipped the army to oust the Muhammadans from Gauhati.
The forts at Bansbari and Kajali fell; a great naval victory was von
near the mouth of the Bar Hadi; the enemy fleet fell into the hands
of the thorns; the Fjujdar of Gauhati fled, pursued by the advancing
thorns upto the Manas, tt Gauhati gold, silver, elephants, horses,
buffalofs; cannon, guns, svords, spears were taken; the spoils offered
to the king were distributed by him amongst the victorious officers.
The Bhatdhara Fhukan vho had incited the Muhanmadans to invade Assam
was captured, made to eat the flesh of his own son and later put to
death. A captured Muhaamadan spy vas taken round the camp, shown the
dispositions of the Ahom commanders and then killed. This vas the
last Muhaamadan war. Henceforth the Manas river vas accepted by both
sides as the boundary. Three cannon at Dikom, in the Indian Museum
and outside the house of the Deputy Commissioner, Lakhimpur bears the
inscription ; "KHG Gadadhar Singh, having vanquished the Mussulmans
4
at Gauhati, obtained this weapon in 1604 Sak (1682 A.D.)*.

There vere conspiracies. The Bar Phukan and Pani Phukan

were arrested and tried by the three Gohains and vere found guilty^
for past services their lives vere spared; but they vere dismissed,
some minor officials were put to death. For a second conspiracy, the
-148.
i * S.H. Bhuyan,Assam Buranji(S.M.), pp. 146-
2. Golap Chandra Barua, Ahom Buranji, p. 262.
3. Ibid", p. 263.
4. Gait, History of Asaam, p. 167...
5. S.K. Bhuyan, Tungkhungia Buranji, p. 19.
 69

ring-leaders had death penalty. A searching enquiry was made; the

Burha Gohain, the Bar Barua, the new Pani Phukan were dismissed;
■any were executed or banished to Namrup. The new Burha Grohain proved
to haje misappropriated stray cattle was put to death alongprith his
sons.
In 1685 the Kiris raided and set fire to the Sadiyakhowa
Gbhain'a house, A punitive expedition was sent and they were defeated
with four killed, many made prisoners and much booty taken. fiubanked
roads were constructed from the Brahmaputra to two forts in the Kiri
country and were furnished with fortified gateways as a precautionary
measure against fruther raids. The Sadiyakhowa Gohain was dismissed
for apathy during operations. The Nagas raided the Doyang valley; a
punitive expedition was sent; their houses were burnt down; they
3
submitted and gave compensation for the losses caused to the villages.
Igainst the Namsang Nagas also an expedition was sent because of a
raid by them; many including their chief were captured and beheaded.

The neo-Vaishnava sects founded on Sri Sankar Deb's teachings

now attained remarkable dimensions. There were many religions precept­
ors and their followers who claimed exemption from the liability to
fight and assist in the construction of roads, tanks and other public
works. The Sakta Brahmans who had the king's ear exaggerated the
serious inconvenience thus caused.
t

CO 69 CO
rl
o .o
4 CM t O

6.
 70

(ladadhar Singh was a good liver; he was affeaid that his

people would physically deteriorate if they ceased taking flesh of
cattle, swine and fowls and strong drinks, as enjoied by the Gosains.
He had also a personal grudge against some of the leading Gosains
for refusing him shelter when he was in hiding and for dissuading the
Bar Phukan from setting him up as king in the place of the Lara Baja*
He resolved to break their power; many were sent to Nemrup and put to
death; the Auniati Gosain, Keshab Dob saved himself by hiding in a
Chutiya village; the Dakhinpat Gosain was deprived of his eyas and nave,
his property was confiscated and his gold and silver idols were melted
down. The Bhakats did not fare better. Ganaks, Kayasthas, Kalitas
were spared; Kewats, Koches, Dorns and Haris were hunted down, robbed,
forced to eat the flesh of strine, cows, fowls, or deported or made to
work as coolies on roads or mutilated, sacrificed to idols or put to
death. The persecution was widespread; no one of any persuasion, having
anything worth taking, appeared to be safe, fhen the climax was reached,
the king ordered stoppage of persecution and restitution in eases where
people were wrongfully despoiled.
lhen Gadadhar Singh ascended the throne, the kingly office
was fast sinking into insignificance and authority was being monopolised
by the nobles; very soon he broke their power and vindicated the supreme
authority of the monarch. At the time of his accession, the Ahom power
was being weakened by internal dissensions; patriotism was on the wane,
there were desertions to the Muhammadans who reoccupied Gauhati; the

1* S.K. Bhuyan, Assamar Padya-Buranji, p. 32; Tungkhungia Buranji,

fc>p. 27-29.
2. Golap Chandra Barua, Ahom Buranji, pp. 271-ff
 71

emboldened h i ll t r i b e s harried and raided s u b m o n t a n e T illag e s.

B e f o r e h i s d e a t h h e q u e l l e d i n t e r n a l d i s p u t e s , r e v i v e d t h e n a t i o n a l

s p i r i t , d r o v e t h e M u h a m m a d a n s b e y o n d t h e M a n a s , s t o p p e d r a i d i n g a n d

r e s t o r e d t h e p r e s t i g e o f t h e Aherns a m o n g t h e t u r b u l e n t f r o n t i e r t r i b e s .

H e p a t r o n i s e d S h a k t a H i n d u i s m . T h e t e m p l e o f H n a n a n d a ^

o n P e a c o c k I s l a n d , o p p o s i t e G a u h a t i , w a s b u i l t u n d e r h i s a u s p i o e s .

I t is f r o m h i s r e i g n t h a t t h e e a r l i e s t k n o w n c o p p e r p l a t e s r e c o r d i n g

g r a n t s o f l a n d b y i h o m k i n g s t o B r a h m a n s o r H i n d u t e m p l e s d a t e . H i s

b r u t a l t r e a t m e n t o f V a i s h n a v a s e c t s c a n n o t b e j u s t i f i e d . T h e r e c a n

b e n o d o u b t , h o w e v e r , t h a t t h e i r p r i e s t h o o d w a s a l r e a d y b e c o m i n g

e x c e s s i v e l y p o w e r f u l a n d t h e i n o r d i n a t e g r o w t h o f t h i s p o w e r b e c a m e i n

l a t e r t i m e s a b a r t o p o l i t i c a l s t a b i l i t y a n d p r o g r e s s a n d s e r i o u s

m e n a c e t o e s t a b l i s h e d i n s t i t u t i o n s a n d t h e c o n s e q u e n t M o a m a r i a i n s u r ­

r e c t i o n u l t i m a t e l y c o n v u l s e d a n d s h a t t e r e d t h e A h e m k i n g d o m t o p i e c e s .

H e c o m m e n c e d a d e t a i l e d s u r v e y of t h e c o u n t r y . Y h e n i n h i d i n g

i n L o w e r A s s a m , h e g o t a c q u a i n t e d w i t h t h e l a n d m e a s u r e m e n t s y s t e m of

t h e M u h a m m a d a n s a n d i s s u e d o r d e r s f o r i n t r o d u c t i o n o f a s i m i l a r s y s t e m

t h r o u g h o u t h i s d o m i n i o n s . S u r v e y o r s w e r e i m p o r t e d f r o m K o c h B i h a r a n d

^ B e n g a l . T h e w o r k w a s f i r s t b e g u n a n d p u s h e d o n v i g o r u s l y i n S i b a a g a r

b u t w a s n o t c o m p l e t e d u n t i l a f t e r h i s d e a t h . T h e m e t h o d o f s u r v e y w a s

p r o b a b l y t h a t w h i c h o b t a i n e d w h e n A s s a m w a s o c c u p i e d b y t h e B r i t i s h ,

i . e . , t h e a r e a o f e a c h f i e l d w a s c a l c u l a t e d b y m e a s u r i n g t h e f o u r s i d e s

w i t h a * c a l ' o r b a m b o o p o l e , 1 2 f e e t l o n g , a n d m u l t i p l y i n g t h e m e s n

l e n g t h b y t h e m e a n b r e a d t h . T h e u n i t o f a r e a w a s t h e ' p u r a * o r f o u r

s t a n d a r d b i g h a s o f 1 4 , 4 0 0 s q u a r e f e e t e a c h .

1 ; S . K . B h u y a n , A s s s m a r P a d y a B u r a n j i , p. 3 9 .
2 ; G a i t , H i s t o r y o f A s s a m , p . 1 7 0 .

3 . I b i d , p p . 1 7 0 - f f .
 72

The king m e a roan of very powerful physique with a gross

appetite, his favourite dish being coarse spring rice and a calf roasted
in ashes, Gadadhsr Singh died in 1696, The body of the king was
interred at Charaideo with great ceremony. In effigy of the Hug was
made and adorned with fine clothes; appointed men for the purpose made
daily offerings of pigs, fowls, fish and wiye to it. The Ahoms were
feasted on the flesh of swine and buffaloes,

Rudra Singh ( 1696-1714) : Gadadhar Singh's elder son

ascended the throne at Garfagaon, taking the Hindu name Rudra Singh and
the Ihom name SuMrungpha. The king reversed his father's policy regarding
2
Yaishnava Goeains, The Brahman Gosains were permitted to resume their
3
positions and normal work but they were to have their headquarters on
the Majuli. The Auaiati Gosain was recalled from exile and was honoured,
the king appointing him his spiritual preceptor. The persecution of
the Sudra Medhis also stopped; they were to wear as their distinctive
badge small earthen jars hanging from a string round the neck; the
4
Brahmans were not to bend their knees before them. Rudra Singh desired
to build a palace and city of brick, but there was no one in his kingdom
who knew how Ao do this. An artisan named Ghansyam was inqported from
Koch Bihar and under his supervision numerous brick buildings were
made at Rangpur and Charaideo, The king rewarded Ghansyam richly but
a document containing full account of the country and the inhabitants
was detected in his possession before his departure and on suspicion
that he would betray the Ahoms to the Muhammadans, he was arrested and
5
put to death.
PP* 171 •
2, Maniram Dewan, M.S, BuranJI Yivekar&tna (B.H.A.S.Ho. 272) ,f.16b.
3, S.K. Bhuyan, Asamar Fadya Buranji, pp. 45-ff.
4. Gait. History of Assam, p, 171,
5. Ibid, pp. 171-ff.
 73

The Kacharis became reluctant to acknowledge the Ahom

hegemony and Tararadhvaj, their king, boldly asserted hie independence;
Rudra Singh despatched two large armies to reduce him to submission.
The Bar Barua with over 37,000 men and the Pani Fhukan with 34,000
-to
were/march into Kachari country via the Bhansij-i Talley and the
valley of the Kopili ( and Raha ) respectively. The Bar Barua*s
route lay through Raha, Samaguting fort, Namira fort on Nomal Hill,
Lathia Hill, imlakhi, Tarang and Nadereng to Maibong and ttahur. In
order to maintain comnunications and facilitate transmission of
supplies, forts were constructed and garrisoned on the route. The
Nagas gave trouble on the way but were effectively dealt with. The
Kachari offered sporadic, though feeble resistance but could not
prevent the Ahom advance. A large booty including a cannon and 700
guns was taken by the Ahoms at Maibong.

The Pani Phukan’s route lay throigh Raha, Balgacn, Lambur,

Dharmapur, Demera and Nadereng to Maibong. Ab there was no regular
road, the army had to cut its way through dense jungle. A garrison
of 3,000 men was left at Demera which was occupied; other places were
sacked; 322 prisoners were taken. The superior strength of the Ahom
army overawed the Kacharis who could not repel the invasion. At
Maibong the troops suffered greatly because of the pestilential climate
and many including the Bar Barbarua fell ill. Supplies ran short.
Inaction in place of vigour seized the camp. The king ordered to presa
on to Khaspur. The Pani Phukan marched upto Sampani; the Bar Barua,
now seriously ill,died during the return journey to Demera.
1; S.K. Bbuyan, Tungkhungia Buranji, p. 34.
2. Ibid.
 74

In March 1707 the king recalled the Pani Phukan who

brought back the whole force after demolishing the brick fort at
Maibong, burning down houses there and erecting a thirteen feet high
pillar to commemorate his success. Fortifications were made at Demera
where a strong garrison was left, which, however, had to be withdrawn
by thj king owing to sickness and mortality with the setting in of the
rains. Terrified by the advancing ihom armies, Tamradhvaj fled to
Bikrampur and sent an urgent appeal for help to Bam Singh, Baja of
Jaintia; on the withdrawal of the ihom forces, he sent a second message
to Bam Singh, saying that help was not necessary. Bam Singh now
decided to take advantage of the dispersal of the Kachari troops by
the Ahoms to seise the person of the Kachari king with a view to
gaining possession and control of the Kachari kingdom; under the pre­
text of a friendly meeting he seised Tamradhvaj and carried him off
to the Jaintia capital, Jaintiapur.

Tamradhvaj managed to send a message to Budra Singh through

a *Bairagi*, asking for forgiveness and begging for deliverance from
his captor. Budra Sin#Vword to Bam Singh through the ihom officer
in charge of the ihom outpost at Jagi, demanding immediate release of
Tamradhvaj. Bam Singh refused; Budra Singh closed the market at Gohha
on which the Hill Jaintias depended for their supplies. Budra Singh
made preparations for invasion of Jaintia territory. The Bar Barua
with 43,000 men was to march on Jaintiapur via the Kopili valley and
the Kachari country and the^Bar Phukan by the direct route through
Gobha and the Jaintia Hills.
1. Gait, History of Assam, p. 174. "*
2. S.K. Bhnyan, Tungkhungia Buranji, p. 35.
 76

The Bar Barua reached Sampani easily and heare& Kachari

deputation aaaured that nothing iraa to be feared from the neigh­
bouring Naga tribes. He proceeded to Bikrampur and during his march
he sent messengers in advance to reassure the people who came and
paid their respects and were glad that the forces needed no supplies
of provisions from them. Jaintia outposts were taken. Ram Bingfc.
was called upon to surrender Tamradhvaj and his family and officers;
this he did; but the Bar Barua continued his march to Jaintiapur.
Ram Singh prepared for flight; but the nobles who tried to dissuade
him from his present adventure would not allow him to escape scot#
free. He therefore proceeded towards the Bar Barua* s camp for making
his submission, escorted by twenty elephants. Near the camp he was
made to dismount and ride on horse-back, unattended. Ifter the
interview he was not allowed to return but was made a captive by the
Bar Barua.*
The Bar Fhukas conciliated the Chiefs of Gobha by presents.
His forces on the march were harassed by the Jaintias at several places.
His route from Jagi lay through Gobha, ithitbhfga Lachor Hill, Buritikar
Hill, the Barpani River banks and Favanai to Jaintiapur. In certain
engagements the Jaintias fared well but were ultimately worsted by the
Aherns who had the advantage of superior number and strength and rein­
forcements at crucial moments, it one stage the Ahoam went to the
attack and with suceesa after consulting astrologers on a day chosen
as auspicious by the latter.

