Ahom Mughal Conflict

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AhomMughal conflicts

AhomMughal conflicts refer to the period between the firstMughalattack on theAhom kingdomin 1615 and the final Battle of Itakhuli in 1682. The intervening

period saw the fluctuating fortunes of both powers and the end of the rule ofKochHajo. It ended with the Ahom influence extended to the Manas river which

remained the western boundary of the kingdom till the advent of the British in1826.

Overview

From the beginning the relation between the Ahoms and the Mughalswas hostile

and that was due to certain factors, such as, Mughal alliance with Koch Bihar, the

western enemy of the Ahoms and secondly the growing advance of the Mughals innorth-eastern frontier which alarmed them. While the Mughals supportedLakshminarayan, son of Nara Narayan of Koch Behar, the Ahom king

Sukhaamphaa (1552-1603) entered into alliance by marrying the daughter ofLakshminarayans cousin Raghudeva, the son ofChilaraiwho became the ruler of

the eastern part of thekingdom,Koch Hajowhich included the modern districts of

Goalpara,Barpeta,Kamrup,Darrangand a part ofSonitpur (up to Bharali). Thisdynastic alliancebetween Ahom and Koch was renewed afterwards by the next

Ahom king Susenghphaa (Pratap Singha, 1603-1641) who married a daughter of

Raja Parikshit. It is true that with a view to satisfy the territorial ambitions of his

own nephew, Nar Narayan allowed partition of his kingdom. But unfortunately, inspite of being pacified, Raghudeva and his successors remained all along hostile

towards the Koch royal house and this rivalry and antagonism between these twofrontier states invited intervention and aggression of their two mightyneighbourhood powers: the Mughals on the west and Ahoms on the east.

Conflict inception

From the time the Mughals appeared in the north-eastern frontier, a state of

indirect rivalry and hostility began between the Mughals and the Ahoms. After thefinal defeat of Parikshit (1613) the first organised Mughal attack upon Assamwasmade with a view to conquer that kingdom. It was the outcome of the aggressive

imperialism of the Mughals. "A desire for political supremacy and territorial

expansion appears to have been the guiding motives of the Mughals." Boundary

disputes and the trade rivalries appear to have complicated the situation andpolitical issues precipitated the conflict. After the extinction of the Kamrup
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monarchy, the Mughals came to regard the territory east ofBarnadiup toSingirias

part of the conquered region and hence asserted their political right over it. Ahomsstrongly resented this claim. "Moreover the rich natural resources of the Assam

valley and the prosperous kingdom of Kamrup in lower Brahmaputra valley,

abounding in elephants and aromatic plants excited the cupidity of the Mughalsand they were determined to force open the door of Assam."

The first organised open encounter with the Ahom kingdom was the well-deserved

punishment meted out by the Ahom government to an unauthorised trader fromMughal India named Ratan Singh. His illicit trade was detected, his goods were

confiscated and he was expelled from Assam. The Mughals got the necessary

pretext for war and an imperial army was at once detached in 1615 under thecommand of Abu Bakr and Raja SatrajitofBhusna. The imperial army advanced

towards Barnagar, the old capital of Kamrup and next moved to Hajo and

numerous outposts were raised in the surrounding region. In November 1615, AbuBakr suddenly fell upon Kajali, the Ahom frontier post on the southwest. After ashort skirmish, the Ahoms were defeated and leaving their war boats and the fort,

they fled. Flushed with easy success the Mughals indulged in a series of aggressivemeasures against the Ahoms. The Ahom king then fortified the fort of Samdhara

with a view to check the advance of the Mughals. Meanwhile the Mughals had

reached the confluence of the Brahmaputra and theBharalifacing Samdhara. After

a month of inaction the Mughals achieved a great triumph. They transported theirhorses across the Bharali and made a violent assault on the Ahom stockade on the

left bank.The Ahoms thus suffered another discomfiture. The Ahom king sent astrong detachment to the Ahom commanders at Samdhara and exhorted them to

fall on the enemy and fight to finish. The Ahoms gained an initial success and

reoccupied the stockade at the mouth of Bharali. The imperialists were taken bycomplete surprise and suffered heavy casualties. Thus in spite of the initial success,

the maiden attempt of the Mughals upon Assam ended in a disastrous failure. Theysuffered a colossal loss in men and money besides military prestige.

Conflict development

After the first disastrous failure in Assam, the Mughals henceforth continued tofollow a defensive and conciliatory policy in regards to the Assam state. Becauseof their heavy engagement in Kamrup, the Mughals henceforward were very

cautious not to offend their mighty neighbour. But the Ahoms being encouraged at

their recent brilliant success continued to pursue a hostile policy against theMughals and proceeded to take advantage of the prevailing political confusion in

Kamrup. The Assam disaster encouraged seditions and rebellions in Mughal
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occupied Kamrup. The Ahoms encouraged the Kamrup rebels and thereby caused

hardship to the Mughals. There was hardly any open and direct conflict betweenthe two powers as such. In the year 1618 the Ahom king Pratap Singha installed

Balinarayan, the brother of Parikshit as King of Darrang and continued to help him

for some time to reoccupy Kamrup. But in spite of Ahom kings materialassistance, Balinarayan ultimately failed reconquer Kamrup. The Ahoms interfered

in Kamrup for the third time on behalf of the hill chiefs ofDhanikalin 1619. Thehill chiefs being sick of Mughal subjection made a bold attempt to seize the hill

fort ofRanihatand they sought the help of the Ahom king. The Ahom respondedto the appeal and sent a large detachment to their assistance. After a hard fighting

the Mughals courted defeat and were compelled to evacuate Ranihat hotly pursued

by the Ahoms. But the Mughals soon gathered strength and recovered Dhanikal inspite of the stiff resistance of the Ahoms. Thus three attempts of the Ahoms at

supplanting Mughal authority in Kamrup proved abortive. The Ahom king

gradually withdrew from the arena of Kamrup policies leaving Balinarayan to hisfate.

