Suhenphaa
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Suhenphaa was the king of Ahom kingdom from 1488 CE to 1493 CE. His reign was characterized by the expansion of Ahom kingdom which resulted in conflicts with the Nagas and 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 was successful in the military actions against the Nagas, while in case of Kacharis, he suffered defeat and had to sue for peace with the Kacharis. He was assassinated by one Ahom of Tairungban clan.


Ancestry and accession

Suhenphaa was the son of Ahom king Susenphaa. Susenphaa ruled for a long period of 49 years, during which the kingdom witnessed peace and prosperity. When Susenphaa died in 1488 CE, Suhenphaa succeeded him as the king of Ahom kingdom.


Reign


Conflicts with Nagas

The ''Tangsu Nagas'', who were defeated during the reign of Suhenphaa’s father Susenphaa, again raised their banner against the royal authority. They began to raids villages in the plains of
Brahmaputra The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, northeast India, and Bangladesh. It is also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, Luit in Assamese, and Jamuna River in Bangla. It ...
and took common Assamese people as prisoner. To counter this acts of atrocities by Tangsu Nagas, Suhenphaa dispatched Taokangbanrek
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 ...
with a contingent of Ahom soldiers. The Tangsu Nagas attacked the Ahom forces and completely destroyed it. The commander of the army, Taokangbanrek
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 ...
was captured and later beheaded by the Nagas. His head was taken by the Tangsu Nagas to their native villages as prize of battle. Suhenphaa immediately ordered fresh recruitment of soldiers and after gathering a huge army, he dispatched the newly appointed Nangraang
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 ...
against the Tangsu Nagas. After fierce battle, Nangraang
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 ...
scored complete victory against the Tangsu Nagas, and they were forced to submit to the Ahoms. The Tangsu Nagas also agreed to pay an annual tribute to the Ahom king. Nangraang
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 ...
brought several Naga prisoners as a symbol of his victory and after obtaining permission from Suhenphaa, settled them in different parts of the Ahom kingdom.


War with the Kacharis

Suhenphaa desired to expand his kingdom towards downstream of
Brahmaputra The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, northeast India, and Bangladesh. It is also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, Luit in Assamese, and Jamuna River in Bangla. It ...
river. The Kacharis who, at that time, held a large portion of
Upper Assam Upper Assam is an administrative division of the state of Assam comprising the undivided Lakhimpur and Sivasagar (previously, Sibsagar) districts, of the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra valley. The other divisions are: Lower Assam, North Assam a ...
, obstructed the expansion of Ahom kingdom into their territory. Suhenphaa decided to use force, and ordered one Ahom officer Chelaoseng Neog to construct a fortification at Tongsu within Kachari territory. The fortification was constructed without any opposition from Kacharis. Encouraged by this success, he dispatched Khunlung
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 ...
with an army to march further inwards into Kachari territory. The Kacharis fiercely resisted the advance of Khunlung
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 ...
and were successful in defeating the Ahom army. One Ahom commander Jiyeumung Neog and 150 soldiers lost their lives. The Kacharis chased Ahoms to the banks of Dikhou river. The commander of Ahom army, Khunlung
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 ...
managed to escape by swimming across the Dikhou river, leaving his elephants and other valuables. After consultations with the nobles, Suhenphaa sued for peace with the Kachari king. A princess was sent to the Kachari king with two elephants and twelve female slaves as her dowry. Some chronicles stated that the result of the battle was indecisive, and when peace was made, the Kacharis ceded some territory to Ahom.


Assassination

One Ahom named Lantarunban of ''Tairungban'' clan was caught for stealing some paddy from the royal granary. He and his companions were punished and fined for their crime. therefore Lantaruban and his friends were eager to exact revenge on the king. In 1493 CE, Lantaruban and his friends were engaged on some repairs in the Royal Palace. While coming for work, Lantaruban hid a spear inside the hollow space of one
bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...
. When Suhenphaa came to inspect the progress of the work, Lantaruban stabbed the king to death with the spear(some account say the king was stabbed with pointed bamboo). According to some accounts, the murder was instigated by Khunlung
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 ...
. Suhenphaa had three sons. The eldest among them,
Supimphaa Supimphaa was the king of Ahom kingdom from 1493 CE to 1497 CE. In order to exact revenge on the murderers of his father Suhenphaa, he unleashed a reign of terror among people of both high and low ranks alike. Due to some minor fault, he even e ...
will succeed as the king of Ahom kingdom.


Character and legacy

Suhenphaa’s reign showed the continuation of the policy of expansion of Ahom kingdom. His conflict with the Kacharis proves the fact that the Ahoms wanted to expand their territory, in expense of their neighbouring kingdoms. Though Suhenphaa suffered defeat in the hands of Kacharis, the conflict which he started will be continued by his grandson
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 ...
, who will conduct successful military operations against the Kacharis and the Chutiyas extending the boundaries of Ahom kingdom. He also seem to be very strict administrator, owing to which persons found guilty of criminal activities cannot escape punishment, but unfortunately this very quality of him made enemies among some influential people of the court, who then plotted his assassination.


See also

* Ahom Dynasty * Ahom Kingdom *
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
*
Assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
*
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 ...
*
Nagaland Nagaland () is a landlocked state in the northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar to the east. Its capital cit ...
* Regicide * Sibsagar district *
Singarigharutha ceremony Singarigharutha was the traditional coronation ceremony of the king of the Ahom kingdom, a medieval kingdom in Assam. During the period of Ahom supremacy in Assam, the Singarigharutha ceremony had important constitutional significance. It was beli ...
* Sukaphaa *
Chutiya kingdom The Chutia Kingdom (also Sadiya) was a late medieval state that developed around Sadiya in present Assam and adjoining areas in Arunachal Pradesh."(T)he Chutiyas seem to have assumed political power in Sadiya and contiguous areas falling ...


Notes


References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Suhenphaa Ahom kings Ahom kingdom 15th-century births 1490s deaths Year of birth unknown Year of death uncertain