1. S.K. Bhuyan, Tungkhungia Buranji, p. 35.

 76

Rudra Singh ordered the captive kings to be brought to

him along^ith the Jaintia King's garments, jewels, arms, elephants
and horses and the Jaintia king's treasures to be divided amongst
the troops. The ihom subjects who had fled to Khaspur during Kir
Jumlah's invasion were brought back and an army of occupation under
1
the Bar Barua and the Bar Phukan was stationed at Jaintiapur. Savoys
were sent to the Muhammadan Faujdar of Sylhet to announce that the
Kaehari and Jaintia kingdoms had been annexed to the ihom dominions.
These measures greatly irritated the Jaintia nobles who induced the
Bar Dalai , the Raja of Khairam and the inhabitants of two hundred
independent Khasi villages to join them in expelling the invaders.

The Jaintias could not rescue their Raja as he was being taken
to Gobha by a strong force; but they attacked eight forts with garrisons
left by the Bar Phukan and took three of them, i detachment that was
taking the copper image of the Goddess Jaintesvari to Rudra Singh was
2
put to flight and the image was rescued. Tine Ahom soldiers, seised
with panic, fled, pursued by the Jaintias. Rudra Singh sent up rein­
forcements including four thousand men under the Burha Gohain. The
Jaintia strategy of dispersing when attacked and of returning to the
attack themselves thereafter made decisive victory impossible for the
Ahoms. The Bar Barua and Bar Phukan sent reinforcements from Jaintiapur,
no doubt, but with the approach of the rains, it was thought unwise and
dangerous to remain in hostile territory and retreat to Gobha was decided
upon. Before departing, the Shoos put to the sword a thousand inhabitants
of Jaintiapur and destroyed surrounding villages.

1« Gait, History of Assam, pp. 175-ff.

2. S.K. Bhuyan, Tungkhungia Buranji, p. 35.
 7 7

For the ultimate failure of the expedition Rudra Singh

thought of punishing the Bar Barua and the Bar Phukan but pardoned
theai on the intercession of other nobles. In the course of the
Jaintia rising, the Ahoms lost 2,366 men including 12 high officers.
About 1,600 persons, Chiefly Assamese refugees were brought from
Ehaspur and 600 from Jaintiapur. During the expedition 3 cannon,
2,273 guns, 109 elephants, 12,000 pieces of silver of the Huhsnmadan,
Ahoa, Koch and Jaintia mints and numerous utensils of gold,silver and
other metals were taken. Certain articles of jewellery misappropriated
by some officers had to be disgorged by them on detection.

Rudra Singh now moved his camp to Sala and the Jaintia and
the Kaehari kings were kept in separate camps at Bishnath. Rudra Singh,
surrounded by all his chief nobles, received Tamradhvaj at a grand
durbar in a tent supported by posts of gold and silver. The captive
was carried across the Brahmaputra in the royal barge and on landing
rode on an elephant with a golden howdah. Bearing the camp he dismounted
and rode on horse-back to the durbar tent where he again dismounted and
advancing on foot prostrated himself and knelt before the king. The
Bar Barua introduced him, narrating the events leading to his detention.
The king offered Tamradhvaj a seat and addressed him in a language
„ x
repetitive of the Bar Barua* s. He gave a submissive reply. Ha was
given numerous presents and formally permitted to return to his country.
He was received in a second Durbar also. He worshipped the idol of Siva
in the Jemple of Bishnath and was escorted by Ahom troops on his return

2..
journey.

1 Gait, History of Assam, pp. 178-ff

S.K. Bhuyan, Kaehari Buranji 148-fi.
3. Gait, History of Assam, ppM r *
 78

A few days later, the Jaintia Baja was received in the same
way but vie told that hie nobles should appear and make their submission
before he could be allowed to return. The nobles sent only submisaive
messages but these were considered insufficient. In the meantime Baat
Singh died of dysentry. Hie son gave two of his sisters in marriage
to Budra Singh.
1
1 few years later Rudra Singh proposed to invade Bengal and
made thorough preparations against the Muhammadans. He came to Gauhati
and organised a great army and a powerful fleet, strengthened by all
available cannon and reinforced by 600 Baflas and by the Kachari and
the Jaintia Bajas with 14,000 and 10,000 men respectively. His idea
was perhaps victory and glory for himself or his ambition was perhaps
2
to include a portion of the Ganges within his dominions. Surely, one
yof his objectives was to create a confederation of Hindu States as a
/ formidable obstacle to Hahaumadan expansionist designs and as a bulwark
of strength against further extension of Muhammadan power towards the
east. Before, however, his preparations could be completed, he died
in August 1714,
Kfedra Singh is considered by many as the greatest ef all the
Ahem kings, Rudra Singh was by no means a mere military adventurer.
Although Illiterate, he had a retentive memory, exceptional intelligence
and great drive and initiative. Besides the brick city at Rangpur, he
/
/ had the maso^nry bridges over the Namdang and Dimau rivers constructed,
the great tanks and the temple at Jaisagar and the temple and tank at
Rangnath and the Kharikatiya, Dubariyam and Meteka roads made. He
received the submission of all the hill.tribes,
1. S X fehuyam, Tunkhungia Buranji, pp.
2, S.K. Bhuyan, Asamar Fadya Buranji, pp. 52-ff.
 79

Br. S.K. Ohatterji considers him to be Shivaji of Eastern

India. He established an extensive trade vith Tibet. He encourged
intercourse with other nations and sent envoys to visit contemporary
rulers of other parte of India. Ha studied foreign customs and adopted
1
those that he thought good. He imported many artificers from Bengal.
He established many schools for Brahmans and sent many Brahman boys
to study at the great centres of learning in Bengal. The survey of
Sibe^ar was completed. Nowgong was surveyed; the settlement that
followed was supervised by Budra Singh himself.

His Hindu proclivities increased as he grew old and he decided

to become an orthodox Hindu by * taking the Sharan *, which involved
prostrating oneself before one's Guru. Rudra Singh could not bear the
thought of humbling himself before one of his subjects and invited
Krishnarsm Bhattacharya, a famous Hahant of the Sakta sect from the
Nadia District of Bengal. The king changed his mind and refused to
become his disciple when he arrived though he |pad promised him all this
and also the care of the temple of Kamakhya. After the priest departed
there was a severe earthquake that shattered several temples. Rudra
Singjh thought he had attracted divine displeasure by hurting a favourite
of God and recalled the Hahant and satisfied him by ordering his sons
and Brahmans of his entourage to accept him as their Guru. It is said,
though denied by the ihom Buranjis, that his body was not interred at
Charaideo according to Ahom cuetom, hut was cremated on the Hani
Karnesvar hill and that the Rudresvar temple built in his honour later
by Prmnata Sin^a, stands where his body was burnt. He left five sons
by four wives.
T1 S.K. Bhuyan, Tunkhungia Buranji, pp. 31-i'f.
2. Kashinatn Tamuli Phukan, Assam Buranji, p. 49; Maniram Dewan,
IIS. Buranji Yivekratna, (D.H.A.S.No. 272),f!5b,fl6a.
 8 0

Sib Sing£i ( 1714-1744) : Rudra Singh's eldest son, Sib Singh

ascended the throne. He gave up the projected invasion of Bengal. He
became a disciple of Krishnaram Bhattacharya and gave him management of
the Kamakhya temple and laxge areas of land in various parts of the
country for the maintenance of the temple. The modern Saktas of Assam
are the disciples of the Parbatiya Gosains ( as Krishnaram and his
successors are known as ) or of the Nati and Nh Gosains.

The Daflas raided; an expedition was sent and they were reduced
to submission; an embankment was constructed along the foot of the hills
inhabited by these turbulent and restless mountaineers as a protection
against future inroads. But for this expedition! there was unbroken
peace during this reign.

Sib Singh was completely under the influence of Brahman priests

and astrologers. Their prediction in 1722 that his reign would come to
2
an end shortly alarmed him beyond measure. He made nmnerous and lavish
presents for the export of Brahmans and of temples. His prestige dimini,
shed when he made his Chief Queen Phuleswari 'Bar Baja' or chief king,
he- gave her the royal umbrella (the Ahem emblem of Sovereignty) and got
coins struck jointly in her name and his. Phuleswari assumed the name
of Pramateswari ( a name of Durga) • Her authority was real; she was
also under the influence of Brahmans and had consuming zeal for Sakta
Hinduism. The Sudra Mahantaaof the Vaisnava persuasion having refused
to worship Durga, Pronateswari ordered the Moamaria and several other

jT B.K, Bhuyan, Asamar Padya

2« I b i d , P . 65. Assa.Tr>
Surenji, p. 62-ff.
3. Kaehin&th Tmnuli Phukan,/ p. 51;S.K.Bhuyan,Asamar Padya Buranji ,p.65.
 81

Gosains to be brought to a Sakta Shrine where sacrifices were being

offered and caused their foreheads to be marked with the distinguishing
marks of the Sakta sect with the blood of the victims.

This insult to their spiritual leader was never forgotten

nor forgiven by the ttoamarias and fifty years later they rose in open
rebellion. This act of opresaion of Branatesvari had thus in years to
come disastrous consequences affecting peace in the Ahem dominions and
stability of the Ahom rule. On Phuleswari's death, the king married
her sister who was made Bar Baja with the name Ambika. Ihen imbika
died, another wife named Enadari became Bar Baja assuming the name
Sarbesvari.
Sib Singh is noted for having established an elaborate and ^
efficient system of espionage that placed at his disposal accurate
information of all that was done or even spoken in alImparts of his
dominions. Surveys were effected in Kanrup and Bakata. The Register
or #Perakagaaf based on this survey of Eamrup was still extant at the
time of the British conquest and contained a list of occupied lands,
4
except homestead, with areas and particulars of all rent-free estates.
In 1739 four Europeans, Bill, Godwin, Lister and Hill, met the king at
the principal gateway of Rangpur and did him homage by prostrating
themselves at his feat. The king made many temples mid gave lands for
the support of Brahmans. He wrote a number of hymns. Because of his
patronage, Hinduism became the predominant religion.
17 KasHns g T a m u li M e a n , A ssam B u r a n j i , p.nSTT
2. S.K. Bhnyan, Asamar Padya Buranji, p. 69
3. Ibid, pp. 64-ff.
4. Gait, History of Assam, p. 185.
5. Golap Chandra Barua, Ahom Buranji, p. 274.
 82

The Ahoms who persisted in holding to old beliefs and tribal

customs were regarded as a separate, degraded class. The Deodhais and
Bailongs succeeded with difficulty for some time in enforcing obser­
vance of certain ceremonies like the worship of the Somdeo. The people,
however, gradually took Hindu priests and abandoned the free use of meat
and strong drinks. The consequence was disastrous. By accepting a
subordinate position in the Hindu hierarchy, the Ahoms lost their pride
of race and martial spirit; by taking to less nourishing diet, they
undermined their health and physique. The deterioration has been
phenomenal over the course of years; and looking at average Ahoms of
today one wonders that they are the descendants of a sturdy race of
conquerors who, though small in number, gradually extended their rule
over the whole of the Brahmaputra Talley and successfully resisted the
Mughals even at the zenith of their power! Siba Singgi died in 1744.

Pramatta Sin$i : On Sib Singh’s death, the nobles passed over

his sons and raised Rudra Singh’s seeond son, Pranatta Singh Singh to
the throne. The Deodhais formally installed him. A conspiracy was
detected and the culprits were punished with mutilation |nd stripes.
In 1745 a fresh survey was made; a census was also taken. New buildings
and masonry gateways at Garhgaon and the Rangghar or Amphi-theatre for
animal fights at Rangpur and the Rudrwswar and Sukreswar temples at
3
Grauhati were constructed. A kind and lenient ruler, Pramatta Singh
died in 1751 after a prosperous, though uneventful, reign.
r:..Biff, History of As m . pp. iiS-ff.------- -----------------
2. S.K. Bhuyam, Asamar Padya Buranji, p. 72.
3. Kashinatn Yamuli Phukan. Assam Buranji.p. 52; S.K.Bhuyan^lsamar
Padya Buranji, pp. 71-ff,
 83

Raj es war S i n # ( 1751-1769): Rudra Singh’ s th ird son ,

Barjana ffohain, p it te d with sm all-pox marks, was considered i n e lig ib le
and the fou rth son , Rajeswar Singh was in s t a lle d as k in g. Barjana
Grohain was e x ile d to Namrup. The Ahom a stro lo g e rs recommended Tainsing
and the Hindu a stro lo g e rs Rangpar f o r the kiiag’ s resid en ca . The king
accepted the advice o f the Hindu a s tr o lo g e r s . He b u ilt h is p alace at
Rangpur and afterwards a second resid en ce at Taiming, both of b rick
and o f con sid era ble s i z e .

The king was able but given to pleasures and S ta te a f f a ir s

were l e f t to h is Bar Barua, K irtich an dra Gendhela. The Bar Barua of

overbearing d is p o s itio n was d is lik e d by the n o b le s. The Numali Bar
Grohain wrote a Buranji which contained aspersions regarding the p u rity
o f h is d escen t. The Bar Barua g o t the assent o f the king to the d e ta ile d
examination o f a l l the Buranjis then extant and had a l l those which
c o n t a i n s anything o b je c t io n a b U . burnt on the p lo a that otherwise even
the o r ig in o f the king him self may be impugned seme day. As a r e s u lt
the Bar Barua*s unpopularity grew. An a t t e s t to assassin ate him f a i l e d ;
he escaped with wounds; two rin glea d ers were in h aled , one was f r i e d to
death in o i l and others were deprived o f noses and ea rs.