During Shah Jahan's reign

The reign of Shah Jahan (1628-1655) marks a new epoch in Ahom-Mughal

relations. After a decade of informal hostility, circumstances paved the way for therenewal of open conflict between the two powers. Twofold factors, both political,

appear to have been responsible for the conflict. The first was the asylum given by

the Ahom king to the hill-chiefs of Dhanikal who had sought his protection against

the ill treatment of the Bengal SubahdarQasim Khan Chishti. The second factor,which precipitated the crisis, was the wickedness and treachery of Satrajit, the

Thanadar ofPanduwho made a common cause with Balinarayan and instigatedhim to take advantage of the change of governor in Bengal in order to attack

Kamrup. The invasion of Kamrup by Balinarayan compelled the Mughals to resort

to arms. The Ahoms gained initial success. A fierce encounter took place, which

ultimately ended with the total discomfiture of the imperialists. Thereupon, theMughal fell back to their frontier post of Hajo. The Ahoms laid seize to Hajo and

fighting continued for some time. At last both sides having been thoroughly worn

out, the fighting was stopped for some time.

The Ahom-Mughal conflict started afresh towards the end of December 1636. TheMughals entered Kamrup proper. The decisive defeat inflicted by the imperialists

on Balinarayan and the Ahoms in November 1637 turned the tide of fortune infavour of imperialists. The whole of Kamrup was cleared and re-annexed to the

Pan-Mughalia. The third round of conflict began soon. The imperialists advanced
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up the Brahmaputra and halted opposite to Samdhara in October 1638; severe

fighting ensued. Although the faint-hearted Ahom admiral retired from battle field,the garrison in the fort of Samdhara offered such a gallant defence that theMughals had to give up the contest with great loss of men and materials.

Both sides became eager forpeace. Hence a treaty of peace was signed in February1639. According to the Treaty of Asurar Alibetween the Ahom general Momai

Tamuli Borbarua, and the Mughal commander Allah Yar Khan, western Assam

commencing fromGauhatipassed into the hands of Mughals. The Ahom king, forthe first time, acknowledged formally the Mughal overlordship in Kamrup, the

Mughals acknowledged the independence of the Ahom king and gave up all

pretensions to the territories east of Barnadi on the north and Kalangon the southand the Ahom king agreed not to interfere in Kamrup. Besides trade and

commercial intercourses were resumed.

The Ahom-Mughal relation following the peace of 1639 was far from satisfactory.

However, it would be wrong to assume that both sides strictly honoured the peacetreaty of 1639. The keynote of the political history of this period is the endless

criminations and recriminations of the Mughals and the Assamese on variousrounds, such as, 'Kheda' operations, trade and commercial intercourse, boundary

disputes, extradition of political offenders, and violation of personal liberty andprivileges of the subject people. On these issues frictions continued mounting

without, of course, any open armed-clash. It was really a period of armed peace

between the Mughals and the Ahoms.

In the year 1648, the Mughal Faujdar of Gauhati sent a message of congratulations

to the Ahom king Jayadhwaj (Suramphaa) on his succession. But, JayadhwajSingha (1648-1663), taking advantage of the emperor Shah Jahans illness and the

war of succession, expelled the Mughals from Gauhati, and chased them downbeyond the river Manaha (Manas). He also devastated the territory nearDaccaandcarried off to Assam a large number of Mughal subjects as captives.

During Aurangzeb's reign

Aurangzeb after ascending on the throne of Delhi ordered Mir Jumla to invade

Cooch Behar and Assam and re-establish Mughal prestige in eastern India. Afterhaving occupied Koch Behar had also declared its independence. Mir Jumla

entered Assam in the beginning of 1662. He easily repulsed the feeble resistanceoffered by the Assamese at the garrisons between Manaha and Guwahati. He
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occupied one garrison after another, and Pandu, Guwahati, and Kajali fell into thehands of the Mughals practically unopposed.

The easy success of Mir Jumla was due to dissatisfaction in the Assam camp. Theleading commanders and the officers were the exclusive monopolies of the Tai-

Ahom. But. King Jayadhwaj Singha had appointed a Kayastha as viceroy ofWestern Assam andcommander-in-chiefof the Ahom army despatch against Mir

Jumla leading to resentment among the ranks. This officer was Manthir Bharali

Barua of Bejdoloi family. He was also appointed Parbatia Phukan. Thisappointment caused bitter resentment among the hereditary Ahom nobles and

commanders and the resistance which they offered to the invaders was neither

worthy of the efficient military organisation of the Ahoms nor of the reputationwhich they acquired by repeated success in their enterprises against foreigners, and

Mir Jumlas march into Assam was an uninterrupted series of triumph and

victories though the real secret of his success, namely, defection in Ahom camp,which has not been touched upon by any historian of the expedition.

