Bagh Hazarika

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Bagh (Tiger) Hazarika,

Ismail Siddique, alias Bagh (Tiger in Assamese) Hazarika, was born at Dhekerigaon village near Garhgaon. Once a tiger had entered his village and Ismail Siddique, who was literally unarmed, killed the tiger. The news of this valour reached the Ahom King Chakradhwaj Singha and he called the young man to his court to display his strength. The king was impressed by the show of strength by Ismail and appointed him as the head of 1,000 paiks and bestowed on him the title of Hazarika. This event marks the beginning of the legend of the brave Bagh Hazarika that culminated in the battlefields of Saraighat. During the battle of Saraighat, Bagh Hazarika's miltary skill and courage contributed immensely to the victory of the Ahom army.

In this first conflict,the Mughal forces were well entrenched on the hills of the north bank of the river Brahmaputra with a chain of huge cannons. Bagh Hazarika made a suggestion how to disable the Mughal guns to the Ahom General Lachit Borphukan which impressed him and also the Royal Minister Atan Buragohain and others. Lachit Borphukan entrusted Bagh Hazarika to lead the operation.

That night an advance party led by Bagh Hazarika along with a few soldiers crossed the Brahmaputra by boat and landed on the northern bank of the river and laid in wait for the right moment. While the Mughal soldiers were busy saying their Fajr or dawn prayers, Bagh Hazarika and his soldiers climbed the high embankments and filled the Mughal cannons with water rendering the cannons useless.

Some time later, the Ahom army announced their advance by blowing the trumpets. In response, the Mughal soldiers rushed to their posts and tried to fire the cannons at the advancing Ahom forces. But, the wet cannons would not work. The Ahom forces used their cannons to the full strength and the Ahom army landed safely on the north bank and attacked ferociously as the Mughal soldiers retreated helplessly.

This victory had proved the courage and valour of Bagh Hazarika beyond any doubt and he was felicitated by the King. Bagh Hazarika thus went down in the annals of Assam history as a highly skilled front ranking military officer who was fearless and could jump like a tiger on his enemies in the battle field.