Moamoria rebellion

Moamoria Rebellion
Date1769–1770, 1782, 1786–1805
Location
Result
  • Severe weakening of the Ahom kingdom
  • Near-end of the Paik system
  • Creation of a standing army of mostly paid Hindustani sepoys to replace the Ahom paik based military force
  • One-half of the population perished
  • Economy of the Kingdom completely ruined
Territorial
changes
Creation of autonomous Matak rajya
Belligerents
Moamoria
Commanders and leaders
  • Ragha Neog 
  • Naharkhora Saikia Executed
  • Govinda Gaoburha Executed
  • Ramakanta Singha  Executed
  • Harihar Tanti
  • Howha
  • Parmananda
  • Pitambardev Executed
  • Sarbananda Singha
  • Bharath Singha Executed
  • Lephera  Executed
  • Paramananda  Executed
  • Obhotanumia
  • Tanganram
  • Phopai  
Casualties and losses

Prior to the rebellion the estimated population of Ahom Kingdom varies from 24,00,000 to 30,00,000

  • One-half of the country was depopulated

The Moamoria rebellion (1769–1805) was an 18th-century uprising in Ahom kingdom of present-day Assam that began as power struggle between the Moamorias (Mataks), the adherents of the Mayamara Sattra, and the Ahom kings.[1] This uprising spread widely to other sections of Ahom kingdom[2] including disgruntled elements of the Ahom aristocracy[3] leading to two periods in which the Ahom king lost control of the capital. Retaking the capital was accompanied by a massacre of subjects, leading to a steep depopulation of large tracts. The Ahom king failed to retake the entire kingdom; a portion in the north-east, Bengmara (modern-day Tinsukia district), became known as Matak Rajya ruled by a newly created office called Borsenapati, became a tribute-paying but virtually independent territory.[4]

The Ahom kingdom emerged from the rebellion much weakened. About one half of the population of the kingdom perished and the economy was totally destroyed.[5] The weakened Ahom kingdom fell to a Burmese invasion which ultimately led to colonization by the British.

Background

Mayamara Satra

The Mayamara Satra was founded by Aniruddhadev, in the early 17th century. The Satra belonged to Kala–Samathi sect of Ekasarana Dharma. This Kala–Samathi sect was founded by a disciple of Sankardeva, Gopaldeva. He prominently propagated the teachings of Neo–Vaisnavism among the tribals of Upper Assam. It particularly could gain popularity among the tribals for its egalitarian and humanitarian outlook. The sect had twelve Satras, six presided by Brahmana abbots and six presided by Shudra abbots. Out of these twelve Satras, the Mayamara and Dihing were the most influential. The humanitarian outlook was best observed in the former, both the former Satras freely admitted converts from backward classes of society and placed them on equal footing even with the high Hindu caste.

The disciples of the Mayamara Satra were called Moamorias/Matak, but they belonged to various castes and tribes such as; Moran, Ahoms,[6] Chutias, Kacharis, Bihias, Kaibarta and Brittials as well as caste–Hindus like the Brahmanas, Kayastha and Kalitas. The disciples of the Mayamara Satras were scattered all over the whole country. The Moran tribe were the most prominent disciples, along with the Chutia and Kachari who also formed the pillars of Ahom military. These former tribes were also employed in various royal departments and establishments.[7]

Ahom–Mayamara Satra Conflict

As the Mayamara Satra rose to prominence, it was subjected to humilities and persecution on timely baisis. Ahom king Pratap Singha executed one disciple of the Satra for his remark about the King's court. Later when he learnt that Mataks won't bow down in front of anyone except their Guru, he tested their adherence by making four of his nobles, who were also disciple of Satra, gallop their horses against swords placed horizontally to their neck, two of them lost their lives while undergoing this test.[8] A successor King Surampha caused the death of the Mayamara abbot Nityanandadeva in 1650, when he was informed that he was boosting his power and prosperity. His disciples widely regarded him as a martyr; they took a vow to avenge his death even at the cost of their lives. In the reign of Jayadhwaj Singha, the Mayamara abbot Jayramdeva had to remain in colcealment due to fear of punishment but was brought back at the instance of Auniati abbot. In 1673, Udayaditya Singha confined the four Kala-Samathi abbots including the Mayamara one. But a palace coup engineered by the influential disciples of these Satra let them go unhurt. Gadadhar Singha who was resolved to destroy the power and influence of Vaisnava Satras and reduce influence of Vaisnavism, for he found Vaisnavism as a menace not only to the state but also an obstacle to military and internal development. He had especial personal animosity against the pontiff of Dakhinpat Satra. The Satras of Kala-Samathi were the first to come under the persecution, the Mayamara abbot Vaikunthadeva was executed in 1691.[9]

