Srimanta Sankardev was a 15th–16th century Assamese polymath; a saint-scholar, poet, playwright, dancer, actor, musician, artist social-religious reformer and a figure of importance in the cultural and religious history of Assam, India. He is widely credited with building on past cultural relics and devising new forms of music (Borgeet), theatrical performance, dance (Sattriya), literary language (Brajavali). Besides, he has left an extensive literary oeuvre of trans-created scriptures, poetry and theological works written in Sanskrit, Assamese and Brajavali. The Bhagavatic religious movement he started, Ekasarana Dharma and also called Neo-Vaishnavite movement, influenced two medieval kingdoms – Koch and the Ahom kingdom – and the assembly of devotees he initiated evolved over time into monastic centers called Sattras, which continue to be important socio-religious institutions in Assam and to a lesser extent in North Bengal. Sankardev inspired the Bhakti movement in Assam just as Guru Nanak, Ramananda, Namdev, Kabir, Basava and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu inspired it elsewhere in the Indian subcontinent.
Mājuli or Majuli is a river island in the Brahmaputra River, Assam and in 2016, it became the first island to be made a district in India. In the 1790s, the island covered an area of 1,300 km2 (500 sq mi). It had an area of 1,255 square kilometres (485 sq mi) at the beginning of the 20th century, but having lost significantly to erosion it covers 352 square kilometres (136 sq mi) as at 2014. Majuli has shrunk as the river surrounding it has grown.
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.
The Koch dynasty ruled parts of eastern Indian subcontinent in present-day Assam and Bengal. Biswa Singha established power in the erstwhile Kamata Kingdom which had emerged from the decaying Kamarupa Kingdom. The dynasty came to power by removing the Baro-Bhuyans, who had earlier removed the short-lived rule established by Alauddin Hussain Shah.
The Moamoria rebellion (1769–1805) was an 18th-century uprising in Ahom kingdom of present-day Assam that began as power struggle between the Moamorias (Mataks), the adherents of the Mayamara Sattra, and the Ahom kings. This uprising spread widely to other sections of Ahom kingdom including disgruntled elements of the Ahom aristocracy leading to two periods in which the Ahom king lost control of the capital. Retaking the capital was accompanied by a massacre of subjects, leading to a steep depopulation of large tracts. The Ahom king failed to retake the entire kingdom; a portion in the north-east, Bengmara, became known as Matak Rajya ruled by a newly created office called Borsenapati, became a tribute-paying but virtually independent territory.
Ekasarana Dharma is a neo-Vaishnavite monolithic religion propagated by Srimanta Sankardeva in the 15th-16th century in the Indian state of Assam. It reduced focus on Vedic ritualism and focuses on devotion (bhakti) to Krishna in the form of congregational listening (shravan) and singing his name and deeds (kirtan).
Supaatpha also, Gadadhar Singha, established the rule of the Tungkhungia clan of the Ahom kings that ruled the Ahom kingdom till its climactic end. He was the son of Gobar Roja, a descendant of Suhungmung, and who had become the king for a mere 20 days. Previously known as Godapani, Supatphaa was able to stabilize the kingdom after the decade-long turmoil following the Ahom victory in the Battle of Saraighat. This period saw the ruthless power grab of Debera Borbarua and Laluksola Borphukan's abandonment of Guwahati and oppression via Sulikphaa Lora Roja. Supatphaa retook Guwahati from the Mughals for good, and established a strong rule of 'blood and iron'. He came into conflict with the Moamoria Vaishnava sattra which belonged to the folds of Kal "songhoti"and made way for Rudra Singha, his son and succeeding king, to take the kingdom to its zenith.
Sutanphaa also Siva Singha was the 31st king of Assam who reigned from He was the eldest son of Rudra Singha. Siva Singha was with his dying father at Guwahati, who then proceeded to the capital Rangpur where he ascended to the throne. He is noted for his elaborate system of espionage. He had numerous temples erected and made large gifts of land to them. With his support Hinduism became the pre-dominant religion of the Ahoms". The king was also a patron of music and literature and music and himself composed Sanskrit songs and learnt songs. During his reign also came the first Europeans to trade with Assam.
Satras are institutional centers associated with the Ekasarana tradition of Vaishnavism, largely found in the Indian state of Assam and neighboring regions. Numbering in the hundreds, these centers are generally independent of each other and under the control of individual adhikaras, though they can be grouped into four different Sanghatis (orders).
Naranarayan was the last ruler of the undivided Koch dynasty of the Kamata Kingdom. He succeeded his father, Biswa Singha. Under him the Koch kingdom reached its cultural and political zenith. Under his rule, and under the military command of his brother Chilarai, he was able to subjugate the entire Brahmaputra valley, including the Ahom kingdom; besides the Kachari, Tripura kingdoms, as well as the Khyrem, Jaintia and others. This influence was halted when he faced Suleman Karranni, the Sultan of Bengal.
