The Ahoms, smarting from the occupation of the capital by Mir Jumla and the harsh conditions of Treaty of Ghilajharighat, decided to lure a Mughal imperial force to Saraighat and take a stand there.[7] Although weaker,[8] the Ahom Army defeated the massive Mughal Army with clever diplomatic negotiations to buy time, guerrilla tactics, psychological warfare, military intelligence and by exploiting the weakness of the Mughal forces — its navy.[9]
The Battle of Saraighat was the last battle in the last major attempt by the Mughals to extend their empire into Assam. Though the Mughals managed to regain Guwahati briefly later after a Borphukan deserted it, the Ahoms wrested control in the Battle of Itakhuli in 1682 and maintained it till the end of their rule.
The commanders and leaders who were stationed in and around Saraighat emerged as a power group called the Saraighatias that participated in subsequent Ahom internal power struggles.
Mir Jumla's invasion had left the Ahom kingdom depopulated, fortifications destroyed, and the treasury depleted due to the conditions of the January 1663 Treaty of Ghilajharighat.[10][11] Beside the debilitating indemnity the Ahoms had to pay the Mughals, they had to accept the vassalage of the Mughal empire,[12] let the Mughals take back possession of the land from Manas River to Guwahati, and cede to them the Ahom possession from Guwahati to Bharali River in the north bank of Brahmaputra River and Guwahati to Kolong River in the south bank.[13]
Ahom preparations for war
After the humiliating defeat inflicted by Mir Jumla, the Ahom king Jayadhwaj Singha died in despair. On his deathbed, he exhorted his cousin and successor Chakradhwaj Singha to "remove the spear of humiliation from the bosom of the nation." There followed a complete overhaul of the Ahom kingdom. People who had dispersed due to Mir Jumla's invasion were rehabilitated in the appropriate khels, food and military productions were increased, new forts were constructed and garrisoned and an expeditionary army was organized under a new commander—Lachit Borphukan.[14][15] Alliances were renewed with the Jaintia and the Kachari kingdoms. During this period Mughal imperial demands were tactfully and diplomatically rebuffed, but when the new faujdar of Guwahati, Firuz Khan, forced the matter in March 1667, the Ahoms were compelled to move.[16] In August 1667 the Ahom army, under Lachit Borphukan and accompanied by Atan Burhagohain, sailed downstream to retake Guwahati.
Ahoms retake Guwahati
Lachit made Kaliabor, the old seat of the Borphukan, his base camp and advanced toward Guwahati along both banks of the Brahmaputra. On the north bank the Deka Phukan retook Bahbari in early September 1667. On the south bank, the Nausalia Phukan and others, moving on land and water, captured Kajali, Sonapur, Panikhaiti, and Titamara forts between the Kapili river and Guwahati. The Ahoms then reached Guwahati which was defended by five choukies on each bank of the Brahmaputra (north—Kanai-borosi-bowa, Hillar, Hindurighopa, Patduar and Korai; south—Latasil, Joiduar, Dharamduar, Duarguria and Pandu). With some loss, the Ahoms captured Shah Buruz and Rangamahal forts, a little north of the city. An extended battle was fought for the Itakhuli fort (at the site of the current Deputy Commissioner's bungalow). The Ahoms besieged Joiduar, occupied Pandu, and in spite of a Mughal reinforcement, approached Itakhuli. The grand attack was launched on the night of 4 November 1667,[17] when the Ahoms scaled the walls by ladders and after two months of siege, Itakhuli fell in mid-November 1667. Most of the defenders were massacred, many surrendered but a few managed to escape. War provisions, treasures and war material fell into Ahom hands.[18]
The Mughals received some reinforcement at this point and retaliated against the Ahoms. The Ahoms fought back with their naval forces and removed them from their bases in Umananda and Barhat. The Mughals, pursued by the Ahoms, managed to fortify the Manahmukh (the confluence of Manas river) and fend off the attackers for some time but Firuz Khan finally surrendered and was taken prisoner. This brought an end to the recapture of Guwahati and the Ahoms were able to control their old Manas border once again. But this did not last long and they had to beat a strategic retreat due to the advancing Mughal army of Raja Ram Singh.