In 1758 the Daflas committed ra id s near G hiladh ari. T orts were

erected on the fr o n t ie r and entry in to the p la in s by the Daflas was p ro .
hibfced. The blockade was s u c c e s s fu l. A deputation with ca p tiv es and
presents came but members o f the deputation were a rre ste d . T h ir ty fiv e
Assamese and 2 cannon were seised by the D aflas in r e t a lia t io n . Now

1 . Go lap Chandra Barua, Ahom Bur an j i , p . 284.

2 . S.K. Bhuyan, Asamar Padya B u ra n ji, pp. 7 8 - f f .
 84

there was exchange of captives and an agreement was arrived at whereby

the Daflas would refrain from aggression and in return would be permitted
to levy yearly from each family in the Duars or submontane tract along
the foot of the hills, a pura of paddy and 320 cowries.

In 1765 two forces were went against the Hikirs via Chapanala
and the Kbpili and Jamuna rivers; they defeated the Mikirs and burnt
down their houses and granaries; the Mikirs came with tribute, begging
2
for forgiveness. Bajeswar Singh sent messengers to sumaaon the Kachari
king, Sandhikari but he refused to receive them. The Bar Barua proceeded
with an army to Baha. The Kachari king came and made his submission and
3
was admonished by Bajeswar Singh.

Baja Jai Sing^i of Manipur who came with Sandhikari appealed

4
to Bajeswar Singh for help to expel the Burmese from his kingdom. The
5
king consulted the nobles and agreed to send a force to reinstate him.
1 ntmber of officers had to be dismissed and deprived of their property
for refusing to accept the command and go on the ground of ill-health.
The march through the hills south of Charaideo was difficult, clearing
a road through dense jungle was arduous and slow; exposure, insufficient
food, snake-bite, death at the hands of the Nagas and sufferings generally
6
of the troops made the king order their return. 1 second force was
despatched by way of Baha and the Kachari country; the main body halted
at Baha and a force of ten thousand men accompained Jai Singh who raised
also a force of Ifagas and drove out the usurper, Kelemba, placed on the
Manipuri throne by the Burmese.__________________________
1. Gait, History of Assam, pp. 186-ff.
2. dolap Chandra Barua, Ahom Buranji, pp. 285-ff.
3. Ibid, p. 286
4. S.K. Bnuyan, Asamar Fedya Buranji, p. 75.
5. Kaehinath Tamuli Fhukan, Assam Buranji, p.54.
6: Ibid, p. 54.
7. S.K. Bnuyan, Asamar Padya Buranji, p. 77.
 85

J a i Singh sent valuable presents t o Rajeswar Singh, and gave

him a daughter in m arriage. A number o f Manipuris accompanying the
Manipuri princes® were s e tt le d near the mouth o f the Desoi at Magaluhat
or "th e Manipuri Market*. In 1789 the J a in tia Raja moved with a fo r c e
towards the Ahom f r o n t i e r . The king thought o f summoning him t o appear
and e x p la in , but the nobles suggested nothing should be done u n til
h o s t ile in ten tion s were c le a r . The Bar Barua marched t o Raha in f u l l
2
fo r c e ; the J a in tia R aja withdrew in fe a r .

The king was a s t r i c t Hindu. He paid a long v i s i t t o Gauhati

to worship a t te a zle s th e re . He erected many temples and gave much
land to the Brahmans. He took the 'Sharan* from a r e la t iv e o f the
P arbatiya Gosain known as the Nati Gosain and gave him a temple at Pandu-
nath. He g r e a tly patronised learned men.

The Manas was the Ahom boundary now on the north o f the
Brahmaputra and on the south o f the Brahmaputra, the boundary was 21
m iles fu rth er e a s t. The king was a capable r u le r , though in d o le n t. The
people enjoyed in tern al order and immunity from external a gg ression .
{a«of»(e
The/ perope were now very prosperous. But signs o f decay were a ls o
appearing. The w ar-lik e s p i r i t c h a r a c t e r is tic o f the Ahom ancestors
almost w holly evaporated, f o r the f i r s t time high o f f i c e r s refu sed te
go on a c tiv e s e r v ic e . The s o c ie t y became p r ie s t-r id d e n ; p a t r io t ic
fervour and asp ira tion s were being strangled by secta ria n d isp u tes. The
Hoamaria Gosain u n forg etfu l o f wrongs and in s u lts s e c r e t ly spread spread
d is a ffe c t io n amongst h is d i s c i p l e s . The king died o f a seriou s illn e s s
la s tin g twenty days. His remains were cremated on the bank of the
Brahmaputra and the ashes were in te rre d at Charaideo.
IT Kashinath Tannili Phukan, Assam Buranji , p . 5 4 - f f ; S.K.Shuyan,
Asanar Padya B u ra n ji, pp. 7 7 - f f .
2 . Golap Chandra Barua, Anom B u ra n ji, p . 291.
3 . I b id , p . 288.
 8 6

L a k s h m i S i n g h ( 1 7 6 9 - 1 7 3 0 ) : T h e n o b l e s d i f f e r e d a e t o

w h o w h o u l d s u c c e e d B a j e s w a r S i n g h . X i r t i C h a n d r a B a r B a r u a s u p p o r t e d

t h e N a m r u p R a j a , L a k s h m i S i n g h , t h e y o u n g e s t s o n o f B u d r a S i n g h w h o ,

h e s a i d , w a n t e d t h a t a l l h i s s o n s s h o u l d b e c o m e k i n g i n t u r n . T h e

B a r G o h a i n a n d o t h e r s s u p p o r t e d t h e e l d e s t s o n o f B a j e s w a r S i n g h a n d

r a i s e d d o u b t s a b o u t t h e l e g i t i m a c y o f L a k s h m i S i n g h , w h o w a s s o d i f f e r e n t

f r o m B u d r a S i n g h i n c o m p l e x i o n a n d f e a t u r e s . U l t i m a t e l y , h o w e v e r ,

L a k s h m i S i n g h , a l r e a d y 5 3 , w a s s e l e c t e d ; t h e P a r b a t i y a G o s a i n r e f u s e d

t o r e c o g n i s e h i m o n t h e g v i m n d o f i l l e g i t i m a c y ; L a k s h m i S i n g h i m p o r t e d

f r o m B e n g a l a n e w p r i e s t , a S a k t a , w h o w a s t h e f i r s t N a G o s a i n ; a n d

b a n i s h e d B a j e s w a r S i n g h ' s t w o s o n s , t h e B a j a s o f T i p a m a n d S a r i n g , t o

N a m r u p .

T h e B a r B a r u a i n w h o s e h a n d s t h e m a n a g e m e n t o f a f f a i r s w a s

l e f t b y t h e k i n g b e c a m e a l l t h e m o r e a r r o g a n t a n d i n s o l e n t . O n e d a y

h e a b u s e d i n m o s t d i s p a r a g i n g t e r m a n d i n s u l t e d t h e M o a m a r i a G o s a i n ,

s t a n d i n g o n t h e r i v e r b a n k , b e c a u s e t h o u g h h e s a l u t e d t h e k i n g , h e t o o k

n o n o t i c e o f t h e B a r B a r u a w h o w a s a c c o m p a n y i n g t h e k i n g i n a r o y a l

b a r g e . A g a i n t h e C h i e f o f t h e M o r a n t r i b e , N a h a r w a s s e i z e d a n d b e a t e n .

a n d h i s e a r s w e r e o r d e r e d t o b e c u t o f f b y t h e B a r B a r u a i b e c a u s e h e

w e n t d i r e c t t o t h e p a l a c e a n d b r o u g h t t h e k i n g e l e p h a n t s w i t h o u t f i r s t

m e e t i n g a n d p a y i n g t h e B a r B a r u a h i s r e s p e c t s . A d i s c i p l e o f t h e

M o a m a r i a G o s a i n , N a h a r h a s t e n e d t o h i m .

1 . G o l a p C h a n d r a B a r u a , A h o m B u r a n j i , p . 2 9 3 .
 87

The Gosain at once resolved on rebellion. He collected his

disciples, made his son Bangan their leader, entered Namrup and van
given & warm welcome. The Horans and Kacharis became his disciples.
The king's eldest brother joined the rebels on promise of elevation to
the throne; other banished princes followed suit. Bangan assumed the
title of Raja of Namrup. Hen sent by the king to capture Bangan were
taken and put to death. The insurgents advanced to Tipam. The first
engagement with the King's troops took place on the banks of the Dibru
river. For some months the opposing parties stayed in entrenched posi.
tions and there was stalemeht and no progress on either side.

In October 1769, a Horan nemed Ragha, who styled himself

Bar Barua, advanced up the north bank of the Brahmaputra with an insur­
gent force and worsted the royalist troops in several engagements. The
alarmed king called a council of his nobles. The Burha Gohain advised
negotiation of terms with Regha but was over-ruled by the Bar Barua and
2
other nobles who counselled flight to Gauhati. The king left for Gauhati
and reached Sonarinagar; many officers deserted him; Ragha sent men in
hot pursuit and the king was brought back and confined in the temple of
Jayasagar. Of the arristed nobles, a few were put to death and others
kept in confinement. The Bsrjana Gohain who hastened towards the capital
was put to death under Ragha*s orders. Kirti Chandra and his sons were
killed and his wives and daughters distributed amongst the Hoamaria
leaders. Lakshmi Singh in captivity appeared so cringing when Ragha
4
visited him that Ragha thought he had nothing to fear from him.
• Golap Chandra Barua, Ahom Buranji,p. *94.
2; Ibid', p. 30t; Haniram Dewan, IS Buranji Yivekratna(D.B.A.S.No..272),f92A.
3. Kashmath Tamuli Phukan, Assam Buranji, p. 58;Maniram Dewan, 1lvewA-
ratna (D.H.A.S.No. 272tf93b.
4. Golap Chandra Barua, Ahom Buranji, p. 304.
 88

^ The Moamaria Gosain forbade h ie eon Bangan to become the

king an^ Ramakant, a eon of the Moran C hief Nahar van ra ise d to the

throne; two other eons of Nahar were made Rajas of Tipam and Raring

and other leaders of the insurgents were ra ise d to rarion s h ig i o ffic e s

_ ,, _ ir*c u -m b « n t4
of the State and given possession of the houses of the p re v io u s incub-

mente they supplanted, Ragfra remained the Bar Barua and took into hie

harem the wives of the deposed king and the widows of Rajeswar Singh

including the la n ip u ri princess who was taken as w ife by Lakshmi Singh

a ls o . Coins were minted in Ramakant *s name, dated 1769 A .D . Ragha had

d is f s o ^ e d
r e a l power and he/ deposed of a l l important p u b lic busin ess. A l l the

Gosains of Upper Assam were forced to acknowledge the s p ir it u a l supre­

macy of the Moamaria Gosain; large sums of money were extracted from

them. As the people in the in te rio r s t i l l looked upon Lakshmi Singh

and h is o ffic e r s as th e ir r e a l r u le r s , Rsnakant decided to k i l l the

king and a l l the old o f f i c e r s .

The r o y a lis t s determined to overthrow the usurpers; the m ajority

of the insurgents had l e f t fo r home; Ramakant* s supporters present in the

c a p ita l were a small number and in A p r il 1770 on the night before the

Bihu f e s t i v a l , Ragha*s house was surrounded mid he was dragged out and put
3
to death, the f i r s t blow from behind being by the Manipuri p rin c e s*, it

i s s a id . Ramakant*s fath er and re la t iv e s and many o ffic e r s were put to

death.

1. Golap Chandra Barua, Ahom B u ra n ji, p. 3 0 l.

2; Kashinath Tamuli Fhukan, Assam B u ra n ji, p . 58.
3. S.K. Bhuyan, Asamar Padya B u ra n ji, p . 94.
 89

Lakshmi Singh was brought back in triumphs A vigorous perse­

cu tion o f the Moamarias was launched. The Moamaria Gosain was tortu red
and impaled; Bamakant with fo llo w e rs fared no b e t te r . Most o f these
who fle d to Namrup were captured and k i l l e d . These s e v e r it ie s of the
Vendetta led to a fre sh r is in g led by the Chungis o f Namrup. I n i t i a l l y
th e r o y a lis t s met with scant su ccess and the Moamarias advanced; la t e r ,
the Moamarias were defeated by some mounted Manipuri mercenaries on the
bank o f the Desang. The Moamaria r e s is t a n c e , however, was not broken.
They constructed a f o r t in some remote part o f the f o r e s t , which served
as th e ir refuge and r a lly in g p o in t. The Moamarias waited unt|l a su ita b le
opportunity should present i t s e l f fo r renewing th e ir str u g g le , Lakshmi
v
S in gh 's in s t a lla t io n ceremony was now performed with grandeur. Two
con sp ira cies were detected and the con sp ira tors were put to death.

The K a lita Phukan was dism issed fo r com plaints o f exactions

by people o f Narayanpur or at the instance o f the n o b le s ; thereupon he
proceeded to T ooulbari on the north bank o f the L ohit and proclaimed
him self king and assumed the name Mirhang, c o lle c t e d a fo r c e and cons.
tru cted a f o r t at Kechamati. An army was sent against him; he could
4
escape by b rib in g h is captors but was recaptured and executed. In 1779
a Kara o f Khamjang, a refugee from h is own country and s e t t le d near 8adiya,
headed a lo c a l r e b e llio n at the head o f a body o f Chutiyas and Mishmis
and k ille d the Sadiya Khowa Gohain, but retrea ted on the a r r iv a l o f
re-in forcem en ts from Hangpur. His fo llo w e rs took refuge in a f o r e s t , but
5
were tainted down and many o f them were captured and punished.

