Burmese invasions of Assam facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Burmese–Ahom Conflicts
Date 1817–1826 Location Assam
Belligerents
Konbaung dynasty	Ahom Kingdom

The Burmese invasions of Assam were three times when the country of Burma attacked and took over parts of Assam between 1817 and 1826. During this time, the Ahom Kingdom was controlled by Burma from 1821 to 1825.

Local people in Assam call this period manor din, which means "The days of the Burmese". They remember it as a very difficult and scary time. Many people died or had to leave their homes, and the once powerful Ahom Kingdom was left in ruins. This period was the end of the Ahom Kingdom's long rule. The British, who had not wanted to take over Assam before, now came face-to-face with the strong Burmese army occupying the land. After the First Anglo-Burmese War, the British took control of Assam and made Manipur a state that had to follow their rules.

Why Did the Invasions Happen?

In the late 1700s, the Ahom Kingdom in Assam was facing many problems. Several rebellions, like the Moamoria rebellion and the Dundiya rebellion, made the kingdom weak. Many people died, and a lot of property was destroyed.

The Prime Minister, Purnananda Burhagohain, worked hard to bring the Ahom Kingdom back to strength. He stopped the rebellions and brought back royal power. To make sure the government ran smoothly, he put his relatives in important jobs.

However, Badan Chandra Borphukan, who was a governor in Guwahati, worried about Purnananda Burhagohain's growing power. He tried to become friends with Purnananda by giving his daughter, Pijou Gabhoru, to Purnananda's son in marriage, along with many valuable gifts. But Purnananda Burhagohain was not happy and thought Badan Chandra Borphukan was misusing his position.

Badan Chandra Borphukan became angry. He secretly encouraged people in the capital city of Jorhat to try and kill Purnananda Burhagohain. The plan failed, and those involved were punished. It became clear that Badan Chandra Borphukan was linked to the plot.

At the same time, people in Western Assam complained to Purnananda Burhagohain about the bad things Badan Chandra Borphukan and his two sons were doing. So, in 1815, Purnananda Burhagohain decided to arrest Badan Chandra Borphukan and bring him to Jorhat for justice.

Pijou Gabhoru, Badan Chandra Borphukan's daughter, warned her father. Badan Chandra Borphukan escaped to Bengal, which was controlled by the British. Purnananda's men caught him there, but he escaped again with help from a local police officer. He then went to Calcutta (now Kolkata) and asked the British Governor-General, Lord Hastings, for help to remove Purnananda Burhagohain. Lord Hastings refused, saying the British did not get involved in other kingdoms' internal affairs.

Around that time, Badan Chandra Borphukan met a representative from the Burmese King Bodawpaya in Calcutta. After hearing Badan Chandra Borphukan's story, the Burmese representative took him to Burma and arranged a meeting with King Bodawpaya.

First Burmese Attack (1817)

In 1816, Badan Chandra Borphukan went to the court of the Burmese King Bodawpaya and asked for help to defeat his rival, Purnananda Burhagohain. The Burmese king agreed.

In January 1817, a Burmese army, led by a general from Bhamo and guided by Badan Chandra Borphukan, entered Assam. The first battle happened on March 27, 1817, at Ghiladhari. The Assam forces were led by Daman Gogoi, Hau Bora, and Jama Khan. The fight lasted a week. During this time, Purnananda Burhagohain died of natural causes.

This led to disagreements among the Ahom nobles, and because they did not get more soldiers, the Assam army gave up. Ruchinath, Purnananda's son, became the new Burhagohain. He asked the king to leave, but the king refused. Ruchinath then thought that King Chandrakanta Singha was working with Badan Chandra Borphukan. So, Ruchinath left for Guwahati without the king when the Burmese army moved towards Jorhat, the Ahom capital.

