Suremphaa
Surempha | |||||
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Lakshmi Singha | |||||
Born | 1701 Ahom kingdom | ||||
Died | 1769 Dergaon, Ahom kingdom | ||||
Consort | Kuranganayani (Parvatia Konwari) Total 24 spouses | ||||
Issue | Kandura Gohain Charu Singha Ratneswar Pat Konwar | ||||
| |||||
House | Tungkhungia | ||||
Father | Sukhrungphaa | ||||
Religion | Hinduism |
Ahom dynasty |
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Suremphaa (reign 1751–1769), or Rajeswar Singha, the fourth son of
The new king was installed with the usual ceremonies. His first act was to exile his brother
Rajeswar Singha was a devout
Rajeswar Singha also promoted the cause of the Saiva cult by constructing the Manikarnesvaar Temple (1755), making financial provision for the Sukreswar Temple (1759), and by constructing the Siddhesvara Temple at Sualkuchi (1764). Rajeswar Singha got the Navagraha temple built upon the Citrasala hill in Guwahati. Two doors of Kedera Shiva temple of Hajo were also constructed at the instance of king Rajeswar Singha.
He was a great patron of learned men and encouraged them with gifts.
Rajeswar Singha died in 1769 after being seriously ill for twenty days.
Reign
The king, though a capable administrator, preferred pleasures to the affairs of the state. The administration was looked after by Bakatial Gendhela
During his reign, in 1758 there was a conflict with the
In July 1765, it was found necessary to take similar punitive measures against the
In November 1765, Rajeswar Singha sent an envoy to summon to his presence the Kachari King Sandhikari, but the latter refused to receive the messenger. On hearing this the king dispatched the army led by the
Expedition to Manipur
Later, Jai Singh of Manipur made a personal appeal to Rajeswar Singha in his court to help him drive out the Burmese from his kingdom. Rajeswar Singha consulted his ministers and sent an army consisting of mul and dewal paiks in 1765 commanded by Duara Haranath Bitarual Phukan as the Senapati Phukan (Commander) to Manipur directly over the hills south of Charaideo to reinstate Jai Singh. But the jungle was extremely dense so the work of clearing a road was laborious and time-consuming. The troops suffered great hardship, lack of food and many died from raiding Naga tribesmen and snake bites. The king ordered the return of the army. This unsuccessful expedition came to be known as the Lotakota ron (War of the Creepers).[2]
In November 1768 an army of ten thousand soldiers led by Bakatial
Kuranganayani became a queen to the next Ahom king Lakshmi Singha and subsequently was forced into the seraglio of Ragh Neog, a rebel leader in the first phase of the Moamoria rebellion. She was instrumental in the conspiracy and the execution of Ragh Neog's assassination in 1770 which triggered the end of the first phase of the rebellion.
Administrative works
Like his father
Other works of King Rajeswar Singh are– Basistha Temple, Manikarneswar Devalaya, Chitrachal Mandir,Naba Graha Mandir, Negheriting Shiva Doul, Hara Gauri Dol, Sukreswar Temple, KamakhyaNat Mandir, Dirgheshwari temple, Shri Kedar Temple, Moglau Pukhuri, Sil Pukhuri, Nati Gosanir dol, Bahikhowa Bar Phukanar Ali, Luthuri Kath,Katiya Barua Ali, Deka Barbarua Ali.[3]
See also
- Ahom Dynasty
- Ahom kingdom
- Lata Kata ran
Notes
References
- Gogoi, Padmeswar (1968) The Tai and the Tai kingdoms, Gauhati University, Guwahati.
- Barpujari, H. K., The Comprehensive History of Assam, Vol-III, Publication Board, Assam.
- Naoboicha Phukan, Padmeswar., Asom Buranji, Publication Board,Assam, Guwahati-781 021