We k»e£>« d u u / o u i
4. I b id , pp. 84 -87 .
5. G a it, H istory ©f Assam, p . 193.
 90

Never a strong p r in c e , the Moamaria r is in g shattered

Lakshmi S in gh 's n erves. The Deodhais tr ie d to regain th e ir former
1 CISC YM b e d
in flu e n c e ,/ the m isfortunes to the adoption o f Hindu b e lie f s and
p r a c tic e s and abandonment o f the old t r i b a l p ra ctic e s and observances,
and m iscarriage o f p r o je c ts t o sta rtin g them on days s e le cte d by
Ganaks as a u sp icio u s, but inauspicious according t o ihom a s tr o lo g e r s '

c a lc u la tio n s . To undo the m isch ief resu ltin g ' from the cremation o f

Rajeswar S in gh 's body, they made an e f f i g y o f him in c la y and having

performed the Rikkhvan ceremony fo r the restora tion o f l i f e and o ffe r e d
s a c r if i c e s to the Gods, in terred i t with the usual r i t e s . Though fo r
sometime Lakshmi Singh became favou rably disposed to the Deodhais, the
Hindus soon regained th e ir in flu e n ce ; at the suggestion o f the Na Gosain,
the Goddess Tara was worshipped with g re a t ceremony and inmense^money
was d istrib u te d to Brahmans; the Deodhais refused p a r tic ip a tio n .

Several Hindu temples and the g rea t Rudra Sager tank were made.
He demolished one o f the towers o f h is p alace and a l o f t y b u ild in g known
as the Talatulgarh to find m aterials fo r a bridge over the Dikhu r iv e r
which was not b u i l t . The king made h is e ld e s t son J u b ra j. He su ffered
from chronic dysentery and died in December, 1780. His body was cremated
and the ashes were entombed at Charaideo a fte r a fu neral ceremony per­
formed according to Hindu r i t e s .

1. MS. Astern Bur anj i ( D.H.A.S.No. 3 8 ) , f4 a , 4 b .

2. Golan Chandra Barua, Ahom Buranji, pp. 3 2 5 - f f ,
3. I b id , p . 327.
 S ection 4
THE DECAY AND FALL OF THE AHOM KINGDOM-

Gaurinath Singh ( 1780-1795 ) : The nobles placed Gaurinath

Singh on the throne and he was in s t a lle d with the usual ceremonies.
He caused the other princes o f the bloed to be m utilated to d is q u a lify
them f o r su ccession . The Bar Barua was chosen by him as h is Chief
adviser and at h is in s tig a tio n the Bar Gohain and several of h ie near
r e la tiv e s were beheaded on the a lle g a tio n that the Bar Gohain was against
Gaurinath S in g h 's a c c e ssio n . The Bar Barua himBelf offended the king
by tran sa ctin g a ffa ir s without con su ltin g him and was dism issed and
deprived o f h is p ossession s.

Gaurinath became the d is c ip le o f a son o f Bmananda Acharya.

A b it t e r enemy o f the Moamarias, he l o s t no opportunity o f oppressing
them and goaded them in to a fresh r e b e llio n . One n igh t in A p r il, 1782
a band o f Moamarias attached themselves to the k in g 's p a rty , d isg u isin g
themselves as to r c h .b e a r e r s , when the king was returning t o Garhgaon
a fte r a fis h in g exp ed ition and thus gain in g admittance to the town,
attacked and k ille d several of the k in g 's attendants. The king could
escape to the palace on an elephant. The insurgents who wanted to s e t
f i r e to the town were driven away by the Burha Gohain who arrived with
2
s o ld ie r s in tim e. The insurgents next marched to Bangpur, broke open
the gates o f the town, paraded the s t r e e t s , k ille d whomsoever they met
and s e t f i r e to houses jn d put lo c a l o f f i c e r s to f l i g h t . The Burha Gohain
came and dispersed them.
1 7 g a i t '/ His t o r y o T B lM i7 p 7 m ------------ “ ---------------------------
2 . 8.K , Bhuyan, Tungkhungia B u ra n ji, pp. 91- f f .
3 . I b id , pp. 9 3 - f i .
 92

The en ergetic end capable Burha Goh&in advised c o n c ilia t o r y

methods f o r winning over the malcontents and had h is advice been fo llo w e d ,
the Moamarias perhaps would not have given fu rth er tr o u b le . The new

Bar Barua advised w h ole-sale exterm ination of the Moamarias, which

commended i t s e l f to the cru el and v in d ic tiv e nature o f the king, A
general massacre o f the Moamarias was proclaim ed; many thousands in­
clu d in g women and ch ild ren were put t o death; four sons o f the^deposed
Bar Barua were blinded fo r having been cognisant o f the r is i n g . These
a t r o c it ie s fanned the flames o f d is a f f e c t io n , A Mahanta o f the Jakhda-
bandha Gosain’ s fam ily hatched a con spiracy at Jayasagar and was caught
and blinded while th ree of h is fo llo w e rs were f r i e d to death in o i l .
The Morans under Badal Gaonburha re b e lle d in the extreme east but were
M

d isp ersed . In 1786 there was a more seriou s r e v o lt of the Moamarias

on the north bank of the L oh it. In exp ed ition against them was cut up;
3
fr e s h troops sent were a lso defeated near the Uaraimari b i l .

The C hiefs o f Rani, Luki and B e lto la on being asked, sent up

a fo r c e to Pahamara in the M a ju li. The Moamarias attacked and took the
4
Goramur S a ttra and put the Gauhati le v ie s to f l i g h t with heavy l o s t .
The Burha Gohain entrenched at Sonari was attacked and defeated and re tre a t
-te d to Gaurisagar and re jo in e d the king at Rangpur. The Moamarias
advanced, la y in g waste the country and burning the v illa g e s along th e ir
lin e o f march and made th e ir headquarters at Bhatiapur. They fa i l e d to
take Rangpur. Gaurinath made fr a n t ic appeals f o r help from the Manipuri,
Kachari and J a in tia Rajas and the Bar Phukan at Gauhati. The Moamarias
by bearing down a l l resista n ce appeared b efore the gates o f Rangpur.
• S .X . Bhuyan, Tungkhungia B u ran ji, p . 95.
2. G a it, H istory o f Assam; p. 196.
3. S.K. Bhuyan. Tungkhungia B u ra n ji, pp. 99-101.
4. I b id , pp. 1 0 1 - f f .
5. S.K. Bhuyan, Asamar Padya B u ra n ji, pp. 1 0 3 - f f .
 93

The king, panic-striken, fled to Gauhati, accompained by

most of his officers. The Burha Gohain with the Bar Barua and a few
others courageously stayed back to stem the tiie of rebellion. The
king despatched from Gauhati under the Pani Phukan thirteen thousand
men to reinforce the Burha Gohain. Meantime the Moamarias beat the
royalists and took possession of Garhgaon, burnt down the palace and
destroyed many neighbouring villages; the unprotected common people
began to throw in their lot with the rebels?

The Pani Phukan with reinforcements met the Burha Gohain who
had retreated an far as the K&ziranga river. The Burha Gohain now
asaumed the offensive. But a force under the Pani Phukan was cut up
in a night attack and a force under the Dhekial Phukan dispersed in
confusion mistaking fugitives for Moamarias. The Burha Gohain wanted
now tg prevent a further advance by the rebels and built a ling of
forts along the Namdang river and held them till March, 1788 when a
son of Baja Rajeswar Singh, the Patkuar with a force joined him. The
Moamarias suffering from shortage of supplies having relaxed, the
Patkuar occupied Sibsagar but was soon taken prisoner and put to death
by the Moamarias.

In February 1789 the Burha Gohain advanced with success, aided

by fresh reinforcements from Gauhati but was driven back to Gauri Sagar
and closely invested there, he had terrible time; provisions running
short, troops subsisting on flesh of horses and elephants and many
1. Kashinath i'onuii Phukan, Assam Buranji, p. 60
2. Gait, History of Assam, p. 197..
3. Golap Chandra Barua, Ahom Buranji, p. 353.
 94

1
dying of starvation and dysentery. The Burha Gohain retreated to

T a ra ta li and then to the Besoi where he erected a f o r t and l e f t i t

under the conmand of Japara Gohain who took the opportunity of

d ec larin g him self independent but was imprisoned and blin ded .

In A p r il, 1790 the Burha Gohain constructed a f o r t i f i e d

p o sitio n at Jorhat and placed an outpost at Belong*, with the aid of

four hundred Bengal mercenaries sent up by Gaurinath, the Burha Gohain

made a f o r t at Teok. On the approach of the ra in s he again f e l l back

2
behind the Desoi r i v e r . The Ifosmarias were re p e lle d with heavy lo s s

in an attack on a fo r t near the Bar A l i on the rig h t bank of the Desoi

and disheartened, they now started g u e r i l l a t a c t ic s , h arassin g the

inhabitants of the txact held by the Burha Gohain by constant night

ra id s and plunder.

The people lo s t heart and would have accepted the Moamaria

supremacy but fo r the u n tirin g e ff o r t s of the Burha Gohain who gave

them food ^nd clo th in g and punished them severely f o r disobedience or

d is lo y a lt y . The su ffe rin g s of the people liv in g in the t e r r it o r y held

by the Moamarias were g rea te r - there burning of v illa g e s , lo o tin g of

4
supplies and wanton destruction of crops led to a t e r r i b l e famine;

r ic e was unobtainable, many abandoned th e ir own ch ild ren ; even the high

castes were reduced to eating the fle s h of cows, b u ffa lo e s , dogs and

ja c k a ls; sane wandered in the ju n gle , su b sistin g on w ild f r u i t s and

ro o ts; others fle d to the Burha Gohain*s tra c t or the neighbouring

h i l l s or to Bengal*
If S.K . Bhuyan, ^ungkhungia Buran j i , p. 116 .
2. I b id , pp. 1 1 8 -ff.
3. I b id , p. 119.
4. Ib id .
 95

Numerous petty Rajas appeared on the scene; on the north

bank of the Lohit, at Japaribhita, a weaver set up by the Moamarias,
east of Dihing at Bengmara, one Sarbanand, acknowledged by the Morans,
at Sadiya a Raja and Deka R|ija of the Khamtis, and in the Majuli one
Howha, exercising authority. The Moamarias placed Bharat Singfc on the
throne at Rangpur. Bharat Singh and Sarbanand opened mints; their coins
, j are still extantj-of the former dated 1791, 1792, 1793, 1795 and 1797
and of the latter dated 1794 and 1795, the formar describing himself
on his coins as a descendant of Bhagadatta and the latter using the
Ahom title Svargadeb on his.

Gaurinath appealed for help to the kings of the neighbouring

States. The Kachari and Jaintia Rajas refused assistance to their once
dreaded neighbour, now in difficulties. The Manipuri Raja; grateful
for the services rendered him by Rajeswar Singh a few years ago came to
Nowgong with five hundred horse and four thousand foot and as desired
by Gaurinath, marched to the Burha Gohain* s assistance. The Manipuri
Raja moved towards Rangpur, but Moanarias gave battle and put his troops
to flight with many killed. The Raja hastened back to Manipur, leaving
with the Burha Gohain a thousand men who also deserted on the approach
2
of the Moamarias. The Burha Gohain still managed to hold his own and
in 1792 advanced his line of defence to the Ladaigarh.

1. S.K. Bhuyan, Tungkhungia Buranji, p. 120.

2. Ibid, pp» 127-ff.
 96

Gaurinath's fo llo w e rs exasperated the people o f Nowgong by

exactions o f su p plies and oppression and led them to an open r e v o lt
under Sindhura Hazsrika. The king was attacked and f l e d ; took sh e lte r
in the S attras o f the Auniati and Dakhinpat Gosains fo r some time and
then cane to Gauhati. Gaurinath had treach erou sly seized and put to
death Hangsa Narayan, the trib u ta ry Baja o f Darrang on su sp icion of
s e d itio n and set up in h is p la ce Bishnu Narayan, another member o f the
fa m ily , ignoring the claim s of Krishna Narayan, son of Hangsa Narayan.
Krishna Narayan sought fehe help of the B r itis h through S r . Douglas, the
Commissioner of Koch Bihar fo r reinstatem ent but i$ vain. He then
c o lle c t e d a fo r c e o f Hindustanis and B en galis, drove Bishnu Narayan and
proclaimed him self Raja o f Darrang; fin d in g no op p osition he proceeded
to annex the northern part o f Kamrup and even took p ossession of North
Gauhati.
Gaurinath appealed to the c o lle c t o r o f Rangpur, Mr. Lumsden
f o r h e lp . A merchant named Mr. Ransh, the farmer o f the s a lt revenue
. at Goalpara also wrote f o r him. The matter was referred to Lord
X - - 2
C orn w allis, the Governor G eneral. Lord Cornwallis thought that steps
should be taken to re sto r e ord er, as binds o f marauders from B rititfi
t e r r it o r y had created tr o u b le s . Leaders o f these gangs were ordered to
return; they refused to do s o ; i t was; th e r e fo r e , decided to expel them
by f o r c e . In September, 1792 s ix companies o f s ix t y sepoys each were
sent to Goalpara under the command o f Captain Welsh, with Lieutenant
Macgregor as Adjutant and Ensign Wood as Surveyor.

1* G a it, H istory o f Assam, pp. 2 0 0 -ff.

2, S.K . Bhuyan, Tungkhungia B u ran ji, p . 131; Asamar Padya B uranji,
p . 110.
 97

T h e m od ern d i s t r i c t o f G o a lp a r a becam e a B r i t i s h p o s s e s s i o n

in 1 7 6 5 when t h e w h o le o f t h e Muhammadan p o s s e s s i o n s i n B e n g a l w e re

ceded t o t h e E a s t I n d i a C om pany. T h e tow n o f G o a lp a r a was t h e g r e a t

em poriu m o f t r a d e w it h A ssam .