The Ahoms, however, recovered their senses when the hostile force reached the

neighbourhood of Kaliabor. They concentrated their defence at Simalugarh andSamdhara. In February 1662, Mir Jumla laid siege to Simalugarh and after severe

hand-to-hand fight, the Ahoms abandoned the fort and took to flight. The Ahomforces at Samdhara on the opposite bank, being unnerved by the fall of Simalugarh,

left their charge without any opposition worth the name. After this brilliant

success, Mir Jumla entered the Ahom capital Garhgaon on 17 March 1662. The

Ahom king Jayadhwaj took shelter in the eastern hills abandoning his capital andall his treasures. Immense spoils fell into the hands of the Mughal Empire82

elephants, about 3 lakhs of coins in gold and silver, 675 big guns, about 4750maundsofgunpowder in boxes, 7828 shields, 1000 odd ships, and 173 stores ofrice.

But, Mir Jumla conquered only the soil of Ahom capital and neither the king northe country. Therainy seasonwas fast approaching and so Mir Jumla halted there

and made necessary arrangements for holding the conquered land.

Communications with the imperial fleet at Lakhau as well as with Dacca werearranged. But the torrential rain and violence of the rivers caused immense

hardship to the Mughals and the communication with the Mughal fleet and Lakhauand with Dacca became completely disrupted.

The Ahoms took the fullest advantage of the unspeakable hardship of the Mughals.With the progress ofmonsoon, the Ahoms easily recovered all the country east of
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Lakhau. Only Garhgaonand Mathurapur remained in the possession of Mughals.

The Ahoms were not slow to take advantages of the miserable plight of theMughals. The Ahom king came out of his refuge and ordered his commanders to

expel the invaders from his kingdom. A seriousepidemicbroke out in the Mughal

camp at Mathurapur, which took away the lives of hundreds of Mughal soldiers.There was no suitable diet or comfort in the Mughal camp. At last life becameunbearable at Mathurapur and hence the Mughals abandoned it.

By the end of September the worst was over. Therainsdecreased, andfloodwentdown, roads reappeared and communications became easier. The contact with the

Mughal fleet at Lakhau was restored which cheered the long suffering Mughal

garrison. The Mughal army under Mir Jumla joined the fleet at Devalgaon. TheAhom king Jayadhwaj Singha took refuge in hill again. But in December, Mir

Jumla fell seriously ill and the soldiers refused to advance any further. Meanwhile

the Ahom king became extremely anxious for peace. At last a treaty was concludedat Ghilajharighat in January 1663, according to which the Ahoms ceded westernAssam to the Mughals, promised a war indemnity of three lakhs of rupees and

ninety elephants. Besides, the king had to deliver his only child and daughterRamani Gabharu, as well as his niece, the daughter of the Tipam Raja to the harem

of the Mughal emperor. Thus, according to the treaty Jayadhwaj Singha transferred

Kamrup to the possession of the Mughals and promised to pay a heavy warindemnity.

The question of prompt payment of war indemnity of elephants and cash became a

source of friction between the Ahoms and the Mughals. The first instalment waspaid by Jayadhwaj promptly. But as soon as Mir Jumla withdrew from Assam the

Ahoms began to default. Jayadhwaj Singhas successor Chakradhwaj Singha(Supangmung, 1663-1670) was against any payment at all on principle. He shouted

out from his throne: - "Death is preferable to a life of subordination to foreigners".

In 1665 the king summoned an assembly of his ministersandnoblesand ordered

them to adopt measures for expelling the Mughals from western Assam, adding"My ancestors were never subordinate to any other people; and I for myself cannot

remain under the vassalage of any foreign power. I am a descendant of the

Heavenly king and how can I pay tribute to the wretched foreigners."

A large portion of the war indemnity still remained undelivered for which theAhom king had to receive threatening letters from Syed Firoz Khan, the new

Fauzadarat Guwahati. On receiving Firoz Khans letter the Ahom king made uphis mind to fight. On Thursday, Bhadra 3, 1589 saka near aboutAugust 20, 1667

the Ahom army started from the capital and sailed down the Brahmaputra in two
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divisions. They encamped at Kaliabor, the Vice Regal headquarters, from where

they conducted their war operations against the Mughals. Syed Firoz Khan, theimperial governor of Guwahati and his army were not prepared for such an

eventuality, with the result that the Ahoms gained a series of victories over the

enemy. The Ahom army on the south bank was successful in their fighting. Theirchief objective was the capture ofItakhuliwhich is a small hill on the south bank

of the Brahmaputra at Guwahati. In 2 November 1667,Itakhuliand the contiguousgarrison of Guwahati fell into the hands of the Ahoms. Enemy was chased down to

the mouth of the Manaha river, the old boundary between Assam and MughalIndia. The Ahom also succeeded in bringing back the Assamese subjects who had

previously been taken as captives by the Mughals during the expedition of Mir

Jumla. Thus within the short span of two months the Ahoms succeeded their lostpossession and along with it their lost prestige and glory, this was due to the

determination and courage of Ahom king Chakradhwaj Singha. On receiving the

news of victory the king cried out-"It is now that I can eat my morsel of food withease and pleasure". The success of the Ahoms in recovering possession ofGuwahati and western Assam forms a momentous chapter in the history of their

conflicts with the Mughals.

Ram Singh's campaign

Battle of Saraighat

In December 1667, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb received intelligence of the

capture of Guwahati by the Ahoms, and he at once resolved to dispatch a strongarmy to reestablish Mughal prestige in North-East frontier. He commissioned Raja

Ramsingh IofAmber, son of the distinguished general Mirza-Raja Jai Singh I, tolead an invasion of Assam. He was accompanied by Rashid Khan, the ex-Fauzadar

of Guwahati. Ram Singha reached the frontier garrison of Rangamati in February1669. On Ram Singhas arrival at Rangamati, the Ahom commanders stationed at

Manaha attempted to oppose the advance of the enemy. There were fewskirmishes, but the Assamese could not attain any success. The Assamese were not

prepared for such an eventuality and they left their frontier garrisons and sailed

down to Guwahati.

