Ahom Dynasty

Ahom Dynasty 1 Sukaphaa 1228–1268 2 Sutephaa 1268–1281 3 Subinphaa 1281–1293 4 Sukhaangphaa 1293–1332 5 Sukhrampha 1332–1364 Interregnum 1364–1369 6 Sutuphaa 1369–1376 Interregnum 1376–1380 7 Tyao Khamti 1380–1389 Interregnum 1389–1397 8 Sudangphaa 1397–1407 9 Sujangphaa 1407–1422 10 Suphakphaa 1422–1439 11 Susenphaa 1439–1488 12 Suhenphaa 1488–1493 13 Supimphaa 1493–1497 14 Suhungmung 1497–1539 15 Suklenmung 1539–1552 16 Sukhaamphaa 1552–1603 17 Susenghphaa 1603–1641 18 Suramphaa 1641–1644 19 Sutingphaa 1644–1648 20 Sutamla 1648–1663 21 Supangmung 1663–1670 22 Sunyatphaa 1670–1672 23 Suklamphaa 1672–1674 24 Suhunga 1674–1675 25 Gobar 1675–1675 26 Sujinphaa 1675–1677 27 Sudoiphaa 1677–1679 28 Sulikphaa 1679–1681 29 Supaatphaa 1681–1696 30 Sukhrungphaa 1696–1714 31 Sutanphaa 1714–1744 32 Sunenphaa 1744–1751 33 Suremphaa 1751–1769 34 Sunyeophaa 1769–1780 35 Suhitpangphaa 1780–1795 36 Suklingphaa 1795–1811 37 Sudingphaa 1811–1818 38 Purandar Singha 1818–1819 39 Sudingphaa 1819–1821 40 Jogeshwar Singha 1821–1822 41 Purandar Singha 1833–1838

The Ahom Dynasty (1228–1826) ruled the Ahom Kingdom in present-day Assam for nearly 600 years. The dynasty was established by Sukaphaa, a Shan prince of Mong Mao who came to Assam after crossing the Patkai mountains. The rule of this dynasty ended with the Burmese invasion of Assam and the subsequent annexation by the British East India Company following the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826.

In medieval chronicles, the kings of this dynasty were called Asam Raja, whereas the subjects of the kingdom called them Chaopha (Chao-god, Pha-heaven), or as Swargadeo (the equivalent in Assamese) from the 16th century.

Contents 1 Swargadeo 1.1 Coronation 1.2 Royal offices 1.3 Queens 1.4 Court influences 2 Timeline 3 Swargadeo dynastic lineage 4 Notes 5 References 6 External links

Swargadeo

The Ahom kings (Ahom language: Chao-Pha, Assamese language: Swargadeo), were descendants of the first king Sukaphaa (1228–1268) who came to Assam from Mong Mao in 1228.^[1] Succession was by agnatic primogeniture. Nevertheless, following Rudra Singha's deathbed injunction four of his five sons became the king one after the other. The position of Swargadeo was reserved for the descendants of Sukaphaa and they were not eligible for ministerial positions—a division of power that was followed till the end of the dynasty and the kingdom. When the nobles asked Atan Burhagohain to became the king, the Tai priests rejected the idea and he desisted from ascending the throne.

The king could be appointed only with the concurrence of the patra matris (council of ministers—Burhagohain, Borgohain, Borpatrogohain, Borbarua and Borphukan). During three periods in the 14th century, the kingdom had no kings when acceptable candidates were not found. The ministers could remove unacceptable kings, and it used to involve executing the erstwhile king. In the 17th century a power struggle and the increasing number of claimants to the throne resulted in kings being deposed in quick succession, all of whom were executed after the new king was instated. To prevent this bloody end, a new rule was introduced during the reign of Sulikphaa Lora Roja—claimants to the throne had to be physically unblemished—which meant that threats to the throne could be removed by merely slitting the ear of an ambitious prince. Rudra Singha, suspecting his brother Lechai's intention, mutilated and banished him. The problem of succession remained, and on his deathbed he instructed that all his sons were to become kings. One of his sons, Mohanmala, was superseded, who went on to lead a rebel group during the Moamoria rebellion. The later kings and officers exploited the unblemished rule, leading to weak kings being instated. Kamaleswar Singha (son of Kadam Dighala) and Purandar Singha (son of Brajanath and one of the last kings of this dynasty) came into office because their fathers were mutilated.

The Ahom kings were given divine origin. According to Ahom tradition, Sukaphaa was a descendant of Khunlung, who had come down from the heavens and ruled Mong-Ri-Mong-Ram. During the reign of Suhungmung (1497–1539) which saw the composition of the first Assamese Buranji and increased Hindu influence, the Ahom kings were traced to the union of Indra (identified with Khunlung) and Syama (a low-caste woman), and were declared Indravamsa kshatriyas, a lineage created for the Ahoms.^[2] Suhungmung adopted the title Swarganarayan, and the later kings were called Swargadeos (Lord of the heavens).