C a p t a in W e ls h r e a c h e d G o a lp a r a on 8 t h N o v e m b e r, 1 7 9 2 . He

o b ta in e d d e t a il e d in fo m a tio n fr o m M r. B aush and t h e f u g i t i v e R a j a ,

B is h n u N a r a y s n ; and b e i n g c o n v i n c e d t h a t p ro m p t m e a s u r e s w ere n e c e s s a r y ,

d e c id e d a t on ce t o p ro c e e d t o t h e Ahom R a ja * s r e l i e f . On 1 6 t h N ov em b er,

h e s t a r t e d up t h e r iv e r ^ t o w a r d s G a u h a t i. T h ree days l a t e r , th r e e m ile s

b e lo w t h e N a g a r b e r a h i l l , a fe w c a n o e s w e re s i g h t e d , c a r r y i n g G a u r in a t h

and h i s a t t e n d a n t s . A m ob o f Dams o r f is h e r m e n fr o m P a k a r i g u r i u n d e r

a B a i r a g i had r a i d e d and s e t f i r e to som e h o u s e s n e a r t h e k i n g ’ s r e s i ­

d e n c e ; and t h e k i n g and h i s a d v i s e r s , a l r e a d y much u n n e r v e d and d e ­

m o r a l i s e d , w e re s e i s e d w i t h f r a n t i c t e r r o r and f l e d p r e c i p i t a t e l y w it h -
M

ou t th e s l i g h t e s t r e s is t a n c e .

T h e a d v a n ce was c o n t i n u e d b y C a p t a in W e ls h a c c o m p a in e d b y

G a u r in a t h and t h e B a r B a r u a and a l s o t h e t r i b u t a r y C h i e f o f R a n i who

had j o i n e d t h e p a r t y a t H a t im o r a ; and a p o i n t e i g h t m i l e s fr o m G a u h a ti

was r e a c h e d . L e a v in g a com p an y in c h a r g e o f t h e b o a t s and t h e R a j a ,

t h e r e m a in in g f i v e c o m p a n ie s u n d e r C a p t a in W elsh made a n i g h t m a rc h t o

G a u h a ti. N ea r t h e g a t e w a y , men w it h t o r c h e s w en t o u t on h e a r i n g f o o t ­

s t e p s b u t on s e e in g S epoys, fle d aw ay. The tr o o p s c r o s s e d t h e w ood en

b r i d g e t h a t t h e n s p a n n e d t h e B h a r a lu r i v e r and s u r p r i s e d and o v e r ­

pow ered th e o ccu p a n ts o f th e B a ir a g i* s h o u s e . S i x t y p e r s o n s w ere t a k e n

p r is o n e r s . T h e r e was n o r e s i s t a n c e . T he R a ja t h e r e a f t e r a r r i v e d and

e n t e r e d t h e tow n i n g r e a t s t a t e . He w as g i v e n a gu ard o f S ep oy s.
IT ' S 'X ..B h u y a n ,'T Tmgkhuh g i a B u r a n j i , p '. 1 3 TI
2. Ib id , p . 130.
3. G a i t , H i s t o r y o f A ssa m , p . 2 0 3 .
 98

N egotiations were sta rted with Krishna Narayan end the

leaders o f h is mercenaries or 'barkandazes*. But the response though
r e s p e c tfu l was evasive and the mercenaries showed no in ten tion of

leavin g fo r hdme. Krishna Narayan was c a lle d upon to come to Gauhati.

Gaurinath now fin d in g that he could no longer stand alone and unaided,
sought B r it is h asaistance against the Moamarias a lso and placed him self
unreservedly in the hands of the B r it is h . His p e t it io n was referred to
the Governor General and was reconmended by Captain lielsh who asked
f o r two more b a tta lio n s , a couple o f six-pounders and s u f f ic ie n t trans­
port c a t t l e , which could not be procured in Assam in case he was to
brin g the Moamarias a lso to subm ission.

Lord Cornwallis h ig h ly commended Captain Welsh fo r h is conduct

o f the expedition and wished that the R aja should p a c ify h is su b jects
by c o n c ilia t o r y measures and that Krishna Narayan migjit be induced to
submit by r e sto r a tio n of h is a n cestra l r ig h t s . Captain Welsh was
convinced that Krishna Narayan was t r i f l i n g with him; so he crossed the 1
Brahmaputra and landed with two hundred and eigh ty men near a small
h i l l with a temple on i t , probably Asvakranta* on and around which
Krishna Narayan*s tro o p s, three thousand stron g, were posted ; they
could not withstand the steady d is c ip lin e and superior arms o f the .
Sepoys and f l e d w ith the lo s s o f several k i l l e d , wounded and p rison ers;
fo r t y cannon mounted on the h i l l were taken. Krishna Narayan r a llie d
h is men and coinnenced ravaging the t r a c t east o f the Bar Nadi (now the
Mangaldai S u b -d iv is io n ). Lieutenant Williams was sen t; he engaged 500
•Barkandazes* at Khatikuchi end worsted them; a hundred were k ille d or
wounded and the r e s t f l e d a cross the Bhutan f r o n t ie r , which at th is time
extended in to the p la in s as fa r as the Gosain Kanala A l i .
1. G a it, H istory of Assam, pp. 2 0 4 -ff.
 9 9

G a u r i n a t h d i d n o t c o n c i l i a t e h i s e n e m i e s b y a c t s o f c l e m e n c y

b e c a u s e o f h i s v i n d i c t i v e n a t u r e a n d a l s o o f t h e e v i l a d v i c e t e n d e r e d

b y t h e B a r B a r u a a n d o t h e r a i n i B t e r s . S i n c e h i s r e t u r n t o G a u h a t i 1 1 3

p e r s o n s w e r e m u r d e r e d i n c l u d i n g 2 4 f o r w h o s e g o o d t r e a t m e n t l e l s h h i m .

s e l f h a d g i v e n o r d e r s . S e v e n t y w e r e i n p r i s o n d y i n g o f s t a r v a t i o n .

S t r o n g m e a s u r e s w e r e t a k e n b y W B l s h t o s t o p t h e s e a t r o c i t i e s ; t h e B a r

B a r u a a n d S o l a d h a r a P h u k a n w e r e a r r e s t e d ; t h e B a r P h u k a n * s d i s m i s s a l

w a s d e m a n d e d ; t h e k i n g w a s r e b u k e d . T h e k i n g w a s n o t r e p e n t a n t ; h e a c c e p t e d

r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r t h e b r u t a l i t i e s a n d d e c l a r e d t h a t h e w o u l d r a t h e r

a b d i c a t e t h a n f o r g o t h e p o w e r o f k i l l i n g a n d m u t i l a t i n g h i s s u b j e c t s

a t w i l l .

A n e w B a r P h u k a n w a s a p p o i n t e d . T w o m a n i f e s t o e s w e r e i s s u e d ,

o n e p r o m i s i n g r i i g h t e o u s a d t a i n i s t r a t i o n o f j u s t i c e a n d r e d r e s s o f g r i e ­

v a n c e s a f t e r h e a r i n g o f c o m p l a i n t s o n a p p o i n t e d d a y s a n d t h e o t h e r

i n v i t i n g t h e C h i e f s a n d n o b l e s t o c o m e t o G a u h a t i f o r c o n s u l t a t i o n s a n d

f o r c o n c e r t i n g m e a s u r e s f o r a m e l i o r a t i n g t h e c o n d i t i o n o f t h e c o u n t r y .

G a u r i n a t h s i g n e d a n a g r e e m e n t c o n s e n t i n g t o t h e d i s m i s s a l o f t h e B a r

B a r u a a n d o t h e r o f f i c e r s p r o v e d g u i l t y o f t r e a c h e r y a n d o p p r e s s i o n , t h e

p r o c l a m a t i o n o f a g e n e r a l a m n e s t y , t h e a b o l i t i o n o f a l l p u n i s h m e n t s

e x t e n d i n g t o d e a t h o r m u t i l a t i o n e x c e p t a f t e r a r e g u l a r t r i a l a n d c o n v o ­

c a t i o n o f a l l t h e C h i e f s a n d n o b l e s a t G a u h a t i f o r f r a m i n g m e a s u r e s f o r

r e - e s t a b l i s h i n g k i n g ' s a u t h o r i t y a n d g o o d g o v e r n m e n t o f t h e c o u n t r y .

T h e B e n g a l m e r c e n a r i e s i n G a u r i n a t h ' s e m p l o y w e r e f o u n d o p p r e s s i n g t h e

p e o p l e a n d c a r r y i n g i n f o r m a t i o n o f W e l s h ' s m o v e m e n t s t o t h e B a r r a n g

B a j a ' s c a m p a n d w e r e d e p o r t e d t o B a n g p u r .

1 . S . K . B h u y a n , T u n g k h u n g i a B u r a n j i , p . 1 3 1 .
 100

Krishna Narayan was induced to march in to Gfauhati with h is

remaining 400 m ercenaries, who were sent o f f t o Eangpur under e sco rt
on payment o f arrears o f pay amounting to s ix thousand rupees, Krishna
Narayan took customary oath o f a lle g ia n c e and was in s t a lle d as B aja o f
Darrang. He refunded 6,0 00 rupees paid t o h is m ercenaries, agreed t o
pay an annual tr ib u te of f i f t y e ig h t thousand rupees in lie u of the
feu dal o b lig a tio n to supply s o ld ie r s and labourers and became a land­
h o ld e r, r e a lly speaking, the p o l i t i c a l and ad m in istrative c o n tr o l vestin g
in the Bar Phukan. Of f i f t y eigh t thousand, th ree thousand rupees was
in lie u o f customs duty between Darrang and Bhutan. Krishna Narayan*s
1
mercenaries who had f l e d to Bhutan, reappeared but were dispersed e a s ily .
The task o f r e sto rin g confidence and co n solid a tin g the B a ja 's p o s itio n
proved d i f f i c u l t . The dism issed Bar Barua and Soladhara Phukan were
in trig u in g and causing m isch ief and were deported to Bangpur. Now the
three g re a t Gosains and many o f f i c i a l s and ftiuftdatory C h iefs s ig n ifie d
th e ir adherence to Captain Welsh.

Lieutenant MacGregor was sent to K oliabar and su p plies were

sent up to make K oliabar the base of operations against the Moamarias.
The p a c ific a t io n o f Novgong was e ffe c t e d ; the B a n d itti that in fe s te d
the r iv e r and interrupted communications between Ganhati and Go&lpara
were suppressed. Vith g rea t d i f f i c u l t y could Gaurinath be persuaded to
leave Gauhati, such was h is mental torp or and p h ysica l leth argy due to
ex cessive consumption o f opiumi He had doubts whether Telsh with h is
sm all f o r c e could withstand and overcome the Moamaria h o s t.

1. G a it, H istory o f Assam, p . 207.

 id

In 1794 the whole expedition advanced to Koliabar. Here

Gaurinath complained of hie bad ministers and officers with whom he
had neither ability nor inclination to transact business and asked
Welsh therefore to concert the necessary measures with them* Gaurinath
also wrote to the Governor General to permit Captain Welsh to use the
troops under his coomand in any manner he thoight fit to restore order
and undertook to pay 3 lakhs of rupees annually for their maintenance,
half to be collected by the Bar Phukan from the districts under his
control and the other half by the Bar Barua from the rest of the Ahom
«A»

dominions. In consultation with the Bar Gohain, the Bar Patra Gohain
and the Bolal Gohain, Captain Welsh appointed the Panisilia Gohain to
be Bar Barua; the two princes who had escaped the general sentence of
mutilation passed by Ganrinath on the royal family on his accession
were made Baring Baja and Tipam Baja respectively. A letter was des­
patched to the Moamaria Chiefs to settle their differences with the Baja.

Lieutenant MacGregor went ahead and paid a three days* visit

to Jorhat to interview the Burha Gohain who was still maintaining his
unequal struggle against insurgents. After his return to Debargaon, he
got an urgent appeal for help from Burha Gohain who was being approached
by very large numbers of Moamarias. A Subadar and twenty men, out of
MacGregor's total of forty six, were homediately sent to Jorhat; leaving
a naik and eight sepoys to guard the boats and accompained by Ensign
Wood, a havildar and fourteen men, he also followed and reached Jorhat
pushing through jungle and avoiding Moamarias.

1. Gait, History of Assam, p. 206.

 102

The Moamarias had also advanced quite close to Jorhat and

tvo thousand of them attacked the two officers at the head of the
small party of twenty men under the Subedar. The sepoys behaved with
great coolness and inflicted such heavy losaes that they were soon in
full retreat, MacGregor's loss was only four wounded whereas Moamarias*
about eighty killed and wounded. Captain Welsh got information and set
out with his troops from Koliabar via Debargaon. He reached a place
about twelve miles from Bangpur and was furiously attacked by a large
number of Moamarias armed with matchlocks, spears, and bows; but the
assailants were beaten off with heavy loss and their leader himself was
seriously wounded. Captain Welsh who had taken up a strong position
on a brick bridge over £he Nadang river about five miles from Bangpur,
now hastened to Rangpur which had just been evacuated by the enemy who
had left behind them in a great hurry large quantities of grain, cattle
and treasure. The booty was sold and the sale proceeds, fe. 1,17,334
M

were distributed amongst troops as prise money with Gaurinath'a approval.

Ob Gaurinath's arrival at Bangpur on 21st March, 1794 Captain

Welsh held a grand Durbar and in the presence of the nobles enquired of
the Raja if the help of the British troops could now be dispensed with.
The Raja and his ministers were unanimous that if these forces were
withdrawn, the country would again relapse into anarchy. Welsh induced
the Baja to write to the rebels promising them pardon if they would come
in for a peaceful settlement, but there was no response. He despatched
three companies to attack the Moamarias headquarters at Bagmsra near
Rangpur but in the meantime, orders were received from the government
prohibiting further offensive operations and so the expedition had to be
recallad.___________________________ __________ .
1. S.K. Bhuyan, laamar PadyaBuranji, p. Ill; Tungkhungia Buranji,p.133.
Gait, History of tawm, pp. 210-ff.
 103

S ir John Shore succeeded Lord C ornw allis and n on -in terferen ce

was the keynote o f the p o lic y o f the new adm in istration . Captain Welsh,
a good organiser and a bold and determined lea d er, displayed consunmate
ta c t and sin gu lar adm inistrative a b i l i t y and succeeded admirably in
h is ta sk . Gaurinath had several times w ritten t o Government expressing
h is ap p reciation o f h is se rv ice s and prayipg that he might be perm itted
to sta y on f o r some time lo n g e r. Captain Welsh h im self reported that
i f the detachment were withdrawn, "co n fu sio n , d evastation and^massacre
would ensue." But a l l these represen tation s were o f no a v a il.