Also, the Ahoms had not quite completed their preparations for resistingRamsingh

Is advance. Lachit Borphukan, the commander-in-chief of the Ahom camp had

realized fully that postponement of the open encounter would enable him to bringhis preparations to perfection in the light of the enemys superior strength. LachitBorphukan sent the following message to Ram Singh "Tell Raja Ram Singh that
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8/21

we want to know why he has come to our country." Firoz Khan, ex-Fauzadar of

Guwahatii, now a prisoner of the Ahoms, was released and Lachit Barphukan senthim to Raja Ram Singh with the above message. Ram Singh demanded through

Firoz Khan the restoration of the limit fixed in 1639 between Allah Yar Khan and

Momai Tamuli Borbarua. By the time he received this reply Barphukan wouldrather fight than yield an inch of the territory which providence had given to hismaster.

The result was that in the first two battles of the campaign were fought nearTezpurin the beginning of April 1669. The Ahoms were worsted on both occasions, but

they gained a naval battle, and soon afterwards repulsed the Muhammadans and

Ram Singha was compelled to retire to Hajo where he quarreled with Rashid Khan.Eventually Ram Singha cut his tent ropes and ordered him out of the camp. Soon

afterwards the Muhammadans were again defeated near Sualkuchi, both on land

and water.

At this juncture,Ramsingh IchallengedChakradhwaj Singhato single combat, andundertook, if he were defeated, to return with the army to Bengal. The Ahom king

declined the invitation, and ordered his generals to renew their attack. They did so,and won another double engagement nearSessa. They followed up this success by

taking the fort at Agiathuti, but soon afterwards Ram Singha attacked the Ahomarmy and routed it, inflicting heavy loss. The Barphukan hurried up with

reinforcements, but his flank was tired and he was obliged to retreat with loss of

his ships. Raja Ram Singha now opened negotiations for peace. The Ahoms were

also tired of the war, and hostilities were suspended for a time. Sporadicengagement accompanied by proposals of peace continued during 1669 and 1670.From October 1669 to March 1670, Ram Singha withdrew himself from the fight.

In the meantime Ramsingh I sent a letter to the Barphukan inviting the king ofAssam to fight a duel in the presence of the two hostile armies. But the Ahom king

dismissed the insolent challenge by simply saying"Ram Singha is a mere servantand he has no umbrella over his head. So I do not like to fight a duel with such a

man." Chakradhvaj Singha could not hold his patience any longer. In the meantime

the Mughal had then concentrated their army near Alaboi Hill in the vicinity ofDalibari. A terrible contest ensued on the plains to the south of the Alaboi Hill. The

Ahoms were badly defeated in that battle. The massacre at Alaboi had terriblyupset Lachit Barphukan. Though the Alaboi massacre meant a serious loss to theAhoms but it did not confer upon the enemy any decisive advantage.
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But Ram Singha repeated his demands for the evacuation of Guwahati and

reversion to thestatus quo ante of the year 1639. The Barphukan remained firm inthe position he had previously maintained. So war was inevitable between the two

parties. But when the war was taking a more critical turn,Chakradhwaj Singha, the

king of Assam died in April 1670. He was succeeded by his brother UdayadityaSingha(Sunyatphaa, 1670-1672)

Although the negotiations with the Mughals continued, but Ram Singha suspecting

the sincerity of the Barphukan returned to attack. Udayaditya renewed the war andordered the Barphukan to march with 20,000 men from Samdhara to Saraighat.

The Ahoms were successful on land but their navy was forced to retreat.

Barphukan arrived with more ships and Mughal army was beaten and the Ahomsalso gained a second land victory. The Mughals could not stand the dash and fury

of the Assamese onset. The Assamese were fighting for their life and liberty, and

the Mughals for the mere luxury of triumph and territorial expansion. TheBarphukan intended to chase them further still, but he was dissuaded byAchyutanda Doloi. The combat came to an end, and it was a decisive victory for

the Assamese. This battle is known in history as the Battle of Saraighat. RamSingha weakened by the repeated losses retreated to Rangamati in March 1671.

Hadira opposite to Goalpara became the Ahom frontier out post. Thus Mughals

were evicted from Kamrup, strong fortifications were constructed at Guwahati.Thus Ahoms remained in undisturbed possession of their territories till 1679 A.D.

Post-conflictIn 1679, during the reign of Sudoiphaa or Parvatiya Raja, Laluk Barphukan, the

Ahom viceroy of Gauhati, and his brother entered into a conspiracy and invited theNawab of Bengalto take possession of the fort atSaraighat. Accordingly in March

Laluk Sola made over Gauhati to the Mughals in return for a promised reward offour lakhs of rupees and an assurance to support Laluks candidature for the throne

of Assam.

In 1681, Gadapaniwas formally installed as sovereign of Assam under the name

Gadadhar Singha (Supaatphaa, 1681-1696). His first act after taking reign was thedispatch of an army against Mansur Khan, which succeeded in recovering Gauhatiin August 1682 after a decisive encounter at Itakhuli. The Ahoms expelled Mansur

Khan from Gauhati and re-established their possession over the territoriesextending up to the river Manaha (Manas). Thus, Manaha (river Manas) became

once more the western boundary of Assam and it remained as such till theoccupation of the western Assam by theBritishin the year 1824.
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10/21

List of Conflicts

Sl.