Successor King, Rudra Singha immediately reinstated all the Vaisnava Satras and showered favor to it. He devised mechanism of divide and rule, in a religious conference held in 1702, he promulgated a synod by discarding Shudra abbots from initiating Brahmanas; thus engineered a clash between Brahman and Shudra abbots.[10] In the reign of Siva Singha, humilities were heaped upon the Mayamara abbot to the blame of Bar-Raja Phuleshwari causing a rebellion to break out half a century later.[11]

However, the only evidence in support of the above contention is recorded in Kashinath Phukan's Assam Buranji. Dutiram Hazarika, contemporary to Kashinath, and a stauch Vaisnava himself doesn't record any mentions of persecution by the queen in his metrical chronicle. Although, refers to some wrongs done to the Mahantas. In Captain Welsh's record, made no mention of the religious factor or of the guilt of queen Phuleshwari leading to prevailing discontent through the information collected from Premier Purnananda Burhagohain in 1794.[12][13]

Paik and Khel system

Dissatisfaction towards the system

The Paiks were divided into two classes.

  1. Kanri or Karni (lowest grade), the general population.
  2. Chamua and Visayas or officers (higher grade),[14] the privileged population.

It was mandatory for every Paik to render service to the state, and were given a plot of land (two puras=2.66 acres) in exchange for their service. Originally Paiks were grouped into a squad of four men (got) and each one had to render their service to the state for four months, but during the reign of Rajeswar Singha, due to excessive loss of manpower in the Naga wars, the strength of a got had to be reduced to three;[15] thus increasing the pressure upon the Paiks. Each Paik was subjected to a guild (Khel) assigned under an officer. However, a sum of three rupees could be paid by the Paik in exchange for exempting the system.[16] Some Karnis were promoted to the classes of Chamuas and even Apikan Chamuas, thus enjoying higher status and didn't have to go to war.[17] The Paiks to escape the compulsory manual service, enlisted themselves in Satras as bhakats (residential monks), who as per the law, were permitted exemption from such compulsion.[18] Otherwise, exemption in the form of slave to the protection of some families.

¼ to ⅓ of the population had to render their service in the form of labour to the ruling class and bureaucrats without any wages anytime. The system gradually transformed into a kind of feudal system. Once it became feudal, Paiks were oppressed both emotionally and physically so they gradually got resolved to either escape from the system or protest against it.[19]

Composition of classes of people (1765)
Aristocracy Slaves/Bondsmen Chamua Karni Paik Total Population
1% 9% 25% 65% 100%
24,000 2,16,000 6,00,000 15,60,000 24,00,000[20]

First phase

Rebellion (1769–1770)

Kirti Chandra Borbarua, a prominent noble, heaped insults and indignities upon the Mayamra abbot Astabhuj and particularly his son Gagini Deka, goaded the Moamorias to wreak terrible vengeance on to the Borbarua.[21]

On September 15, 1769, Raghav Moran(Ragh Neog), a leading disciple of the Satra, was flogged by Ahom officials for not supplying the required number of elephants. This acted as the transgressing point and blessed by their spiritual head, the Morans raised the standard of revolt after collecting an army of about seven thousand. By November, the Morans led by Ragh Neog, Naharkhora Saikia and his two wives Radha and Rukmini,[22] promised the throne to three exiled Ahom princes (Mohanmala Gohain, and two sons of Rajeswar Singha) and with their help liberated the territory north of the Burhidihing river. On November 21, 1769 the rebels occupied the Ahom capital and placed Ramakanta, son of Naharkhora, on the throne. All high offices were thrown open to the Morans and Mohanmala Gohain was executed for his alleged conspiracy with the royalist. The Ahom king, Lakshmi Singha, was captured and kept a prisoner. All high officers were executed and three common Morans became the three great Gohains. Ragh Neog became the Borbarua, a kanri paik became the Borphukan and two common Ahoms became the Gohains at Sadiya and Marangi.

The rebel leaders went to pay homage to the abbot of Mayamara Satra, which was the source of unity among the rebels. Heavy penalty was imposed on the royalist satras, also they were forced to pay homage to the Mayamara abbot.

