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The Ahom Kingdom

The Ahom Kingdom

Section titled “The Ahom Kingdom”

2020-04-27 12:32:10

  • #todo
  • Rulers of Kamrup and Kamta brought under their control area b/w Kartoya and Barnadi rivers.
  • To their East were the Ahoms who belonged to the Tai tribe of south China and other south-east Asian countries.
  • Who came from Yunan in 13th century and estd their control over Dibrugarh and Sibsagar.
  • A new language Assamese based in intermingling of various tribal language emerged.
  • Its first work was Hem Saraswati’s Prahlat Charit.
  • Neo Vaishnavites movt under Shankaradeva rose.
  • Period of 15th century can be called a period of literary and cultural renaissance in Assam.
  • Also the period of steady Hinduizaion of Ahoms. Bhakti saints lived in centres called namghoras -> dev as centre of literature and faith
  • the period of 15th century saw the decline of Kamata kingdom and was replaced by the Cooch Behar/ Kuch rulers who clashed with the Ahoms.
  • After the decline of Kuch rule they invited the Mughals into the area and thus led to Mughal Ahom clashes.

Resistance to Mughal Empire

Section titled “Resistance to Mughal Empire”
  • #todo
  • Mir Jumla was the governor of Bengal who wanted entire Assam to be annexed Cooch behar and then invaded Ahom Kingdom.
  • Mir Jumla occupied Ahom and held it for 6 months despite rains and a close seige by Ahoms.
  • Ahom king signed a humiliating treaty in 1663.
  • Later after Mir Jumla died the Ahoms renewed their effors and drove the Mughals back recovering even the Cooch Behar areas.
  • War continued for 10 more years.
  • Ahoms had infantry, elephants and a strong navy relied mostly on Guerilla mode of warfare.
  • Ahoms during emergency could mobilise all able men about 100,000 in total.
  • Later the Mughals accepted river Manas to be the boundary b/w them and the Ahoms.
  • Lachit Borphukan was a military commander of the Ahom kingdom who led in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat thwarted attempt of Mughals.

Certain Features of Ahom State

Section titled “Certain Features of Ahom State”
  • Ahoms mostly depended on forced labours and such labourers were called paiks. For its enforcement census was taken of the village. Each village had to send a number of paiks on a rotation basis.
  • Till 17th century end administration became centralised. All male served in the army. And at other times were engaged in building dams, irrigation etc systems.
  • Introduced new methods of rice cultivation and declared capture of wild elephants as royal monopoly.

PYQs

Section titled “PYQs”

The Ahom Kingdom

  1. Write a short essay on: “The Ahom Kingdom” [2008, 20m]
  1. Give a brief account of resistance offered by Ahom State against the Mughal rule. [2014, 10m]