Coronation

The Swargadeo's coronation was called singari-ghar-utha, a ceremony that was performed first by Sudangphaa Bamuni Konwar (1397–1407). This was the occasion when the first coins in the new king's name were minted. Kamaleshwar Singha (1795–1811) and Chandrakanta Singha's (1811–1818) coronations were not performed on the instructions of Purnananda Burhagohain. Kings who died in office were buried in vaults called Moidam, at Charaideo. Some of the earlier Moidams were looted by Mir Jumla in the 17th century, and are lost. Some later kings, especially with Siba Singha (1714–1744), who were cremated had their ashes buried.

On ascent, the king would generally assume an Ahom name decided by the Ahom priests. The name generally ended in Pha (Tai: Lord), e.g. Susenghphaa. Later kings also assumed a Hindu name that ended in Singha (Assamese: Lion): Susengphaa assumed the name Pratap Singha. Buranjis occasionally would refer to a past king by a more informal and colorful name that focused on a specific aspect of the king. Pratap Singha was also known as Burha Roja (Assamese: Old King) because when Pratap Singha became the king, he was quite advanced in age.

Royal offices

Subinphaa (1281–1293), the third Ahom king, delineated the Satghariya Ahom, the Ahom aristocracy of the Seven Houses. Of this, the first lineage was that of the king. The next two were the lineages of the Burhagohain and the Borgohain. The last four were priestly lineages. Sukhramphaa (1332–1364) established the position of Charing Raja which came to be reserved for the heir apparent. The first Charing Raja was Sukhramphaa's half-brother, Chao Pulai, the son of the Kamata princess Rajani, but who did not ultimately become the Swargadeo. Suhungmung Dihingia Raja (1497–1539) settled the descendants of past kings in different regions that gave rise to seven royal houses—Saringiya, Tipamiya, Dihingiya, Samuguriya, Tungkhungiya, Parvatiya and Namrupiya—and periods of Ahom rule came to be known after these families. The rule of the last such house, Tungkhungiya, was established by Gadadhar Singha (1681–1696) and his descendants ruled till the end of the Ahom kingdom.

Queens

Ahom queens (Kunworis) played important roles in the matter of state. They were officially designated in a gradation of positions, called the Bor Kuwori (Chief Queen), Parvatia Kuwori, Raidangia Kuwori, Tamuli Kuwori, etc. who were generally daughters of Ahom noblemen and high officials. Lesser wives of the Swargadeo were called chamua kunworis. Some of the queens were given separate estates that were looked after by state officials (Phukans or Baruas) (Gogoi). During the reign of Siba Singha (1714–1744), the king gave his royal umbrella and royal insignia to his queens—Phuleshwari Kunwori, Ambika Kunwori and Anadari Kunwori in succession—to rule the kingdom. They were called Bor-Rojaa.

One way in which the importance of the queens can be seen is that many of them are named on coins; typically the king's name would be on the obverse of the coin and the queen's on the reverse.

Court influences

Sukaphaa's ruling deity was Chomdeo a non-Hindu, non-Buddhist god, and he was accompanied by classes of priests called Deodhai, Bailung etc. But the Ahom kings let themselves be influenced by the religion and customs of those they ruled over. The first Hindu influence was cast during the reign of Sudaangphaa Bamuni Konwar (1397–1407), who had grown up in a Brahmin household. Suhungmung Dihingia Rojaa (1497–1539) was the first Ahom king to expand the kingdom and the polity, allow Assamese influence in his court and accept a non-Ahom title—Swarganarayan. Assamese coexisted with Tai till the reign of Pratap Singha (1603–1641), during whose rule Assamese became dominant. Sutamla (1648–1663) was the first Ahom king to be initiated into the Mahapuruxiya Dharma. Mahapuruxiya pontiffs belonging to different sects began playing a greater role in state politics. After the chaos of the late 17th century, Gadadhar Singha (1681–1696), the first Tungkhungiya king began his rule with a deep distrust of these religious groups. His son and successor Rudra Singha (1696–1714) searched for an alternative state religion, and his son and successor Siba Singha (1714–1744) formally adopted Saktism, the nemesis of the Mahapuruxiya sects. The persecution of the Mahapuruxiya Sattras under the Tunkhungiya rulers following Siba Singha was a crucial factor leading to the Moamoria rebellion that greatly depleted the Ahom kingdom.

Timeline

Swargadeo dynastic lineage

In the nearly 600-years 39-Swargadeo dynastic history, there are three progenitor kings (all subsequent kings are descendants of these kings). They are Sukaphaa, who established he kingdom; Suhungmung, who made the greatest territorial and political expansion of the kingdom; and Supaatphaa, who established the House of Tungkhugia kings that reigned the kingdom during its political and cultural zenith, as well as the period of decay and end.

