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Home , Ahom dynasty, Ahom people, Battle of Saraighat, Bihu, Borphukan, Chao Pha

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, . Department of Linguistics

Abstract- Mong Dun Shun Kham, which in Assamese means xunor-xophura (casket of gold), was the name given to the by its people, the Ahoms. The advent of the Ahoms in 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 . 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 , 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 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 , Charagua, Bakata, 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

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'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 , Ranganath Dol, Phakuwa Dol and 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 '' 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, 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 (now a province of 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, 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 , 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 . 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, or Swarganarayan Dihingia Raja became one of the most prominent rulers of the . He was the fourteenth ruler of the dynasty. During his reign, the influence of on the Ahom dynasty gained ground. He was also the pioneer to initiate the work on compilation in the form of '' or histories. Infact the term 'swargadeo' in and 'Chao-pha' in Tai were

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generated from the sacred stories wherein Lord (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 , creation of two new posts (office holders)- Borborua and , 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 , the mughals were defeated under the able guidance of . 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 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. 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 . Till 1838, until the British East India Company annexed the state of Assam, Purandar Singha ruled Assam. With this annexation, the rule of Ahom dynasty came to an end.

III. Language of the Ahoms The “Tai-Ahom” people originally came from what is now categorized as south-eastern China

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and northern Vietnam over the region now covered by Laos, northern Burma, and the . The Tai speaking people had to cross difficult terrains in order to reach the valleys with fertile lands. And what could be a better study than the Ahoms. The “Tai- Ahom” people when they came from Yunnan to Upper Assam, they brought with them their own language and manuscripts. They had their own language, script, culture, religion, literature and chronicles. The Tai language as spoken by the then Ahoms can be traced back to the Tai group of Languages which has close connections to the Thai language group of Thailand. Today, very few Ahoms can converse in the Tai language. The Tai language in its written form is found only in manuscripts limited to chronicles (Buranjis). The religious manuscripts are available with some Ahom priests, who keep it as a part of their heritage and use it during weddings and other religious and cultural festivals like Me-Dam-Me-Phi (Ancestor Worship). Ahom Kings after embracing Hinduism also adopted the Assamese language which was the lingua-franca of the local people. It is said that this step was taken by the Ahom rulers as a step towards unification, to diminish the difference between the rulers and the ruled. The important chronicles (Buranjis) were first recorded in Tai Language, with the acceptance of Assamese language as a lingua franca even for Ahoms, the record keeping thereafter was done in Assamese language.

IV. Religion of the Ahoms

The Ahoms believed in an all-powerful God who created the universe. He is a spirit and cannot be identified with any power in nature (1988:49). A number of Devas and (Gods and Goddesses) were worshipped by the Ahoms. The process of worship required sacrifices and offerings. Some of the major Gods of the Ahoms were Phuratara (Creator), Lengdon (God of heaven), Jasingpha (Goddesses of Learning), Phai (God of Fire) and Kao-Kham (God of Water). Ancestor worship was an important tradition of Ahoms, which is still practiced as Me- Dam-Me-Phi on 31st January. The Deodhais, Mohans and Bailungs were the original priests and also the political advisors of Ahoms. But after the introduction of Hinduism in the Ahom dynasty, the priests replaced the Deodhais, Mohans and Bailungs.

The Ahoms of Assam have abandoned their original tribal religion and have undergone the process of Aryanisation and adopted Hinduism (1970:95). In present Assam, just like the Bodos, Morans, Miris and a few others, Ahoms have been an aryanised lot following . Maheshwar Neog observes that there has been infiltration of Sanskrit-oriented classical culture of Aryavarta into selected quarters, at least from the initial centuries of (1981:1-2). Hindu priests continued to come to Assam with each wave of immigrants of (1970:94).

