Sudoiphaa

Sudoiphaa or Tej Singha was the king of Ahom kingdom from 1677 CE to 1679 CE. After deposing king Sujinphaa, Atan Burhagohain, the Prime-Minister of Ahom Kingdom, installed Sudoiphaa in the throne. Sudoiphaa's reign witnessed the end of the ministerial dictatorship of Atan Burhagohain and rise of Laluksola Borphukan, the Ahom Viceroy of Guwahati and Lower Assam, as the real authority behind the throne. In order to gain absolute authority in the Royal Court, Laluksola Borphukan, treacherously surrendered the garrison of Guwahati to Mughals, and held Atan Burhagohain and other nobles as captive. Sudoiphaa's effort to reestablish his authority and bring the ambitious Laluk Sola Borphukan to justice for his treachery against his country and collaboration with the foreigners, finally led to his own deposition and execution by the ambitious minister.

Sudoiphaa belonged to the Parvatia line of Royal Ahom Dynasty. His early name was Khamcheo. He was the grandson of Parvatia Deka Raja, who was the son of Prince Sukrang, founder of Parvatia line of Royal Ahom Dynasty and grandson of Ahom king Suhungmung. During his early life as a prince, he was engaged in agricultural activities, living at his residence near Charaideo hills.

In 1677 CE, conflict broke out between the reigning monarch Swargadeo Sujinphaa and Atan Burhagohain, the Prime-Minister of Ahom kingdom. A civil war ensued between both sides, in which Atan Burhagohain emerged victoriously. The king was deposed and later executed. The nobles pressed Atan Burhagohain to assume sovereign power, but the Premier refused the offer stating that only members of Royal Ahom Dynasty, the direct descendant of first Ahom king Sukaphaa, were eligible for the throne. Also the Tai-Ahom priestly clans, the Deodhais, and the Bailongs, who considered themselves as the guardian of the throne, strongly opposed the elevation of any person of non-royal blood as the king. Therefore the Premier instituted a vigorous search for a prince worthy of occupying the exalted office of a sovereign. He found prince Khamcheo suitable for the office of king and placed his proposal in front of the other nobles. The nobles consented with the choice of Atan Burhagohain and agreed to accept his nominee as the king. Khamcheo was brought from his residence at Charaideo hill and the nobles and other officers paid their homage to the new monarch. The coronation ceremony of the new king, the Singarigharutha ceremony, took place at Chunpora Nagar, in which the Tai-Ahom priest conferred him the Ahom name Sudoiphaa, while the Hindu priests conferred on him the title Tej Singha. He was commonly known as Parvatia Raja from the fact of his residence at Charaideo Parvat (literally in the Assamese language it means mountain or hill). On ascending the throne, Sudoiphaa performed the Rikkhvan ceremony, the Tai-Ahom ceremony for obtaining long life and offered sacrifices to Hindu god Shiva as well as to the Ahom gods.

Sudoiphaa, soon after his elevation to the throne, married a number of wives from the families of his supporters in order to strengthen his political alliance with the bonds of family attachment. Atan Burhagohain's daughter became the Barkunwari; and Laluk Borphukan's daughter the second consort or Parvatia Kunwari. The king also married the daughters of Mecha Borbarua and Bhatdhara Phukan, and the sister of Betmela Phukan. Soon after the accession of Sudoiphaa the commanders of Guwahati, who had helped Atan Burhagohain in the deposition of previous monarch, Sujinphaa left the capital for resuming, charge at their respective posts. They however placed 5000 men at the disposal of the Burhagohain to enable him to meet any eventual crisis. Meanwhile Dighala Gohain, the surviving son of Sujinphaa was finally caught at a monastery in Sologuri, by a royal officer named Tepartalia Ram Phukan. Dighala Gohain's eyeballs were extracted, and he died in consequence. Sudoiphaa expressed his gratefulness to Atan Burhagohain for having secured the throne for him, though the premier himself could have taken possession of it if he had so desired. The king gave valuable presents to the Burhagohain consisting of sedans, carpets, swords, golden trays and ornaments, elephants and horses, lands in Charaideo hill, and an estate in Dulung with eighty servitors. The monarch issued an order to the effect that the estates settled on Atan Burhagohain should be enjoyed in perpetuity by him and his descendants as long as members of Sudoiphaa's family remained in occupation of the Ahom throne. The wife of the Burhagohain was honoured by the monarch with the gifts of Kekora-dola, a sedan which could be used only by the king and the leading nobles.

The assumption of office by the new monarch was followed by a partial overhauling of the official personnel which was carried out on the advice of Atan Burhagohain who naturally wanted to promote his adherents to power. The major changes were as follows:- Kola Patar was appointed Borpatrogohain in place of Ramcharan, dismissed from office; Japang Sen Gohain was appointed Borgohain in place of Laluk Guimela, dismissed; Mecha Rajkhowa, son of Rangachila Duara Phukan, was appointed Borbarua, in place of Kirkiria, transferred to Guwahati as Deka Phukan; Atan Burhagohain's elder brother was appointed Naobaicha Phukan in place of Mad-nokhowa; Dilihial Dighala Gohain was appointed Bhitarual Phukan. The following officers were appointed as Phukans: Betmela, son of Kalanchu; Phulbarua's son, Miri Sandikoi's son; and Bhatdhara at Guwahati.

The relations between Swargadeo Sudoiphaa and Atan Burhagohain proceeded on a cordial basis for some time. But troubles began to emerge, disrupting relationship between the monarch and Atan Burhagohain. According to the custom of the Ahoms it was necessary for the Burhagohain, the Borgohain, and the Borpatrogohain to pay their homage to the new king and his chief consort by prostration repeated seven times. Sudoiphaa received the homage in due form, but when the Burhagohain and his two colleagues approached the seat of the Barkuanri or Chief Queen, who happened to be the daughter of Atan Burhagohain, she left her seat being unwilling to see her father kneeling down before her. The nobles then left the room there being no one in that place to receive their allegiance and homage.

The king took the Burhagohain to task, saying,-"The Dangarias paid their homage to me in the usual form; but why did they retire to their residences without kneeling down before the Barkonwari or Chief Queen? They have thus violated a significant and time honoured custom of the land. They have made me king because I am a descendant of the royal family. What am I here for if the Dangarias renounce the old customs of the country? Let them select any one as their overlord, and I shall retire to my village to live there as I did in the past." To this the Burhagohain replied,-"We have made him the dispenser of our bodies and of our minds, and we have knelt down before him accordingly. We went to pay our homage to the queen as required by the custom, but she left her seat on our approach. Whom are we to salute in an empty place? This has been our only transgression; otherwise we are not the men to relinquish the usages of the past. Let His Majesty appoint another day for the salutation ceremony, and we shall proceed accordingly to pay our homage."

Sudoiphaa rebuked the Chief Queen as well for the un-queenly demeanour shown by her in her unwillingness to receive the obeisance of her father; she was described by her royal consort as the daughter of "a king-making and king unmaking rebel". The king also gave vent to his suspicious about a possible move on the part of her father and his two henchmen, Ram Phukan and Betmela Phukan, to set up a new monarch. The queen reported the whole matter to her father, the Burhagohain, and he felt extremely mortified.