The Ahoms Rise to Power : Matrimonial Alliances As a Factor
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laosnuk&2020 Vol. II Issue-I ISSN 2581 9917 The Ahoms Rise to Power : Matrimonial Alliances as a Factor Bishnu K. Gurung Dept of History, School of Social Science North -Eastern Hill University , Shillong, Meghalaya Abstract of Kosala, Prasenajit and Magadhan King Bimbisara, both of them had married each Every kingdom needed political allies other’s sister. The wedding of Bimbisara to survive and when they could not find with Kosaladevi and Prasenajit’s marriage them they tend to create them by using with Varsika, not only established different political tools like Kanyopayana friendly relations between the two rival [1] (presentation of a maiden), Santana- powers but also increased their power, sandhi [2] (marriage of Santans) and prestige and sphere of influence [3]. The others. Daughters of royal families were marriage was politically motivated and it usually married off to an enemy king had a great impact on the politics of the turned an ally for the peace keeping of the contemporary period. The importance of kingdom. The royal women were often used matrimonial alliances was such that even as a political tool. This paper will look into Arthasastra [4] (an ancient Indian work on such matrimonial alliances and the role statecraft, economic policies and military of the queens and princesses in the state strategy by Kautilya) while mentioning formation with special reference to Ahoms seven essential components needed by a who managed to rule Assam for almost six state for expansion, talks about the need hundred years. While looking at their role, of ‘presentation of maiden’ for political the paper will also try to analyze status of benefits. women in such alliances. The Ahoms Discussion The Ahoms belonged to the Shan The powerful states in ancient and branch of great Tai or Thai family of South- medieval times used all means, fair and East Asia. They ruled the Ahom kingdom foul, at their disposal to enlarge their in present day Assam for 598 years. The kingdom and strengthen their status. dynasty was established by Sukaphaa, Besides conquest and aggression, marriage a Shan prince of Maulung who came to alliances formed a very important part of Assam after crossing the Patkai Mountain. their diplomatic policies which helped As Sukhapaa moved to Patkai via Hukong them to expand and defend their territories. valley, he reduced to submission the local No doubt, women formed an important tribes found along the road. He reached the part of such policies; they were often Brahmaputra valley in 1228 and had been used, exchange, exploited and carried off moving from place to place till he settled for the benefit of the state. An example at Charaideo in 1253. Several factors of the simple form of such alliances is combined to bring about the acceptance where a woman is exchanged for another of the overlordship of Shan invaders with woman. This is seen in the case of the king 26 laosnuk&2020 Vol. II Issue-I ISSN 2581 9917 feeble or no resistance at all on the part of in nature. As there was no representative the tribes’ men in the Brahmaputra valley. system of government, the question of One of such factors is that he married the enjoying equal political rights by men or daughters of the local chiefs. It is not clear women did not arise. However, the life and if Sukaphaa was married before he arrived, achievements of a number of queens and as chronicles are silent about it. However, court ladies shows that there were women interesting it is to note that the ‘the who played important role in politics Ahoms had not brought their wives when either behind the curtain or outside it. they first came from the Nara country Instances of an Ahom woman saving the and they accepted wives only when they kingdom from external threat are many. came to the Brahmaputra Valley’ [5]. Such One can talk of Ramai Gabaru, daughter inter-marriage contributed significantly of Jayadhaj Singha who was sent to the to their assimilation process, thereby, Mughal harem according to the terms strengthening the control of the Ahom of the treaty of Ghilajarihat (1663 A.D.). chiefs. In the Shan scheme, a woman She was later married to prince Azam was considered an appropriate subject alias Azamtara, the third son of Emperor of tribute from an inferior to a superior. Aurangzeb. When she came to know that Polygamy practiced by a Shan ruler was her maternal uncle, Laliksola Borphukon, an important part of the political system had conspired to surrender Gauhati to in that it gave the king personal ties with the Mughals, she secretly sent a letter to a large number of different groups both her uncle warning him of the