প্রতিধ্বতি the Echo ISSN 2278-5264 প্রতিধ্বতি the Echo An Online Journal of Humanities & Social Science Published by: Dept. of Bengali Karimganj College, Karimganj, Assam, India. Website: www.thecho.in Political Phenomena in Barak-Surma Valley during Medieval Period Dr. Sahabuddin Ahmed Associate Professor, Dept. of History, Karimganj College, Karimganj, Assam Email: [email protected] Abstract After the fall of Srihattarajya in 12 th century CE, marked the beginning of the medieval history of Barak-Surma Valley. The political phenomena changed the entire infrastructure of the region. But the socio-cultural changes which occurred are not the result of the political phenomena, some extra forces might be alive that brought the region to undergo changes. By the advent of the Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Jalal, a qualitative change was brought in the region. This historical event caused the extension of the grip of Bengal Sultanate over the region. Owing to political phenomena, the upper valley and lower valley may differ during the period but the socio- economic and cultural history bear testimony to the fact that both the regions were inhabited by the same people with a common heritage. And thus when the British annexed the valley in two phases, the region found no difficulty in adjusting with the new situation. Keywords: Homogeneity, aryanisation, autonomy. The geographical area that forms the Barak- what Nihar Ranjan Roy prefers in his Surma valley, extends over a region now Bangalir Itihas (3rd edition, Vol.-I, 1980, divided between India and Bangladesh. The Calcutta). Indian portion of the region is now In addition to geographical location popularly known as Barak Valley, covering this appellation bears a historical the geographical area of the modern districts significance. Western portion covering the of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi of major part of the valley which now Assam State. But the Bangladesh portion constitutes modern Karimganj district of the constitutes an administrative division of the state of Assam and ‗Sylhet Division‘ of country in the form of ‗Sylhet Division‘ Bangladesh was commonly known as constituted with Sylhet, Maulavi Bazar, ‗Sylhet‘ during the medieval and British Habiganj and Sunamganj districts. However, period. It emerged as a part of Bengal in the geographical formation of the region respect of socio-cultural matters even before clearly indicates that the region forms a the expansion of the rule of the Bengal valley of the rivers Barak and Surma. So, the Sultanate in the early 14th century. The geographical name of the valley may be eastern portion now constitutes the districts 183 given as ‗Barak-Surma Valley‘ following of Cachar and Hailakandi, they formed a Page Volume-I, Issue-IV, April 2013 প্রতিধ্বতি the Echo ISSN 2278-5264 part of Tripura kingdom and Dimasa bit by bit the whole of Lower Valley, except kingdom during the early and late medieval Jayantia kingdom and southern portion of period respectively, but both the portions Karimganj district which remained under an underwent socio-cultural changes during the autonomous rule and Tripura state period under review in the same process respectively. The Lower Valley or Sylhet despite of their political differences. The remained under the sultans of Bengal either historical significance lies in the cultural as independent or subordinate to the Delhi homogeneity. sultanate up to the rule of Akbar, when Again, the political development in Bengal was annexed to the Mughal empire the super structure of a region or a country (Md Abdul Aziz, Brihattara Sileter Itihas, generally to a large extent, castes its edited, 1997, Dhaka). influence on the changes in the During the period in between the infrastructure. But in case of Barak-Surma annexation of Bengal and that of Sylhet valley, we have encountered with a problem some pathan chiefs independently ruled of different nature. The socio-cultural over some petty states in the region. After changes which occurred during the period the annexation of Sylhet to the Mughal under review are not the results of the empire, it was organised as an political influences. Some extra political administrative unit named Sarkar under the forces might be so alive that it brought even Subah of Bengal of the Mughal empire. This the ruling family at least in the case of system continued up to 1717 CE when the eastern portion of the region to undergo Subadar of Bengal became virtually an changes along with the process of independent ruler (Quazi Mohammad development that came from within (J. B. Ahmed, Srihatta Darpan, 1886, Sylhet). Bhattacharjee, ‗Sequence of development in The history of the upper valley is North East India‘, 1988, New Delhi). directly connected with the history of the The decline of Srihattarajya in the state of Tripuris. Aryanisation in the upper 12th century CE marked the beginning of the valley started in the 5th century