The Forgotten Saga of Rangpur's Ahoms
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High Technology Letters ISSN NO : 1006-6748 The Forgotten Saga of Rangpur’s Ahoms - An Ethnographic Approach Barnali Chetia, PhD, Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Vadodara, India. Department of Linguistics Abstract- Mong Dun Shun Kham, which in Assamese means xunor-xophura (casket of gold), was the name given to the Ahom kingdom by its people, the Ahoms. The advent of the Ahoms in Assam was an event of great significance for Indian history. They were an offshoot of the great Tai (Thai) or Shan race, which spreads from the eastward borders of Assam to the extreme interiors of China. Slowly they brought the whole valley under their rule. Even the Mughals were defeated and their ambitions of eastward extensions were nipped in the bud. Rangpur, currently known as Sivasagar, was that capital of the Ahom Kingdom which witnessed the most glorious period of its regime. Rangpur or present day sivasagar has many remnants from Ahom Kingdom, which ruled the state closely for six centuries. An ethnographic approach has been attempted to trace the history of indigenous culture and traditions of Rangpur's Ahoms through its remnants in the form of language, rites and rituals, religion, archaeology, and sacred sagas. Key Words- Rangpur, Ahoms, Culture, Traditions, Ethnography, Language, Indigenous I. Introduction “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare, the lone and level sands stretch far away.” -P.B Shelley Rangpur or present day Sivasagar was one of the most prominent capitals of the Ahom Kingdom. Sivasagar, the district which lies to the east of Jorhat on the south bank of the Brahmaputra, is the most opulent district of upper Assam in terms of historical and archaeological remains. The story behind this rich archaeological remnants can be traced back to the geographical history of the Ahoms. Most of the territories covered by the district once formed the core areas of the Ahom kingdom. The Ahom monarchs founded several capitals there such as Charaideo, Charagua, Bakata, Garhgaon and Rangpur. Bearing the testimony of culture, heritage and advanced engineering skills, Sivasagar witnesses fortifications, palatial buildings, temples, tanks, burial graves and other structures. Rangpur was established during the rule of the Ahom king Sukrunghpha or Swargadeo Rudra Singha in (1696-1714). The river 'Dikhow' was on the North of the town and the river Volume 26, Issue 8, 2020 276 http://www.gjstx-e.cn/ High Technology Letters ISSN NO : 1006-6748 'Namdang' on the South. King Rudrashingha shifted the capital from Gargaon and first established the capital of his kingdom in Tengabari of Meteka area. And then he dug the famous tank of Joysagar. There after he built Talatal Ghar, Ranganath Dol, Phakuwa Dol and Vishnu Dol on the bank of Joysagar tank respectively. He also built the 'xilor xaku' or stone bridge over 'Namdang' river. Later Pramatta singha completed the construction of the famous 'Rang ghar' situated on the west of Talatal Ghar. The construction of Rang Ghar started during his father Rudra Singha's reign. Rangpur, as the capital, witnessed the most glorious period of Ahom rule. It fell twice to rebels of the Maomoria rebellion. In the first instance, the rebels occupied Rangpur for a few months between 1769 and 1770, when the then King, Lakshmi Singha, was kept in captivity. In the second instance, the rebels occupied the capital in 1788 and held on to it till 1792. It was only after the intervention of the East India Company that Rangpur was taken back from the clutches of the Maomoriyas. With this the status of capital was bestowed to Jorhat, and it remained the last capital of the Ahom Kingdom. II. The Advent of the Ahoms The advent of the Ahoms in Assam was an event of great significance for Indian history. They were an offshoot of the great Tai (Thai) or Shan race, which spreads from the eastward borders of Assam to the extreme interiors of China. Slowly they brought the whole valley under their rule. As the story goes, the Tai prince Sukapha left Mong Mao (now a province of Yunnan in Peoples Republic of China) in 1215 AD as a result of some sibling dispute. It is said that he was accompanied by three queens, two sons and a daughter; chiefs from five other dependent Mongs (Gogoi 1968:256-57), members of the priestly class and soldiers, a total contingent of around 9,000 people. It is further said that, in this journey of fortune hunting, several hundreds of commoners also joined the core group. The journey from Yunan to Assam was a time taking one. He had to pass through Myitkyina, Mogaung and a part of the Irrawady river valley. On reaching the Nangyang lake in 1227, Sukapha