The rebels, inexperienced in statecraft, failed to usher in a new order. Instead, they began imitating the unpopular practices of their erstwhile leaders. Raghav Moran seized the wives and daughters of many nobles and kept them in his harem. As some of the rebel officers took on the airs of the old nobility, many rebels were dissatisfied and, led by Govinda Gaoburha, left the capital and reached Sagunmuri.

Counter-attack & Suppression

After four months of rebel regime, there came the spring festival (bohag bihu). The peasant soldiers who were voluntarily guarding the capital left their posts to visit their villages, so the defense of the capital got weakened and thus vulnerable.[23] Taking advantage of this, some of the old nobility in disguise killed Ragha on April 14, 1770 with the help of Kuranganayani, an Ahom queen from Manipur, and retook the capital. In the purge that followed, Ramakanta the rebel king, Naharkhora, Radha, Rukmini, Astabhujdev, the Moamara sattradhikar and his son Saptabhuj were all executed.

After the capital was recaptured the remaining rebel forces in Sagunmuri under Govinda Gaoburha attempted to overthrow the king again. This movement too had the signs of a popular uprising. The main weapons used by the rebels were bamboo staves and clubs, and their slogan was praja-oi joroiroa, chekani-oi sopai dhora ("Ye oppressed subjects, hold your stave close"), and this uprising was called chekani kubua ron ("The war of the staves"). In one of the engagements, the Borpatrogohain and the Dhekial Phukan were killed, and the Borgohain made a hair breath escape. The rebels advanced toward Rangpur and they were met at Thowra by the forces of the Burhagohain, the new Borpatrogohain, the Borgohain and a detachment cavalry from the Manipur king. In this battle the rebels were defeated; Govinda Gaoburha was captured and executed.[24]

Under the pressure of Premier Ghanashyam Burhagohain, king Lakshmi Singha initiated a process of ruthless persecution of the Moamorias. Some rebels then retreated deep into jungles and continued guerilla warfare under leaders like Lephera, Parmananda and others. An initial royalist force under the Na-Phukan and the Deka-Phukan was defeated, but a later force under the Borpatrogohain was able to eliminate Lephera and Parmananda. Subsequently, the Burhagohain began systematically destroying the villages and killing the remaining leaders; in a siege many rebels and their families died of starvation. The remaining people were then separated and settled at different places. One of the last holdouts, Nomal, was finally captured and executed.[25] The whole process of suppression almost took one year.

Second phase

The purge of Moamorias that followed after the reinstatement of royalist couldn't put up flames of revenge among the people. The peasants of Rangpur and Garhgaon secretly began organizing themselves. They planned to launch a surprise attack owing to their less strength.

In one night of April 1782, in the festive atmosphere of bohag bihu, when the new King Gaurinath Singha had also completed his coronation celebrations. The rebels mixed with the royal attendants and torch bearers and under the veil of darkness launched their quest for killing the King. But somehow the King managed to escape and took shelter in the underground chambers of Kareng Ghar. The rebels then advanced towards Rangpur, overcame the resistance offered by the city-guards and occupied it. In the meantime, a strong body of royalist under the head of Ghanashyam Burhagohain wrested the rebels out of Rangpur. This was followed by an indiscriminate massacre of the Moamorias, rejecting any kind of conciliatory policy.[26] Several thousands of people along with innocents were killed and many escaped and sought refuge in the hills and neighbouring Kingdoms, this had an adverse effect on the production system and the economy was on the verge of collapse .[27] The massacres were finally suspended at the request of the courtiers [28]

The waters of the rivers could not be drunk and people could not walk along the roads. Even the water and fish of the Brahmaputra became tainted with the stinking smell of corpses. Half of the country was depopulated...

— Maniram Dewan, Ms. Buranji Vivek Ratna, vol. II.

Third phase

Conflicts (1786–1789)

The scattered rebels and Dafla-Bahatias organised themselves and placed them under the leadership of one Harihar Tanti and rose to revolt at Japaribhita.[29] The rebels were joined by several hill tribes. They broke out in rebellion in 1786, from the foot of Daphla Hills. The rebels defeated the royalist force at Garaimari bil and other places.

