The Great Empires of India IV

 Blog#20

The Ahom Dynasty

 

 

Abstracts:

 

The Ahom kingdom was a historical but unfortunately unsung kingdom that ruled over the Brahmaputra Valley in the north-eastern part of inida (in the Present day Assam, India). Established in the thirteenth century, it lasted for nearly six hundred years until the nineteenth century. The Ahom rulers were of Tai Ahom ethnic origin. They created a powerful kingdom, which is known for its military strength and administrative efficiency.

 

 

Introduction:

 

The Ahom Dynasty was a powerful kingdom in India’s North eastern region. It was mainly in present day Assam, from the thirteenth century to the nineteenth century. The Ahom Kingdom was a late mediavel kingdom founded in 1228 in Assam’s Brahmaputra Valley. The Ahoms originally migrated from the South eastern Asia and settled in the Brahmaputra Valley.  

They established their rule by defeating the local rulers and creating a strong kingdom. The Ahoms were skilled in welfare and administration. They built many extraordinary monuments as well as temples. The empire’s economy relied on agriculture and trade. The Ahoms were known for their unique irrigation system and successful cultivation of rice.  

The empire faced challenges from the Mughal rulers and the invaders. However, it managed to maintain its independence for over a long period of time. Gradually, during the nineteenth century, the British took control over the region.

The Ahom Kingdom is known for having its diverse ethnic group of population and also for having a successful fight at a point to maintain its independence for almost six hundred years.

 

Chaolung Sukaphaa successfully integrated various communities and tribes. He formed friendly relationships with the Assam’s local and communal tribal communities, such as the Sutais, Morans and Kacharis.

Chaolung Sukaphaa is generally accredited as the architect of ‘Bor Asom’, or ‘Greater Assam’, for consolidating power, culture and religion in the region. He was able to bring together the diverse group of people in such a politically sensitive region that bordered the South Asia and the South East Asia.

 

 

 

Administration of the Ahom Kingdom:

 

The Ahom kingdom was a well organized and efficient ruling state. The Dangarias, governors, vassals and paik officers; all played an important role in the administration of the kingdom.

 

Dangarias

The Dangarias were the three highest officials in the Ahom kingdom:

§ Buragohain was the prime minister and commander in chief of the army.

§ Borgohain was the minister of Finance and Jusice.

§ Phukan was the minister of foreign affairs and trade.

 

Governors

The Ahom kingdom was divided into many provinces, each of which was governed by a governor. The governor was appointed by the king and was responsible for the works such as:

§ Collecting taxes,

§ Maintaining law and order, and;

§ Defending their provinces from attack.

 

Vassals

The Ahom kingdom also had many Vassals, who were the rulers of small kingdoms, which were allied to the Ahom kingdom. The Vassals paid tribute to the  Ahoms and they also provided military help when needed.

 

Paik Officers

Every male of the Ahom dynasty, between the ages of fifteen and fifty who was not a noble, a priest, a slave or a high class person was a Paik. The paiks were organized into four members group called gots.

 

 

Economy of the Ahom Kingdom:

§ The Paik system, a type of corvee labor neither feudal nor asian served as a foundation of the Ahom kingdom’s economy.

§ The Ahoms introduced wet rice farming to upper Assam, a mostly marshy and sparsely populated region.

§ The Ahoms established the first state structures using the advanced techniques for rice cultivation and land reclamation through embankments, dykes and irrigation system.

§ Despite the continued use of Paik personal service system, the first coins were introduced by Suklenmung in the sixteenth century.

 

 

 

 

Art

§ Assam’s Ahom dynasty promoted art and theater, whereas poets and scholars were given land as grants.

§ During the Ahom’s reign, all the positive traditions and culture were assimilated into Assamese culture, laying the groundwork for national cultural integration.

§ The two most notable architechtural structures in the Ahom Kingdom of Assam are Talatal Ghar and Karen Ghar of Rangpur Palaces.

§ An amphitheatre was built by the Ahom ruler Rudra Singh, where Bihu performances are held during the Rongali Bihu (around the period of fourteenth century CE).

 

 

 

Architecture:

 

The architecture of the Ahom Kingdom rreflects a unique blend of indigenous and Hindu Buddhist influences. Ahom architecture predominantly consisted of the brick and mortar structures.

One of the most notable architectural achievements of the Ahom kingdom is the Kamakhya Temple Complex in Guwahati. The temples were constructed in a districtive style characterized by cylindrical and octagonal domes.

 

 

 

Literature of the Ahom Kingdom:

 

Buranjis is a type of historical chronicle and manuscript associated with the Ahom Kingdom that is what initially written in Ahom and later in Assemese. The Buranjis are a rare example of historical literature in India.

There were two different types of Buranjis: first one is the Official Buranjis, which date back to the reign of the first Ahom King, Sukaphaa; and second one is the Family Buranjis, which date back to the sixteenth century.

The information in the Buranjis about the Ahom Mughal conflicts agrees with that in Mughal Chronicles such as Alamgirnamah, Fathiyyah, Bahaistan and Padshanama.

