402nd birth anniversary of Lachit Barphukan observed

Context: Union Home Minister Amit Shah yesterday paid tribute
to the bravery and heroism of Ahom General Lachit Barphukan on Lachit Divas. It
was the 402nd birth anniversary of the brave martyr, to which Governor Lakshman
Prasad Acharya also paid floral tribute to the warrior at a function held at
Raj Bhavan. The day is celebrated to honour the bravery and leadership of
Lachit Barphukan, who’s leadership led to the great victory in the battle of
Saraighat over the Mughal Army.

Key points

·      
Lachit
Borphukan: He has been revered in Assam
as the warrior who defeated Mughal armies in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671. He
was commander of the Ahom armies during the battle of Saraighat – fought on the
banks of Brahmaputra in Guwahati. He was a brilliant military commander. He was
chosen as one of the five Borphukans of the Ahom kingdom by king Charadhwaj
Singha and given administrative, judicial, and military responsibilities. Borphukan
preferred guerrilla tactics which provided an edge to his smaller, but fast
moving and capable forces. He died a year after the Battle of Saraighat from a
long festering illness.

Ø  Guerrilla warfare - It is a type of warfare fought by irregulars in fast-moving,
small-scale actions against orthodox military and police forces and, on
occasion, against rival insurgent forces, either independently or in
conjunction with a larger political-military strategy.

·      
The AHOM
Kingdom: The Ahom kings ruled large
parts of what is now known as Assam for nearly 600 years, from the early 13th
century to the early 19th century. This was a prosperous, multi-ethnic kingdom
which spread across the upper and lower reaches of the Brahmaputra valley,
surviving on rice cultivation in its fertile lands. The Ahoms engaged in a
series of conflicts with the Mughals from 1615-1682, starting from the reign of
Jahangir till the reign of Aurangzeb.

·      
Political
Setup: Ahoms created a new state by
suppressing the older political system of the bhuiyans (landlords). The Ahom
state depended upon forced labour. Those forced to work for the state were
called paiks.

·      
Society: Ahom society was divided into clans or khels. A khel
often controlled several villages. Ahoms worshipped their own tribal gods, yet
they accepted the Hindu religion and the Assamese language. Intermarriage with
local also increased assimilation processes of Ahoms in Assamese culture.