Mughal imperial invasion
Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was informed of the losses on 19 December 1667 and he commissioned Raja Ram Singh of Amber, son of the famous Mirza Raja Jai Singh, to take back Guwahati. Ram Singh left Delhi on 27 December 1667 and finally reached Rangamati in February 1669. He was accompanied by Rashid Khan, ex-faujdar of Guwahati. The Ahoms, anticipating a Mughal strike, are said to have followed his movements from Delhi itself. Along the way Aurangzeb augmented Ram Singh's forces of 4,000 troopers (from his char-hazaari mansab), 1,500 ahadis (soldiers recruited by the Emperor) and 500 barqandezes by an additional 30,000 infantrymen, 21 Rajput chiefs (Thakurs) with their contingents, 18,000 cavalry, 2,000 archers and shieldmen and 40 ships.[19] When Lachit surveyed the massive Mughal force later, he was moved to tears and he uttered: "It is a tragedy that my country is facing this dire catastrophe during my Phukanship. How will my king be saved? How will my people be saved? And how will my posterity be saved?"[20]
Armies from Koch Bihar joined the Mughal forces since they were vassals.
Ahom strategic planning and Mughal attacks
Aware of Mughal military might and the weakness of the Ahom militia, especially against the professional cavalry and mounted forces in open fields, Lachit Borphukan and the other commanders decided to choose the terrain of the battlefield with care. The choice fell on Guwahati, which was hilly, on the way to the heart of the Ahom kingdom and without open fields where the Mughal forces would not have sufficient mobility. The only way east was via the Brahmaputra river passing through it. The Brahmaputra at Saraighat, at its narrowest 1km wide, was ideal for a naval defense. To check the Mughal advance, Lachit prepared a complex system of mud embankments in Guwahati[21] When the Mughals found Guwahati impregnable by land, they would be forced to use their navy, which was their weakest asset. Lachit set up his headquarters at Andharubali, the sandbanks between the Kamakhya and Sukreshwar hills. The deliberations of the war council were recorded and made into a manual.[22]
When the Mughal march reached the Manas River in March–April 1669 and defeated Ahom forces, Lachit decided on a strategic retreat to Guwahati. Three Rajkhowas were asked to meet the Mughal forces and retreat to Guwahati, keeping the Mughal forces in sight but beyond the reach of their weapons. When the Mughals reached closer, he started a sham negotiation via the captured Firuz Khan with Ram Singh, who had set up camp at Agiathuti, calling the Mughal Emperor the "Bhai Raja" (brother sovereign) to the Ahom king.[23] And when he was ready for the Mughal attacks, he sent words to Ram Singh that "Guwahati and Kamrup do not belong to the Mughals" since they were taken from the Koch and that the Assamese were prepared to fight to the last.[24]
A period of battles between the Ahom and Mughal forces in the region of Guwahati followed, with varied results with forts changing hands many times. In these battles, the Mughal forces were arranged in four divisions:[25]
The north bank, commanded by Ram Singh himself.
The south bank, under Ali Akbar Khan, Mir Sayyid Khan, Raja Indramani, Raja Jaynarayan, and Marul Khan
The Sindurighopa entrance, under Jahir Beg, Kayam Khan, Ghanashyam Bakshi, and three Baruah's from Koch Bihar—Kavisekhar, Sarveshwar, and Manmatha.
The river, guarded by the naval commanders Mansur Khan, Latif Khan, Iswarpati, firingis (Europeans), and one Kapidan Raja.
In these attacks the Ahom allies—the Garos, the Jaintia, the Nagas, the Rani of Darrang, the Raja of Rani, and even the monsoons of 1669—joined battle. The Ahom defense was arranged as:[26]
Both commanders had a number of pali commanders each defending a specific strategic area, with each pali reorganized in response to the challenge posed by Ram Singh's forces.