CE. medieval history of the Barak-Surma Valley. From13th century onwards, the plains of the The political phenomena of the Barak- upper valley were parceled into small Surma Valley has been proceeded under two principalities, emerged out of the ruins of part: Lower Valley and Upper Valley. ancient Srihattarajya and became a prey Geographically, lower valley included between two strong powers – The Dimasa modern Karimganj district of India and on the north and Tripura on the south. ‗Sylhet Division‘ of Bangladesh comprising However, the Koches invaded the Dimasa of Sylhet, Maulavi Bazar, Habiganj and kingdom, plains of Cachar and Hailakandi Sunamganj districts. The Muslim rule in the and extended their sway upto the border of Lower valley began in 1303 CE and modern Tripura state. The Koches ruled the continued till 1765 CE when the region went plains of upper valley till it was supplanted under the virtual rule of the East India by the Dimasas. The Dimasas first ruled the Company. The name of the famous Sufi plains of upper valley from Maibong, now in saint Hazrat Shah Jalal is associated with the N.C. Hills,but they then shifted their capital conquest of sylhet by the Muslims during to Khaspur in modern Cachar in early 18th the reign of Sultan Shamsuddin Firuz Shah century CE. The Dimasas named their of Lakhnauti. The Muslim army conquered kingdom as Hedambarajya. This Dimasa Gaur kingdom and Taraf Principality during state was annexed by the British in 1832 CE 184 the reign of Shamsuddin Firuz Shah. Then Page Volume-I, Issue-IV, April 2013 প্রতিধ্বতি the Echo ISSN 2278-5264 (U.C. Guha, Kacharer Itibritta, 1921, Social and Polity Formation in Pre-Colonial Calcutta). North-East India, 1991, New Delhi). As regards the administrative system The Dimasa-Kachari state of upper of lower valley, it is found that it was an valley was a monarchical form of state Arsah during the pre-Mughal and a Sarkar based on the divine origin theory. The during the Mughal period and a Chakla functional authority of the state was vested during the rule of the independent Nawabs in the patra and Bhandari. The Rajdarbar or of Bengal. The characteristics of the royal assembly consisted of two wings-Mel provincial administration of Delhi are and Ul meant for the subjects in the plains discernible in the administrative system that and hills respectively. In the judicial was followed in the lower valley during the administration both Hindu and Muslim medieval period (Achyut Charan Laws were followed. The North Cachar Choudhury, Srihatter Itibritta, 1917, Hills were ruled by a Senapati appointed by Sylhet). the king. In revenue administration Khel In upper valley during the medieval system was adopted which means a sort of period, three administrative systems viz-the social responsibility of paying revenues. Tripuri, Koch and Dimasa were successively However, the upper valley remained continued. The kingship in the Tripura state totally outside of the Turkish or the Mughal was based on the divine origin theory and rules during the whole period beginning was hereditary. The Tripuri community was with the establishment of the Turko-Afghan divided into twelve Halams or groups. In rule in the lower valley and ending with the course of time, the Tripuri king followed the annexation of the Hedamba kingdom by the Muslim administrative principles then British in the early 19th century. But the prevailed in Bengal. However, the various cultural synthesis and racial assimilation tribes other than Tripura living in the state continued in the region almost in the same enjoyed local autonomy under their chiefs. manner as in lower valley which was under The revenue from the plains and gifts and the Turkish or Mughal rules. In other words, tributes from the tribes were the main a pan Indian cultural formation continued in sources of income of the kings (FA Qadri, upper valley also (Sharifuddin Ahmed, ed. Society and Economy in North-East India, ‗Sylhet-History and Heritage‘, 1999, ed. Vol-2, 2006, Shillong). Bangladesh Itihas Samiti, Dhaka). The Koch state in Cachar was The political history of upper valley established by Chilarai in 1562 CE and and lower valley may differ during the remained in existence till 1745 CE. The period under review. But the socio- administration of the Koch state in the upper economic and cultural history bear valley is an example of the medieval polity testimony to the fact that both the regions formation by a Hinduised branch of the were inhabited by the same people with a Bodo family of the Tibeto Burman race with common heritage. At present also the Barak- its epicenter at Koch Behar, far away from Surma valley does not belong to a single Cachar. At the initial stage a military rule political unit, the plain of Cachar along with was imposed on the conquered country. A present day Karimganj district forms an feudatory character was given to the military integral part of Indian union whereas the ruler in course of time.