No

.

YearMughal War-

Leader

Ahom War-

LeaderMain Fronts Consequence

1 1615

Abu Bakr &

Raja Satrajitof Bhusna

Out-post

Commanders

Barnagar, Hajo,

Kajali, Samdhorafort

Mughal wins but

unable to consolidate

hold. Ahom regainslost posts.

2 1619Out-postCommanders

Reinforceme

ntCommander

s

Dhanikal & Ranihatforts

Ahom wins but unable

to consolidate .

Mughal regains posts.

3Out-post

CommandersBalinarayan

Guwahati, Kamrup

frontiers, Hajo

Cease-fire at Hajo,Mughals removedfrom Kamrup proper

4 1636Reinforcemen

t Commanders

Out-postCommander

s

Kamrup frontiers,

GuwahatiMughal wins posts.

5 1637Reinforcemen

t CommandersBalinarayan Kamrup proper

Mughal wins whole of

Kamrup proper

6 1638Reinforcemen

t Commanders

Out-postCommanders

Samdhora fort

Ahom retains fort,

Mughal retreats,Treaty of Asurar Alisigned, Ahom loses

Kamrup


Jayadhwaj

Singha,Ahom King

Kamrup proper,Dacca

Ahoms routs Mughal

posts and forces themto retreat to near

Assam-Bengal Border

8 1662

Mir Jumla

under directorder from

Aurangzeb

Out-post

Commanders

Guwahati,Kajali,Si

malugarh,Samdhora, Ahom

capital Gargaon

Jaydhwaj Singha,

Ahom kingretreats,abandons

capital

9 1662 Mir JumlaJayadhwajSingha,

Ahom King

Capital Gargaon,Mathurapur

Ahom regains capital,

Mughals, routed offtheir

possessions,retreats to
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11/21

Kamrup proper

10 1663 Mir Jumla

Jayadhwaj

Singha,Ahom King

Capital Gargaon

Jaydhwaj Singha,

Ahom king retreats,abandons capital but

signsTreaty ofGhilajharighatto

regain capital with

heavy war-indemnity

payment


Commander

s underdirect order

from

Chakradhwa

Singha,Ahom King

Guwahati, Kamrup

frontiers, Itakhuli,

Hajo

Ahom routs Mughalposts and forces

Mughals to retreat to

near Assam-Bengal

Border

12 1667

Raja RamSingh of

Amber andRashid Khan

under directorder from

Aurangzeb

Out-postCommander

s

RangamatiAhom loses out-posts;makes strategic retreat

to Guwahati

13 1669

Raja Ram

Singh ofAmber and

Rashid Khanunder direct

order fromAurangzeb

Out-post

Commanders

Tezpur

Initially Mughal gainsposts but soon

defeated by the naval

fleets of Ahom,

retreats to Hajo, Ahomwins out-posts

14 1669

Raja Ram

Singh of

Amber andRashid Khanunder direct

order fromAurangzeb

Reinforcement

Commanders

Sualkuchi Ahom wins out-posts

15 1670 Raja Ram Out-post Alaboi Hill near Mughal wins posts
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Singh ofAmber

Commanders

Dalibari

16 1671Raja RamSingh of

Amber

LachitBorphukan

Battle of Saraighat

Decisive win byAhom, Ram Singh

retreats to Rangamati

17 1679

Nawab of

Bengal under

suzerainty of

Mughal &Laluk Sola

(Ahomconspirator)

None No War

Laluksola Borphukan,conspires with

Mughals andabandons Guwahati

18 1682 Mansur KhanDihingiaAlun

Barbarua

Battle of Itakhuli

Ahom regains Kamrup

up to Manas river andestablishes firm reignover the area till

advent of British in1826

Battle of Saraighat

Final Battle of Saraighat

Part of theAhom-Mughal conflicts

Date Middle of March, 1671

Location Guwahati

Result Decisive Ahom Victory

Belligerents

Ahom kingdom Mughal Empire

Commanders and leaders

Lachit Borphukan Ramsingh I,Munnawar Khan&Shaista Khan
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13/21

Casualties and losses

4000 men, 3 amirs

The Battle of Saraighat was fought in 1671 between the Mughal empire(led by

the Kachwaha king, Raja Ramsingh I), and the Ahom Kingdom (led by Lachit

Borphukan) on the Brahmaputra river at Saraighat, now in Guwahati. Althoughmuch weaker, theAhom Armydefeated theMughal Armyby brilliant uses of the

terrain, clever diplomatic negotiations to buy time, guerrilla tactics,psychologicalwarfare,military intelligenceand by exploiting the sole weakness of the Mughal

forcesits navy.

The Battle of Saraighat was the last battle in the last major attempt by the Mughals

to extend their empire into Assam. Though the Mughals managed to regain

Guwahati briefly after a laterBorphukandeserted it, the Ahoms wrested control intheBattle of Itakhuliin 1682 and maintained it till the end of their rule.

The Battle of Saraighat was fought in 1671 between the Mughal empire(led by

the Kachwaha king, Raja Ramsingh I), and the Ahom Kingdom (led by LachitBorphukan) on the Brahmaputra river at Saraighat, now in Guwahati. Although

much weaker, theAhom Armydefeated theMughal Armyby brilliant uses of theterrain, clever diplomatic negotiations to buy time, guerrilla tactics,psychological

warfare,military intelligenceand by exploiting the sole weakness of the Mughalforcesits navy.

