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| Image source: Google|image by Hiteshsinghstock |
What made India a land of extraordinary achievements
is its marvellous and sublime past. The extravagant fortresses built by multiple
dynasties all across the Indian subcontinent showcased authentic Indian art and
architecture. Similarly, the tales associated with the kings who defended the
pride and integrity of the nation by sacrificing their lives show the glorious
history of our country.
Indian history is quite complicated to understand
because several historians have different impressions of different historical
incidents. Some try to revere a specific heroic figure and some try to
mortify the same historical hero. Recently a wave had started in India where
the youths are demanding a complete reformation of Indian History so that the
future generations of India should get to know about the actual past.
Apart from this, several heroes were never mentioned in our historical texts
despite sacrificing their lives for the motherland. One of them was the lion of
Assam who defended the territories of the Ahom Empire from the hands of Mughals. He
was the great Lachit Borphukan whose greatness is somehow lost in the glorious
texts of Indian History.
WHO IS LACHIT BORPHUKAN?
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| Image©Amar Chitra Katha |
Let’s get back into the year 1665 A.D when Raja
Chakradhwaj Singha (ruler of Ahom Empire) questioned his ministers that who is suitable for the post of Borphukan. The ministers suggested the name of Lachit.
‘Borphukan’ was a designation given to the chief of the Ahom army which means
Lachit became the leader of the monumental Ahom forces during the regime of
Chakradhwaj Singha.
Lachit Borphukan was born in the year 1620 A.D to
Momai Tamuli Barbaru (father) who was a senior officer in the Ahom army. Since
his childhood days, Lachit was interested in duties associated with the royal
family of Ahom Empire. He was assigned a lot of duties associated with the royal
family which includes management of the royal horse stable, protecting the king as
a bodyguard, etc.
THE INITIAL DAYS OF LACHIT AS A ‘BORPHUKAN’:
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| Image©Swarajya |
The initial days of Lachit as ‘Borphukan’ was
surrounded by obstacles and challenges that had primarily weakened the military
strength of the Ahoms. This condition was indirectly associated with the north-east
invasion ordered by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Keeping that in mind Lachit
started to reorganize the scattered and apathetic forces of the Ahom Empire. He
recruited proficient soldiers, ameliorated weapons, and constructed numerous ships
for building a strong Navy which will protect the seas of the Ahom Empire.
All these activities were carried out behind the
backs of Mughals who were playing the role of an ally.
The first major victory for Lachit Borphukan and his
legion of soldiers was by reclaiming the fortress of Guwahati from the hands of
Mughals with the help of Ismail Siddiqui. The Ahoms under Lachit had tactically
recaptured the fort of Guwahati and devised numerous ways to toughen the
defence around that area so that they can protect the fortress from the anticipated
Mughal re-attack.
The Mughal army under the leadership of Ram Singh marched
towards the Ahom territories for procuring the lost fortress of Guwahati. Initially, the Mughal army was scarred by the repeated Guirella attacks from the mighty
Ahoms but this didn’t last long as the dominant Mughals challenged the Ahom
king Raja Chakradhwaja Singha for an open war. This proposal was accepted by
the king and a huge army was dispatched.
BATTLE OF ALABOI:
In the battle of Alaboi (1669) the Ahoms were badly thrashed
by the enormous Mughal forces who slaughtered over 10000 Ahom soldiers but
Lachit escaped that bloodshed. Following this loss, Chakradhwaja Singha died due
to illness.
After the death of Chakradhwaja Singha, Udayaditya
Singha became the new ruler of the Ahom Empire.
THE GREAT BATTLE OF SARAIGHAT:
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| Image©allaboutassam |
The battle of Saraighat was the most crucial naval strife that determined the glorious future of the Ahoms. The entire war was fought on the Brahmaputra River in which the gigantic ships of Mughals stood against the inventive barges of Ahoms.
The war happened between the Mughal and the Ahom
Navy. The Ahom navy under the leadership of Lachit Borphukan used ingenious
techniques to suppress the Mughal ships. They encircled the Mughal Navy and
attacked them from both sides. Within a single day, the Ahoms killed approximately
3000 soldiers and the Mughal admiral Munawar Khan.
The Mughals soon realized the outcome of the battle
and they left the battlefield. This victory was one of the prime victories by
the Ahom forces under the leadership of Lachit Borphukan.
Lachit was an able general who uplifted the strength
of the Ahom army by his strategic ideas and statements that were enough to motivate
and encourage the spirit of the Ahom soldiers. His valiancy and courageous instincts
had made him a symbol of heroism in North-East India but failed to make him a popular figure in rest of the Indian subcontinent.
As a responsible citizen of India, it is our responsibility
to revive a heroic figure like Lachit Borphukan.
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