King Chandrakanta Singha stayed behind. He welcomed Badan Chandra Borphukan and made him an important minister called Mantri Phukan. The Burmese army was paid 100,000 rupees, and their commanders received gifts. Hemo Aideo, an Ahom princess, was sent to the King of Burma with 50 elephants and a dowry. The Burmese army left Assam in April 1817. Soon after, Badan Chandra was killed. Ruchinath then marched against Chandrakanta Singha and made Purandhar Singha the new king.

Second Burmese Attack (1819)

When King Bodawpaya of Burma heard that Chandrakanta Singha had been removed, he sent an army of 30,000 soldiers. This army was led by Kiamingi and guided by Patalang Senapati.

On February 15, 1819, this Burmese army met an Assam army led by Jaganath Dhekial Phukan at Phulpanisiga, near Janji. The Burmese army was defeated, losing about 300 soldiers, and retreated a short distance. Instead of chasing the defeated Burmese, the Assam army returned to Jorhat, the Ahom capital. This caused a lot of confusion and fear.

Ruchinath Burhagohain and Purandar Singha lost confidence and sailed down to Guwahati. Two days later, the Burmese army was able to take over the capital.

Chandrakanta Singha was made king again on March 9, 1819. Ahom officials who had supported Ruchinath Burhagohain were executed. In mid-April 1819, Kiamingi left for Burma, leaving Mingimaha Tilwa in charge. Under Tilwa's orders, Patalang chased Ruchinath, fought his forces in Nagaon, and finally pushed him out of Assam. Patalang was made the Borbarua, another important minister. The remaining Burmese soldiers returned to Burma on January 27, 1820. To show his thanks to Bodawpaya, Chandrakanta Singha sent a princess, Upama Aideo, along with officials and servants.

However, Chandrakanta's feelings towards the Burmese soon changed. Patalang, who was originally a Kachari, convinced the king to break away from Burmese control. They built a fort at Jaypur to prepare for a fight.

Third Burmese Attack and Direct Rule (1821-1825)

In 1819, Bagyidaw became the new king of Burma. He decided to fully take over Assam. In February 1821, he sent Mingimaha Tilwa to Assam. Patalang Borbarua was killed, and Chandrakanta Singha fled to Guwahati. Mingimaha killed many Ahom officials and put Punyadhar (also known as Jogeshwar Singha), a brother of Hemo Aideo, on the throne as the new king.

Burma Takes Full Control

When Chandrakanta was defeated at Assam Chokey, the Burmese army came very close to the British in the Brahmaputra valley. Tilwa demanded that the British hand over the king who had run away. He threatened to enter British land to capture him, saying he had about 7,000 troops at Assam Chokey and 1,000 more at Guwahati.

However, the Burmese troops had trouble getting supplies. Because of this, Bandula left Guwahati, leaving Tilwa there with only 1,000 soldiers. At this point, the Burmese invited Chandrakanta Singha to come back and rule. Chandrakanta left his own officials and surrendered to Tilwa at Assam Chokey. But when he reached Jorhat, he was captured and put in prison instead.

Another story from Burma says that the expedition started in February 1821 with 20,000 soldiers. It took a year and a half to reach Assam. In July 1822, they defeated Chandrakanta Singha and made Assam a Burmese province, ruled by a military governor. This ended the 600-year-old Ahom Kingdom forever. Chandrakanta Singha fled to British territory in Bengal. The British did not give him back to the Burmese and instead sent more soldiers to their forts on the border. Maha Bandula left a group of 2,000 soldiers led by Maha Thilawa and went back to Burma.

This time is remembered in Assam as very hard. The Burmese soldiers and local robbers treated the common people very badly, causing thousands to leave Assam for Bengal. Much of the nearby State of Manipur was also destroyed by the invading armies.

By 1825, the Meiteis, led by their king Gambhir Singh, had pushed the Burmese back past the Chindwin river. The Burmese occupation led to many meetings between the Burmese and the British. This finally led to the First Anglo-Burmese War and the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826. This treaty marked the end of Burmese rule and the start of British rule in Assam.