Sudangphaa

Ahom dynasty
List of Ahom kings 1 Sukaphaa 1228–1268 2 Suteuphaa 1268–1281 3 Subinphaa 1281–1293 4 Sukhaangphaa 1293–1332 5 Sukhrangpha 1332–1364 Interregnum 1364–1369 6 Sutuphaa 1369–1376 Interregnum 1376–1380 7 Tyao Khamti 1380–1389 Interregnum 1389–1397 8 Sudangphaa 1397–1407 9 Sujangphaa 1407–1422 10 Suphakphaa 1422–1439 11 Susenphaa 1439–1488 12 Suhenphaa 1488–1493 13 Supimphaa 1493–1497 14 Suhungmung 1497–1539 15 Suklenmung 1539–1552 16 Sukhaamphaa 1552–1603 17 Susenghphaa 1603–1641 18 Suramphaa 1641–1644 19 Sutingphaa 1644–1648 20 Sutamla 1648–1663 21 Supangmung 1663–1670 22 Sunyatphaa 1670–1672 23 Suklamphaa 1672–1674 24 Suhung 1674–1675 25 Gobar Roja 1675–1675 26 Sujinphaa 1675–1677 27 Sudoiphaa 1677–1679 28 Sulikphaa 1679–1681 29 Supatphaa 1681–1696 30 Sukhrungphaa 1696–1714 31 Sutanphaa 1714–1744 32 Sunenphaa 1744–1751 33 Suremphaa 1751–1769 34 Sunyeophaa 1769–1780 35 Suhitpangphaa 1780–1795 36 Suklingphaa 1795–1811 37 Sudingphaa 1811–1818 38 Purandar Singha 1818–1819 39 Sudingphaa 1819–1821 40 Jogeswar Singha 1821–1822 41 Purandar Singha 1833–1838
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Sudangphaa (1397–1407) was the

She died after giving birth to a boy and told the Brahman about the real identity of the boy. The Brahman brought up the young prince along with his other children. The young prince took the Brahman and his family as his own and spent his childhood with them.[10]^[11][12]

Assassination of Tyao Khamti

King Tyao Khamti was horrified to hear of the execution of his favourite wife, especially when a new and impartial inquiry showed that the allegations against her were false. He was, however, too much under the influence of his elder queen to venture to take action against her. This, and his failure to prevent her from committing numerous acts of oppression, irritated the nobles so much that in 1389 CE, they caused him to be assassinated. The notorious elder queen was also put to death and was entombed along with the king in Charaideo.^[13][14][15]

Accession to the throne

Since there were no suitable successors to the throne, Chaothai Khum

The Tipam chiefs, who were dissatisfied with the new regime, hatched a plot against the young king. This came to his ears, but instead of at once taking open steps against the conspirators, he caused a stockade for catching elephants to be constructed, and having caught some elephants, invited them to join him in the celebrating the occasion by a feast. When the festivities were in full swing and all suspicion had been allayed, the conspirators were suddenly overpowered and put to death. According to a practice which was common among the Ahoms and many Asiatic tribes, their heads were piled up in a heap as a trophy.^[22]

War with Mongkawng

The reasons for the outbreak of war with

The rulers of Mungkang used to consider Sukaphaa and the Ahom dynasty as his kinsmen as both claim to be descendant of Lengdon, the god of heaven and earth. Surumpha, the king of Mungkang, sent a military expedition along with Tai Chulai, led by his minister, Tasim Pou Borgohain. Sudangphaa personally led his army against the invaders and a battle was fought near Kuhiarbari in the Tipam country. Sudangphaa sustained a slight wound from an enemy spear while riding on an elephant at the head of his army in the battlefield, but the battle turned in Ahom's favour and the invaders were defeated. Sudangphaa ordered Nangchukham Borgohain to chase the vanquished enemy, who chased them as far as Patkai hill range. At last, the commander of Mungkang army, Tasim Pou Borgohain, sought peace from Ahom side, to which the commander of Ahom army, Nangchukham Borgohain, agreed. A formal treaty was concluded in 1401 CE, by which the Patkai hill range was fixed as the boundary between the two countries. The meeting of the two Borgohains, who conducted the negotiations for peace, took place on the side of Nongnyang lake, twenty-eight miles south-west of Margherita and statues of them are said to have been carved in the rock there. A solemn oath of amity was sworn, and consecrated by the cutting up of a fowl. The word Patkai is said to be derived from this incident. The full name was Pat-kai-seng-keu, which means "cut-fowl-oath-sworn". The former name of the pass was Dai-kau-rang or "the junction of nine peaks". Nong-nyang means "lake shaking".^[26][27][28]

Transfer of capital and Singarigharutha ceremony

After the peace treaty with Mungkang, Sudangphaa decided to transfer his capital from

The chiefs of Tipam, Khamjang and Aiton tribes rebelled against the authority of Sudangphaa by refusing to pay tribute. It was found that the king of Nara (one of the Shan kingdoms in Upper Burma) was encouraging the rebels. Sudangphaa sent messengers to remonstrate with the king of Nara, who in turn warned the rebel chiefs not to expect any aid from him. This turn of events forced the rebel chiefs to submit to the authority of Sudangphaa.[37]

Death, character and legacy

Sudangphaa died in 1407 after a reign of ten years. In his chronicle about the history of Assam, Gunaviram Barua stated that the king indulged most of his time in pleasure, which is also the reason for his demise at a young age,

• Ahom dynasty
• Assam
• Charaideo
• Sibsagar district
• Singarigharutha ceremony
• Sukaphaa

Notes

References