Human Resource Management in the Ahom Period

Global Journal of HUMAN-SOCIAL SCIENCE: D History, Archaeology & Anthropology Volume 21 Issue 1 Version 1.0 Year 2021 Type: Double Blind Peer Reviewed International Research Journal Publisher: Global Journals Online ISSN: 2249-460x & Print ISSN: 0975-587X

Human Resource Management in the Ahom Period (1228-1641AD) : An Analytical Study By Nipon Panging Introduction- Medieval Assam during the period of the Ahom rule (1228-1826AD) witnessed a certain degree of development in the fields of society, polity, economy, religion and culture. Land and man were the main sources of revenue in the state1. In this development process the role and contribution of the people, known as paiks, are remarkable. The Ahoms were more agricultural than raiding conquerors as the founder of the kingdom, Sukapha (1228-1268 AD), himself engaged in agricultural activities2. The Ahoms had an improved mode of production such as wet rice cultivation compared to the existing tribes of the Brahmaputra valley. The local tribes were subjugated through the introduction of exacting personal service from them. Virgin lands were brought under cultivation from time to time under royal supervision during the Ahom period (1228-1826AD)3. With the extension of the power from its foundation in 13th century AD to 17th century AD the existing system of exacting personal service from the subjects to be elaborated and reorganized. The political condition contributed in the growth of common identity among the rulers. During the period of Ahom king Pratap Singha (1603-1641 AD) Momai Tamuli Barbarua resettled the old villages and settled new ones on the basis of the Paik or Khel system4 . GJHSS-D Classification: FOR Code: 430111

HumanResourceManagementintheAhomPeriod12281641ADAnAnalyticalStudy

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© 2021. Nipon Panging. This is a research/review paper, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Human Resource Management in the Ahom Period (1228-1641AD) : An Analytical Study

Nipon Panging

the Paik or Khel system every able bodied individual of ntroduction I the age group 16-50 yrs was registered as a Paik or 6 edieval Assam during the period of the revenue paying unit . To know the actual number of the Ahom rule (1228-1826AD) witnessed a resources Momai Tamuli Barbarua conducted the Mcertain degree of development in the fields survey of land and census of population. He strictly took of society, polity, economy, religion and culture. Land all these measures to furnish the state with actual data 1 and man were the main sources of revenue in the state . required for fixing the land revenue due to the fact that 2021 In this development process the role and contribution the revenue amount depended on the size of the ear of the people, known as paiks, are remarkable. The population. The male between twelve and sixteen years, Y Ahoms were more agricultural than raiding conquerors were undergo a training and known as chengra Paik7. To 27 as the founder of the kingdom, Sukapha (1228-1268 meet the demand of the state and to ensure the AD), himself engaged in agricultural activities2. The exacting of service from each and every able bodied Ahoms had an improved mode of production such as people Momai Tamuli Barbarua resettled the old villages wet rice cultivation compared to the existing tribes of the by breaking the big families and made it sure that every Brahmaputra valley. The local tribes were subjugated Paik would render service to the state. Four Paiks called through the introduction of exacting personal service as got was formed and they rendered service to the from them. Virgin lands were brought under cultivation state in rotation i.e. one paik was to serve for a period from time to time under royal supervision during the of three months in a year during the monarchy. A Ahom period (1228-1826AD)3. With the extension of the number of got formed a Khel for a particular kind of work power from its foundation in 13th century AD to 17th for the state. In times of peace the paiks were the century AD the existing system of exacting personal labourers doing all productive works and in times of war service from the subjects to be elaborated and they were the soldiers. On the basis of their actual roles, reorganized. The political condition contributed in the they divided into two classes namely-Kanri-the paik and ) D

8 growth of common identity among the rulers. During the Chamua-the apaikans . To look after the paiks officials ( period of Ahom king Pratap Singha (1603-1641 AD) were created over twenty number of paiks to number of Volume XXI Issue I Version Momai Tamuli Barbarua resettled the old villages and six thousand and more. Moreover, the paiks could settled new ones on the basis of the Paik or Khel demand for the change or replacement of their officers. system4 .This system proved to be the most efficient A paik was allotted two puras of cultivable land for which system and became the backbone of the socio-political no cash revenue was charged 9. The land was neither - organization of medieval Assam. Through this system hereditary nor transferrable and in fact the land the kingdom held the authority over man and land and belonged to the khel and allotted only by that particular utilized the manpower by exacting personal services community. from them. The aim of this paper is to study the The Paik system was a very effective system for management of the human resource i.e. the Paik system the state as it ensured the service of the every individual. of the medieval Assam and the role of Momai Tamuli The system provided equal shares of work and equal Barbarua. remuneration to the Paiks. There prevailed a strong The organization of the society of medieval bonding and a sense of responsibility among the paiks. Assam and management of the workforce began from The system supported a socialist view in terms of the days of the founder of the kingdom Sukapha 5. With distribution of the land and also a kind of democracy by Global Journal of Human Social Science the extension of the Ahom kingdom, the administration allowing them to act against incapable officials. The role and to meet all the internal exigencies, besides to build of obstruction to the possible growth of the guild system up a resistance against the Mughals, Momai Tamuli and the trade, developing a class struggle within the Barbarua under the patronage of the king Pratap Singha system and fixation of a particular work for a particular reorganized the Paik system effectively. Land and khel were seemed to be some demerits of the Paik people were considered as property of the state and system. From the study, the competency of Momai they paid revenues in terms of physical labour. Under Tamuli Barbarua in the management of the human Author: Asstt. Professor, Deptt of History, Lakhimpur Girls’ College, resource can be assessed. Some of the basic elements North Lakhimpur, India. e-mail: [email protected] of human resource management, such as the strategic

planning, the organization of the skilled workers, developing a better environment among the workers, responsibility of the individuals of a group towards each other and the most important, the maximum utilization of the manpower for the parent body etc. were seen in the paik system and thus make it a relevant topic of study. References Références Referencias 1. Gait, E., A History of Assam, 3rd Indian Reprint, Surjeet Publication, New Delhi, 2006, p 254. 2. Baruah, S.L., A Comprehensive History of Assam, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers pvt. Ltd, New Delhi, 2003, p 222. 3. Ibid p 252. 4. Bhuyan, S.K., ed., Satsori Asom Buranji, Bani 2021 Mandir, Guwahati, p 42.

ear 5. Goswami, H.C., ed., Purani Assam Buranji, Y

Guwahati, 1932, p 46. 28 6. Baruah, S.L., op. cit., p 393.

7. Goswami S.K., A History of Revenue Administration in Assam (1228-1826 AD), Spectrum Publication, Guwahati, 1986, p 56. 8. Baruah, S.L., op.cit, p 394. 9. Gait, E., op. cit., p 255.

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