The Moamarias now emboldened by the withdrawal o f the troops

sent against them advanced and plundered gran aries w ithin the environs
o f Bangpur. Welsh determined to d isp erse them, marched against them and
drove them from th eir encampment; they retrea ted but continued g u e r illa
ta c tic s . V slsh with a l l a v a ila b le troops crossed the Dikhu and was
attacked by a Hoamaria fo r c e o f four thousand men using bows and arrows
and guns but th e ir courage oosed away and they broke and fle d with heavy
lo s s as WblshJjtroops continued to advance. D espite e n tre a tie s from the
Raja and p e titio n s from various p e o p le , urging him to sta y on , Captain
Welsh had to leave Rangpur on h is return voyage in accordance with the
Governor G en eral's im perative orders; and on 3rd J u ly , 1794 the expedi­
tio n reached B r it is h t e r r it o r y .

1. G a it, H istory o f Assam, pp. 2 1 1 -ff.

2. S.K. Bhuyan, Tun^chungia B u ran ji, p . 1 3 3 - f f .
 104

Granrinath despairing of h old in g Rangpur l e f t w ith h is c h ie fs

nobles fo r Jorhat which now became the c a p it a l . The ga rrison a t Rangpur
a lso fle d to Jorhat and Rangpur f e l l in to the hands of the Moamariaa.
411 o f f i c e r s and others who had been favoured or p rotected by Captain
Welsh now became the victim s o f G aurinath's v in d ic tiv e wrath. The Bar
Barua was d isp ossessed and dism issed. The Bar Phukan accused o f d is ­
lo y a lt y was barbarously murdered; the S o la l Gohain had the same f a t e .
The B airagi under whom Gsuhati had bean attacked was beheaded; a l l
persons o f Hoamaria persuasion w ithin the k in g 's tr a c ts were hunted down,
robbed and tortu red to death and the b r u t a lit ie s were so a p p a llin g that
many conedtted su ic id e to avoid a rrest by the p e rse cu to rs. Captain
W elsh 's gloomy fo re c a s ts came true q u ick ly .

The g re a te st confusion ensued; the ce n tra l Government lo s t

c o n tr o l over ou tly in g p ro v in ce s. I t Grauhati a Bengali mercenary Hajara
Singh usurped power, sold the o f f i c e o f Bar Phukan to one candidate fo r
ten thousand rupees and then supplanting him sold i t to another who
promised s ix t y thousand rupees and ra ised the amount by d e sp o ilin g the
Kamakhya, Hajo and other temples of th e ir g o ld and s ilv e r u t e n s ils .
Hajara Singh could u ltim a tely be defeated and k i l l e d .

In Upper As asm the Burha Gohain created a standing army modelled

on that maintained by the East In d ia Company and re cr u ite d from those who
served with c r e d it in the Burha G ohain's operations against the Moamarias.
They were g iv en uniform , armed with f l i n t - l o c k guns purchased in C a lcu tta ,
d r i l le d and d is c ip lin e d by two of Captain Welsh' s n a tive o f f i c e r s who had
been h e a v ily bribed to sta y on in Assam. Aided by th is f o r c e , the K ing's

1. S.K. Bhuyan, Tungkhungia B u ran ji, p . 136.

 105

o f f i c e r s began to be able to deal w ith the insurgents b o ld ly and

fir m ly and but fo r the in terv en tion of the Burmest, the dow nfall of
the Ahom dynasty might have been prevented or con sid era b ly delayed.
P rev iou sly f l i n t guns were not in use in Assam. There was a p le n t ifu l
supply o f m atch -lock s. Captain Welsh found twenty thousand m atch-lock
guns at Gauhati but the o f f i c i a l s had so^neglected th e ir d u ties that
"th e re were few who knew how to use then#!

About s ix ty years p rev iou sly the Khamtis had descended from
the h i l l s t o the east and s e tt le d on the bank of the Tengapani with the
perm ission of the Ahom B aja. In 1794 they took Sadiya, defeated the
Baja s e t up by some Dorns o f the Xoamaria s e c t and reduced the lo c a l
Assamese to sla v e r y . The Khamti C hief made h im self the Sadiya Khowa
Crohain. The Ahcms lo s t c o n tro l over Sadiya.

Gaurinath was the most incompetent of a l l the Ahom K ings.

According to Captain Welsh, he was * a poor d e b ilita te d man, incapable
of tran sa ctin g b u sin ess, always e ith e r washing or p rayin g, and when
seen, in to x ica te d with opiuaU’ He was v in d ic tiv e and h is treatment o f
the Hoamarias and other enemies was c r u e l, but the stimulus o f hatred
or revenge was not always needed; he would freq u en tly p erpetrate the
g ro s s e s t b a rb a ritie s m erely fo r the s a d is t ic pleasure that he found in
i n f l i c t i n g su ffe rin g s on o th e r s . He had a body of executioners ready
to ca rry out h is sanguinary ord e rs. One of h is servants having in ­
ad verten tly answered a question meant fo r another, h is ey eb a lls were
extracted and h is ears and nose were cut o f f .

1 . S a it , H istory o f Assam, p . 2 i4 .
2 . I b id , p . 215.
 106

Gaurinath neglected his k in gly duties and l e f t these to his

intslgwing and corrupt favou rites who, according to Captain Welsh, were
• a set o f v illa in s , a l l drawing d iffe r e n t ways," The exeesawof the
king and his parasites coupled with the physical and moral d eterio ra tio n
of the people were responsible fo r the ignominious overthrow of his
government by the Mayamara reb els. The sign al success of Captain Welsh's
small fo rc e c le a r ly shews what contemptible foes the leamarias were.
I t is unthinkable that the thorns would have been unable to rep e l the
Moamaria re b e ls , had they presented a united fr o n t, undistraoted by
*

jealousy and mutual m istrust and unalienated by the excesauof th e ir

monarch and o f his scheming m in isters. The people had h ith e rto enjoyed
a f a i r measure o f happiness and p rosp erity but during his reign they
were plunged in to the depths o f misery and despair.

Where the lloamarias held sway, whole v illa g e s were destroyed,

inhabitants were robbed o f th e ir possessions, foroed to f l e e the country
or subsist on the fle s h o f unclean animals or w ild fr u it s and ro o ts.
Gaurinath in his le t t e r to S ir John Shore said that the Moamarias had
1
destroyed * Cows, Brahmans, Women and Childrefi" to the extent o f one
hundred thousand liv e s . The country between Dergaon and Rangpur, once
so h igh ly c u ltiv a te d , was d esolate, with many la rge v i l l ^ e s e n tir e ly
deserted. In lower Asaw the Bengal mercenaries and gangs o f marauding
b an d itti caused havoc. Where Ganrinath held power, b a rb a rities and perse-
-cutions ran rampant against a l l persons belonging to the Moamaria
communion. Captain Welsh*s reports contain in te re s tin g information

1, S a it, H istory of Assam, p. 216, footn ote.

 107

regarding the condition of the country towards the close of the

eighteenth century. In December, 1794 Ganrinath Singh died. The Burha
Gohain under a pretence got the Bar Barua, his most powerful rival,
arrested and put to death and raised a descendant of Gadadhar Singh,
Kinaram, to the throne, saying that he had bean nominated by Gaurinath
Singh himself.

Kamaleewar Singh ( 1795.1310 ) : Kinaram on ascending the

throne took the Hindu nose Kamalesmar Singh. He left the government of
the country in the hands of the Burha Gohain who was by for the most
energetic and capable noble in the country. In the previous reign the
Burha Gohain had steadfastly set himself to resist the Komaris rebels.
Now he made a clean sweep of the officials opposed to him and devoted
his energies to the restoration of order in the country. The system
introduced in the last reign of having a disciplined body of soldiers
was continued and extended and to provide funds for its maintenance, the
Adhikars or spiritual heads of Sattras were called upon to make contribu­
tions amounting upto four thousand rupees according to their means.

Two brothers named Har Datta and Bir Datia aided by the Rajas
of Koch Bihar and Bijni raised a band of Kacharis and Punjabi and Hindus­
tani refugees and declared themselves independent, Nick-named DumdumiysB*
the rebels took North Kamrup and a part of the South Bank also according
to seme and killed Hr. Ravish of Goalpara who ms on a trading mission t©
Darrang and plundered his boatB. The Bar Phukan raised a force of Hindus­
tanis and with these and local levies obtained from the Rajas of Beltolaa**
1. S.K, fehuyan, Tungkhungia luranji, p. 1.43.
 108

Dimarua attacked and defeated the rebels and killed Har Datta and
Bir Datta who had by their arrogant and overbearing conduct Alienated
1
the sympathies of the local people of the better class,

A mixed body of Daflas and Moamarias also revolted on the

north bank of the Brahmaputra. The newly raised army of regulars
defeated them with many killed and captured. Those captured were beheaded
2
and their heads were stuck up on stakes as a warning. The Burha Goh&in
was engaged in restoring order in the south bank and in renovating the
town of Bangpur danmged during the long civil Var. lhen he was free
he crossed to Tespur and reduced the Daflas to submission. He proceeded
to Goramur, defeated rebel bands and put to death their leaders including
3
Phophai Senapati. Next he subdued Moamaria rebels at Kherketia Buti and
Singaluguri and their Mahanta Pitcmbar was eaptured and put to death. A
large booty was taken; prisoners were deported to Khutiapota. In 1799
the Moamarias under Bharat Singh Raja rose at Bengnara. An expedition
4
was sent and they were put to flight and their leader was shot in action.

The Khamtis were defeated in 1800 with many killed including

their Burha Raja. The prisoners were taken to Bangpur and settled on the
Desoi river north of Jorhat and at Titabar. In this battle the Khamtis
were aided by other Shan tribes, Naras and Phakials and also by the Abors.
Previously the Khamtis had been defeated by the Abors for having kidnaped
some Miris owning allegiance to the Abors.

In recognition of hie services, the Bar Phukan was awarded the

H* a

title of Pratap Ballahh. Kashinath Tamuli Phukan,AsBan Burargi ,p.62;

SJC. Bhuyan, Tungkhungia Buranji, p. 141.
OiipbCrtfO
• a • # •

8.K. Bhuyan, Tungkhungia Buranji, pp. 142-ff.

Ibid, p» 146 •
Ibid, p. 147, 150-ff.
Grait, History of Assam, p. 220.
 109

The Burha Gohain induced the fu g it iv e c u ltiv a to r s to r e t u r n s

th e ir homes; he o ffe r e d pardon to those o f them vho sided w ith the
r e b e ls . The Moamarias who had taken refu ge in J& intia and Kachari t e r r i ­
to r y p referred to stay away. Long correspondence ensued; the Kachari
and J a in t ia Rajas refu sed to d riv e away th eir new s u b je c ts , in envoy
sent by the J a in tia R a ja, lam Singh was ignom iniously exp elled because
the le t t e r s he brought were considered to be d iscou rteous as not contain ­
ing the adulatory ep ith ets customary in the in tercou rse between o rie n ta l
r u le r s .

A fo r c e was despatched against the Kachari k in g , Krishna Chandra

in 1303 to recover the fu g itiv e s most o f idiom s e ttle d round Dharampur. A
combined fo r c e o f Kacharis and Moamarias was beaten back a t Jsmunamukb.
The enemy r a l li e d and began ra id in g and burning v illa g e s near Rowgong
town and gained a complete v ic to r y over the Ahom troops who retrea ted to
G-auhati with 540 k i ll e d and many wounded and p riso n e rs. The Burha Gohain
sent reinforcem ents from the eastern d i s t r i c t s . The Moamarias were put
to f l i g h t near Nowgong and they were pursued by the Ahom fo r c e who sacked
and destroyed a l l the h o s t ile v illa g e s at Doboka* At th is stage the
Moamarias and th e ir Kachari a l l i e s f e l l out and some o f the Kachari
d eserters to the Ahom camp were given land near B e b e jia . In 1305 an
sig n a l d e fe a t was i n f l i c t e d on the Moamarias and Kacharis w ith la rg e
numbers k i ll e d ; some su rvivors rationed to th e ir old homes, oth ers fle d
t o Khaspur and the J a in tia parganas.

S.K . Bhuyan, Tungkhungia B u ran ji, pp. 1 9 9 -ff

 In 1605 the Moran Moamarias under th e ir C h ief, Sarbananda
Singh o f Bengmara rose but su ffered d efea t at Bhhatiating and h a s t ily
re tre a te d to Solongaguri where they su ffered hardships during rain s
and many died o f fe v e r and dysentery, They sutomitted & nd*ere s e tt le d
at Shilaraara. Meanwhile the Moamarias had sent one Ramnath Bar Barua
to invoke the aid o f the Burmese monarch. P a rties o f Burmese were tw ice
brought in to the country but were won over by the agent of the watchful
Bur ha Gohain. The Burha Gohain became c o n c ilia t o r y and gave the t i t l e
o f Bar Senapati to the C hief o f th is s e c tio n o f the Moamarias. This
measure seems to have sucoeeded as the Bar Senapati seems to have f u l ­
f i l l e d h is o b lig a tio n s and c o lle c t e d and paid over the stip u la te d revenue
2
from h is p eop le.

Krishna Narayan f e l l in to d isfa v ou r and was superseded by h is

r e la tio n Samudra Narayan who was s t r i c t l y enjoined t o prevent the Bhutias
from encroaching; and t o recover and brin g back fu g it iv e s and s e t t l e them
3
in th e ir old v illa g e s . During the disturbances o f the previous reign s
the Bhutias had se ise d a t r a c t o f t e r r it o r y as fa r as the Gosain Kamala
A li which now they claimed to be th e ir boundary and the in ten tion o f the
Burha Gohain would appear to have been to win back the sa id t r a c t .

With vigour the Burha Gohain dispersed a l l re b e l f o r c e s , in­

f l i c t e d punishment on the d is a ffe c t e d , and showed to le r a tio n and granted
pardon to those who submitted and h is p o lic y bore f r u i t ; the country
enjoyed profound peace during the c lo s in g years of th is r e ig n .

1; S.K. Bhuyan, Tungkhungia B u ra n ji, p . 173.