The dynastic history and dates that are accepted today are the result of a re-examination of Ahom and other documents by a team of Nora astronomers and experts who were commissioned to do so by Gaurinath Singha (1780–1795).^[4]

The list of Swargadeos of the Ahom Kingdom

Years	Reign	Ahom name	Other names	succession	End of reign	Capital
1228–1268	40y	Sukaphaa			natural death	Charaideo
1268–1281	13y	Sutephaa		son of Sukaphaa	natural death	Charaideo
1281–1293	8y	Subinphaa		son of Sutephaa	natural death	Charaideo
1293–1332	39y	Sukhaangphaa		son of Subinphaa	natural death	Charaideo
1332–1364	32y	Sukhrampha		son of Sukhaangphaa	natural death	Charaideo
1364–1369	5y	Interregnum
1369–1376	7y	Sutuphaa		brother of Sukhramphaa	assassinated[5]	Charaideo
1376–1380	4y	Interregnum
1380–1389	9y	Tyao Khaamti		son of Sukhaangphaa	assassinated[6]	Charaideo
1389–1397	8y	Interregnum
1397–1407	10y	Sudangphaa	Baamuni Kunwar	son of Tyao Khaamti[7]	natural death	Charagua
1407–1422	15y	Sujangphaa		son of Sudangphaa	natural death
1422–1439	17y	Suphakphaa		son of Sujangpha	natural death
1439–1488	49y	Susenphaa		son of Suphakphaa	natural death
1488–1493	5y	Suhenphaa		son of Susenphaa	assassinated[8]
1493–1497	4y	Supimphaa		son of Suhenphaa	natural death
1497–1539	42y	Suhungmung	Swarganarayan, Dihingiaa Rojaa I	son of Supimphaa	assassinated[9]	Bakata
1539–1552	13y	Suklenmung	Garhgayaan Rojaa	son of Suhungmung	natural death	Garhgaon
1552–1603	51y	Sukhaamphaa	Khuraa Rojaa	son of Suklenmung	natural death	Garhgaon
1603–1641	38y	Susenghphaa	Prataap Singha, Burhaa Rojaa, Buddhiswarganarayan	son of Sukhaamphaa	natural death	Garhgaon
1641–1644	3y	Suramphaa	Jayaditya Singha, Bhogaa Rojaa	son of Susenghphaa	deposed[10]	Garhgaon
1644–1648	4y	Sutingphaa	Noriyaa Rojaa	brother of Suramphaa	deposed[11]	Garhgaon
1648–1663	15y	Sutamla	Jayadhwaj Singha, Bhoganiyaa Rojaa	son of Sutingphaa	natural death	Garhgaon/Bakata
1663–1670	7y	Supangmung	Chakradhwaj Singha	cousin of Sutamla[12]	natural death	Bakata/Garhgaon
1670–1672	2y	Sunyatphaa	Udayaaditya Singha	brother of Supangmung	deposed[13]
1672–1674	2y	Suklamphaa	Ramadhwaj Singha	brother of Sunyatphaa	poisoned[14]
1674–1675	21d	Suhunga	Samaguria Rojaa	Samaguria descendant of Suhungmung	deposed[15]
1675-1675	24d		Gobar Rojaa	great-grandson of Suhungmung[16]	deposed[17]
1675–1677	2y	Sujinphaa	Arjun Konwar, Dihingia Rojaa II	grandson of Pratap Singha, son of Namrupian Gohain	deposed, suicide[18]
1677–1679	2y	Sudoiphaa	Parvatia Rojaa	great-grandson of Suhungmung[19]	deposed, killed[20]
1679–1681	3y	Sulikphaa	Ratnadhwaj Singha, Loraa Rojaa	Samaguria family	deposed, killed[21]
1681–1696	15y	Supaatphaa	Gadadhar Singha	son of Gobar Rojaa	natural death	Borkola
1696–1714	18y	Sukhrungphaa	Rudra Singha	son of Supaatphaa	natural death	Rangpur
1714–1744	30y	Sutanphaa	Siba Singha	son Sukhrungphaa	natural death
1744–1751	7y	Sunenphaa	Pramatta Singha	brother of Sutanphaa	natural death
1751–1769	18y	Suremphaa	Rajeswar Singha	brother of Sunenphaa	natural death
1769–1780	11y	Sunyeophaa	Lakshmi Singha	brother of Suremphaa	natural death
1780–1795	15y	Suhitpangphaa	Gaurinath Singha	son of Sunyeophaa	natural death	Jorhat
1795–1811	16y	Suklingphaa	Kamaleswar Singha	great-grandson of Lechai, the brother of Rudra Singha[22]	natural death, small pox	Jorhat
1811–1818	17y	Sudingphaa (1)	Chandrakaanta Singha	brother of Suklingphaa	deposed[23]	Jorhat
1818–1819	1y		Purandar Singha (1)	descendant of Suremphaa[23]	deposed[24]	Jorhat
1819–1821	2y	Sudingphaa (2)	Chandrakaanta Singha		fled the capital[25]
1821–1822	1y		Jogeshwar Singha	brother of Hemo Aideo, puppet of Burmese ruler[26]	removed[27]
1833–1838			Purandar Singha (2)[28]

Notes

References

External links

• A mighty clan's website An article by Saikh Md Sabah Al-Ahmed in The Assam Tribune "Horizon", Saturday special, dated September 19, 2009
• Coins of Ahom Dynasty