 

 

 

Culture and Occupation of the Ahom Kingdom:

 

When the Ahom first arrived in Assam, they were amazed by the incredibly fertile lands of the Brahmaputra Valley, which were enriched every year by the river’s mighty as well as repeated floods. Thus, agriculture became the primary source of the income for the Ahom Kingdom. Since, there were so many rice crops, the season took on the cultural significance for them. Even today, the Assamese celebrate the Bihu festival with Bora rice, a variety of rice. The Ahom people and culture are a fusion of the original Tai and their culture as well as the local Tibeto-Burman people and cultures, which have permeated Assam even today.

 

 

 

The Religion of the Ahom Kingdom:

 

The Ahom people who came to the Assam included two priestly clans, which was later joined by a third clan, which brought their religion, practices, rituals and scriptures. The religion of the Ahom Kingdom is primarily based on the worship of deities known as Phi and Dam (Ancestor Spirits).

Its similarity to other Tai folk religions include ancestor worship and the animistic view of Khwan. Although Ahom’s religion is based on ritual oriented ancestor worship that requires animal sacrifice (Ban-Phi), at least one Buddhism influenced ritual prohibited sacrifice (Phuralung).

 

 

 

Judicial System of the Ahom Kingdom:

 

Although, the Ahom Kingdom Administration did not have a separate department for the administration of Justice. There was no separation of powers, so the executive, judicial and legislative powers were all vested on the same person. The Ahom King’s court was the apex of the Ahom Judicial system. It served as the supreme and the highest court of appeals in the Ahom kingdom. In the absence of the Ahom King, the Nyaya Sodha Phukan handled the administration. The court had jurisdiction over original and appeals cases under the Nyaya Sodha Phukan.

 

 

 

Military of the Ahom Kingdom:

 

The military of the Ahom Kingdom was well organized and played a crucial role in the kingdom’s defense and expansion. The Ahom military consisted of various components, such as: Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, and also a Navy. The Infantry was the army’s backbone, comprising the foot soldiers which were armed with bows, arrows, spears, swords and shields. The Cavalry consisted of horse mounted soldiers who provided mobility and rapid response in warfare.

The Artillery units included cannons and guns acquired from trading with European powers. The Ahom Navy, the Marang Gompa, played a significant role in the riverine warfare, utilizing war boats and ships. The Ahom military employed strategic defense tactics, including construction of fortified ramparts and moats around important towns and cities.

 

 

 

 

Ahom Kingdom and their conquests:

 

Suhanmang (1497 to 1539 CE), son of Supimpha, ascended the Ahom throne in the year 1497 CE at Charguya with great ceremony and extravagance. He found his capital at Bokota on the banks of the Dihing and was also known as Dihingiya Raja. His reign was remembered for making significant changes to the map of the Ahom Dynasty!

 

Ahom Mughal Conquests:

Do you know that the Mughals, who had a vast empire in the Indian Subcontinent, had witnessed great defeats by the brave men of this small Ahom Dynasty?

But for your amazement, the Ahom Dynasty had many battles with the Mughal Dynasty; and surprisingly, the mighty Ahom Tribe not only fought, but also defeated the Mughals, not single, nor double, nor triple times, but instead these people defeated them seventeen times! In fact, this was the only dynasty which had not fell in front of the Mughal Empire and its power! This was one of the greatest achievements for the Ahom Dynasty.

The period of this war is believed to be from 1615 CE to 1682 CE. The location of this war is Assam, and in result, as mentioned above, the Ahom defeated the Mughals seventeen times.

 

 

Decline of the Powerful Kingdom:

 

The powerful Ahom Dynasty of Assam ruled the North East for about 600 years, during this time, it successfully integrated into the culture. Internal conflicts more excellence orientation towards one faith and intolerance towards others combined with external invasion and weak leadership led to the demise of the old kingdom.

Some major causes of the downfall of the Ahom Dynasty are as follows:

§ Moamoria Rebellion (1769 to 1805);

§ Internal conflicts within Ahom Kingdom;

§ Economic crisis due to the ineffective leadership of the leaders of the Dynasty;

§ Burmese invasion.

Between 1817 to 1826, the Burmese invaded Assam thrice, which weakened the Ahom kingdom’s economy. Thus, infighting among the clans started, and the Burmese king Bodoupaya invaded and robbed the state’s treasury.

The Treaty of Yandabo, 1826, and the East India Company expanded its influence over the area of Assam and the British, under the guise of collaborating with the Ahom the defeat the Burmese, and later annexed the area of Assam into a East India Colony under the British.

 

 

 

Conclusion:

 

The mighty Ahom kingdom ruled for nearly six hundred years before being wiped out by the East India Company. The Ahom community still exists in Assam and the history of the Ahom kingdom is proud to discuss for their illustrious past and contributions to the region. The mighty Ahom tribe, giving one of the most terrible defeats to the Mughal Dynasty and its empire, was one of the two dynasties in the Northern part of Indian Subcontinent. Being a very small empire, instead, this dynasty showed its supremacy by not felling in front of the vast and huge Mughal Empire.

 

 

 

Some common Abbreviations used above:

CE: Common Era

BCE: Before Common Era

AD: Anno Domini (year of our God)

BC: Before Christ

 

 

No. Of Words: 1800

Sources of Data:

Wikipedia

Google

Byju’s

Britannica

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