2. G a it, H istory o f Assam, p . 222.
3. S.X . Bhuyan, Tungkhungia B u ra n ji, p. 187.
 I ll

The pwwer o f the Moamarias was broken; order vae re sto re d ;

the people again became f a i r l y prosperous. As the king was a puppet
in the hands of the Burha Gohain, the c r e d it was the able and en ergetic
Burha Gohain* s . He upheld the Ahora cause during Gaurinath*s r e ig n ,
_ He conyeiyed and carried out the idea o f maintaining a p rop erly d i s c i ­
plin ed standing army. He led the new troops in th e ir e a r lie r engage­
ments and la te r supervised th eir op era tion s. His len ien t treatment
o f the re b e ls who submitted and wise and equ ita ble system of adm inistra­
tio n were resp on sib le f o r h is su ccess in r e s to r in g peace and q u ie t. He
distin gu ish ed him self in war stra teg y and peace measures. He r e s t o r i i
Rangpur to something lik e i t s former con d ition and did much to improve
the new town at J or h a t. The Bhogdai was excavated to provide Jorhat
with a b e tte r water supply; and i t s communications were improved; a road
was constru cted connecting i t with Basa. C olonel Hann&y in h is notes

on the Moamarias says: "Puraananda ( i . e . the Burha) Gohain may be said

to have been the p r o te c to r and regenerator of h is country fo r a period
o f twenty y e a rs". In 1810 there was a bad epidemic of sm all-pox.
Ksmaleswar Singh died o f Sm all-pox.

Chandrakant ( 1810-1818 ) : Nominated by the Burha Gohain,

Ohandrakant, the brother o f Ksmaleswar Singh, became king. Being a boy
he was unable to take much part in the government o f the country; the
Burha Gohain remained in c o n t r o l. The Bar Phukan proposed that the
country should become a trib u ta ry to the B r it is h Government. The Burha
Gohain and other nobles discu ssed the proposal and r e je c te d i t as i t

would be very unpopular.

L. G ait, H istory o f Assam, p . 223.

 112

Ghandrakant began to fret at Burha Gohain's influence. He

befriended a youth of his age, Satram, son of an Ahom soothsayer and
would listen to his advice in preference to that of^his nobles and
began to give them audience with Satram by his side. The nobles remons­
trated, but in vain. Satram grew insolent and conspired to assassinate
the Burha Gohain. The conspirators were put to death by the Burha Gohain.
Satram was surrendered by the king and was deported to Namrup where he
was killed by some Nagas. It is said that the king was privy to Satram* s
3
conspiracy and that Satram was murdered at the Burha Gohain's instigation.

The Bar Phukan died and one Badan Chandra was appointed Bar Phukan.
This appointment was a most disastrous one. Badan Bar Phukan's oppressive
behaviour and gross exactions soon acquired notoriety. His sons' conduct
was outrageous. They would intoxicate an elephant with Bhang and let it
loose at Ganhati and roar with laughter from a safe distance as it would
demolish houses and kill people coming in its my. The Burha Gohain
determined on Badan Chandra Phukan*s removal. It is said Badan Chandra
was also suspected of having favoured Satram*s conspiracy. Hen were sent
to arrest him, but, being warned in time by his daughter, who had married
the Burha Grohain* s son, he escaped to Bengal. He sought in vain the
4
Governor General's intervention by calumniating the Burha Gohain.

1* Kashinath Tamuli Phukan, Assam Buranji, p. 64-ff.

2. S.K. Bhuyan, Asamar Padya Buranji, p. 127.
3* Golap Chandra Barua, Ahom Buranji, pp. 376-ff.
4. S.K. Bhuyan, Tunkhungia Buranji, pp. 202-ff.
 113

Burmese Invasion : Meanwhile, Badan Chandra struck up a

friendship with the Calcutta Agent of Burmese Government, went to
Burma and got an audience of the Burmese king. Here also he accused
the Burha Gohain of gross misrule which had brought the country to the
verge of ruin, reduced the king to nonentity and endangered the lives
of all, high and low and sought Burmese intervention. Towards the end
of 1816 an army of eight thousand men was despatched from Burma.enroute
7

it was joined by the Chiefs of Mungkopg, Hukong and Manipur and when
it reached Nanrup its number rose to sixteen thousand. The Burha
Gohain sent an army; a battle was fought at Ghiladhari; the Burmese
were victorious. At this stage the Burha Gohain died or, as some say,
1
committed suicide by swallowing diamond.

The Burha Gohain’s son, though untried, became the Burha

Gohain, as there was no other leader of proved ability. A fresh army
was sent to resist the invadors but was utterly defeated at Kathalbari,
east of Hie Dihing. The Burmese advanced, pillaging and burning the
villages along their line of march. The king could not be induced by
the Burha Gohain to retreat to Lower Assam; the Burha Gohain fled to
2
Ganhati. The Burmese occupied Jorhat and the Bar Phukan was formally
reinstated and became all-powerful. Chandrakant remained as the nominal
king. The Bar Phukan plundered and slayed all relations and adherents
of the Burha Gohain. The Burmese were paid a huge indemnity and return-
-ed in April, 1817 with a girl for their royal harem, palmed off as a
3
daughter of the Ahom king.
1. Gait, History of Assam, p. 225. . .
2. Kashmath Tamuli Phukan, Assam Buranji, pp. 65
3. Ibid, p. 66; S.K. Bhuyan, Asamar Padya Buranji, pp. 139-ff.
 114

There waso-quarrel between the Bar Barua and the Bar Phukan.
The k in g 's mother and some nobles supported the Bar Barua and caused
1
the Bar Phukan to be assassinated by a fo re ig n Subadar, Rup Singh. The
Burha Gohain was in v ite d to return to Jorh at. He could not fo r g iv e the
king fo r throwing him over when the Burmese came, o ffe r e d the throne to
B rajnath, a g re a t grandson o f Rajeswar Singh, then re s id in g at S ilm a ri,
and advanced to Jorhat with a fo r c e o f Hindustani mercenaries and lo c a l
le v ie s . Chandrakant f l e d to Rangpur. The Burha Gohain entered Jorhat
in February, 1818.

Purandar Singh ( 1818-1819 ) : Brajnath stru ck coin s in h is

name; but i t was now remembered that he was i n e lig ib le fo r the throne
as he had su ffered m u tila tion ; h is son , Purandar Singh was made king
instead; Chandrakant was seized and h is rig h t ear was s l i t to d is q u a lify
him fo r the kingly o f f i c e . The frie n d s o f the murdered Bar Phukan fle d
to Burma and apprised the Burmese monarch o f the events in Assam. A
fre s h fo r c e was despatched under A la Mingi(KioMingi) and reached Assam
in February, 1819. The Ahoms r e s is t e d at N azira, but the connander lo s t
nerve and they were d efea ted . Purandar Singh fle d at once t o Gauhati.
3
Chandrakant was form ally rein sta ted by the Burmese.

Burmese Rule ( 1819-1824 ) : Chandrakant now became a puppet

in the hands o f the Burmese commanders in whom the re a l a u th ority was
vested; they hunted down a l l the adherents o f the Burha Gohain and put
to death the Bar Barua and o th e rs. Purandar Singh escaped t o Silm ari

1
2
3.
4.
. . Kashinath Tamuli Phukan, Assam B u ra n ji. p . 6 6 .
S.K.Bhuyan, Asamar Padya B u ran ji, pp. 1 4 5 - f f .
G a ii, H istory o f Assam, p . 227.
Golap Chandra Barua, Ahom B u ran ji, p . 383.
 115

an« solicited the help of the East India Company by offering an annual
tribute of three lakhs of rupees and all expenses of the expeditionary
force required to reinstate him. The Burha Gohain's force could not
resist the Burmese advance to Gauhati and dispersed. The Burha Gohain
applied to the Governor General for assistance which was refused.
Chandrakant and the Burmese asked for extradition of the fugitives but
nothing was done by the British Government.

A. Kachari named Patal was made the Bar Barua but he incurred
the displeasure of the Burmese and was summarily put to death without^
even the pretence of approval from Chandrakant. Chandrakant was alarmed
and fled to British territory. The Burmese could not persuade him to
return and put a large number of his followers to death. Chandrakant
retaliated on the Burmese officials sent to him to bring him back. The
Burmese set up another prince, Jogesvar as king and their grip on the
3
country became firaer. The tract between the Burhi Dihing and the
Brahmaputra only escaped the Burmese domination. There the Uoamarias
under the Bar Senapati maintained a precarious independence.

The numerous Burmese troops and their followers were distri­

buted and scattered in email detachments about the country to make
provision of supplies possible. Chandrakant took advantage of the posi.
tion , took Gauhati and advanced upstream.
•

vc
o>
ft
e
•
•
 116

Three d iv is io n s o f the Burmese army were sent qgainst

Chandrakant who with h is weak fo rc e had to f l e e again to Bengal. The
Burmese reduced the Darrang Raja to submiseion and returned to Upper
Assam plundering v illa g e s on the way. In 1821 Chandrakant with a
fo r c e o f about two thousand men, c h i e f ly Sikhs and Hindustanis re ­
entered h is old dominions and r e -e s ta b lis h e d h is a u th ority over the
western part o f the country. The reduced Burmese ga rrison could not
1
r e s i s t him.

Purandar Singh c o lle c t e d a fo r c e in the Duars then belonging

to Bhutan, aided by Mr. Robert Bruce o f Jogighopa who a lso procured fo r
him fire-a rm s and aranunition from C a lcu tta . This fo r c e with Bruce in
conatand entered the country but was defeated by Chandrakant's le v ie s ;
Mr. Bruce was taken p rison er but was released on agreeing to enter the
v i c t o r 's s e r v ic e . Later the Burmese defeated Chandrakant who retrea ted
and r a llie d h is men in the Goalpara D is t r ic t and procured through Bruce
300 muskets and 9 maunds o f asmunition from Calcutta* He returned to
the attack and reoccupied Gauhati in January, 1822. The Burmese fo r c e s
on the north bank o f the Brahmaputra were being harassed by Purandar S in gh 's
fo r c e s who were ca rry in g on repeated incursions acrosa the Bhutan bord er.
The Buraese commander's p ro te sts and demands fo r e x tra d ition evoked no
response from the Governor General; the Burha Gohain was, however, tempo-
2
r a r i l y detained fo r in te rce p tin g and delayin g the Burmese le t t e r o f p r o t e s t.

1. G a it, H istory o f Assam, p . 229.

2. I b id , pp. 2 2 9 -ff.
 117

Mingi Haha Bandula at the head of large reinforcements

arrived from Ava and thoroughly defeated Chandrakant, though he displayed
great personal bravery, in a battle at Mabgarh in June, 1822 with a
heavy loss of fifteen hundred^. Chandrakant escaped across the border.
The Burmese coranander sent an insolent letter to the British Officer
commanding at Goalpara, warning him that if protection were granted to
the fugitive, a Burmese army of 18,000 men commanded by 40 Rajas would
invade the Company’s territory to arrest the fugitive. Additional troops
were sent to the frontier from Dacca and the Burmese were told that they
could advance at their certain peril. Chandrakant was ordered to be
disarmed and removed to a safe distance; but Chandrakant*s whereabouts
could not be ascertained perhaps because heavy bribes had been paid to
conceal his whereabouts. Previously, a sum of twenty.one thousand
rupees had been offered to the British Officer Commanding at Goalpsra
for permitting raising of troops in that district.

Small parties of Burmese crossed the Goalpara frontier and

plundered and burnt villages in the Habraghat pargana. The Burmese
oppressions became unbearable. No one could be sure of wealth,reputation
and life. They robbed everyone having anything, burnt down villages and
temples, violated the chastity of young and old women and put large
2
numbers of innocent people to death. Major J. Butler in his *Travels
and Adventures in the Province of Assam12 says that at Chotopotong fifty
men were decapitated in one day. A large building was then erected of
bamboos and grass, with a raised bamboo platform; into this building

1. Golap Chandra Barua, AhomBuranji, p. 384.

2. Ibid.; S.K. Bfcuyan, Tungkhungia Buranji, p. 212; Asamar Padya Buranji,
p,p.l72-t80; Maniram Dewan, MS. Buranji Yivekaratna, Part II,f.l88
fa), f.188(b).
 118

were thuret men* ch ild ren and poor innocent women with in fa n ts , and
a large quantity o f fu e l having been placed round the b u ild in g i t was
ig a it e d : in a few minutes two hundred persons were consumed in the flam es.
A ll who were suspected o f being in im ical to the r e i g i of te r r o r were
s e iz e d and bound by Burmese ex ecu tion ers, who cut o f f the lobes o f the
poor v ictim s' ears and ch oice p ortion s o f the body, such as the p oin ts
o f the sh oulders, and a c tu a lly a te the raw fle s h b efore the liv in g
s u ffe r e r s : they then inhumanly i n f l ic t e d with a sword, deep but not
mortal gashes on the body, that the m utilated might d ie s lo w ly , and
f i n a l l y clo se d the tragedy by disem bowelling the wretched v ictim s.

Bands o f n ative marauders disgu ised as Burmese went about the

country committing depredations; the h i l l tr ib e s follow ed s u it . The
su ffe rin g s o f the people were unspeakable, many fle d to the h i l l s , to
J a in t ia , Manipur, B r itis h t e r r it o r y e t c , , others started g u e r illa warfare;
the c h ie f re sista n ce was on the north bank, aided by the Akas and the
D aflaa. But with overwhelming fo r c e the Burmese crushed a l l o p p o sitio n .
Chandrakant was at la s t persuaded t o come, on ly to be seized and confined
at Rangpur. Owing to sicknesa and shortage o f p r o v is io n s , l i n g i Maha
Bandula with the bulk o f h is fo r c e s returned to Burma; a new Governor
was appointed and he tr ie d to improve m atters; r a p in e ,p illa g e and
punishment without a cause were stopped, s e tt le d adm inistration was in­
troduced and o f f i c e r s were appointed, unlim ited ex action s and ex tortion s
were replaced by regular ta x a tio n , b e tte r treatment o f the inhabitants
was in it ia t e d . The sands, however, had run ou t. The Burmese were now to

1 . G a it, H istory o f Assam, p . 231*

pay fo r th eir oppressions of the hapless Assamese and fo r the in su lts

they had thrown a t the B r it is h au th orities by the lo s s of the dominions

which they had so e a s ily conquered and w e ll-n ig h ruined and of which

they were now in e ffe c t iv e possession.

