Lachit Borphukan
Encyclopedia
Borphukan
Borphukan was one of the five patra mantris in the Ahom kingdom, a position that was created by the Ahom king Prataap Singha. The position included both executive and judicial powers, with jurisdiction of the Ahom kingdom west of Kaliabor river...
in the Ahom kingdom
Ahom kingdom
The Ahom Kingdom was a medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India...
known for his leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat
Battle of Saraighat
The Battle of Saraighat was fought in 1671 between the Mughal empire , and the Ahom Kingdom on the Brahmaputra river at Saraighat, now in Guwahati...
that thwarted a drawn out attempt by Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
forces under the command of Ramsingh I
Ramsingh I
Mirza Raja Ram Singh I was the elder son Mirza Raja Jai Singh I and was ruler of Amber, and head of the Kachwaha Rajput clan, from 1667 to 1688.- Career as prince :...
to take back Kamrup
Kamrup
Kamrup district is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India, named after Kamarupa, a name by which Assam was previously known in ancient times. The district, however, is now a small western part of Assam, with a distinctive native Kamrupi culture and dialect . The distinctive...
. He died about a year later due to illness.
Brief life
Lachit Borphukan, was the son of Momai Tamuli BorbaruaMomai Tamuli Borbarua
Momai Tamuli was the Governor of upper Assam as also commander-in-chief of the army in the Ahom kingdom. He was the first Borbarua, a new office created during the rule of the Ahom king Prataap Singha. He rose from a humble position as a bondsman to the office of the Borbarua, which was a combined...
,the first Borbarua
Borbarua
Borbarua was one of the five patra mantris in the Ahom kingdom, a position created by the Ahom king Prataap Singha...
(Governor of upper Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
and Commander-in-Chief of the Ahom
Ahom kingdom
The Ahom Kingdom was a medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India...
army) under Prataap Singha. Lachit Borphukan was educated in humanities, scriptures and military skills. He was given positions of responsibility of the scarf-bearer (Soladhara Barua) of the Ahom Swargadeo, a position equivalent to a Private Secretaryship, which was regarded as the first step in career of an ambitious diplomat and politician. Other offices held by Lachit before his appointment as Borphukan included Superintendent of the Stable of Royal Horses (Ghora Barua), Commander of the strategic Simulgarh Fort and Superintendent of the Royal Household Guards or (Dolakaxaria Barua) to the Ahom king Chakradhwaj Singha.
King Chakradhwaj Singha selected Lachit Borphukan lead the army in the campaign against the Mughals who held Guwahati. The King presented Lachit with a gold-hafted sword (Hengdang
Hengdang
The Hengdang is a single edged sword with a long handle used by the Ahoms in India. The handle and the scabbard were designed in gold, silver or wood, according to the position of the person. It is similar in many ways to the samurai sword or katana. It has ceremonial use today in the Ahom wedding....
) and the customary paraphernalia of distinction. Lachit raised the army and preparations were completed by summer of 1667. Lachit recovered Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
from the Mughals and successfully defended it against the Mughal forces during the Battle of Saraighat
Battle of Saraighat
The Battle of Saraighat was fought in 1671 between the Mughal empire , and the Ahom Kingdom on the Brahmaputra river at Saraighat, now in Guwahati...
.
Lachit Borphukan died about a year after the victory at Saraighat due to natural causes. His remains lies in rest at the Lachit Maidaam built in 1672 by Swargadeo Udayaditya Singha at Hoolungapara 16 km from Jorhat
Jorhat
Jorhat is a city of Assam in India. Jorhat was established as a new capital in the closing years of the 18th century by the declining Tunkhungia Ahom Dynasty. Jorhat, as the name signifies, was just a couple of markets . Two parallel markets namely, Chowkihat and Macharhat, lay on the eastern...
.
There is no portrait of Lachit Barphukan, but an old chronicle describes him, saying "His face is broad, and resembles the moon in its full phase. No one is capable of staring at his face."
Battle of Saraighat
After being defeated by Lachit and his forces, the Mughals Mughals army and sailed up the Brahmaputra riverBrahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra , also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. It is the only Indian river that is attributed the masculine gender and thus referred to as a in Indo-Aryan languages and languages with Indo-Aryan influence...
from Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
towards Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
advancing to Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
. The Mughal Army under Ram Singh
Ram Singh
Ram Singh was a religious leader and social reformer and the first Indian to use non-cooperation and boycotting of British merchandise and services as a political weapon. He was the religious leader of the Namdhari sect of Sikhism...
consisted of 30,000 infantry, 15,000 archers, 18,000 Turkish cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
, 5,000 gunners and over 1000 cannons besides a large flotilla of boats.
Ram Singh, the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
commander in chief failed to make any advance against the Assamese army during the first phase of the An arrow carrying a letter by Ram Singh telling that Lachit have been paid rupees one lakh and he should evacuate Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
was fired into the Ahom
Ahom kingdom
The Ahom Kingdom was a medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India...
camp, which eventually reached the Ahom
Ahom Dynasty
The Ahom Dynasty 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...
king, Chakradhwaj Singha. Although the king started to doubt Lachit's sincerity and patriotism
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
, his prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Atan Buragohain convince the King this was just a trick against Lachit.
During the last stage of the Battle of Saraighat
Battle of Saraighat
The Battle of Saraighat was fought in 1671 between the Mughal empire , and the Ahom Kingdom on the Brahmaputra river at Saraighat, now in Guwahati...
, when the Mughals
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
attacked by the river in Saraighat
Saraighat
Saraighat is a place near Guwahati in Assam, on the north bank of the river Brahmaputra. Sarai was a small village where the old abandoned N.F. Railway station of Amingaon was located. The famous Battle of Saraighat was fought near this place on the river....
, the Assamese soldiers began to lose their will to fight. Some elements retreated. Though Lachit was seriously ill he boarded a boat and with seven boats advanced against the Mughal fleet. He said "If you (the soldiers) want to flee, flee. The king has given me a task here and I will do it well. Let the Mughals take me away. You report to the king that his general fought well following his orders". His soldiers rallied and a desperate battle ensured on the river Brahmaputra.
Lachit Barphukan was victorious. The Mughals forced to retreat from Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
. The Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
Commander-in-Chief acknowledged his defeat by the Ahom soldiers and the Ahom Commander-in-chief Lachit Barphukan, writing he wrote, "Glory to the king! Glory to the counselors! Glory to the commanders!Glory to the country! One single individual leads all the forces! Even I Ram Singh, being personally on the spot, have not been able to find any loophole and an opportunity!"
Lachit Divas
On 24 November each year Lachit Divas (lit. Lachit Day) is celebrated statewide in AssamAssam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
to commemorate the heroism of Lachit Borphukan and the victory of the Assamese army at the Battle of Saraighat
Battle of Saraighat
The Battle of Saraighat was fought in 1671 between the Mughal empire , and the Ahom Kingdom on the Brahmaputra river at Saraighat, now in Guwahati...
. The best passing out cadet of National Defence Academy is conferred the Lachit medal named after Lachit Borphukan.
External links
- Emulate the spirit and skill of Lachit Barphukan Author: Lt. Gen. S. K. Sinha
- Lachit Borphukon Author: Ajit Barua
- Assam groups to follow nationalism path: Togadia IndiaInfo - January 19, 2003