Sutuphaa was the king of Ahom kingdom from 1369 CE to 1376 CE after an interregnum, though historians differ regarding his year of accession, as some of them claim his year of accession was 1364. His reign was marked by conflicts with

Chutia 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 ...

, which later resulted in his treacherous murder, by the Chutias.

Ancestry and accession

Sutuphaa was the second son of Ahom king Sukhaangphaa. After the death of his father, his elder brother

Sukhrangpha Sukhrangpha or Tao Shukhampha was the king of Ahom kingdom from 1332 CE to 1364 CE. He had to face the revolt led by his youngest brother Chao Pulai or Tai Sulai (there are confusion in Ahom historians whether Chao Pulai and Tai Sulai were same or ...

ascended the throne. After a reign of thirty-two years,

died in 1364 CE. Historians differ from this point. While accounts of early historians stated that after the death of

, his brother Sutuphaa directly ascended the throne in 1364 CE. But modern historians, Padmeswar Gogoi and S. L. Baruah stated that there was a period of interregnum after the death of

, from 1364 CE and 1369 CE, thereby placing the year of Sutuphaa’s accession in 1369 CE.

Reign and assassination

Sutuphaa wanted to expand the territory of Ahom kingdom. This led to frequent conflicts with neighbouring

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 ...

. In 1376 CE, the Chutiya King visited Sutuphaa at Chapaguri, and, pretending to be reconciled, invited him to a regatta on the Safrai river. The Chutiya king enticed Sutuphaa on to his own barge without attendants, and there the Chutiyas treacherously murdered Sutuphaa. The Ahom soldiers accompanying Sutuphaa returned to the capital, bearing news of the unfortunate incident. A king assassinated in another kingdom would have immediately started a battle which evidently didn't take place. Moreover, nothing is mentioned about the forces which escorted the Ahom king who would have immediately taken necessary steps to protect their king or even launch a counter attack.

Interregnum

After Sutuphaa's death, there was no prince whom the Ahom nobles thought worthy of the throne, and so, for four years (1376–1380 CE), Chao Phrongdam

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 of ...

and Taphrikhin

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 ...

carried on the administration themselves. In 1380 CE, finding it difficult to govern the country without a king, the nobles raised Sutuphaa's younger brother Tyao Khamti, the third son of Sukhaangphaa, to the throne.

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sutuphaa Ahom kings 14th century in India Ahom kingdom 14th-century Tai people 1370s deaths Year of birth unknown Year of death uncertain