Aurangzeb received information of the lack of progress in August 1669 and made arrangements with the Subahdar of Bengal, Shaistha Khan, to provide reinforcements to Ram Singh. This period is also known for Atan Burhagohain's dagga judha (guerilla warfare). Ram Singh protested that these harassing campaigns lowered the "dignity of warfare", and withdrew from fighting (October 1669 – March 1670), to no particular military advantage.[27]
One of these battles stood out for a major Ahom reversal. Exasperated with the delaying tactics of the Borphukan, Ram Singh asked for a duel with the Ahom king. He promised to withdraw from Assam with his army if he was defeated. Lachit updated Chakradhwaj Singha about this proposal, who rejected the offer on the ground that it was beneath his dignity to duel a mere servant "who has no umbrella over his head" (who is not a "Chhatrapati"). Annoyed with Ram Singh's proposal he ordered Lachit to confront the Mughals militarily. In a battle that was set up as a challenge, a force of 10,000 Mughals under Mir Nawab was to confront a force of 20,000 Ahom cavalry. Ram Singh's "approach was psychological, marked by pride, chivalry and revenge". The Ahom approach, to cover their basic weaknesses, was based on "diplomacy, deception and mispresentation". So instead of 20,000, they sent in 40,000 and using an anti-koch tactic that had worked against Chilarai, they dressed their vanguard archers and musketeers as Brahmans to make the Rajput warriors desist from killing them. Ram Singh, on the other hand, set a woman, Madanavati, dressed as a man, to command the vanguard to deny the Ahoms any glory in case of a victory. The battle took place in the fields adjoining the Alaboi hills about 5 August 1669.[28]
In the first phase, Madanavati dispersed the first four lines of the Ahom vanguard with ease, but the Borphukan had trenches dug to conceal his other lines. In the second phase, a diversion to cross the Brahmaputra was thwarted, and Madanavati was shot. The battle turned and in the third phase, Mir Nawab's forces were routed. Enraged at the deception, Ram Singh let loose his veteran horsemen and in the carnage that followed, 10,000 Ahom soldiers were massacred.[28]
Aurangzeb was pleased with these Mughal successes and increased Ram Singh's mansab from 4000 to 5000. Ram Singh was also instructed to invest Guwahati soon, and if it was not possible, to devastate the land and plunder the people.[28]
Final diplomatic maneuvers
35-feet-high statue of Ahom general Lachit Borphukan and his army in the middle of the Brahmaputra
After the Mughal advances in late 1669, Ram Singh began diplomatic efforts. The proposal was for the Assamese to evacuate Guwahati and a return to the 1639 status quo (Treaty of Asurar Ali) in return for a Mughal payment of 300,000 rupees. The Ahoms did not respond favorably. Ram Singh next attempted to bribe and create divisions among the Ahom field commanders (Phukans). In the meantime, the Ahom king Chakradhwaj Singha died and was succeeded by his brother Udayaditya Singha. The long war had resulted in popular discontent in the Ahom kingdom. Ram Singh again put forward his proposal on the 1639 status quo settlement and this time the Ahoms appeared receptive. The Ahom king, though displeased, left the decision to his commanders in Guwahati. In the meeting which included Lachit Borphukan, the only dissenter to the proposal was Atan Burhagohain, who displayed his statesmanship.
Atan Burhagohain argued that there was no guarantee that the Emperor at Delhi will abide by Ram Singh's assurance. Also, a settlement then would mean that the drain on the country's resources would have been in vain. Further, what was the guarantee that once the Mughals take Guwahati, they would not reach for Garhgaon or even Namrup.[29]
Atan Burhagohain was able to persuade the other commanders and the Ahoms rejected this proposal. The diplomatic efforts of Ram Singh failed once again.
Final battle at Saraighat
Saraighat battle relief
Meanwhile, Mughal reinforcements in the shape of war vessels and imperial officers (Omraos) reached Ram Singh, along with the Mughaladmiral, Munnawar Khan and the MughalViceroyShaista Khan, sent the message that Ram Singh was sent to fight the Assamese, not make friends with them.[30] Ram Singh now made preparations for his final and direct assault on Guwahati and began moving along the north bank. Near Sualkuchi he was joined by ships with artillery and archers under five Mughal captains including two firingis. The Mughals had large boats, some carrying as many as sixteen cannons. The Mughal ambassador, Paditrai, had reported a breach in the embankment at Andharubali a few days earlier, and Ram Singh wanted to exploit this opening.[31] The new king Udayaditya Singha sent a army of 20,000 soldiers under Atan Buragohain from Samdhara to Saraighat.[32]Lachit Borphukan and their admiral were both seriously ill, which demoralized the soldiers, and the Nara Hazarika, the son of the Miri Sandikoi, was in command. An encounter both on land and water ensued near Ashwakranta. The Ahom land forces, under Laluksola Phukan, worsted the Mughals, but the Mughal boats compelled the Ahom boats to retreat to Barhila, north of Saraighat. The land forces, fearing an encirclement, too retreated.[33] The battle reached a crucial phase, when the Mughals were beginning to get close to Andharubali. The Borphukan, as well as the Nara Hazarika, sent messages to inspire the soldiers. It looked as if there was a break in command and some boats began falling back to Kajali and Samdhara. Lachit Barphukan was observing this from his sickbed in the gatehouse of the Itakhuli fort.