had to face the Nagas, known to be one of the most savage tribes. Sukapha defeated the Nagas and established a Mong to administer the people and the place. In December 1228, after crossing the Patkai hills at the Pangsau Pass, Sukapha with his people reached Namrup. This journey from Yunnan to Namrup took about thirteen years. And in the year 1253 Charaideo was declared as the first capital of the Ahom kingdom. The advent of Ahoms under Sukapha was a very significant event in the history of Assam. This single event changed the whole history of this north eastern state. Unlike British, who believed in “Divide and Rule” policy, Ahoms believed in its own unique policy of “Unite and Rule.” Assam witnessed a new dawn of unification of the entire state under the able supervision of Sukapha. He sent proposals of friendship to the Morans and Borahis, the two major ethnic groups of the region. And the friendship between these groups were made strong by marital ties. Towards the end of the medieval period, Suhungmung or Swarganarayan Dihingia Raja became one of the most prominent rulers of the Ahom dynasty. He was the fourteenth ruler of the dynasty. During his reign, the influence of Hinduism on the Ahom dynasty gained ground. He was also the pioneer to initiate the work on compilation in the form of 'buranjis' or histories. Infact the term 'swargadeo' in Assamese language and 'Chao-pha' in Tai Ahom language were Volume 26, Issue 8, 2020 277 http://www.gjstx-e.cn/ High Technology Letters ISSN NO : 1006-6748 generated from the sacred stories wherein Lord Indra (Lengdon) and Shyama (a lady from the lower caste) united to create the lineage of Indravamsa Kshatriyas or Ahoms. The Chutia and Kachari kingdoms were annexed. The kingdom was defended against the first Muslim invasion by Turbak Khan. The Ahom kingdom expanded well under the able guidance of Suhungmung or Swarganarayan Dihingia Raja. Suhungmung's end was a saga of betrayal, he was assassinated by one of his servant called Ratiman, who stabbed him during his sleep. It is alleged that his son Suklenmung got him murdered. The seventeenth king of the Ahom dynasty, Susenghphaa, also known as Pratap Singha or Burha Raja, was another prominent king of the Ahom dynasty. His reign saw the beginning of the conflict between the Ahoms and the Mughals, a major reform in the village economy with the introduction of Paik system, creation of two new posts (office holders)- Borborua and Borphukan, alliances with Koch and Hajos were made. The administrative structure created by Susenghphaa stayed till the end of the Ahom dynasty in Assam. Another major king of the Ahom dynasty was Supangmung also known as Chakradhwaj Singha. It was during his reign that the treaty of Ghilajharighat took place. One year after his death, in the battle of Saraighat, the mughals were defeated under the able guidance of Lachit Borphukan. After this, the brothers of Supanmung ascended the throne one after another for short durations. They were Sunyatphaa (Udayaaditya Singha) Suklamphaa (Saru Gohain or Ramadhwaj Singha). There were a few more weak rulers till the succession of Gadadhar Singha. With the commencement of Gadadhar Singha or Gadapaani, the Tungkhungia clan of the Ahoms came into being. He was a strong king who reinstated the power of the Ahoms. He took back Guwahati from the clutches of the Mughals. The famous legend of 'Joimati' and 'Jerenga Pothar' is in every Ahom's mouth till today. Without the sacrifice of Joimati, Gadapaani would have lost his life in the hands of 'Lora Raja' (Sulikphaa). Sukrungphaa or Rudra Singha with his able administration and farsightedness pushed the kingdom to its most glorious time. The conflict with the Vaishnava Sattras which began during the time of Gadadhar Singha continued during the time of Rudra Singha too. Bihu for the first time was celebrated in the courtyard of the royal palace. This gave a formal status to this dance form. The famous Joysagar tank (pond) was built by him, which was also known as the largest artificial tank in India. He also built the Ranganath Dol (Temple) and the Namdang Xilor Xaku (Stone Bridge). All the four sons of Rudra Singha ascended the throne one after another. The construction of the famous Ahom historical monuments Rang Ghar and Kareng Ghar in Rangpur were completed during the regime of king Surempha, the fourth son of Rudra Singha. After the demise of Surempha, the next two kings to ascend the throne of the Ahom dynasty were Sunyeophaa and Suklingphaa. Sudingphaa ascended the throne twice as the king of the Ahom dynasty. Assam witnessed the second Burmese invasion during the regime of Sudingphaa. In 1821, the Burmese crowned Jogeshwar Singha as the king, but in 1833, he was dethroned by Purandar Singha.