When there was the Mughal Kingdom everywhere in India the Ahom Dynasty is the one who defeated the Mughals over 17 times. Yes, the mighty Ahom fought the Mughals 17 times and won. In fact, they were the only dynasty that did not fall into the hands of the Mughals. Learn more about these brave Ahoms.
All about the Ahom Dynasty
The Ahom people are said to have migrated to the Brahmaputra Valley from what is now Myanmar in the 13th century. Ahom is said to have created a new state by suppressing the old Buyyan political system.
They annexed the kingdoms of Chattigal and Kokhajo and conquered many other tribes. In 1662, the Mughal Empire, led by Mir Jumura, attacked the Ahom Kingdom. Their society was divided into clans or hels. They worshiped their tribe's gods.
Ahom builds a large state by oppressing the old Buyan political system, the landlords. They annexed him into the Kingdom of Chutiya in 1523 and Koch his Hajo in 1581. These are all his sixteenth-century things. The Ahoms also conquered many other tribes. Because of this, Ahoms established a kind of prominent state in his 1530s.
Ahom Society and Religion
Ahom society was divided into clans or khels, which controlled several villages – among them were a few castes of artisans in the Ahom areas who later made their way to the nearby kingdoms. Khel often held several villages wherein all the adult males served in the army during the war. Also, people had started to move and shift from the heavily populated areas to the less populated ones. The peasant was given land by his village community. When the king could not take it away without the community's consent.
The Ahom tribe worshiped their tribe's gods. However, in the first half of the 17th century, the Brahmins had great influence and developed into Hinduism. During her reign, Shiv Singh Hinduism became the dominant religion. However, even after adopting Hinduism, King Ahom did not give up some of his traditional beliefs.
Ahom society was very harsh. Poets and scholars received land grants. The theater was funded. The Ahom province was totally dependent on forced labor and was forced to work for the province known as Pike. The census was nearly done and each village was to send a number of pikes after the change.
Most of the people moved from densely populated areas to less populated areas led to the split of the Ahom clan. By the first half of the 17th century, however, the administration was highly centralized. The Ahom tribe did not cultivate even after they migrated to the Brahmaputra Valley.
The nature of tribal societies gradually changed with the advent of great nations. This can be understood from his two examples of Gond and Ahom societies.
With the building of the Great Nation, Ahoms society has undergone many changes. Brahmin influence increased. The land was given to temples and Brahmins by kings. During Shiv Singh's reign, Hinduism became one of his major religions. However, even after accepting Hinduism, King Ahom did not completely abandon traditional beliefs.
Lachit Borphukan and the Battle of Saraighat
The Battle of Saraygat was a naval battle fought between the Mughals and the Ahom kingdoms on the Brahmaputra River near Saraygat in 1671. This battle was the last major engagement in which the Mughals attempted to expand their empire into Assam.
Occasions foregoing the battle of Saraighat
The Kingdom of Koch was a country that existed between the Mughal Empire and the Ahom Kingdom. For the Ahom kingdom, it was an important buffer state to contain the expansion of Mughal imperialism. Things began to change in 1587 when the former ruler of the Kingdom of Koch, Nara Narayana, died. As a result, the kingdom of Koch split in two. West Kochbihar was ruled by his son Lakshmi his Narayan, and East Kochhajo was ruled by his nephew Ragdev. , son of Ragdev, was supported at Dubri in 1602. After a series of battles, Parikshit Narayan was defeated, but his younger brother Bali Narayana took refuge in the Ahom kingdom.
The Mughals would use it as a pretext to invade the Ahom Kingdom. The first battle between them would take place in 1615 leading to a series of engagements that would see the result in different fortunes between the two parties until the treaty of Asurar Ali in 1639 which fixed Barnadi river (north) and Asurar Ali (south) as the boundary between the Ahoms and the Mughals. This would result in the Mughal administration of Kamrup.
After Aurangazeb ascended the Mughal throne on July 31, 1658, he gave Mir Jumla II the task of conquering the entire state of Assam in 1660. - Gargaon, the capital. However, constant guerrilla warfare and heavy rains pouring down on the river prevented Mir Jumla from consolidating his rule and considered abandoning his recent gains. Unfortunately, the ruler of the Ahom kingdom, Jayadwaj his Sinha, was unaware of this and asked for peace. Mir Jumla took advantage of this opportunity, the result of which was the Treaty of Girajalighat in 1663. However, the terms of the treaty were harsh enough for the Ahoms to decide to permanently end the Mughal presence in the region.
The rise in the conflict
Jayadwaj Sinha died in despair after signing the treaty but praised his cousin and successor Chakradhwaj Singha for avenging the humiliation of his defeat. After becoming king, Chakradhwaj Singha began reforming the Ahom army, forming alliances with other kingdoms in the region and building new forts in strategic corners of the kingdom in preparation for another war with the Mughals. Did. The man he chose to lead his new army was Rachit Borphukan.