At this crucial moment in the battle, when the Mughals were about to land at Andharubali, the Borphukan sent orders via katakis to all the land and naval forces to attack. He also ordered six war-boats[34] for himself and had Nadai of Kharangi carry him to a boat. He shouted "The King has put all the people in my hands to fight the Bongal. Shall I go back to my wife and children?" and pushed a few men into the water. With the other six war-boats the Borphukan headed toward the naval battle.[33]
The entry of the Borphukan transformed the Ahom soldiers. His small flotilla soon swelled with Ahom warships from all sides that smashed into the Mughal warships at Amrajuli on the north bank, opposite Kamakhya hills. The triangle in the river, between Itakhuli, Kamakhya, and Aswakranta was filled with men and boat. The Ahoms spanned the river over an improvised bridge of boats and resorted to a combined front and rear attack. The MughaladmiralMunnawar Khan, smoking a hookah was killed by a gunshot from the back, throwing the Mughals out of gear. They suffered the loss of three top-ranking amirs, and another 4,000 dead. The day of this decisive battle is not known for certain, only that it happened in the middle of March 1671.[35][citation needed]
Epilogue
The Mughals were pursued to the Manas river, the Ahom kingdom's western boundary. The Borphukan instructed his men not to attack the retreating army, reminding them of Alaboi.[36] Anticipating a counterattack, he set messengers at regular intervals, while Atan Burhagohain and other commanders stood ready for one. The Mughals in Darrang were also worsted, and Ram Singh left Kamrup on 7 April 1671 for Rangamati.[36] Ram Singh waited in vain for another opportunity and finally had an audience with Aurangzeb on 25 June 1676.
Lachit Borphukan died at Kaliabor about a year later in April 1672, but not from the illness at Saraighat.[37] And this was not the final battle between the Ahoms and the Mughals, nor did Guwahati remain with the Ahoms. Lachit Borphukan's own brother and successor Borphukan, Laluk Sola, deserted Guwahati for the Mughals in 1679. It remained with the Mughals until 1682, when the Ahoms under Gadadhar Singha recovered it and ended Mughal control in Kamrup permanently.
↑ "(Aurangzeb commissioned Ram Singh of Amber, son of the distinguished general Mirza Raja Jai Singh, and a commander of 4000 to lead an invasion of Assam. The expeditionary force had at its basic force the original imperial allotment of 4000 troopers in his own pay, 1500 ahadis (gentleman troopers) and 500 barkandezes (imperial artillerymen). This nucleus was gradually augmented by 30,000 infantry (given by the Emperor), 21 Rajput Chiefs (Thakurs) with their own contingents, 18,000 cavalry, and 2000 archers and shieldmen who came as auxiliaries. On water, he had only 40 ships. The Rajput general was accompanied, according to custom, by Rashid Khan, the late faujdar of Kamrup, conversant with the language and customs of the Ahoms." (Sarkar 1992:211)
↑ "Realising the futility of the opposition at the frontier posts, their General Lachit Barpukhan adopted the new strategy of (i) evacuating them one by one, and leaving all territories west of Hajo to their fate; (ii) and concentrating on the defence of Guwahati and the strategic centres around it so as to lure the unwary Mughals to the well-guarded Guwahati sector. This corresponds to what is known in modern warcraft as 'strategic retreat'." (Sarkar 1992:212)
↑ "But the real reason lay in the unpreparedness of the Ahoms to resist the invader." (Sarkar 1992:212)
↑ "[The Ahom] navy was not only numerous but also powerful, owing to the vast forests, an abundant number of dockyards (nao-sals), and boat-building and boat-plying activities organised by two guilds (naosalia khel and naobaicha Khel). The Ahom mastery over the water was indisputable and the Mughal crash at Saraighat was possible because of this." (Sarkar 1992:232)
↑ "The whirlwind invasion of Mir Jumla totally disordered Assam, leaving destruction, plunder and pestilence in its trail. Terribly depleted were manpower, military and economic resources. Villages were depopulated as inhabitants left their hearths and homes for security in hills and forests. The ranks of the army were thinned considerably by war, desertion and disease. The fortifications were demolished. The arsenals became empty. The treasury was sucked dry by war expenses and war indemnity." (Sarkar 1992:197)
↑ "Jayadhwaj agreed (i) to accept Mughal vassalage; to send an Ahom noble as ambassador with a contingent of paiks to Guwahati and remain obedient." (Sarkar 1992:188)
↑ "besides returning the area from the Manah to Guwahati to the Mughals, to cede to the Mughals for the first time the following territories: (a) in Uttarkuil, more than half of Sarkar Darrang, bounded by Samdhara on the Bharali on the east and Guwahati on the West. (b) in Dakhirkul, Desh Rani adjoining the Garo hills, Beltala, the Naga hills and Desh Dimarua up to the Kalang River. Thus the Mughal frontier in the east was pushed from the Manah to the Bharali and the Kalang rivers on the north and the south banks of the Brahmaputra respectively." (Sarkar 1992:189)
↑ Sur-bosa, special forces that operated behind enemy lines, led by Bagh Hazarika, a Muslim, entered the Itakhuli fort and rendered the cannons and gunpowder inoperative by pouring water on them.