Sukapha brought very few women in his journey from Yunnan to Brahmaputra valley. This forced them to intermarry with the local tribes on their way. It is said that initially any kind of marital relation was discouraged among the peasants, non-Ahoms, Hindus and the royals. But soon they were outnumbered by others. This compelled the Ahoms to marry outside their community. These new entrants were thoroughly assimilated with the pure Ahoms and they and their descendants were not disabled from holding high offices and enjoying privileges to which the older Ahoms were entitled (1969: 75-76).

During Ahom king Sudangpha's (1397-1407 A.D) reign, the presence of Brahmanical influence increased in the royal courts. Sudangpha was also called as the 'Brahmin Prince,' the saga

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behind this is his birth in a Brahmin's house. His mother, as a part of some intrigue, was thrown out of the King's palace. A Brahmin gave her shelter and also raised him. Later when Sudangpha ascended the throne, he appointed the Brahmin as his confidential advisor. And the sons and the relatives of the Brahmin were offered high and responsible posts in the administration. The Hindu influence was more marked in the reign of king Susengpha or Pratap Singh (1603-1641) who was personally grateful to the Brahmin priests for helping him in getting rid of a demon which had possessed him during his youth (1969:76). He vigorously patronised Hinduism and showed his inclination towards it. He recruited the non-Ahoms to a number of responsible offices and proved his confidence in them by replacing many Ahom officials by the non-Ahoms, preferably (1985:253). Sutyinpha or Jayadhvaj Singh (1648-1663) was the first Ahom king to formally accept Hinduism, who wanted to propitiate the gods by his devotion to religion and atone for his patricide. Jayadhvaj Singh and his successors up to Sulikpha or Lora Raja (1679-1681) accepted Vaishnavism as their creed, which was the predominant faith in Assam at that time. But Supatpha or Gadadhar Singh (1681- 1696) lent towards Sakta faith and persecuted the Vaishnava mahantas and gosains. His son Sukhrungpha or Rudra Singh (1696-1714) in the later part of his rule became an open supporter of Sakta faith and from his death onwards that faith became the creed of the Ahom monarchs and of the principal nobles and officers. Thus Saktism became the religion of the kings and Vaishnavism that of the majority of their subjects. Sukhrangpha or Rudra Singh (1696-1714) is regarded as the greatest of the Ahom kings. He was an orthodox Hindu and sent Brahmin boys to great centres of learning in other parts of the country (1970:42). He also established numerous schools for the Brahmins. His reign is memorable for the final triumph of Hinduism over the national religion of the Ahoms. Many of his predecessors had taken Hinduism, as well as Ahom names, and had shown great respect for the Brahmins, but Rudra Singh was the first to announce publicly his intention to become a disciple of a Hindu priest. His son and successor Sutanpha or Sib Singh (1714-1744), was completely in the hands of the Brahmins of the Sakta sect (1989:34).

In general, the Ahoms practised religious toleration and were not religious fanatics. Gait observes: “The religious temper of the [Ahom] period was one of non-interference and tolerance. Not only the monarchs as a rule tolerated religious sects other than their own but they patronised all persuasions in equal measure” (1906: 286). However, there are instances of religious persecution as a consequence of their favouring one sect over the other. When the Ahom kings patronised one Hindu sect the others had to suffer. Thus it was a parallel journey of royal favour and persecution.

V. Culture of the Ahoms

In simple words, the social behaviour and norms found in human society is called culture. Culture cannot be biologically transmitted. It is the by product of our social construct. E.B. Tylor defines culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society” (1873:01). Originally Sino-Tibetan (Shans), the Ahoms came to the Brahmaputra valley with their own indigenous culture and tradition. In the course of time, as a socio-political move, the Ahoms had not only adopted the Assamese language and the Hindu religion but had also become their ardent upholders (1990:18). The Hinduisation of Ahoms had serious impact on the cultural identity of the Ahoms.