treacherous within and outside the court which was and unpatriotic deed. She even managed one of the many causes for the Ahoms to to send Moina Ligiri to Assam to tell her rule for almost six hundred years. uncle in detail about the evil effects of surrendering Gauhati to the Mughals. In the Ahom state, women were used However, there are some matrimonial as an instrument to cement political alliances which led to the downfall of alliance. Whenever a treaty was concluded the kingdom. Princess Rangili, daughter between two states the vanquished offered of an Ahom noble, was first offered to a his daughter to the victor. Examples are Singpho leader Bichanong by Puranananda too numerous to be mentioned. Ramai Buragohain, who presented her to the Gabaru and Mohini Aideo were offered Burmese king Bodowpaya (1782-1819) to to the Mughal harem by King Jaydhaj tighten the friendship with him. Rangili Singha. Kuranganayani was received who later became one of the favorite from the Manipuri king by Swargadeo queens of the Burmese king entreated to Rajeshwar Singha and Harmati and help Badan Chandra Barphukon by giving Darmati were received from the Kamata him armed help. Her request was compiled king by Suhungmung, the Dihingia Raja with and six thousand soldiers were sent. [6]. The Weissalisa informs us that Badan The presentation of Rangili to the Burmese Chandra Barphukon offered his daughter King hastened the coming of the Burmese Hem-Chang-Shao (Rangili) to the Burmese to Assam, who over threw the Ahom rule monarch Badawpaya to get his assistance for a brief period of time. against Purnananda Buragohain. The broad study of such matrimonial The Ahom government was monarchial 27 laosnuk&2020 Vol. II Issue-I ISSN 2581 9917 relations shows that they were very king, daughter of a powerful father, sister much guided by the maha-sabha as it was of a powerful brother or mother of a a general belief that the honor of men powerful son. In gender-based societies of rests in woman and could be violated by India, women have been treated as inferior their conduct. History is the proof that it to men, thus subjugated and exploited. was always the women who had to burn Attention can be drawn towards the legal to prove their chastity: to protect the text Dhama-Sastra and in similar literature honor of their husband, call it either sati in which the status of women as a whole is or jauhar. This led to a direct control by clearly defined, for they are unambiguously men over the sexual and martial norms equated with sudras [8]. Even Gita, places relating to women. Thus, marriage was women, vaisyas and sudras in the same not considered as primarily an affair of category and described them as being of the man and the woman who were married sinful birth. According to another text the but as an event which involved the entire punishment of killing either a women or a kin groups of both spouses. Nur Yalman, sudra is identical. an anthropologist, has argued that women are literally seen as points of entrance, Thus, in order to write women back ‘gateways’ of the caste/class groups. [7] If to history, what is needed therefore is a men of the ritually low status were to get new consciousness, sensitivity about the access to them, then it was not only the great injustice which has been done to purity of the women but that of the whole almost half of the society by patriarchal caste/class of the group was threatened. values of the society. This consciousness Thus, for the protection of the ritual purity will bring into the forefront the sacrifices of the group it was virtually necessary and the heroic deeds of the brave queens to guard the sexuality of women but not who sacrificed their body, their ambitions that of men. This may be the reason the and their lives for the interest of the state maha-sabha closely guided and sometimes which is seen in the case of the Ahom even manipulated the matrimonial kingdom. alliances between the two houses. There End Notes are instances of the princesses not getting married as they could not find suitable 1. Radha Govinda Basak, The History of prince who matched their social status. North-Eastern India: Extending from the Foundation of the Gupta Empire to No doubt the literature on the various the Rise of the Pala Dynasty of Bengal, aspects of Ahom kingdom is immense but Firma KLM Private Limited, Calcutta, such works have brushed aside the role 1995, p. 7. of marriage and family ties. The political history of Assam has deliberated upon the 2. It is generally effected when the rise and growth of the kingdom and success conquered king offers his daughter in and failure of individual rulers. Mentions marriage to the adversary. For details, about queens, princesses and other groups V.R.