↑ According to tradition, Lachit himself executed his uncle for dereliction of duty while the embankment was being constructed at Amingaon at North Guwahati. Though this incident finds no mention in any historical document, tradition accords Lachit the quote "My uncle is not greater than my country". Nevertheless, it is recorded that the Borphukan passed an order that the punishment for dereliction of duty was decapitation. This caused a slight furore since only the king was allowed to execute a subject by shedding blood, and in a meeting at the capital, this was discussed. The chief queen, citing the war, intervened on Borphukan's behalf and the order was allowed to stand and the fortifications were completed.
↑ Ahom war-boats were called bacharis, which were similar to the war boats in Bengal, called kosa or ranatari, except that the bachari had one leveled plank to the kosa's two projecting horns (Kakoty 2003:109).
Lachit Borphukan was an army general, primarily known for commanding the Ahom Army and the victory in the Battle of Saraighat (1671) that thwarted an invasion by the vastly superior Mughal Forces under the command of Ramsingh I. He died about a year later in April 1672.
Koch Hajo (1581–1616) was the kingdom under Raghudev and his son Parikshit Narayan of the Koch dynasty that stretched from Sankosh River in the west to the Bhareli River in the east on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River. It was created by dividing the Kamata kingdom then under Nara Narayan in medieval Assam. The Sankosh River divided the two new kingdoms, and it is roughly the boundary between the present-day Assam and West Bengal. The western half of the Kamata kingdom emerged as Koch Bihar whereas the eastern half emerged as Koch Hajo. The name Hajo comes from the legendary king Hajo, a Koch tribal chief and an ancestor of the Koch dynasty, who ruled over the Rangpur division in present-day Bangladesh and some regions of present-day Assam.
The Treaty of Ghilajharighat, Tipam, was signed between the Ahoms and the Mughal forces led by Mir Jumla II on January 23, 1663. The treaty Mir Jumla II brought occupation of the Ahom capital, Garhgaon, to an end.
Mirza Raja Ram Singh I was the Raja of the Kingdom of Amber and head of the Kachwaha Rajput clan, succeeding his father Mirza Raja Jai Singh I. He also served as the general of the Mughal Empire and commander-in-chief of its army as well as the Subahdar of Kashmir.
Ahom–Mughal wars refers to the series of 17th-century conflicts between the Ahoms and the Mughals over the control of the Brahmaputra valley. It began soon after the eastern branch of the Kamata kingdom then under the Koch dynasty, Koch Hajo, collapsed after a sustained Mughal campaign bringing it face-to-face with the eastern Ahoms. After nearly seventy years of sustained efforts, the Mughals were finally ousted in the Battle of Itakhuli in 1682. The Mughals since then maintained interest in the region west of the Manas River via zamindars, till they were ousted from Bengal by the British about a hundred years later.
Choapha Supatpha also Swargadeo Gadadhar Singha, was the twenty-ninth king of Ahom kingdom, who reigned from 1681 to 1696. He established the rule of Tungkhungia royal house of Ahom kings, whose descendants continued to rule till the climactic end of the Ahom kingdom in 1826. He was a son of Gobar raja, a descendant of Suhungmung, and who had become king for twenty days. Gadadhar Singha stabilized the Ahom kingdom, which was going through a long decade of political turmoil and instability. This period saw the ruthless power grab of Debera Borbarua and Laluksola Borphukan's abandonment of Guwahati to the hands of Mughals and oppression via Sulikphaa alias Lora Roja.