Sutamla (1648–1663) Jayadhwaj Singha was the 20th king of the Ahom kingdom. During his reign the Mughal viceroy at Bengal Mir Jumla II invaded and occupied his capital Garhgaon as a result of which he had to retreat to the Namrup area, and because of this flight he is also known as the Bhagania Roja in the Buranjis. In the days of Jayadhwaj Singha Auniati Satra and Dakhinpat Satra was established. He formally accepted the initiation of Niranjan Bapu and settled him as the as Satradhikar in the Auniati Satra. He even exempted disciples of satra from personal labour to the state.
Damodardev (1488–1598) was sixteenth century Ekasarana preceptor from Nalaca, Nagaon. Damodardev was a follower of Sankardeva's Ekasarana dharma order. He started his own order after the death of Sankardeva that came to be called the Brahmasamhati, which admitted Brahmanical rituals and greater adherence to the caste system alongside the namadharma of Sankardev. He was succeeded by Bhattadeva.
The Sarania Kachari is an ethnic community also known as the Saranya Kacharis, is an indigenous community primarily found in the state of Assam, Northeast India. Members of this community are mostly found in the districts of Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup (Rural), Nalbari, Baksa, Udalguri, Darrang, Barpeta, Dhemaji and Bongaigoan. Sarania is a category in the tribe-caste continuum of Assamese society. This category is also known as Phairi in the Nowgong district of Assam. In this category, a tribal neophyte starts giving up on habits such as the drinking of liquor. Scholars have identified an instance of this process taking place in Boroma area in the erstwhile Nalbari district in the late 19th century, where a section of Boro population were assimilated into the Assamese society. The notable surnames used by the community are Sarania, Das, Deka, Choudhury, Medhi, Hazarika etc.
Basudev Than or Narua Satra is a satra located in Dhakuakhana, Lakhimpur, Assam. It was first established in the 14th century by the Chutia king Satyanarayan. Originally known as Laumura Satra, this satra is well known in Assam and other parts of India.
The Moamoria were the adherents of the egalitarian, proselytizing Mayamara Satra of 18th-century Assam, who initiated the Moamoria rebellion against the Ahom kingdom in the 18th century. The rebellion weakened the Ahom kingdom to such an extent that the kingdom became vulnerable to repeated Burmese invasions of Assam and the subsequent colonization by the British. The Moamorias were also called Mataks. Over time, the main groups that had supported the Ahom kingdom came to owe allegiance to the Moamara sattra: Morans, the Sonowal Kacharis (gold-washers), Chutias, professional castes such as Hiras (potters), Tantis (weavers), Kaibartas, and Ahom nobles and officers. The largest group among the Mataks were the Morans, followed by the Chutias.
Hinduism in the state of Assam, in Northeast India is the home to some of the most complex and poorly understood traditions in Hinduism. People follow traditions belonging to Shaivism, Saktism, Tantricism and an indigenous form of Vaishnavism called Ekasarana dharma; and taken together the practitioners constitute around 61% of the state population as per the 2011 Census. Hindus form a majority in 17 out of the 29 districts of Assam. By region, there is a significant diversity among the ethnic groups that profess the Hindu faith, traditions and customs. As per as 2011 Census, In Brahmaputra valley of Assam, Hindus constitute 62% of the population, most being ethnic Assamese. In the autonomous Bodoland region of Assam, Hindus constitute 71.3% of the region's population, most being of the Bodo tribe. In the Barak valley region of southern Assam, Hindus constitute 50% of the region's population, most being ethnic Sylhetis, a subgroup of Bengalis. The Hill Tribes of Assam, particularly the Karbi people of Karbi Anglong and Dimasa people of Dima Hasao are mainly Hindus.
Aniruddhadev (1553–1626) was a 16th-century Ekasarana preceptor from Assam. Born to a Bhuyan named Gondagiri, Aniruddhadev was a disciple of Gopal Ata and the founder of the Mayamara satra of the Kalasamhati, the followers of which revolted against Ahom kingdom.
Painting of Assam, the art of manuscript painting in the Assam region developed through the movement of Vaishnavism. Vaishnava saints were primarily responsible for the establishment of manuscript painting tradition in Assam. A large number of manuscript paintings were done and copied during the 16th to 19th centuries. Assam has a very long history of visual art from the pre-historic age up to the end of Ahom rule in 1826 A.D. Among the earliest reference of Assam painting, the account of Chinese traveller Xuanzang records that King Bhaskaravarman of Kamarupa who was a friend of King Harsa of Kanauj presented the king “Carved boxes of panels for painting with brushes and gourds."
Badala Padma Ata (1546-1678) was a Vaisnavite Preacher and a saint who propagated his teaching during 16th and 17th centuries. He was one of the principle founder of Nika Samathi along with Mathuradasa Ata and Keshav Ata, and established 24 Satras in Upper Assam including the famous Kamalabari Satra. He first met Madhavdev at Bhela Satra and became a very devout disciple of him.
