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Ahom Kingdom

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Ahom Kingdom
𑜒𑜑𑜪𑜨
ahüm
1228–1826[1]
Ngi-ngao-kham[2](Royal insignia) of Ahom kingdom, Kingdom of Assam , Assam Kingdom, Assamese Kingdom
Ngi-ngao-kham[2](Royal insignia)
The Ahom Kingdom, 1826.
StatusKingdom
Capital
Common languages
Religion
Demonym(s)AhomAssamese
GovernmentBureaucratic feudalism[4] and Aristocratic monarchy[5]
Chao Pha, Swargadeo[6] 
• 1228–1268
Sukaphaa
• 1497–1539
Suhungmung
• 1603–1641
Susenghphaa
• 1696–1714
Sukhrungphaa
• 1833–1838
Purandar Singha
Historical eraMiddle Age and Colonial Age
• Established by Sukaphaa
1228
1497
1543–68
1615–1682
1769
1817
1826[1]
Area
1826[7]41,957.807 km2 (16,200.000 sq mi)
Population
• 1711[8]
2,880,000
• 1833[9]
2,50,000
CurrencyAhom coinage
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Kamarupa Kingdom
Chutia Kingdom
Konbaung dynasty
Colonial Assam
Today part ofIndia
Myanmar

The Ahom kingdom (/ˈɑːhɔːm/, 1228–1826) was a late medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam. It maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years having successfully resisted Mughal expansion in Northeast India. Established by Sukaphaa, a Tai prince from Mong Mao (present-day Yunnan Province, China), it began as a mong in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra based on wet rice agriculture. It expanded suddenly under Suhungmung in the 16th century and became multi-ethnic in character, casting a profound effect on the political and social life of the entire Brahmaputra valley. The kingdom became weaker with the rise of the Moamoria rebellion, and subsequently fell to repeated Burmese invasions of Assam. With the defeat of the Burmese after the First Anglo-Burmese War and the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826, control of the kingdom passed into East India Company hands.

  1. After King Sutamla officially converted to Hinduism.

References

[change | change source]
  1. "After 1770 started its period of decline-civil wars and depopulation followed by foreign occupations culminating in the final eclipse of 1826 by its take-over by the British." (Guha 1983:9)
  2. Assam State Museum (1985), Bulletin of the Assam State Museum, Gauhati Issues 5-6, Department of Archaeology and Assam State Museum, p. 104
  3. "Their formal conversion to Hinduism did not however take place before 1648 and the new attachment became stable only towards the end of the century." (Guha 1983:21–22)
  4. (Gohain 1974:68)
  5. "(T)he Ahom system was in reality both 'monarchical' and 'aristocratical' as Captain Welsh pointed out long ago" (Sarkar 1992:3)
  6. Sarkar (1992, pp. 6–7)
  7. (Hazarika 1987:1)
  8. "It is suggested that the actual population of the Ahom territories up to the Manas ranged from two to three millions over one-and-a-half century ending 1750." (Guha 1978:26–30)
  9. (Dutt 1958:464)