Sunyatphaa

Sunyatphaa
Ahom Kingdom
Ahom King
Reign	1670 CE to 1672 CE
Predecessor	Supangmung
Successor	Suklamphaa
Born	Maju Gohain Ahom kingdom
Died	c. 1672 Charaideo, Ahom kingdom
Names Swargadeo Udayaditya Singha
House	Charingia
Dynasty	Ahom dynasty
Father	Namrupia Raja
Religion	Ahom religion Hinduism

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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Sunyatphaa also Udayaditya Singha was the king of

Ancestry and early life

Udayaditya Singha was the second son of Namrupia Raja, the grandson of Sureng Deoraja,

In 1671 CE, a treasure house at Hilikha, containing a great store of gold and silver, was burnt down. Enquiry showed that the Bharali Barua, the officer in charge of the store-house was responsible for the fire, which was caused by his carelessly leaving a lighted pipe near some inflammable material. As a punishment for his carelessness, Bharali Barua was compelled to smoke elephant's dung.[15]

Dafala expedition

The Dafala tribe was living in the hills to the north of present-day

Swargadeo Udayaditya Singha became greatly devoted to Paramananda Sannyasi, and in his eagerness to advance the prestige and influence of Paramananda summoned the twelve Vaishanava Mahantas or religious heads of the Thakuria denomination and asked them to become disciples of the Gakulpuri Sannyasi. The Mahantas protested in a body; and their leaders, the Mahantas of Mayamara, Makajan, Silikhatal and Sesamukh were thrown into prison from where, the king said, they would be released only if they could satisfy him about their spiritual prowess by performing some miracle. The Mahantas replied in one voice,- We are incapable of performing miracles. We pass our days in reciting and hearing the glory of the Great God, and in offering prayers for Your Majesty’s welfare. Except this everything else is beyond our ken. The king reiterated his conviction of the omniscience of his Guru Paramananda and the consequent propriety on the part of the Mahantas to become the Sannyasi's disciples. The Thakuria Mahantas now stood as one man determined to oppose the king's design to convert them to the discipleship of the Paramananda. In this they received the tacit support of the three Gohains who thought that the time for their intervention had arrived.[28]

Anti-Paramananda Movement led by Debera Hazarika

Debera was a member of the Ahom Lukhurakhun clan, and he held the rank of a Hazarika, commander of one thousand men. He was the son of Kharagom, the Ahom officer who had been killed in the Dafala campaign in 1672 CE. Debera was very much enraged by the atrocities committed on the Vaishnava Mahantas by Udayaditya Singha. He resolved to curb the influence of the Sannyasi and preserve the integrity and prestige of the Vaisnava monks of Assam. Being himself a disciple of Makajan Mahanta of the Thakuria denomination, he knelt down before the Mahantas and solicited their blessings for the success of his enterprise, saying,- “Your Holinesses should only bestow upon me the dust of your feet, and I shall do whatever redress is necessary.”^[29]

The king got scent of the mischief that was brewing against him and his protégé; and with the object of keeping Debera away from the capital for some time he ordered him to command an expedition against the Mishmi rebels living near Sadiya. Debera was witty enough to understand the real intention of the monarch, and informed the king that he would start on the expedition after three days as he was convalescent at that time having just recovered from polypus of the nose.^[30] On that very night, Debera met the three Dangarias and persuaded them to support Sarugohain, the younger brother of Swargadeo Udayaditya Singha, in his attempt to seize the throne. Debera then broached the proposal to Sarugohain who readily accepted the offer. The prince gave vent to his resentment on the conduct of Udayaditya Singha,-“The Bairagi has become to my brother, not a mere hermit, but an object of extreme veneration, the Saheb of his head. The Dangarias have also accepted initiation from the Bairagi, and the twelve Mahantas have been summoned. Justice cannot tolerate this impious situation.” With the help of Debera and his brother Mohan Deka, Ratanpuria Hazarika, Namgila Hazarika and Tairai Dolakasharia Barua, Sarugohain collected one thousand armed followers to assail and surround the royal residence at Haithaguri and seized the person of the reigning monarch.^[31][32] Meanwhile, Udayaditya got scent of the conspiracy and at once ordered the gates of the city closed and his brother to be arrested.^[33] The conspirators decided that they got no time to lose, and therefore decided to act quickly.

Palace Coup and Udayaditya deposed

In November 1672 CE,

On the following day Udayaditya Singha was placed on a sedan and led to Charaideo Hill. His mother beseeched Sarugohain to spare the life of Udayaditya, or kill her along with the deposed monarch. Sarugohain consoled his mother saying that he and his brother would exercise joint domination, he from his headquarters at Garhgaon and Udayaditya from his capital Charaideo. Udayaditya was put to death soon after his arrival in Charaideo. Before he breathed his last he had put a handful of rice in his mouth and said,--“An innocent is being killed! O, Great God, may retribution descend on him who is committing this crime!” ^[39] Some sources states that the king was poisoned by Debera.^[40] The three wives of Udayaditya were also put to death.^[41] Udayaditya Singha's Guru, Paramananda Sannyasi, who had unwittingly caused the revolution, was arrested by Sarugohain and Debera. He was subjected to various tortures, insults and humiliations, and later put to death. His corpse was placed on a raft and set adrift on the Dikhow River, as a warning to others who ever schemed to set up a new order.^[42][43]

Legacy

Notes

References

See also

Debera Borbarua