Knowledge nugget of the day: Lachit Borphukan

Why successful the news?

Every year, 24th November is celebrated arsenic the ‘Lachit Diwas’ to people the commencement day of the Assamese people leader Lachit Borphukan. He was a legendary service commandant of the Ahom kingdom, known for his enactment successful the 1671 ‘Battle of Saraighat.’ He is considered 1 of the top of Assamese heroes, symbolising the valour, courage, and quality that defines the Assamese self-identity.

Key Takeaways :

1.Lachit Borphukan was a legendary service commandant of the Ahom kingdom. He defeated the Mughal forces, led by Raja Ramsingh-I, successful the ‘Battle of Saraighat’, and thwarted a drawn-out effort by them to instrumentality backmost Assam.

2. Son of the large warrior-statesman Momai Tamuli Barbarua, Lachit was calved connected November 24, 1622, and grew up during a turbulent play of Assam’s history.

3. He was chosen arsenic 1 of the 5 Borphukans of the Ahom kingdom by king Charadhwaj Singha, and fixed administrative, judicial, and subject responsibilities.

Lachit Barphukan represented a clip erstwhile the “Assamese contention was agreed and capable to combat an alien, formidable unit specified arsenic the Mughals” said, Arup Kumar Dutta, writer of The Ahoms.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 125-foot bronze statue of Ahom wide Lachit Borphukan astatine his burial tract successful eastbound Assam’s Jorhat territory connected March 9, 2024. Veteran sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar, a Padma Bhushan awardee, built the statue, who besides crafted the Statue of Unity successful Gujarat. (PTI)

Battle of Alaboi and Saraighat

1. Between 1615 and 1682, the Mughal Empire made a bid of attempts, nether Jahangir and past Aurangzeb, to annex the Ahom kingdom. In January 1662, Mughal Governor of Bengal Mir Jumla’s forces engaged with the Ahom service and went connected to inhabit portion of the territory nether Ahom rule.

2. Between 1667 and 1682, the Ahoms nether a bid of rulers, starting with Chakradhwaj Singha, (reigned 1663-70) launched a counter-offensive to reclaim mislaid territories.

3. In 1669, Aurangzeb dispatched the Rajput Raja Ram Singh I to recapture territories won backmost by the Ahoms. The conflict of Alaboi was fought connected August 5, 1669 successful the Alaboi Hills adjacent Dadara successful North Guwahati.

4. While the Mughals preferred an unfastened battle, Borphukan relied connected his cognition of the territory and engaged successful guerrilla warfare, which provided an borderline to his smaller, but accelerated moving and susceptible forces.

5. Much similar Shivaji’s encounters with the Mughals successful Marathwada, Lachit inflicted harm connected the ample Mughal camps and static positions. His raids would termination unsuspecting Mughal soldiers and frustrate the mighty armies that were excessively ponderous to respond swiftly.

6. After archetypal setbacks, Ram Singh sent his full artillery of Rajput soldiers and Mughal veterans and turned the tide of the battle. Ten 1000 Ahoms died successful the battle, according to a insubstantial posted connected the website of Assam’s archaeology department.

1. The Ahom dynasty ruled implicit overmuch of Assam and the North East from 1228 to 1826 AD. They were 1 of India’s longest-reigning ruling dynasties. At their peak, their kingdom stretched from modern-day Bangladesh to heavy wrong Burma. Known to beryllium capable administrators and valiant warriors, the Ahom dynasty has enduring taste entreaty successful Assam.

2. Founded by the Sukapha, a 13th-century ruler, Ahom kingdom was a prosperous, multi-ethnic kingdom which dispersed crossed the precocious and little reaches of the Brahmaputra valley, surviving connected atom cultivation successful its fertile lands.

3. The founders of the Ahom kingdom had their ain connection and followed their ain religion. Over the centuries, the Ahoms accepted the Hindu religion and the Assamese language, scholars say.

4. Charaideo was the archetypal imperishable superior of the Ahom empire. It was founded by the archetypal astir renowned Ahom monarch Chao Lung Siu-Ka-Pha and has ever had a large spot successful history. The connection Charaideo is formed from 3 Tai Ahom words: Che-Rai-Doi. Che signifies metropolis oregon town, Rai denotes radiance oregon dazzle, and Doi means elevation oregon mountain. In a nutshell, Charaideo means “a shining municipality situated connected a hilltop.”

Sources: Ahom warrior Lachit Borphukan and the battles of Alaboi & Saraighat,

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