Ismail Siddique, who is popularly known as Bagh Hazarika, was a 17th-century commander who fought against the Mughals for the Ahom kingdom. He is culturally represented as "Hero of Indigenous Muslim Communities in Assam". He was born in an Assamese Muslim family at Dhekerigaon village near Garhgaon in Assam
Borphukan was one of the five patra mantris (councillors) in the Ahom kingdom, a position that was created by the Ahom king Prataap Singha. The position included both executive and judicial powers, with jurisdiction of the Ahom kingdom west of Kaliabor river. The headquarters of Borphukan was based in Kaliabor and after the Battle of Itakhuli in 1681 in Itakhuli in Guwahati. This position was particularly important and powerful because of its distance from the Ahom capital, giving it a semblance of independence. The region to the east of Kaliabor was governed by the Borbarua. Lachit Deka later became Borphukan or the ruler of Lower Assam according to the fifth chronicles of the Satsori Asom Buranji.
Supangmung, also known as Chakradhwaj Singha, was an important Ahom king under whom the Ahom kingdom took back Guwahati from the Mughals following the reverses at the hands of Mir Jumla and the Treaty of Ghilajharighat. He is known for his fierce pride as an Ahom monarch.
Bahgaria Atan Burhagohain earlier Bahgaria Arjun Gohain was the Premier of the Ahom Kingdom from 1662 to till his death in 1679. He was one able minister and general, who played significant role during the Ahom–Mughal conflicts. He was made Burhagohain on January 1662, after the previous holder of the office was sacked on the accounts of his incompetence to fight against the Mughals. During the time of internal dissension that followed, he took an active role and played prominently till his assassination in 1679 by the Borphukan. He is best known for his foresight, judgment, and patriotism; and his loyalty to the Ahom throne for which he refused to accept the Ahom crown twice when offered to him.
Sunyatphaa also Udayaditya Singha was the king of Ahom Kingdom from 1670 CE to 1672 CE. After his elder brother Swargadeo Chakradhwaj Singha died in the middle of Ahom-Mughal war, Udayaditya Singha succeeded to the throne. His reign witnessed the end of Ahom-Mughal war, which started during the reign of Chakradhwaj Singha, when the Mughal army led by Rajput prince, Ram Singh I of Amber, was decisively defeated by the Ahom forces led by Ahom commander Lachit Borphukan in the Battle of Saraighat. The later part of his reign was characterized by the failure of military expedition against the Dafala tribes and the influence of Paramananda Sannyasi, a saintly figure from Brindaban, over Udayaditya Singha. Udayaditya's over exerted devotion towards Paramananda Sanyasi, aroused dissatisfaction among the nobles, which ultimately caused his deposition and execution. His reign was followed by a series of political anarchy and internal disturbances in the Ahom kingdom which continued till the accession of Gadadhar Singha in 1681 CE.
Suhung also known as Samaguria Rojaa Khamjang was a king of the medieval Indian Ahom kingdom who ruled for a very short period. While most of the chronicles put the number of days of his reign as 20, in some chronicles the duration of his reign was shown as one month and fifteen days. Suhung was installed as king of Ahom kingdom by Debera Borbarua after the latter poisoned Ahom king Ramdhwaj Singha. His reign was characterized by the atrocities committed by his minister Debera Borbarua. Finally, Suhung decided to get rid of Debera Borbarua and put an end to his reign of tyranny, but the powerful minister outsmarted the king, by secretly poisoning his medicine and killing him.
Gobar was the king of the Ahom kingdom for a duration of about three weeks. He was the first king from Tungkhungia line of Ahom dynasty, and the father of Gadadhar Singha, a later Ahom king. He was installed by Debera Borbarua, a powerful officer in the capital Garhgaon. Gobar was the last king installed by Debera before both were removed and executed by the Saraighatia Ahom officers under the leadership of Atan Burhagohain.
The Battle of Itakhuli was fought in August 1682 between the Ahom Kingdom and the Mughal Empire. The Ahoms pushed back Mughal control to the west of the Manas River. The main battle was fought at a garrison island on the Brahmaputra, in which the Mughal fauzdar, Mansur Khan, was defeated and the remnant of the Mughal forces pursued to the Manas River. With this win, the Ahoms recovered Sarkar Kamrup from the Mughals.