The Battle of Saraighat was the last battle in the last major attempt by the Mughals

to extend their empire into Assam. Though the Mughals managed to regainGuwahati briefly after a laterBorphukandeserted it, the Ahoms wrested control intheBattle of Itakhuliin 1682 and maintained it till the end of their rule.

Background

Mughal interest in the Brahmaputra valley began in 1602 when the Nawab ofDhaka attacked Parikshit Narayan of Koch Hajo at Dhubri, the western mostcorner of Assam. The first Mughal-Ahom conflict took place in 1615 when the

Mughals attacked the Ahoms, then under Pratap Singha, for protecting Bali

Narayan, the brother of Parikshit. This resulted in a period of Mughal-Ahom war

with fluctuating fortunes that ended with the Treaty of Asurar Ali in 1639. TheTreaty fixed Barnadi river in the north bank and Asurar Ali in the south bank of the
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Brahmaputra as the boundary between the Ahoms and the Mughals. This, and the

defeat of the Koch king at Pandu in 1641, resulted in a period of Mughaladministration in Kamrup (GuwahatiandHajo.)

Taking advantage of the Mughal succession wars after the fall of the Mughal

emperorShah Jahanin 1658, Pran Narayan ofKoch Bihar tried to occupy KochHajo, but the Ahoms under Jayadhwaj Singha tookGuwahatiand pushed him back

beyond Dhubri. That the Ahoms reached Dhubri by defeating the Koch king and

not the Mughals would form a central tenet in later Ahom diplomacy. Soon after,Aurangzeb occupied the Delhi throne. Mir Jumla II, pursuing Shah Shuja in

Bengal, was appointed the Subahdar of Bengal in 1660 and asked to retake Assam.

Mir Jumla marched in 1661 and defeated the Ahoms at successive encounters tofinally take the Ahom capitalGarhgaon. But the daga juddha (guerrilla warfare) of

Atan Burhagohainand the rains succeeded in cutting off Mughal communication

lines making it impossible for Mir Jumla to consolidate Mughal rule. Unaware ofMir Jumlas difficulties and unnerved by Baduli Phukan's defection, JayadhwajSingha sued for peace, an opportunity Mir Jumla seized on. The Treaty of

Ghilajharighat(1663) brought an end to Mughal occupation of Garhgaon, but theconditions of this treaty were so severe that the Ahoms were soon resolved toreverse them.

Ahom preparations for war

After the humiliating defeat inflicted by Mir Jumla the Ahom king Jayadhwaj

Singha died in despair. On his deathbed, he exhorted his cousin and successorChakradhwaj Singha to "remove the spear of humiliation from the bosom of the

nation." There followed a complete overhaul of the Ahom kingdom. People whohad dispersed due to Mir Jumla's invasion were rehabilitated in the appropriate

khels, food and military productions were increased, new forts were constructedand garrisoned and an experditionary army was organized under a new

commanderLachit Borphukan. Alliances were renewed with the Jaintiaand the

Kacharikingdoms. During this period Mughal imperial demands were tactfully and

diplomatically rebuffed, but when the new faujdar of Guwahati, Firuz Khan,

forced the matter in March 1667, the Ahoms were compelled to move. In August1667 the Ahom army, under Lachit Borphukan and accompanied by AtanBurhagohain, sailed downstream to retake Guwahati.

Ahoms retake Guwahati
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Lachit made Kaliabor, the old seat of theBorphukan, his base camp and advanced

toward Guwahati along both banks of the Brahmaputra. On the north bank theDeka Phukan retook Bahbari in early September 1667. On the south bank, the

Nausalia Phukan and others, moving on land and water, captured Kajali, Sonapur,

Panikhaiti, and Titamara forts between the Kapili river and Guwahati. The Ahomsthen reached Guwahati which was defended by five choukies on each bank of the

Brahmaputra (northKanai-borosi-bowa, Hillar, Hindurighopa, Patduar andKorai; southLatasil, Joiduar, Dharamduar, Duarguria and Pandu). With some

loss, the Ahoms captured Shah Buruz and Rangamahal forts, a little north of thecity. An extended battle was fought for the Itakhuli fort (at the site of the current

Deputy Commissioner's bungalow). The Ahoms besieged Joiduar, occupied Pandu,

and in spite of a Mughal reinforcement, approached Itakhuli. The grand attack waslaunched on the night of 4 November 1667, when the Ahoms scaled the walls by

ladders and after two months of siege, Itakhuli fell in mid-November 1667. Most

of the defenders were massacred, many surrendered but a few managed to escape.War provisions, treasures and war material fell into Ahom hands.

The Mughals received some reinforcement at this point and retaliated against theAhoms. The Ahoms fought back with their naval forces and removed them from

their bases in Umananda and Barhat. The Mughals, pursued by the Ahoms,

managed to fortify the Manahmukh (the confluence of Manas river) and fend off

the attackers for some time but Firuz Khan finally surrendered and was takenprisoner. This brought an end to the recapture of Guwahati and the Ahoms were

able to control their old Manas border once again. But this did not last long andthey had to beat a strategic retreat due to the advancing Mughal army of Raja RamSingh.

