03-01-2023

ASSAM HISTORY
SUSHENGPHA (1603 – 41)
 Langi Gohain
 Pratap Singha
 Burha Raja
 Budhi Swarganarayan
 Gajapati ( Sushengpha was renowned for his
love of elephants. It was said that he was the
proud owner of a thousand elephants, thereby
earning this name).
- Two new posts were introduced
- Barbarua: bestowed upon him the newly conquered land east of Koliabor. His primary duty was to assist
the king in carrying out reformative measures for the welfare of the subject. First Barbarua – Momai
Tamuli (Sukoti)
- Barphukan: Governor of all the newly conquered land west of Kaliabor and the overall commander of the
assault forces. First Barphukan – Langi Panisia.

Assamese was made the official language of the court

Posa system – Tribal appeasement policy

ASSAM HISTORY
SUSHENGPHA (1603 – 41)
PAIK SYSTEM
- Every adult male between the age of 15 to
50 was registered as a paik for the state
service.
- Four paiks (later three) formed a unit called
got.
- One paik from each got had to provide
service to the state for three (later four)
months.
- In case of emergency or war, more paiks may
be asked to provide service from each got.
- In return of the service, paiks were allotted
two puras of land (ga-mati) which is non-
hereditary and non-transferrable.
- Some paiks were organised into professional
khels, each khel rendering a particular kind
of productive work like boat-building, arrow-
making etc.
The state control over paiks was very rigid.
- Over each twenty paiks, there was an officer called Bora.
- Over hundred paiks, there was a Saikia
- Over one thousand paiks, there was Hajarika
- Over six thousand paiks, there was a Phukan.
- Areas, having paiks less than 3000, were placed under
Rajkhowa, who also administered justice in that area.
Paiks are broadly divided into two classes
- Kanri - The regular peasantry bound to give its service to the
state as labours and soldiers.
- Chamua - Peasants of good birth and relative affluence,eg.
Disposed Bhuyans, members of Chutiya nobility, traders,
artisans, etc. They could invariably pay commutation money
to get exempted from personal service to the state.
Bilatiyas - Working as tenants in the private land of nobles.
Dewaliyas - Allotted to the Temples and Satras
Bahatiyas - Providing service to the hill masters.
 03-01-2023

ASSAM HISTORY

Conflict with the Kacharis

• Kacharis were first defeated
• But later Kacharis under Jasa Narayan (Satrudaman)
defeated Ahoms.
• Jasa Narayan assume the name Pratap Narayan and AHOM
renamed his capital city Maibang as Kirtipur BHUTAN
MUGHALS KOCH
Ahom – Mughal conflict
JAYANTIA
NARA NARAYAN DIED IN 1587
BANGLADESH
KACHARI
KOCH KINGDOM
KACHARI Maibong

KOCH BIHAR KOCH HAJO

LAXMI RAGHUDEV
NARAYAN
PARIKSHIT Parikshit Narayan finally accepted defeat and was sent off to delhi)
MUGHALS
NARAYAN Parikshit Narayan’s brother Bali Narayan took refuge with the Ahoms

ASSAM HISTORY

Battle of Samdhara (1616)

- Battle of Samdhara was the first battle
fought between Mughals and the
Ahoms in 1616
- Two marchent vassels under Ratan
Shah entered Ahom territory. Although
Ratan Shah had the permission letter,
but Ahom came to know that he came
to know for a spying mission under
Sheikh Qasim, the Begnal Subedar.
- Ratan Shah and the spies inside the
boat were killed.
- Qasim sent a huge army under Syed
Hakkim and Syed Aba Bakr.

