Islamic invasions of Assam
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2025) |
Islamic Invasions of Assam or Muslim Invasions of Assam initially began in 1206 when the Turko-Afghan military commander of the Ghurid Sultanate, Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji passed through Kamarupa against Tibet.[1][2] Another disastrous invasion in 1532 by Bengal Sultanate under its commander Turbak was repulsed. The last attempt was the Battle of Saraighat in 1671 under the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb. The Ahom kingdom removed the vestigial Muslim power from Western Assam up to the Manas river in 1682 after the Battle of Itakhuli.
| Muslim invasions of Assam | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 Ghurid dynasty |
Medieval Kamarupa Kamata Kingdom  Ahom Kingdom | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
Bakhtiyar Khalji Yuzbak Khan (POW) Turbak † Qasim Khan Chishti Mir Jumla II |
Raja Prithu Raja Sandhya Pratap Singha Suklenmung Udayaditya Singha Lachit Borphukan | ||||
Invasions
[edit]Initial attempts
Raja Prithu is credited to have defeated and causing heavy casualties in the Afghan forces under Ghurid dynasty, led by Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji, when he was passing through Kamarupa to invade Tibet. Later Raja Prithu faced a conspiracy of an assassination against him, and was killed by the son of Iltutmish, Nasiruddin Mahmud.[2][3]
Yuzbak Khan, the governor of Lakhnauti (present day West Bengal) under Delhi Sultanate, invaded Kamarupa in 1257. In the beginning he gained some success. Ultimately, he was defeated and captured by the ruler of Kamarupa, Sandhya.[4][5] Subsequently, Yuzbak died of his wounds.[6]
Fresh attempt by Bengal Sultanate
In 1532, a Muslim commander named Turbak invaded Ahom territory with a force comprising 1,000 cavalry, 30 elephants, and numerous guns and cannons. He set up camp near the fort at Singiri.[7] Ahom forces, under Suklen, crossed the Brahmaputra and attacked the Muslim encampment, despite warnings from astrologers. However, the battle ended in disaster for the Ahoms, who suffered heavy losses, with eight commanders killed. Suklen barely escaped with a serious wound. The Muslim forces stopped advancing for the rainy season at Koilabar.[8][9]
The Ahoms retreated to Sala after their initial setbacks,[9] where they regrouped with reinforcements and appointed Senglung as the new Commander-in-Chief. By March 1533, however, the Ahoms turned the tide in their favor. In a naval battle at Duimunisila, they inflicted significant losses on the Muslim forces, The Muslim commanders, Taju and Sangal, were killed, The invading forces lost 2,500 men, 20 ships, and several large cannons, marking a turning point in the war in favor of the Ahoms.[9][8]
During this time, Husain Khan, another Muslim general, arrived to reinforce Turbak's forces with six elephants, 100 cavalry, and 1,000 infantry troops. Reinforced by Hussain Khan, Turbak took position near the Dikrai River, across from the Ahom camp.[10] However, the Ahoms were now better prepared and managed to defeat the Muslims in several engagements. The final confrontation occurred near the Bharali River, where Turbak was killed by a spear, and the Muslims were thrown into disarray. The Ahoms pursued the retreating forces all the way to the Karatoya River, where they achieved a complete victory.
Mughal invasions
Mir Jumla II's invasion of Assam which occurred on January 1662, is the most successful Islamic invasion happened in the history of Assam where Ahom capital Garhgaon was captured by Mughal soldiers, but the success of that invasion was short lived and ended up in a treaty.[11] The Battle of Samdhara which took place in 1616, was the first battle fought between the Ahoms and Mughals, followed by Battle of Alaboi in 1669, Battle of Saraighat in 1671 and Battle of Itakhuli in 1682, the final battles fought between the two powers.[12]
Notes
[edit]- ^ (Sarkar 1992:37–38) harvcol error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFSarkar1992 (help)
- ^ a b Baruah, Amlan; Choudhary, S. B. Roy (1999). Assam State Gazetteer. Editor-in-Chief, District Gazetteers, Government of Assam. p. 116.
- ^ Acharyya, Nagendra Nath (1966). The History of Medieval Assam, from the Thirteenth to the Seventeenth Century. Dutta Baruah. p. 148.
- ^ Bagchi, Subhendugopal (1980). Eminent Indian Śākta Centres in Eastern India. Punthi Pustak. p. 142.
- ^ Sarkar, Ichhimuddin (1992). Aspects of Historical Geography of Prāgjyotiṣa-Kāmarūpa (ancient Assam). Naya Prokash. p. 31. ISBN 9788185421018.
- ^ Ramakrishnan, S. (2001). History and Culture of the Indian People, Volume 05, The Struggle For Empire. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. p. 44.
- ^ Acharyya 1966, p. 95. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFAcharyya1966 (help)
- ^ a b Basu 1970, p. 25.
- ^ a b c Shakespear 2012, p. 31–32.
- ^ Acharyya 1966, p. 96. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFAcharyya1966 (help)
- ^ https://abhipedia.abhimanu.com/Article/State/NDQ3MAEEQQVVEEQQVV/Mir-Jumla-s-invasion-of-Assam-Assam-State#:~:text=Mir%20Jumla%20II%20invaded%20the,and%20Madhupur%20during%20that%20period.
- ^ https://abhipedia.abhimanu.com/Article/State/NDQ3MAEEQQVVEEQQVV/Mir-Jumla-s-invasion-of-Assam-Assam-State#:~:text=Mir%20Jumla%20II%20invaded%20the,and%20Madhupur%20during%20that%20period.
References
[edit]- Acharyya, Nagendra Nath (1966). The History of Medieval Assam, from the Thirteenth to the Seventeenth Century: A Critical and Comprehensive History of Assam During the First Four Centuries of Ahom Rule, Based on Original Assamese Sources, Available Both in India and England. Dutta Baruah.
- Basu, Nirmal Kumar (1970). Assam in the Ahom Age, 1228-1826: Being Politico-economic and Socio-cultural Studies. Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar.
- Sarkar, J. N. (1992), "Chapter II The Turko-Afghan Invasions", in Barpujari, H. K. (ed.), The Comprehensive History of Assam, vol. 2, Guwahati: Assam Publication Board, pp. 35–48
- Shakespear, Leslie (2012-04-26). History of Upper Assam, Upper Burmah and North-Eastern Frontier. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-04607-7.