Susenghphaa or Pratap Singha (), was the 17th and one of the most prominent kings of the Ahom kingdom. As he was advanced in years when he became king, he is also called the ''burha Raja'' (Old king). His reign saw an expansion of the Ahom kingdom to the west, the beginning of the Ahom-Mughal conflicts, and a reorganization of the kingdom with an expanded

Paik system The ''Paik'' system was a type of corvee labour system on which the economy of the Ahom kingdom of medieval Assam depended. In this system, adult and able males, called ''paiks'' were obligated to render service to the state and form its militia ...

and reoriented village economy designed by Momai Tamuli Borbarua. His expansion to the west is underlined by the two new offices that he created: that of the

Borbarua Borboruah ( Ahom language: ''Phu-Ke-Lung'') was one of the five (councillors) in the Ahom kingdom, a position created by the Ahom king Prataap Singha in 1621. The position included both executive and judicial powers, with jurisdiction of the A ...

and the

Borphukan Borphukan ( Ahom language: ''Phu-Kan-Lung'') was one of the five (councillors) 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 ...

. The alliances he formed with the rulers of

Koch Hajo Koch Hajo (1581-1616) was the kingdom under Raghudev and his son Parikshit Narayan of the Koch dynasty that stretched from Sankosh river in the west to the Bhareli river in the east on the north bank of the Brahmaputra river. It was created by di ...

resulted in formation that successfully thwarted Mughal expansion. The administrative structure that he created survived until the end of the Ahom kingdom in 1826.

Reign

After the death of Sukhamphaa in 1603, his son Langi Gohain, was installed as the Swargadeo by the ministers Tonkham Borgohain, Chaopet Burhagohain and Banjangi Borpatrogohain. At his coronation he was 58 and he assumed the name Susenghphaa accorded to him by the Tai priests. He accepted an offer of marriage to the Jaintia princess and the subsequent events brought him into conflict with the

Kachari kingdom The Dimasa Kingdom (also Kachari kingdom) was a late medieval/early modern kingdom in Assam, Northeast India ruled by Dimasa kings. The Dimasa kingdom and others (Kamata, Chutiya) that developed in the wake of the Kamarupa kingdom were examp ...

. He also established alliance with the

rulers by marrying Mangaldahi, the daughter of Parikshit Narayan, in 1608. According to historian Late Benudhar Sarma, the present form of worship of

Durga Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around co ...

with earthen idol in Assam was started during the reign of King Susenghphaa or Pratap Sinha. The King heard about the festivity, the pomp and grandeur with which the King Naranarayan of Koch Bihar celebrated

Durga Puja Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...

from one Sondar Gohain, who was held captive by the Koch Raja. King Pratap Singha sent artisans to Koch Bihar to learn the art of idol making. The King organised the first such Durga Puja celebration in Bhatiapara near Sibsagar. This was the first time Durga Puja with earthen idols in Assam was held for the masses, in addition to the worship in Durga temples.

Conflict with Mughals

The conflict between Koch Bihar and

drew the

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

and finally the Ahoms into the conflict in 1615, which finally ended in 1682 with

Supaatphaa Supaatpha also, Gadadhar Singha (reign 1681–1696) established the rule of the Tungkhungia clan of the Ahom kings that ruled the Ahom kingdom till its climactic end. He was the son of Gobar Roja, a descendant of Suhungmung, and who had become ...

a later Ahom Swargadeo removing Mughal influence for ever from Assam. An interim truce (

Treaty of Asurar Ali The Treaty of Asurar Ali (early February 1639) was signed between the Mughal Empire, Mughal ''faujdar'' Allah Yar Khan and the Ahom kingdom, Ahom general Momai Tamuli Borbarua. The treaty came at the end of a period of Mughal efforts to drive int ...

) was signed during Susenghphaa's reign. A necessary outcome of the Ahom-Mughal conflicts was cessation of Ahom-Kachari hostilities and restoration of peace, to confront a common enemy.

Administration

As the Mughal attacks weakened

state powers and Ahom influence spread west, Susenghphaa appointed Langi Panisiya the first

as his western viceroy, based at Kajali, and in charge of all Ahom territories west of Kaliabor. The three classes of ministers

Burhagohain Buragohain ( Ahom language: ''Chao Phrung Mung'') was the first of the two original counsellors in the Ahom kingdom. He was selected by the Ahom king from members of the Ahom nobility (''Satgharia Ahom''),who vowed not to fight for the position o ...

Borgohain Borgohain (Ahom language: ''Chao Thao Lung'') was the second of the two original counselors in the Ahom kingdom. He was selected by the Ahom king from members of the Ahom nobility (''Satgharia Ahom''), who vowed not to fight for the position of Ah ...

and

Borpatrogohain Borpatragohain was the third of the three great ''Gohains'' (counsellors) in the Ahom kingdom. This position was created by Suhungmung Dihingia Raja in the year 1527 when Koncheng was made the first Borpatrogohain. The designation was borrowed fro ...

had their well defined areas to rule and function, and those part of the kingdom which did not fall under their jurisdiction were brought under the control of the

, a new office that was also created during the rule of Pratap Singha. Under him Momai Tamuli Borbarua, the first

, made extensive changes to the

and village economy. He redistributed populations to consolidate his rule. He moved the Bhuyans, the remnant of the

Bhuyan chieftains The Baro-Bhuyans (or ''Baro-Bhuyan Raj''; also ''Baro-Bhuians'' and Baro-Bhuiyans) refers to the confederacies of soldier-landowners in Assam and Bengal in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. The confederacies consisted of loose ...

, from the north to the south bank of the Brahmaputra, decreasing their power considerably. He moved eight thousand families to the sparsely populated Marangi area which was originally recovered from the

Suhungmung Suhungmung (), or Dihingia Roja I was one of the most prominent Ahom Kings who ruled at the cusp of Assam's medieval history. His reign broke from the early Ahom rule and established a multi-ethnic polity in his kingdom. Under him the Ahom K ...

. Creation of other posts like ''Rohiyal Barua'', ''Jagiyal Gohain'', ''Kajalimukhiya Gohain'' is also credited to him. For his organizational capability, political acumen and his wisdom, he was also known as ''Buddhi Swarganarayan''. Pratap Sinha died in the year 1641 after a long reign of 38 years. Although a great part of his reign was distracted by wars with the Kacharis and the

, he was still able to devote much attention to the internal organisation of his kingdom, development of backward tracts and construction of roads, bridges, embankments and tanks. He also built a number of towns

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Susenghphaa Ahom kingdom Ahom kings 1545 births 1640s deaths Year of death uncertain

Reign

Conflict with Mughals

Administration

See also

Notes

References