- The Ahoms managed to gain valuable information about the Mughals from Ahkek Gohain, who previously
went to the Mughal side, and was brought back to Ahom camp after being promised pardon.
- In the battle of Samdhara, over five thousand Muhammeddans were slaughtered, nine thousand captured.
 03-01-2023

ASSAM HISTORY

- Beginning from September 1619, a series of hostilities commenced

between the combined forces led by Pratap Singha and the Mughals, the Barnadi
results being this was and that.
- The prolonged war so exhausted their resources that both parties
desired for peace. Treaty of Asuror Ali, 1639 was signed, according to MUGHAL AHOM
which, the Barnadi on the north bank of the Brahmaputra and, the
Asurar Ali, on the south, were fixed as the boundary between the Ahom
and the Mughal territories. Asuror Ali
- Nawab Allah Yar Khan on behalf of the Mughals and Momai Tamuli
Barbarua for the Ahoms signed the treaty.

SURAMPHA/BHAGA RAJA(1641-44)
SUTYIMPHA /NARIYA ROJA (1644-1648)

ASSAM HISTORY

JAYADHWAJ SINGHA (1648 – 1663)

- Ahom name – Sutmala
- Sutmala became a disciple of Niranjandev and Auniati Sattra, Majuli
bestowed upon him grant of land to set up the Estd. 1653
Auniati sattra, becoming the first king in Ahom
history to formally accept the Vaishnava tenets.
- Also, for the first time in Ahom history copper-
plates were inscribed upon to commemorate the
land grants.
Ahom – Mughal conflict

- War of succession began in 1658. Shuja, governor of Bengal, left Bengal to participate in the conflict.
- Koch king Pran Narayan assumed independence and captured Goalpara and Kamrup.
- Jayadhwaj Singha sent army, and captured Gauhati from the Koch King.
- Aurangzeb usurped the throne in 1658. Aurangzeb made Mir Jumla governor of Bengal in 1660.
- Mir Jumla proceeded from Dhaka with 12,000 horses, 30,000 foot soldiers, 323 war boats and a powerful
artillery in November 1661.
- He reached Assam in 1662.
- Shihabuddin Talish accompanied Mir Jumla. He wrote Fathiya-i-Ibriaya or Tarikh-i-Assam
 03-01-2023

ASSAM HISTORY
Namrup
- Mir Jumla captured Jogighopa.
- Jayadhwaj Singha sent army to Saraighat and Pandu, but they were
Garhgaon
defeated by the Mughal. Mughal captured Gauhati on 4th February, 1662 Jogighopa
- Rajas of Darrang and Dimorua joined Mir Jumla, deserting the Ahom King.
- Mir Jumla proceeded towards Garhgaon.
- Jayadhwaj Singha fled to Charaideo and then to Namrup. (hence, called
Bhagania Roja)
- Mir Jumla captured Garhgaon in March, 1662.
Charaideo
No sooner had the Mughals consolidated their position than the Guwahati
monsoons set in. Communication was blocked, food supplies cut off,
soldiers were reduced to great straits and on the top of all this, the
Mughal general had to face a series of night attacks on their outposts
from the Assamese side.

The Assam king renewed the peace overtures at a time when Mir Jumla’s officers and men appeared unwilling
to proceed any further. Mir Jumla himself failed to withstand the climate of upper Assam. Pressed therefore, by
circumstances Mir Jumla agreed to accept the peace proposal.

ASSAM HISTORY

TREATY OF GHILAZHARIGHAT, 1663

The terms of the treaty were negotiated by Dilir Khan on the
side of the Mughals and Atan Burhagohain on the side of
the Assam king at Ghilazharighat on January 22, 1663.

- The Assam king and the Tipam Raja would offer their
daughters to the Mughal Harem.
- He will pay war indemnity.
- The Assam king would pay a regular annual tribute of 20
elephants.

The province of Darrang to the west of Bharali river on the north bank and the states of Dimarua, Beltola and Rani
to the west of the Kalang river on the south bank of Brahmaputra were to be ceded to the Mughals.

Ramoni Gabharu, daughter of Jayadhwaj Singha and Pakhari Gabhoru (daughter of Momai Tamuli Barbarua),
was sent to the Mughal harem at an age of six years. She was given muslim name of Rahmat Banu Begum after
her conversion to islam. Five years later, she was married to Aurangzeb’s son Muhammad Azam Shah.

Jayadhwaj Singha died out of despair in 1663.