Sudoiphaa or Tej Singha was the king of Ahom kingdom from 1677 CE to 1679 CE. After deposing king Sujinphaa, Atan Burhagohain, the Prime-Minister of Ahom Kingdom, installed Sudoiphaa in the throne. Sudoiphaa's reign witnessed the end of the ministerial dictatorship of Atan Burhagohain and rise of Laluksola Borphukan, the Ahom Viceroy of Guwahati and Lower Assam, as the real authority behind the throne. In order to gain absolute authority in the Royal Court, Laluksola Borphukan, treacherously surrendered the garrison of Guwahati to Mughals, and held Atan Burhagohain and other nobles as captive. Sudoiphaa's effort to reestablish his authority and bring the ambitious Laluk Sola Borphukan to justice for his treachery against his country and collaboration with the foreigners, finally led to his own deposition and execution by the ambitious minister.
Sulikphaa also, Ratnadhwaj Singha was the twenty-eighth king of the Ahom Kingdom. He was only 14 years of age when Laluksola Borphukan, the Ahom viceroy of Guwahati and Lower Assam, raised him to the throne, after deposing the former king, Sudoiphaa. Due to his young age at the time of his accession, he was generally known as Lora Raja or the Boy-king. His reign was characterized by the atrocities committed by Laluksola Borphukan, who held the real authority behind the throne, in his name. The most notorious act which occurred during his reign was the mutilation of Ahom princes belonging to different phoids or clans of the Royal Ahom Dynasty. While most of the Ahom princes suffered mutilation, Prince Gadapani, the future king Gadadhar Singha, from the Tungkhungia branch of the Royal Ahom Dynasty, escaped, due to the efforts of his illustrious wife, Joymoti Konwari, who refused to divulge any information regarding her husband's whereabouts even in face of the tortures inflicted by the henchmen of Lora Raja. After Laluksola Borphukan was assassinated in court intrigues, the nobles at Kaliabar decided to get rid of the incompetent Lora Raja and put an able prince on the throne. Prince Gadapani, who was living incognito at a place called Rani in Kamrup at that time, was nominated for the throne. Sulikphaa or Lora Raja was deposed and exiled to Namrup, only to be executed later on.
Ramani Gabharu was a princess of Kingdom of Assam and the first wife of titular Mughal emperor Muhammad Azam Shah. She was sent to the Mughal Emperor as part of the Treaty of Ghilajharighat at the age of seven and was renamed Rahmat Banu Begum after she married Muhammad Azam Shah.
The Invasions of Assam by Islamic rulers began in 1206 when the Turko-Afghan Muhammad-i-Bakhtiyar passed through Kamarupa against Tibet. Another disastrous invasion in 1532 by Bengal Sultanate under its commander Turbak was repulsed. The last attempt was the Battle of Saraighat in 1671 under Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The Ahom kingdom removed the vestigial Mughal power from Western Assam up to the Manas river in 1682 after the Battle of Itakhuli.
The Battle of Alaboi was fought between the Ahom Kingdom and the Mughal Empire around 5 August 1669. The result was a Mughal victory, but Ram Singh I's next move was to open negotiations for peace. The Assamese also were tired of war, and hostilities were suspended for a time. Soon after the battle of Alaboi, Chakradhwaj Singha died in 1669. He was succeeded by his brother Udayaditya Singha. This was part of the seizure of Guwahati that led up to the final Battle of Saraighat which the Ahoms won.
Momai Tamuli Borborua (?–1650) also known by his other names Tyiring Phiseng and Sukuti was an Ahom general, statesman, and noble and the first incumbent to the office of the Borbarua. He is popularly known for systemizing the paik system and for being the father of famous Ahom general Lachit Borphukan.
References
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Gogoi, Padmeshwar (1968), The Tai and the Tai kingdoms, Guwahati: Gauhati University
Kakoty, Sanjeeb (2003), Technology, production and Social Formation in the evolution of the Ahom State, Regency Publications, New Delhi
Sarkar, J. N. (1992), "Chapter VIII Assam-Mughal Relations", in Barpujari, H. K. (ed.), The Comprehensive History of Assam, vol.2, Guwahati: Assam Publication Board, pp.148–256
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Ahom Kingdom 
Mughal Empire 
Jaipur State 
