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The Ahom, or Tai-Ahom is an ethnic group from the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The members of this group are admixed descendants of the Tai people who reached the Brahmaputra valley of Assam in 1228 and the local indigenous people who joined them over the course of history. Sukaphaa, the leader of the Tai group and his 9000 followers established the Ahom kingdom, which controlled much of the Brahmaputra Valley in modern Assam until 1826.
The Ahom dynasty (1228–1826) ruled the Ahom Kingdom in present-day Assam, India for nearly 598 years. The dynasty was established by Sukaphaa, a Shan prince of Mong Mao who came to Assam after crossing the Patkai mountains. The rule of this dynasty ended with the Burmese invasion of Assam and the subsequent annexation by the British East India Company following the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826.
Suhungmung, or Dihingia Roja I was one of the most prominent Ahom Kings who ruled at the cusp of Assam's medieval history. His reign broke from the early Ahom rule and established a multi-ethnic polity in his kingdom. Under him the Ahom Kingdom expanded greatly for the first time since Sukaphaa, at the cost of the Chutia and the Dimasa kingdoms. He also successfully defended his kingdom against Muslim invasions, first by a general called Bar Ujjir and another by Turbak Khan. During his time, the Khen dynasty collapsed and the Koch dynasty ascended in the Kamata kingdom. His general, Ton-kham, pursued the Muslims up to the Karatoya river, the western boundary of the erstwhile Kamarupa Kingdom, the farthest west an Ahom military force had ventured in its entire six hundred years of rule.
Susenghphaa or Pratap Singha, was the 17th and one of the most prominent kings of the Ahom kingdom. As he was advanced in years when he became king, he is also called the burha Raja. His reign saw an expansion of the Ahom kingdom to the west, the beginning of the Ahom-Mughal conflicts, and a reorganization of the kingdom with an expanded Paik system and reoriented village economy designed by Momai Tamuli Borbarua. His expansion to the west is underlined by the two new offices that he created: that of the Borbarua and the Borphukan. The alliances he formed with the rulers of Koch Hajo resulted in formation that successfully thwarted Mughal expansion. The administrative structure that he created survived until the end of the Ahom kingdom in 1826.
The Ahom kingdom was a late medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam. It maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years having successfully resisted Mughal expansion in Northeast India. Established by Sukaphaa, a Tai prince from Mong Mao, it began as a mong in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra based on wet rice agriculture. It expanded suddenly under Suhungmung in the 16th century and became multi-ethnic in character, casting a profound effect on the political and social life of the entire Brahmaputra valley. The kingdom became weaker with the rise of the Moamoria rebellion, and subsequently fell to repeated Burmese invasions of Assam. With the defeat of the Burmese after the First Anglo-Burmese War and the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826, control of the kingdom passed into East India Company hands.
Borboruah was one of the five patra mantris (councillors) in the Ahom kingdom, a position created by the Ahom king Prataap Singha in 1621. The position included both executive and judicial powers, with jurisdiction of the Ahom kingdom east of Kaliabor river and those regions not governed by the three great Gohains, and the princely estates. The region to the west of Kaliabor was governed by the Borphukan.
Borgohain was the second of the two original counselors in the Ahom kingdom. He was selected by the Ahom king from members of the Ahom nobility, who vowed not to fight for the position of Ahom kingship, rather act as a guide to the Ahom king in matters of administering his province in an efficient manner .The other original counsellor is the Burhagohain. Both the positions existed from the time of the first Ahom king, Sukaphaa. After the first major expansion of the Ahom kingdom, the Sadiya province was initially given to the Borgohain to administer. But later in the year 1527, he was replaced by King-lun Buragohain who was made Thao-mung Bo-ngen. After that, he was given the region south of the Dikhou river to Kaliabor on the south bank. In later times, he administered the region east of Burai on the north bank, as Borbarua was given the charge of territories between Sadiya province to Kaliabor.
Borpatragohain was the third of the three great Gohains (counsellors) in the Ahom kingdom. This position was created by Suhungmung Dihingia Raja in the year 1527 when Konsheng was made the first Borpatrogohain. The designation was borrowed from Vrihat-patra, the Habung dependent of the Chutiya king.