The rebels then freed Pitambar, a relation to the previous Mayamara abbot. He was persuaded to join them, who did it after allegedly performing a Brahmayagna (brahman–slaying sacrifice). The rebels then burnt the Satras of Garmur, Auniati and Dakhinpat (all royalist Satras in Majuli), headed by Brahmanas. Then they executed the abbots of Bareghar and Budhbari Satras, which belonged to Kala-Samathi for collaborating with the royalist.[30] At Pahumara they routed the troops sent by the vassal states of Rani, Luki, Beltola and Topakuchi. The rebels gradually advanced and defeated the Burhagohain at Sagunmuri, making him eventually retreat to Rangpur. The rebels got momentum to pillage villages in the vicinity of Rangpur. Attempt was made by the abbot of Dihing Satra with his disciples to repulse them but went to vain. The Ahom priests too collected bands of soldiers and fought with the rebels.[31]

Silver rupee of rebel king Bharath Singha, struck in Rangpur. The inscription is in Assamese script - on obverse it mentions the name of the king as a descendant of Bhagadatta (a mythical Hero) and the date; on reverse it extols the King's devotion to Lord Krishna by calling him 'the Bee who got drunk on the nectar from the lotus placed at the feet of the Lord'!

The rebels after many prolonged battles, marching along the Jhanji River appeared at the capital gates and surrounded Rangpur in January 1788. At this sight King Gaurinath Singha accompanied by most of his officers left for Guwahati, leaving Purnananda Burhagohain in charge. The Burhagohain too deserted Rangpur after resisting the rebels for a few days. Failed attempts were made to capture Rangpur. From Guwahati, Gaurinath Singha sent a large contingent of troops under the Pani Phukan to the assistance of Burhagohain. Receiving reinforcement, the royalist assumed offensive but still couldn't manage to reoccupy the Ahom metropolis. In August 1788, Patkonwar (a son of Rajeswar Singha) raised a huge army with the assistance of Nara Raja and recovered Rangpur from the Moamorias, but his victory was short lived and he was eventually killed following an internal dissension in his camp.[32]

The Burhagohain erected a line of ramparts from Bar Ali to Kharikatiya Ali along the Namdang river, from where he resisted further rebel incursion. The royalist finally unable to stand the rebels fell back to Gaurisagar. The rebels then laid siege to the Gaurisagar Fort, and a large number of people along with many high officials fell fighting. The Burhagohain had to ultimately retreat to Taratali thence Dichoi.[9] From Dichoi further incursion of rebels were resisted. The rebels frequently harassed the people, living under the tract controlled by Burhagohain. The Upper Assam razed by continuous battles and disorder, cultivation suffered, there occurred a very terrible famine–the severest in Assam's history.[32]

Conflicts (1789–1794)

The rebels gradually extended their control up to Dergaon, they couldn't capture the strongholds of royalist at Dichoi fort. The rebels extended their control over large tracts of areas, but no attempt was made to establish a centralised administration by the rebel leaders. The captured region was locally administered with Harihar Tanti in the north bank of the Brahmaputra, Howha ruling Majuli, Sarbananada Singha ruling the Moran tracts from Bengmara (present-day Tinsukia). Bharat was made the king. Coins were struck regularly in Bharat's and Sarbananda's names.[30] Territory up to Ladoigarh was kept immune from the rebels. Purnananda Burhagohain erected a series of earthen rampart known to the rebels as Bibudhi garh, from here the royalist conducted the war-operations.[33] The continuous set-back left the royalist camp demoralised [34]

The rebellion of Moamorias inspired people from different parts of the country to rise up against Ahom government as result of it brought breakdown of khel-system and it became effectively hard to recruit soldiers.[33]

The discontentment among the inhabitants of Darrang as a result of entry of refugees from Eastern Assam and their plundering activities caused them to protest. This was supported by the inhabitants of Kamrup who had been subjected to humiliation.[35]

Dissension to Captain Welsh's expedition

Gaurinath Singha from Guwahati sailed down to Nagaon due to the underlying rebellious activities of Darrangi prince Krishnananrayan. Here the exploitation of the local inhabitants by the royal officers caused dissension among the Nagayans and they surrounded King's camp. They demanded the dismissal of those officers whom they held for their oppression. Soon after, one Bairagi besieged on King's camp, forcing Gaurinath to flee.

