ANNOTATIOW AND GLOSSARY

Agiathuti - a hillock converted into fort on the north bank of the Brahmaputra opposite Pandu.

Alaboi - a vast plain in front of the Alaboi hill touching the Brahmaputra on one side and the Sesa river on the other.

Alamgirnamah - an official history of the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb.

Amrajurighat - a place at the foot of Kamakhya hill, used as a river anchorage ol' the Brahmaputra.

Andharubali - sand bank between Itakhuli and foot of Kamakhya hill.

Asurar All - a highway near .

Aswakranta - a hill opposite Kamakhya on the north bank of the Brahmaputra.

Bachari - a kind of Ahom fleet.

‘ Bahbari - a fort on the north bank in Darrang.

Bahir Band and Bhitar Band - two parganas of Koch Bihar state lying on the right bank of the Brahmaputra and to the west and south of liangpur.

Barduar - a frontier principality in Kamrup.

Barbaruah - chief judicial and administrative adviser of the Ahom Government.

230 V 231

Bargohain - one of the three most powerful ministers of Ahom Cabinet.

Barpatragohain - one of the three most powerful ministers of Ahom Cabinet.

Barphukan - Provincial Viceroy in charge of lower .

Baruah - a high ranking oflicer of the Ahom Government.

Bangal - a term applied by the Assamese to stranger, outsider, foreigner and alien; any non-Assamese.

Bara (Bora) - an officer commanding twenty paiks.

Beltola - a frontier principality.

Bharari (Bharali) - a river demarcating Kamrup and Darrang, rises from Bhutan and falls in the Brahmaputra.

Bhuyan - an estate-holder.

Chaodang - an Ahom clan, the members of which were appointed to inflict punishments on criminals including sentence of death.

* Charaideo - an old Capital converted into a religious metropolis by the Ahom Kings.

Charingia Raja - an Ahom title conferred on t,he nearest male relative of reigning king.

Chintamanigarah - a rampart in the midway of Gorgaon and Samdhara, facing the Brahmaputra and touching Gabharu Parbat, 232

Choki, Ghoukl - a frontier outpost duly fortified and garrisoned.

Dakhinkul or kol - a part of Assam lying on the south bank of the Brahmaputra.

Dangaria - a title originally applied to the three Cabinet ministers of Assam, a title of respectability.

Deodhai - an Ahom priest who offered worship to the deities.

Dhamdhatna - a fortified town of north Kamrup.

Dhubri - a frontier fort of Assam on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, in Goalpara district.

Duar - a pass or gate.

Duaria Baruah - a frontier officer.

Dumuria or Dimuria - a frontier principality.

Gadadhar R. - rises in Bhutan hills and falls into the Brahmaputra near Dhubri.

Ghat - an anchorage on the river bank,

Gharphalia - an Ahom clan.

Ghoraghat - situated at the right bank of the river Karatoya, frontier district towards Koch Bihar and Kamrup,

Ghorasal - royal stable.

Gilah or Gilaghar - situated on the west side of the Gadadhar river, about ten miles north of Dhubri. Summer Capital of Raja Parikshit. 233

Gohain - an Ahom ofl'icer of high rank,

Gosain - a religious instructor.

Hajo - a headquarter city of Koch kings and Mughals, in north Kamrup.

Haris - scavenger.

Hati Baruah - superintendent of elephant.

Hat - bazaar, market. / Hatisal - stable for elephant.

Hazarika - an officer in-charge of one thousand men.

Hengdan - a straight sword; royal sabre.

Itakhuli - an important fort and headquarter on Sukreswar hills at Guwahati.

Joglghopa - a fort and border post on the north bank of Goalpara district.

Kajali, ) - River Kalang is a branch of Brahmaputra. Kajalimukh ) It flows by Kaliabar, Nowgong and Kalang Dimuria and rejoins the Brahmaputra at Kajali about 20 miles from Guwahati. The confluence of the main channels of Brahmaputra is known as Kajalimukh.

Kaliabar - an important Ahom post.

Kamata or Kamta - originally denotated the western part of the Brahmaputra valley up to the Karatoya and it was included in ancient Kamrup. The Mughal historians sometimes used this term Kamata or Kamrup as synonymous. 234

Karatoya - is an ancient river mentioned in the Mahabharata as a sacred river. It was the boundary-line between the old kingdom of Kamrupa and rest. In Rennell’ s Map No. 9 it was shown as passing through Rangpur and Bogra with Ghoraghat on its right. This river was the frontier line between Koch Kingdom and Mughal Bengal.

Katakis - envoys of the Ahom Government.

Khan-i-Khanan - a Mughal title conferred on provincial viceroys of exceptional merit, a title given to Mir Jumla.

Kathalbari - an Ahom fort more often visited by the Ahom king to supervise the military activities of ,

Khafghar - a royal arsenal.

Kharbujaghat - located in Mechpara Mouza of Goalpara district.