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VI. Festivals of the Ahoms

The festivals celebrated by Ahoms were agrarian and seasonal in nature. The three most important festivals are as follows- Poi-Chankien – Mai Ko Chung Phai – Meji Joluwa Utsav/ Chip-song-ka - Kati Bihu

Ancestor worship is significant in the festivals of Ahoms. Ancestors were called Dam in Tai language. Na Dam (Na-New, Dam-Dead), Chi-ren-Dam (Chi-Four, ren-House, Dam- Dead), Ghai-Dam (Ghai-Main, Dam-Dead), Jakarura Dam (Jakarura -Collective, Dam-Dead) are the terms used for various kind of ancestor worship.

Chi-ren-Dam is celebrated in the memory of the fourth generation of dead parents of the dead grandfather of the living house owner. Ghai-Dam is celebrated in the memory of the main dead grandparents of the living house owner. Jakarura Dam is celebrated in the memory of the collective dead ones who had unnatural death.

In this worship, the Dam post plays a very significant role. The Tai-Ahoms have no separate prayer halls. Deodhais and Bailungs set up their Dam post in the eastern corner of their kitchen while the Mohons do the same in the western corner. Bowing before the Dam post before going out for some auspicious work is a tradition followed till date in some places of Assam. Me- dam-me-phi (Me-Worship, Dam- Dead, Phi- Gods), which is celebrated in and around Assam even in the twenty first century, is termed as a festival of unity rather than worship.

Khek-Hu-Chung-Khura is a ceremony observed in front or by the side of the granary as stocking of begins. Ceremonies like Phang Chi Mung were observed for the well-being of the community during crop failure, epidemic or bad weather. Water bodies have been very significant in Ahom culture, one of the ceremonies observed during rainy season is Chora Utuwa Aai Sabah (Chora- Boat, utuwa- Floating and Aai- Mother). In this ceremony, Hens are sacrificed as a part of the rituals and an artificial boat made of sheath of the banana tree is floated in water. The ceremony is observed for the well-being of the people, mainly asking the Goddess to save the people from the water borne diseases during rainy season.

Kin-on-Meu or Na-Khuwa, which is a very popular and famous celebration among Ahoms, is celebrated in the ’s month of Dinsing or Aghun (December and January) month. In this festivals too, the first seasonal crop, vegetables and fruits produced by the household are offered to the dead first before praying to ancestors. The senior members of a family pay homage to the ancestors asking for their blessings. On the occasion of Na-Diya (food prepared from the season's first harvest), the offerings are made to the deceased so that satisfied with the offerings, the deceased ancestors would take away misfortunes, evil and diseases and bless the family with abundance in their granaries.

Jasingpha, regarded as the God of wisdom, is among the most worshipped Gods of Tai- Ahoms. As Goddess for Hindus, Jasingpha is presiding deity for Ahoms and the tradition of worshipping her is still followed among a section. Hubachani is another important ritual observed by some Ahom families in every two or three years. According to some scholars of Upper Assam it was not the traditional form and call it another form of

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puja. Three Ahom priests perform this ritual with several materials like birds and animals for sacrifice. Worship of goddess is aimed at earning blessings for good health, wealth, prestige and power.

VII. Wedding Rituals Since time immemorial marriages have been an important institution for the progression of human society. Although Ahoms have embraced Hinduism, the rituals followed in their weddings are unique in its nature. Originally, Ahoms celebrated their marriage ceremonies for 9 days, with time the number of days has been reduced, bringing it down to three days. Ahoms have given a specific name to their weddings. It is called Chaklang. According to this tradition, the Siring Phukan (Priest) narrates to the bride and the groom, the tales of valour, strength and sacrifice of their ancestors before 101 saaki (earthern lamps) in the Maral (a place with a rangoli and 101 lamps around it). The bride has to offer a hengdaang (sword) with a kavach (armour-which, orginally, the would be bride had to sew in a days time at one go) to the groom. With this the bride has to take a promise from the groom that he will protect the country, its countrymen with the hengdaang given to him. After this, panchamrita (the mixture of milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar) is offered to the bride and groom in banbati (a traditional bowl). The last step for the couple is to play the game of dice and cowrie (small conch shells). Every event is applauded by uruli (ululations) by a group of ladies.