Gaurinath Singha appealed for foreign help, envoys were sent to neighboring countries seeking military help. Expect the king of Manipur, all pleaded on their inability to send troops. Similarly, British help could be acquired and a contingent of British troops under the leadership of Captain Welsh was despatched to Assam. After the expulsion of Barkandazes from Guwahati, they directed their operation towards the Moamoria rebels. Captain Welsh captured Rangpur in March 1794. After this, further operation against the rebels was pleaded but was discarded by the Governor General and the contingent of British troops was recalled. Gaurinath Singha couldn't hold on Rangpur and soon was recaptured by the rebels. The affairs in Guwahati too degraded, and the Barkandazes renewed their depredations. Gaurinath retreated to Dichoi, to the strongholds of Purnananda Burhagohain, where he died soon. Following the death of Gaurinath, the Burhagohain became the de facto ruler of the Ahom state. He placed his own nominee to the Ahom throne, Kinaram.[36]

Final Phase

Conflicts (1794–1805)

This experience and the military display by Thomas Welsh and his troops encouraged the Ahoms to create a standing army of mostly paid Hindustani sepoys to replace the paik based militia. One chief rebel leader, Phopai was killed in 1796 and the rebel king of Rangpur, Bhrarath in 1799. Sadiya fell to the royalists in 1800 from the grip of Khamtis. The Moamoria fugitives living as refuge in the neighbouring Dimasa and Jaintia Kingdoms, regrouped themselves and began harassing the royalist villagers of Nagaon. Five companies of royalist sepoys were dispatched, but they were somehow lured to the jungles and slaughtered. Following this year, the Ahom force defeated the combined force of Moamoria rebels and Dimasa King Krishnachandra.[37] In 1803, a plot of revolt by the people belonging to a secret sect of the night–worshippers (Ratikhowa) was detected and the leading conspirators were put to death in time.[38]

Flint–Lock pistol, used by the royalist force after the reorganization of Ahom army

Purnanada Burhagohain dispatched five companies under the Deka Phukan in 1805 to retake the Bengmara region, then under the control of Sarbananda. The first skirmish took place at on the banks of the Dibru river at Bhutiating. The royalist forces were able to defeat Sarbananda's forces which then took shelter at Holongaguri, and a section of the forces submitted eventually to the Ahom king who were settled at Ghilamara.[39] Nevertheless, both Purnananda and Sarbananda understood that this was a stalemate—and Sarbananda agreed to a peace proposal. Sarbananda was given the title of Barsenapati and given autonomous command of the Bengmara region which came to be called the Matak rajya;[4] and both Sarbananda and his son Matibar who followed him as Barsenapati continued to pay annual tributes to the Ahom kingdom.[40]

The Moamaria rebellion thus ended with the creation of a near-independent Matak tract ruled by a Barsenapati and the near-end of the Paik system.[41]

Conclusion

The rebellion couldn't own its origin due to a impolitic deeds of some Kings and Queen. It was the consequence, the symptom of ultimate disease, that the Ahom monarchy was on decline.[42] The massive agitation of rebels shook the foundations of Ahom state. Though the Moamaria rebellion ended in failure, it brought the breakdown of exploitive paik and Khel systems, on which the economic state of Ahoms was based. This compelled the state to move on money-economy. The rebellion ended indecisively with both the sides completely ruined, the country was fanatically depopulated. The population came down to one-half of what it was before and economic life was totally disrupted. Swarnalata Baruah (1985) states: The Moamariya rebellion was a rebellion of the people against the existing government and those who disfavoured a change in it joined with the hands with the royalist."

The discontented elements remained silent for very long, for they considered the Ahom monarchy to be unchallengeable. But this was all shattered throwing the divine origin of kingship and by putting a line of common men on the throne. "No alternative to the feudal system emerged, since no new ruling class could germinate from the peasantry which was relatively undifferentiated, or from its undeveloped stratum of traders and artisans. The issues became blurred since the rebels comprised diverse and nebulous class elements with varying degrees of dislike for the regime. Nevertheless, the ruling class could no more rule in the old manner."