Khel - a division or unit of Assamese subjects having to perform a specific service to the state.

, Khuntaghat - situated on the south bank of the Brahmaputra and is included within , the modern district of Goalpara.

Koch - a Hindu caste into which all converts from different animistic tribes are admitted.

Kulhati or - situated midway between Srighat and Kuhhata Kajali near Sesa hills. Many battles were fought between Mughals and Ahoms. 235

Lakhau - a place near Gargaon v/here Mir Jumla put up garrison.

Lathia Parbat - a hill fort on the north bank which was made headquarter of Atan Gurhagohain at the time of Ram Singh’ s Assam Campaign.

Lauhitya - river Brahmaputra.

Majuli - biggest river island of the Brahmaputra in upper Assam.

Manas or Manaha or Banas - this river rises from Bhutan hills and falls into the Brahmaputra, opposite Goalpara.

Mir Jumla - Mir Muhammad Said Mir Jumla was one of the remarkable personalities in the 17th century history of . Son of a Persian adventurer, migrating to Golkonda as a fortune-seeker, he rose by dint of his unrivalled abilities, and through successive stages from the post of a keeper of records to that of a Ctovernor of Masulipattanam and finally to the exalted office of Vi/azir of the State of Golkonda State. Deputed by its Sultan to conquer Karnatak on his behalf, the Mir practically enjoyed ’ regal indepen­ dence’ in his conquests, and became in effect the first Nawab of Karnatak. Then he transferred his allegiance to Shahjahan, who appointed him Diwan-i-Kul of Mughal Empire. For some time under Aurangzeb, he acted as Governor of Khandesh and finally as Viceroy of the important province of Bengal. Further, as the ally, confidential adviser and 236

General of Aurangzeb during the war of succession, the Mir v/as largely respons­ ible for securing the throne for Aurangzeb. Again it was solely due to Mir Jumla’ s generalship and through his conquest of Kuch Bihar and Assam that the north-eastern push of the Mughal empire reached its logical culmination. He was truly called a Khan-i-Khanan. Jagdish N, Sarkar. The Life of Mir Jumla, pp. x iii, xiv, v .‘

Namjani - Lower Assam,

Nawara - Mughal flotilla.

Paik - a system of personal service under Ahom state.

Pancharatna a hill fort on the south bank opposite Jogighopa in Goalpara district.

Pandu administrative and military post of Mughals near Guwahati.

Pani Phukan Ahom officer exercising judicial, revenue and military jurisdiction over north bank of Kamrup with headquarter at Aswakranta in north Guwahati. Literary meaning - an officer in-charge of water.

Pargana - a revenue division of the Mughals.

Phukan - a high ranking Ahom administrative post,

Pir - a Muslim mendicant of reverence.

Prahar - one-eighth part of a day; one prahar is equal to three hours. 237

Rajkhowa - an Ahom officer of high rank i .e . commanding 3000 paiks.

Ram Singh - Son of Mirza Raja Jai Singh who secured the defeat of Shivaji of Maharashtra when deputed by Aurangzeb. Under the terms of the Treaty of Purandhar 1665, when Shivaji visited Agra, he was made a prisoner by Aurangzeb. Ram Singh was put to guard the confinement of Shivaji. The escape of Shivaji from Agra was a discredit to Ram Singh. It was assumed that as a measure of punishment Ham Singh was deputed by the Emperor to command the Assam Campaign which was considered to be one of the most difficult expeditions. .

Saikia - an Ahom officer commanding 100 paiks.

Samdhara - a strongly constructed Ahom i'ort on the north bank connected the Brahma­ putra in one side and Bhamaraguri on another side.

Sala - a fort constructed by Ahom connected Chandideogarah to Kapalkuchi in north and from the Brahmaputra to < Pakariguri hill in south.

Sankos - a river rises in Bhutan hills and meets the Brahmaputra near Dhubri.

Saraighat - a river anchorage of the Brahmaputra near Amingaon opposite Pandu. The decisive battle ground where Ram Singh was defeated. 236

Satrajit a Bengal Zamindar and a Mughal Vassal.

Sesa - a river passing by Srighat.

Siraalugarah - a strong Mughal fort in south bank on way to Gargaon.

Singari a fort in Darrang district.

Srighat in between Hajo and North (kiwahati several battles v/ere fought here.

Sualkuchi - a place on the north bank about 20 miles west of Guwahati, Used by the Mughal for garrisoning and as assaulting point.

Swargadeo literally the God of Heaven, a title adopted and applied uniformly to the Ahom sovereigns of Assam; a shortened form of Swarga-narayan-dev, the progenitor of the family of the Ahom monarchs. Ahom equivalent of it Is Chaopha, Chao (Tungkhungia Buranji).

Uraananda - a river island of the Brahmaputra in Guwahati.

Uttarkol - a country lying on the north bank of the Brahmaputra.