Mughal imperial invasion

MughalemperorAurangzebwas informed of the losses on 19 December 1667 and

he commissioned Raja Ram Singh of Amber, son of the famous Mirza Raja Jai

Singh, to take back Guwahati. Ram Singh left Delhi on 27 December 1667 and

finally reached Rangamati in February in 1669. He was accompanied, as was the

Mughal custom of sending two generals, by Rashid Khan, ex-faujdar of Guwahati,and from Patnaby the Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur. The Ahoms, anticipating aMughal strike, are said to have followed his movements from Delhi itself. Along

the way Aurangzeb augmented Ram Singh's forces of 4,000 troopers (from his

char-hazaari mansab), 1,500 ahadis and 500 barqandezes by an additional 30,000infantrymen, 21 Rajput chiefs (Thakurs) with their contingents, 18,000 cavalry,

2,000 archers and shieldmen and 40 ships. When Lachit surveyed the massive
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Mughal force later, he was moved to tears and he uttered: "It is a tragedy that my

country is facing this dire catastrophe during my Phukanship. How will my king besaved? How will my people be saved? And how will my posterity be saved?"

Armies fromKoch Biharjoined the Mughal forces since they were vassals.

Ahom strategic planning and Mughal attacks

Aware of Mughal military might and the weakness of the Ahom soldiers,especially against cavalry and mounted forces in open fields, Lachit Borphukan

and others decided to choose the terrain of the battlefield with care. The choice fell

on Guwahati, which was hilly, on the way to the heart of the Ahom kingdom and

without open fields where the Mughal forces would not have sufficient mobility.The only way east was via the Brahmaputra river passing through it. The

Brahmaputra at Saraighat, at its narrowest 1 km width, was ideal for a navaldefense. To check Mughal advance, Lachit prepared a complex system of mud

embankments in Guwahati When the Mughals found Guwahati impregnable by

land, they would be forced to use their navy, which was their weakest asset. Lachit

set up his headquarters at Andharubali, the sandbanks between the Kamakhya andSukreshwar hills. The deliberations of the war council were recorded and madeinto a manual.

When the Mughal march reached the Manas river in MarchApril 1669 anddefeated some Ahom forces, Lachit decided on a strategic retreat to Guwahati.

Three Rajkhowas were asked to meet the Mughal forces and retreat to Guwahati,keeping the Mughal forces in sight but beyond the reach of their weapons. When

the Mughals reached closer, he started a sham negotiation with Ram Singh, who

had set up camp at Agiathuti, calling him a "Bhai Raja" (brother prince). And when

he was ready for the Mughal attacks, he sent words to Ram Singh via Firuz Khanthat "Guwahati and Kamrup do not belong to the Mughals" since they were takenfrom the Koch and that the Assamese were prepared to fight to the last.

A period of battles between the Ahom and Mughal forces in the region of

Guwahati followed, with varied results with forts changing hands many times. Inthese battles, the Mughal forces were arraigned in four divisions:

1. The north bank, commanded by Ram Singh himself.2. The south bank, under Ali Akbar Khan, Mir Sayyid Khan, Raja Indramani,

Raja Jaynarayan and Marul Khan
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3. The Sindurighopa entrance, under Jahir Beg, Kayam Khan, GhanashyamBakshi, and three Baruah's from Koch BiharKavisekhar, Sarveshwar andManmatha.

4. The river, guarded by the naval commanders Mansur Khan, Latif Khan,Iswarpati,firinghees (Europeans) and one Kapidan Raja.

In these attacks the Ahom alliesthe Garos, the Jaintia, the Nagas, the Rani of

Darrang, the Raja of Rani, and even the monsoons of 1669joined battle. TheAhom defense was arraigned as:

1. The north bank, under the command ofAtan Burhagohain.2. The south bank, under the command ofLachit Borphukan.

Both commanders had a number ofpali commanders each defending a specific

strategic area, with each pali reorganized in response to the challenge posed byRam Singh's forces.

Aurangzeb received information of the lack of progress in August 1669 and madearrangements with the Subahdar of Bengal, Shaistha Khan, to provide

reinforcements to Ram Singh. This period is also known for Atan Burhagohain'sdagga judha (guerilla warfare). Ram Singh protested that these harassing

campaigns lowered the "dignity of warfare", and withdrew from fighting (October1669March 1970), to no particular military advantage.

Major Ahom reversal at Alaboi

One of these battles stood out for a major Ahom reversal. Exasperated with the

delaying tactics of the Borphukan, Ram Singh asked for a duel with the Ahom

king. He promised to withdraw from Assam with his army if he was defeated.Lachit updated Chakradhwaj Singha about this proposal, who rejected the offer on

the ground that it was beneath his dignity to duel a mere servant "who has noumbrella over his head" (who is not a "Chhatrapati"). Annoyed with Ram Singh's

proposal he ordered Lachit to confront the Mughals militarily. In a battle that was

set up as a challenge, a force of 10,000 Mughals under Mir Nawab was to confront

a force of 20,000 Ahom cavalry. Ram Singh's "approach was psychological,marked by pride, chivalry and revenge". The Ahom approach, to cover their basic

weaknesses, was based on "diplomacy, deception and mispresentation". So insteadof 20,000, they sent in 40,000 and using an anti-koch tactic that had worked

againstChilarai, they dressed their vanguard archersandmusketeersasBrahmansto make the Rajput warriors desist from killing them. Ram Singh, on the other
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hand, set a woman, Madanavati, dressed as a man, to command the vanguard to

deny the Ahoms any glory in case of a victory. The battle took place in the fieldsadjoining the Alaboi hills about 5 August 1669.

In the first phase, Madanavati dispersed the first four lines of the Ahom vanguard

with ease, but the Borphukan had trenches dug to conceal his other lines. In thesecond phase, a diversion to cross the Brahmaputra was thwarted, and Madanavati

was shot. The battle turned and in the third phase, Mir Nawab's forces were routed.

