New Delhi: In today’s age, Lachit Borphukan has emerged as a powerful symbol of the historical autonomy of Assam. He was a legendary army general who commanded the Ahom Army and led them to victory in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671. He stopped the powerful invading Mughal forces which was commanded by Ramsingh I and ensured that Assam could keep its autonomy. On the occasion of his birth anniversary, let us take a look at the life and legacy of this Ahom general.
The rise through the ranks
Lachit Borphukan was born on November 24, 1622, in the Ahom Kingdom. He was the youngest child of Momai Tamuli Borbarua, a commoner who became the Borbarua (councillor) under Pratap Singha. His sister was Pakhari Gabhoru, an Ahom queen and his was Ramani Gabharu. She was an Ahom princess who was given to the Mughals as Treaty of Ghilajharighat’s part. Lachit fought in the battle against the forces of Mir Jumla at Dikhaumukh and rose through the ranks. After the Chakradhwaj prepared to retake Guwahati, Lachit was made the Borphukan (Ahom viceroy in the west) and the Ahom forces’ commander.
The Battle of Saraighat
The Battle of Saraighat is what has immortalised the legacy of Lachit Borphukan. In 1671, the war which was a naval battle was fought between the Mughal Empire with Kachwaha raja Ram Singh I commanding its forces and the Ahom Kingdom under the command of Lachit Borphukan. The battle took place on the Brahmaputra river at Saraighat which is now in Assam’s Guwahati. The decisive battle ended the siege of the Mughals of Guwahati as they were pushed by the Ahoms west beyond the Manas River.
The battle took place after Mir Jumla invaded Guwahati, the capital of the Ahom Kingdom and the harsh conditions imposed on the Ahoms by the Treaty of Ghilajharighat. The Ahoms were looking for revenge, and under the leadership of Lachit Borphukan lured the Mughal imperial force to Saraighat and fought the much more powerful opposition there. The Ahom army was weaker, but due to Lachit’s astute leadership, clever diplomatic negotiations, psychological warfare, guerrilla tactics and by exploiting the Mughal’s weakness which was its navy, the weaker army managed to defeat the more powerful opposition.
The battle was the last major attempt by the Mughals to invade Assam. After Borphukan deserted Guwahati, the Mughals managed to regain it briefly but the Ahoms took it back in the Battle of Itakhuli in 1682 and never lost it again. Lachit died a year after the Battle of Saraighat on April 25, 1672, at the age of 49.
Lachit Borphukan stopped the powerful invading Mughal forces which was commanded by Ramsingh I and ensured that Assam could keep its autonomy. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