Burmese Vars ( 1824-1826 ) and B r it is h Occupation of Assam:

The Burmese conceived the g rea te st con tempt fo r the B r it is h . This was

perhaps due to th eir own easy v ic to rie s in d iffe re n t d ire c tio n s , the

paucity of B r it is h troops along the fro n tie r and in e ffic ie n c y of the

Ahom standing army dressed and d r i l l e d on the model o f the Company* s

sepoys. The f i r s t a ctiv e measures were taken in the Surma V a lle y . The

Burmese Governor of the Brahmaputra V alley contemplated the invasion

of Cachar. Three Burmese forces marched towards Cachar from three

d iffe re n t d ire c tio n s , from Nowgong through North Cachar, by way of

J a in tia h i l l s and from Manipur. On 17th January, 1824, the B r itis h

Comandant at the head o f a detachment of sixteen hundred men, #10 had

already reached the fro n tie r of S y lh et, inarched to Bikrampur and put

the enemy who had stockaded there to f l i g h t .

The Burmese erected stockades on both banks of Barak r iv e r and

t h e ir forces th ere consisted of the Burmese, the Assamese and the Kacharis.

They were attacked and put to f l i g h t . The Nowgong contingent, driven out,

made th e ir way back to Nowgong. The Manipur contingent stro n gly entren­

ched at Dudpatli re p e lle d B r it is h attacks but lo s t h ea v ily and f e l l back

to Manipur. The B r it is h forces went into cantonments a t S y lh e t, leavin g

only a detachment, owing to sc a rc ity of supplies in Cachar.

 120

The Burmese fo r c e s invaded Cachar according to the statement

o f th e ir conmandere to ca rry out the orders o f th e ir king to rep la ce
on the throne o f Cachar ,Gobind Chandra who had been ousted by three
Manipuri C h ie fs. The formal d e cla ra tio n o f war against the Burmese
took p la ce on 5th March, 1824. A fo r c e of 3,000 men with several cannon
andagun boat f l o t i l l a was assigned the task of turning the Burmese out
o f the Brahmaputra T a lle y . A fte r a toilsom e journey o f 15 days through
jungles and tra ck le ss swamps, i t reached Gauhati on 28th March. The
Burmese # io erected strong stockades at Gauhati r e tir e d to Mara lukh
in Upper Assam a ft e r masssacring many inhabitants whose barbarously
m utilated dead bodies were found by the advancing B r it is h .

A long h a lt was made at Gauhati. David S c o tt who had accom-

pained the Cachar f o r c e marched a cross the J a in tia h i l l s with three
companies to Nowgong, arranged fo r h old in g the town and thence marched
to Gauhati. A fter A p r il, the Burmese advanced to K oliab ar, but on the
approach o f a B r it is h fo r c e from Gauhati retrea ted to Rangaligarh.
Several attempts of the Burmese to push back the B r itis h fa ile d and
they su ffe re d con sid era ble l o s s , in clu d in g many k ille d and f e l l back
on Mara Mukh again.

C olonel Richards who had esta blish ed h is headquarters at

K oliabar had to return to Gauhati as the rain s se t in because of the
d i f f i c u l t y o f procuring su p p lie s . The Burmese thereupon occupied
K oliabar, Raha and Nowgong and reven geful of the fr ie n d ly d is p o s itio n
o f the Assamese towards the B r it is h tr o o p s , plundered the surrounding
v illa g e s and committed a p p a llin g a t r o c i t ie s ; some they fla y e d a liv e ,

1. G a it, H istory o f Assam, pp. 2 8 2 - f f .

 121

others they burnt in o i l end..other and others they burnt alive^

Crowded in v illa g e ’ Nanghars* which they se t on f i r e . Many thousands
fle d in to the h i l l s and ju n g le s , where large numbers died of sta rva tion
or d ise a se ; a sm all number managed to reach the p la in s of the Surma
V alley and th e ir descendants s t i l l speaking pure Assamese inhabit
several submontane v illa g e s o f J a in tia . People speak of Manar Upadrab
with much h orror even to th is day; the depopulation o f the region round
Doboka and the K o p ili V a lley dates from th is d isastrou s tim e.

About the end o f O ctober, two d iv is io n s were despatched, one

by way o f the Kallang end the other up the main stream of the Brahma­
putra. The former w ell-served by i t s in t e llig e n c e O ff ic e r , Lieutenant
N eu ville surprised sev era l Burmese detachments at Raha e t c , and ju s t
f a i l e d to capture the Governor him self at Nowgong, K oliabar was secured.
In January, 1025 Maramukh was occupied and su cce ssfu l operations were
ca rried out from th is ba se. The Burmese fo r c e s concentrated at Jorhat.
There were in tern al dissen sion s amongst the Burmese, The Burha Raja
o r the Burmese Governor was murdered by a r iv a l le a d e r, the Shan Phukan.
The Burmese s e t f i r e to th e ir stockade at Jorhat and retrea ted to Rangpur.
The B r it is h troops arrived a t Jorhat and then reached G aurisagar. On
27th January, the enemy attacked an advanced p ost h old in g a bridge over
the Ncmdang r iv e r ; a r e tre a t was feign ed and the Burmese, lured in to the
tra p , were attacked and put to f l i g h t with heavy lo a a .

lf G a it, H istory o f Assam, p , 283.

2 . I b id , p . 284.
 122

On the 29th January, 1825 Colonel Richards resumed his march

towards Rangpur. The approach of the capital had been fortified by the
enemy; a stockade had been drawn •Gross the road. Ihen the defences
were approached, the assailants were saluted by a heavy fire; but the
column advanced and the stockade was carried and the south side of the
fort was completely invested. The Burmese got dispirited. The two
chiefs, the Sam (or Shan) Fhukan and the Bagli Phukan wanted to stipu­
late for terms, whereas subordinate chiefs with numerous followers were
bent upon resistance. The former prevailed# and through the mediation
of a Buddhist priest, native of Ceylon but brought up in Ava, Dharmadhar
Brahmachari, sent to the British Commander to negotiate, terms for
surrender, of Rangpur were agreed on. According to the settlement, the
Sam Phukan and about seven hundred of the garrison surrendered them*
selves; the rest, about nine thousand of both sexes and all ages including
two thousand fighting men, withdrew to the frontiers; but many dropped
off on the retreat and established themselves in Assam. With the surren­
der of Rangpur and its occupation by the British, the main object of the
campcgn, the expulsioj of the Burmese from Assam, was promptly and
substantially secured.
During the Burmese occupation the Singfchos had made constant
raids on the Assamese, carried off thousands as slaves and almost de­
populated the eastern part of the country. 7,500 of them shut up the
Sadiya khowa Gohain within his stockades and attacked the Bar Senapati
in his territory. In June, 1825 about six hundred Burmese appeared on

1. Gait, History of Assam, pp. 284-286.

 123

the P&tkai and the Singphos made comnon cause with them. Captain

N eu ville defeated the a l l i e s and destroyed Singpho v illa g e s around

B isa . The Burmese made th e ir e x it fram the country; the Singphos
subm itted. Captain N eu ville restored s ix thousand Assamese ca p tives
to freedom*

Meanwhile, fr e s h operations became necessary in C&char as the

Burmese again occupied stockades at T alain , Dudpatli and Jatrapur* In

June, 1824 Colonel Innes with twelve hundred men occupied Jatrapur but
could not capture T a la in . A fu rth er fo r c e o f 700 men was c o lle c t e d to
fr e e Cachar and Manipur from the enemy. The Burmese evacuated T alain
because they su ffered much from d isease th e re . Dudapatli was occupied
without o p p o sitio n . 'Hie g rea t e f f o r t s to make and ca rry a road through
to Manipur f a i l e d because of the seriou s ob sta cles caused by the mountain­
ous ch aracter of the cou n try, the cla yey nature o f the s o i l and the
unusually heavy r a i n f a l l and the lo s s o f large number o f elephants,
b u llock s and other transport anim als.

Gambhir Singh with an irre g u la r levy o f 500 Manipuris and

K acharis, provided with arms by the B r it is h Conmander, advanced t o Manipur,
accompained by Lieutenant Pemberton. A fte r g rea t d i f f i c u l t y and p riv a tio n

and o fte n marching through t o r r e n tia l r a in s , he appeared in the v a lle y

o f Manipur. The Burmese l e f t Imphal, and l e f t the S ta te , as Giiabhir S in g i
continued h is advance. Later a con sid era ble number- o f the Burmese who had
occupied stockades at Taonu and on the bank o f the Ningthi r iv e r were
e je c te d . Large numbers o f Manipuris who had been taken as slaves by the
Burmese were restored to freedom . Manipur was clea red of the enemy.

1* G a it, H istory o f Assam, p . 286.

 124

The operations of the B ritis h arms in Burma had also been

crowned with success; the king of Ava was compelled to accept the terms
of peace offered him by the Treaty o f Yandabo concluded on 24th February,
1826. The Burmese agreed, amongst other thing3, to/-e&ain from a l l
1
in terferen ce in the a ffa ir s o f the countries which now con stitu te Assam.

The condition o f the Brahmaputra V alley at the time of the

expulsion o f the Burmese was most deplorable. About th ir t y thousand
Assamese had been taken away as slaves and according to Anandaram Dhekial
Phukan, the Burmese invadors had " destroyed more than one-half of the
population, which had already been thinned by in testin e commotions and

repeated c i v i l wars*. C u ltivation had almost been given up; famine and

p estilen ce carried o f f thousands and many had to liv e on jungle roots

and plants. The Ahom nobles and the great Gosains, pauperised, had retired
to Goalpara, follow ed by large numbers o f common people. I h i l e the former
returned, many amongpt the la tte r stayed on and th e ir descendants form a
3
large proportion of the present inhabinants of eastern Goalpara;

The situ ation in the Brahmaputra V a lley was d i f f i c u l t . The

Burmese had overthrown most o f the old adm inistrative land-marks; the
people were hopelessly divided amongst themselves; the eleva tion of any
p articu lar pretender to the throne would have led to dissensions and
c i v i l wars with the withdrawal of the B ritis h troops. In the circums­

tances, the whole o f the Brahmaputra V a lley with the exception of Sadiya
and Matak was taken over fo r administration as a B ritis h Province and
Ur. David S co tt, Agent to the Governor General fo r the Eastern F ron tier
4
was entrusted with it s management.___________________________________
1. G a it, H istory o f issam, p. 268.
2. Anandaram Dhekial Phukan, ‘Observations on the administration o f the
Province o f Assam; M ill's Report, Appendix.
3. G ait, H istory of Assam, p. 289 f 4 . Ib id , p. 290
 125

The question o f restorin g the Brahmaputra T a lle y continued

to be discussed and u ltim ately i t was decided to rein s ta te Purandar

Singh in the country east of Dhansiri r iv e r and accordingly e a rly in
1833 the whole o f Upper dssamTsteJitya and Uatak vas form ally made over
to Purandar Singh. By a tre a ty made v ith him at the time of his ins*
t a lla t io n , Purandar Singh was placed on the fo o tin g o f a protected
prince, with c i v i l administration in his hands and his t e r r it o r y secured
against aggression; he would pay a y ea rly trib u te of Ik. 50,000 out of
an estimated revenue of fe. 1,20,000.*

Purandar Singh was preferred to his only r i v a l , Chandrakant

fo r the d ig n ity of being the head o f th is newly created S tate; he appeared
to be d ig n ifie d , respectable, mild and p a c ific ; high hopes were placed
on him. But in less than three years he began to make defaults in the
payment o f the yea rly trib u te and begged fo r a considerable reduction.
On enquiry i t was found that mismanagement and general corruption connived
at or encouraged by him were responsible fo r the f a l l in h is revenues and
in case things proceeded in th is way, very soon he would be incapable of
paying even one-half of the stip u lated tr ib u te . Further, his subjects
were oppressed and misgoverned and his rule was very much d is lik e d by
the bulk of people.

1. G a it, H istory of isssm, pp. 2 9 6 -ff.

 126

IfeSeshwrate, " The present represent at ir e of th is once

powerful dynesty ( Svargadeo or Lord o f Heaven, as he is pleased to
c a ll himself ) now resides at Jorhat in noisy pomp and tawdry splendour;
his resources lim ited to that of a zemindar; his numerous n o b ility
reduced to beggary or to e x is t upon b ribery or corruption; and his
kin gly court ( fo r he s t i l l maintains his reg a l d ig n ity ) more resembling
the parade of a company of s t r o llin g players that) anything imposing or
•j
sovereign.
Hie administration having proved a fa ilu r e , Purandar Singh was

deposed and pensioned o f f in October, 1826 and his t e r r it o r ie s , divided

into two d is t r ic t s of Sibsagar and Lakhimpur, were brought under d ire c t
B ritis h adm inistration. Thus the la s t vestige o f the once great Ahom
power was o b lite ra te d .

The foregoing paragraphs of th is Chapter g iv e a b r ie f account

o f the r is e , growth and f a l l o f the Ahom Power in Assam. Facts are fa cts
and they have th eir inescapable impact on l i f e ; and the variegated facts
o f the Ahom age, touching almost a l l fa c ts o f l i f e land th eirs on contem­
poraneous l i f e o f that age; fu rth e r, the l i f e in the Ahom age has l e f t
i t s deep and in d e lib le impress on the l i f e and culture of the Assamese
people fo r a l l time, present and future, fo r the acts and ex p lo its and
omissions and conmissions, m erits and successes and fa ilin g s and failures,
gains and g lo r ie s and losses and achievements in d iffe r e n t fie ld s of that
age are now in e x tric a b ly diffu sed in and inalien able parts and parcels of
the h is to r ic a l inheritance, tra d itio n s and culture o f the people, and
many strong and beau tifu l threads o f the warp and the woof of the present
texture o f the l i f e o f the Assamese people cannot but be admitted to have
been derived from the fa b ric and pattern o f l i f e and culture, as they

developed in the Ahom ap|.

T. Quoted by (Jait, tifatory of Assam, p. 20BT