Suklingphaa, or Kamaleswar Singha, was a king of the Ahom kingdom. He came to power when he was a toddler, and died in his teens during a small pox epidemic. The de facto ruler during his reign was Purnanada Burhagohain, who was able to consolidate power after installing him on the throne; and his parents Kadamdighala and Numali also were very powerful. Kamaleswar Singha's reign witnessed the suppression of Moamoria rebellion and restoration of Ahom rule over Upper Assam. The Dundiya Revolution in Kamrup was also suppressed during his reign. In Nagaon, the Ahom army also managed to defeat a coalition of Moamoria rebels and the Kacharis of Kachari Kingdom. Much of this was the handiwork of Purnananda Burhagohain and not Kamaleshwar Singha.
Suklamphaa also Ramadhwaj Singha was a king of the Ahom kingdom. His reign is known for the rise in power of Debera Borbarua and the beginning of a ten-year period of power struggles among high officials of the kingdom that saw quick changes in kings via court intrigues and internal armed conflicts.
The Chutia Kingdom was a late medieval state that developed around Sadiya in present Assam and adjoining areas in Arunachal Pradesh. It extended over almost the entire region of present districts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, and some parts of Dibrugarh in Assam, as well as the plains and foothills of Arunachal Pradesh. The kingdom fell in 1523-1524 to the Ahom Kingdom after a series of conflicts and the capital area ruled by the Chutia rulers became the administrative domain of the office of Sadia Khowa Gohain of the Ahom kingdom.
Sudingphaa also, Chandrakanta Singha, was a Tungkhungia king of the Ahom dynasty, who ruled at the climactic of the Ahom kingdom. His reign witnessed the invasion of Burmese on Assam and its subsequent occupation by British East India Company. He was installed as King twice. His first reign ended when Ruchinath Burhagohain deposed him and installed Purandar Singha in his stead. His second reign ended with his defeat at the hands of the invading Burmese army. He continued his militant efforts to regain his kingdom as well as to keep Purandar Singha at bay. Finally he submitted himself to Burmese who induced him to believe that they will make him king. Instead he was seized and placed in confinement at Rangpur. After the defeat of Burmese in the First Anglo-Burmese War and subsequent peace Treaty of Yandabo on 24 February 1826 CE, Assam passed into the hand of British. Most of the members of Ahom Royal family were granted pensions. Chandrakanta Singha received a pension of 500 rupees. He first lived in Kaliabor and later on at Guwahati. He visited Calcutta in order to request the restoration of his kingdom but in vain. He died in 1839 CE soon after his return to Guwahati.
Sukhrangpha or Tao Shukhampha was the king of Ahom kingdom from 1332 CE to 1364 CE. He had to face the revolt led by his youngest brother Chao Pulai or Tai Sulai (there are confusion in Ahom historians whether Chao Pulai and Tai Sulai were same or different personality. Eventually he came in terms with Chao Pulai by appointing him as Charing Raja, a newly created official post to administer the region of Charing. Later the post of Charing Raja was usually conferred to the heir apparent to the throne. It can be compared with the title of Prince of Wales of England, where the heir apparent to the throne was conferred with this title.
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.
Sujinphaa also Arjun Konwar, was a Namrupiya king of the Ahom kingdom. Atan Burhagohain installed him on the throne after removing Debera Borbarua from power and deposing the previous king, Gobar Roja. Sujinphaa began his reign well with proper advice and support from Atan Burhagohain and other nobles. But soon, acting on the advice of his wife and other advisors, the king began to defy the authority of the Burhagohain, which resulted in a head-on collision between both sides. The king successfully defended the first onslaught of Atan Burhagohain's forces, but fell to the second, which was reinforced with troops from Guwahati. Sujinphaa was deposed and blinded. Some sources state that he killed himself, while some sources maintain that he was murdered by Bhatdhara Phukan, the brother of Laluksola Borphukan.
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.
Ahomisation was an assimilation process in the former Ahom kingdom of Assam by which the people from different ethnic groups in the region became a part of what is now considered as the Ahom population.
References
- ↑ ( Bhuyan 1964 :68) "Borgohain and Buragohain were given the charge of Sadiya and Dihing province respectively."
- ↑ ( Gogoi 2002 :42) "The Buragohain ruled over the territory extending from Sadiya in the east to river Gerelua in the west on the north bank of the Brahmaputra river."
- ↑ ( Gogoi 2002 :43) "The Borbarua was the chief executive officer of the state exercising his power from Sadiya to Koliabor in Upper Assam."
- ↑ Prachya-Sasanavali. p. 177.