VIII. Funeral Rituals Among the Ahoms, the rituals related to Death or funeral were very unique. It is called ‘ dia’ or ‘Gor kora’. It has a striking similarity with the Egyptians method of mummification and pyramids. Charaideo once a sacred place of the Ahoms bears the sacred memory of the Ahom Kings. It was here that Sukapha, the great Ahom King set up his capital in 1253 A.D. And it is this very place where the members of the royal Ahom families were buried according to Ahom customs and rituals. The total area of the site is around 579 bighas (square meters). In the year 2014, the site has been included in the tentative list of World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The interiors of these or mounds worked as crypts for burying dead kings along with valuable items and food for the afterlife. According to some, they also buried servants, pets, and even wives along with the dead king. A Ruk- dang (coffin) to bring the dead body to burial place was made of a kind of timber called uriam. As time passed by, the common people made a box-shaped coffin with bamboo called Rang. The molungs (priests), generally three in number, make respectful offerings on the eleventh, thirteenth, seventeenth and finally on the twenty first day of the deceased. As per tradition, the eldest son-in-law of the deceased offers a pig. The cook begins cooking only after the son- in- law sets the cooking pot. The cooks serve the pork to the relatives (of the deceased) along with rice beer. It is called ‘chik chak khowa’. On that day, the deceased is considered to be Griha dam as new Dam (ancestor). Till the early twentieth century, many families practiced this form of burial ceremony. With the expansion of Hinduism and Sanskritization, very few families in upper Assam are still following these rituals.

IX. Conclusion In the twenty first century, most of the rites and rituals of the Ahoms are performed as per Hindu traditions. Ahoms as rulers succeeded in political unification of the whole of Brahmaputra valley, which eventually lead to social, cultural and linguistic unity. And further,

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created a spirit of oneness among the . But in this journey of “oneness”, Ahoms failed to retain their indigenous culture and traditions. Although the process of Aryanisation and Sanskritization of the Ahoms were slow and subtle, the eventual impact was huge. Be it lack of materials required in the festivals or paucity of experienced people or lack of interest of the young generation, barring a few, Ahoms are hardly seen to be preserving their indigenous culture and traditions. Today the glory of indigenous culture and traditions of Rangpur's Ahoms are mere remnants in the form of language, rituals, religion, archaeology and sacred sagas in the libraries and researchers dissertations and theses.

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22. Journal of the Siam Society, various issues between the dates mentioned. Jenkins, F., 1837. "Specimen of the Ahom, or Assam, Character" and "Interpretation of the Ahom Extract", Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume VI, Part I, Plate IV, and Part II, pp. 980-4. Marbaniang, 1970, Assam in a Nutshell, Shillong, pp. 42,94,95. Phukan, J.N., 1970/1. "A study in the Titles of Ahom Kings, Ministers and Other Functionaries of the State", Journal of the University of Gauhati, Volume XXI-XXII: Arts, pp. 168-77. Puri, B.N., 1968. Studies in Early History and Administration in Assam. Banikanta Kakati Memorial Lectures 1967. Depatment of Publication, Gauhati University, Gauhati. Sahai, S., 1970. Les institutions politiques et /'organisation administrative du Cambodge ancient Publications de I'Ecole Frangaise d'Extreme-Orient, Volume LXXV, Ecole Frangaise d'Extreme-Orient, Paris. Shorto, H.L., 1971. A Dictionary of the Mon Inscriptions from the Sixth to the Sixteenth Centuries London Oriental Series, Volume 24. Oxford University Press, London. Stott, W., 1963, "The Expansion of the Nan-Chao Kingdom", T'oung Pao, Volume 50, pp. 190-220. Terwiel, B.J., 1981, The Tai of Assam and Ancient Tai Ritual, Volume II, Sacrifices and Time- reckoning. Centre for South East Asian Studies, Gaya.

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