The Mughal empire made a diplomatic offer to the kingdom to accept a vassal under the empire but was rejected. Rachit immediately marched towards Guwati with the reformed Ahom army. By taking over the five Choukies guarding Guhawati, the Lachit wrested control of the entire region from the Mughals.
After receiving reinforcements, the Mughals marched on Ahom again, but repeated Ahom attacks on their positions on the Manas River forced them to surrender. The Ahom kingdom again ruled the old borders of the Manas River.
Emperor Aurangazeb, when informed of his defeat at Guwahati, sent a large force of 30,000 infantry and 18,000 cavalries under Rajaram Singh to conquer Guwahati.
Knowing that his army faced insurmountable odds against a large army of professionally equipped artillery and cavalry, Rachit used the hills of Guwahati to his advantage. decided to and nullified the strength of the Mughal cavalry.
Eastward thrust was only possible via the Brahmaputra River through the Saraygat, a gorge ideal for defensive action. Lachit prepared a system of mud dykes that forced the Mughals to rely on their weakest asset, the navy. There was no progress on either side.Ram Singh won the decisive battle at Alaboi in 1669, but the Ahoms continued to fight. Ram Sing even had to resort to trickery to remove Lachit Borphukan, but he was to no avail. As the protracted war sapped the patience of both the Mughal and Ahom rulers, both urged their respective commanders to end the war in a decisive battle.
died in despair after signing the treaty, but praised his cousin and successor Chakradwaj Sinha for avenging the humiliation of his defeat. After becoming king, Chakradwaj his Sinha began reforming the Ahom army, forming alliances with other kingdoms in the region and building new forts in strategic corners of the kingdom in preparation for another war with the Mughals. Did. The man he chose to lead his new army was Rachit Borfkan.
The Mughal empire made a diplomatic offer to the kingdom to accept a vassal under the empire but was rejected. Rachit immediately marched towards Guwati with the reformed Ahom army. By taking over the five Choukies guarding Guhawati, the Lachit wrested control of the entire region from the Mughals.
After receiving reinforcements, the Mughals marched on Ahom again, but repeated Ahom attacks on their positions on the Manas River forced them to surrender. The Ahom kingdom again ruled the old borders of the Manas River.
Emperor Aurangazeb, when informed of his defeat at Guwahati, sent a large force of 30,000 infantry and 18,000 cavalries under Rajaram Singh to conquer Guwahati. Knowing that his army faced insurmountable odds against a large army of professionally equipped artillery and cavalry, Rachit used the hills of Guwahati to his advantage. decided to and nullified the strength of the Mughal cavalry.
Eastward thrust was only possible via the Brahmaputra River through the Saraygat, a gorge ideal for defensive action. Lachit prepared a system of mud dykes that forced the Mughals to rely on their weakest asset, the navy. There was no progress on either side.Ram Singh won the decisive battle at Alaboi in 1669, but the Ahoms continued to fight. Ram Sing even had to resort to trickery to remove Lachit Borphukan, but he was to no avail. As the protracted war sapped the patience of both the Mughal and Ahom rulers, both urged their respective commanders to end the war in a decisive battle.
The Last Battle of Saraighat between the Ahom Dynasty and the Mughals
The Ahom army's small boats proved important in hand-to-hand combat. Because the large Mughal boats with cannons could not maneuver fast enough to engage them. A brawl soon broke out between the two factions and Munawar Khan was killed. This and the loss of other prominent officers forced the Mughals into a hasty retreat. The army under Ram Singh was forced to withdraw as the Mughals lost the cream of their army in a skirmish on the river. The Mughals were pursued to the Manas River, where Rachit stopped his army to consolidate their interests. Ram Singh later left Rangamati's campaign against Ahoms for the last time.
The result of the Battle of Saraighat for the Ahom Dynasty
Lachit Borphukan died of natural causes in 1672, one year after the Battle of Saraighat. Although his involvement was important, he did not end the Ahom-Mughal conflict. Guwahati was occupied by the Mughals when it was abandoned in 1679 by Rachit's successor Laluk his Sora. However, if the Ahom army led by Dihingia Arun Borbarua defeated the Mughals at his Battle of Itahuri in 1682, it would fall into the hands of the Ahom kingdom. This battle ended the Mughal Empire's presence in Assam for good, and there was no further campaign by them against the Ahom kingdom.
Frequently asked questions about the Ahoms Dynasty
Did Ahom Dynasty defeat the Mughals?
The Ahom tribe was successful on land, but the navy was forced to withdraw. Barphukan arrived with more ships, the Mughals were defeated, and Ahom also scored a second land victory. The Mughals could not withstand the onslaught and wrath of the Assamese.
How many times Lachit Borphukan defeated the Mughals?