Enraged at the deception, Ram Singh let loose his veteran horsemen and in thecarnage that followed, 10,000 Ahom soldiers were massacred.

Aurangzeb was pleased with these Mughal successes and increased Ram Singh'smansab from 4000 to 5000. Ram Singh was also instructed to invest Guwahatisoon, and if it was not possible, to devastate the land and plunder the people.

Final diplomatic maneuvers

After the Mughal advances in late 1669, Ram Singh began diplomatic efforts. The

proposal was for the Assamese to evacuate Guwahati and a return to the 1639status quo (Treaty of Asurar Ali) in return for a Mughal payment of 300,000

rupees. The Ahoms did not respond favorably. Ram Singh next attempted to bribe

and create divisions among the Ahom field commanders (Phukans). In the

meantime, the Ahom king Chakradhwaj Singha died and was succeeded by hisbrother Udayaditya Singha. The long war had resulted in popular discontent in the

Ahom kingdom. Ram Singh again put forward his proposal on the 1639 status quosettlement and this time the Ahoms appeared receptive. The Ahom king, though

displeased, left the decision to his commanders in Guwahati. In the meeting which

included Lachit Borphukan, the only dissenter to the proposal was AtanBurhagohain, who displayed his statesmanship.

Atan Burhagohain argued that there was no guarantee that the Emperor at Delhi

will abide by Ram Singh's assurance. Also, a settlement then would mean that the

drain on the country's resources would have been in vain. Further, what was the

guarantee that once the Mughals take Guwahati, they would not reach forGarhgaonor evenNamrup.

Atan Burhagohain was able to persuade the other commanders and the Ahomsrejected this proposal. The diplomatic efforts of Ram Singh failed once again.

Final battle at Saraighat
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The Battle of Saraighat, March 1671

Meanwhile, Mughal reinforcements in the shape of war-vessels and imperial

officers (Omraos) reached Ram Singh, along with the Mughaladmiral,MunnawarKhanand theMughalViceroyShaista Khan, sent the message that Ram Singh was

sent to fight the Assamese, not make friends with them. Ram Singh now madepreparations for his final and direct assault on Guwahati and began moving along

the northbank. Near Sualkuchi he was joined by ships with artillery and archersunder fivesardars. The Mughals had large boats, some carrying as many as sixteen

cannons. The Mughal ambassador, Paditrai, had reported a breach in theembankment at Andharubali a few days earlier, and Ram Singh wanted to exploitthis opening.

The Ahom soldiers were demoralised after their losses at Allaboi. Theircommander-in-chief, Lachit Borphukanand their admiralwere both seriously ill,

and the Nara Raja, the son of the Miri Sandikoi, was in command. An encounter

both on land and water ensued nearAshwakranta. The Ahom land forces, under

Laluk Borgohain Phukan, worsted the Mughals, but the Mughal boats compelledthe Ahom boats to retreat to Barhila, north of Saraighat. The land forces, fearing anencirclement, too retreated. The battle reached a crucial phase, when the Mughals

were beginning to get close to Andharubali. The Borphukan, as well as the Nara

Raja sent messages to inspire the soldiers. It looked as if there was a break incommand and some boats began falling back to Kajali and Samdhara. Lachit
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Barphukan was observing this from his sickbed in the gatehouse of the Itakhulifort.

Lachit Barphukan's Statue at Jorhat

At this crucial moment in the battle, when the Mughals were about to land at

Andharubali, the Borphukan sent orders via katakis to all the land and naval forces

to attack. He also ordered seven war-boats for himself and had Nadai of Kharangicarry him to a boat. He shouted "The King has put all the people in my hands to

fight the Bongal. Shall I go back to my wife and children?" and pushed a few men
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into the water. With the other six war-boats the Borphukan headed toward thenaval battle.

The entry of the Borphukan transformed the Ahom soldiers. His small flotilla soonswelled with Ahom warships from all sides that smashed into the Mughal warships

at Amrajuli on the north bank, opposite Kamakhya hills. The triangle in the river,between Itakhuli, Kamakhya and Aswakranta was filled with men and boat. The

Ahoms spanned the river over an improviso bridge of boats and resorted to a

combined front and rear attack. TheMughaladmiralMunnawar Khan, smoking ahookah was killed by a gunshot from the back, throwing the Mughals out of gear.

They suffered the loss of three top-ranking amirs, and another 4000 dead. The day

of this decisive battle is not known for certain, only that it happened in the middleof March 1671.

Epilogue

The Mughals were pursued to the Manas river, the Ahom kingdom's western

boundary. The Borphukan instructed his men not to attack the retreating army,

reminding them of Alaboi. Anticipating a counterattack, he set messengers atregular intervals, while Atan Burhagohain and other commanders stood ready for

one. The Mughals in Darrang were also worsted, and Ram Singh left Kamrup on 7April 1671 for Rangamati. Ram Singh waited in vain for another opportunity andfinally had an audience with Aurangzeb on 25 June 1676.

Lachit Borphukan died at Kaliabor about a year later in April 1672, but not fromthe illness at Saraighat. And this was not the final battle between the Ahoms and

the Mughals, nor did Guwahati remain with the Ahoms. Lachit Borphukan's own

brother and successor Borphukan, Laluk Sola, deserted Guwahati for the Mughals

in 1679. It remained with the Mughals until 1682, when the Ahoms underGadadhar Singha recovered it and ended Mughal control in Kamrup for ever,though the Mughal administration of 80 years cast a long shadow.
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Ahom Mughal Conflict

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