References

  1. ^ "The first popular challenge to the Ahom monarchy was organized by the disciples of the Moamara satra." (Baruah 1993:46)
  2. ^ "As the rebellion was in progress, all who wanted to free themselves from the exploitative government joined hands with the Moamorias making it a mass uprising and creating a crisis for the Ahom monarchy" (Baruah 1993:46)
  3. ^ "The leaders of the Moamoriyas then resolved to form an alliance with three prominent exiled Ahom princes—Mohan Mala Gohain, the third son of Rudra Singha, and Charu Singha and Ratneswar, both sons of Rajeswar Singha." (Baruah 1993:46)
  4. ^ a b (Baruah 1993:164)
  5. ^ (Guha 1991:122)
  6. ^ "The opinion that it is a rebellion of the non-Ahoms against the Ahoms, is wholly baseless. Amongst the Mataks themselves, there were large number of Ahom officials"(Dutta 1985:184)
  7. ^ (Baruah 1985:303–304)
  8. ^ "King Pratap Singha executed one of the disciple of the Satra for having remarked the king's hall would make a commodious place for religious recital and prayer. When the same king learnt that the Moamariyas did not bow their heads before anyone but their Guru, he tested the unflinching obedience of his four nobles who were also the disciple of Mayamara Satra by making four of them gallop their horses against swords placed horizontally to their necks. While undergoing this test one noble Guimela Sola Borgohain and an officer, the Neog-Phukan, lost their lives since they refused to bow down and ride under the sword, at which point the test was stopped."(Baruah 1985:306)
  9. ^ a b (Barpujari 1992, pp. 263)
  10. ^ (Guha 1984:10–12)
  11. ^ "(Phuleshwari Bor-Raja) summoned the Sudra Mahantas to the Durga Puja held in a Sakta shrine and compelled them to bow their heads before the goddess and have their foreheads besmeared with the blood of sacrificed animals and made them accept nirmali and prasad. More than others, the powerful Mayamara Mahanta considered it a serious insult, not to be forgotten or forgiven, and in consultation with his disciples, he decided to take vengeance at an opportune moment. The subsequent history of Assam is essentially a history of the Moamariya rebellion, which was the most important factor causing the downfall of the Ahom monarchy." (Baruah 1985:295)
  12. ^ (Barpujari 1992:288–289)
  13. ^ (Baruah 1985:284–307)
  14. ^ "The condition of Chamua Paiks was much better than that of the general Paik. In fact they enjoyed social freedom. Some of them could even use the labour of slaves."(Hazarika 2005:112)
  15. ^ "It made the discontentment intense among the people. The ruling authority could identify this discontentment and tried to continue the system with force; by applying different kind of atrocities, exhibiting fear, force, and political tactics."(Hazarika 2005:124)
  16. ^ "Only by paying a commutation money of Rs.3/-per head per annum could a paik sometime obtain exemption from personal service. In order to enjoy this privilege, some paiks borrowed money from well-to-do persons, unable to pay the debt, becomes bondsmen and consequently, slaves."(Baruah 1985:349)
  17. ^ "The Paiks nor had ownership of land allotted by the state, the Khel gave them only the right to cultivate. If the Paik died or went missing, the land was returned to the Khel. As a result, the family of the Paik faced numerous problems to run their life"(Hazarika 2005:109)
  18. ^ "An interesting practice of avoiding the accepting the liabilities of the system was that boys of fifteen or sixteen years of age which was taken as the age of entrance for a paik career were trying to avoid wearing clothes as far as possible to show that they were still minors..."(Gogoi 2002:126)
  19. ^ (Gogoi 2002:126)
  20. ^ (Gogoi 2002:95)
  21. ^ (Barpujari 1992, pp. 291)
  22. ^ "Tekela Bara, the Ahom officer who was sent to fight against the Moamarias, in the engagement that followed the royalist suffered a defeat and he himself made a hairbreadth escape. He further reported that the two female leaders were possed of supernatural powers by whose strength they were catching the bullets in their wrappers"(Baruah 1985:309)
  23. ^ (Sharma 1996, p. 45)
  24. ^ (Baruah 1993, p. 72)
  25. ^ (Baruah 1993, p. 73)
  26. ^ " It was revealed that sons of deposed Barbarua Sivaram had taken part in the rebellion. The king ordered the extraction of eyes of the four sons"(Dutta 1985:126–7)
  27. ^ (Sharma 1996:46)
  28. ^ (Baruah 1985, p. 318)
  29. ^ " One of the main discontented elements of Ahom kingdom was the Bahatia Paiks who had several grievances against the Ahom government. In order to protect the plains areas of Assam from the neighboring hill–tribe's frequent raids, the Ahom government introduced a kind of political bribe through the settlement of a class of Assamese Paiks called bahatia in foothill areas who were obliged to give their service to the respective hill–tribes so assigned. Moreover, the Bahatia had to serve the Ahom army whenever called for. The Bahatia who were assigned to the Dafla tribe (Nishis) were called Dafla Bahatia. The Dafla Bahatia along with all their counterparts allyed themselves with the Mataks." (Dutta 1990:395)
  30. ^ a b (Sharma 1996:47)
  31. ^ (Baruah 1985, p. 320)
  32. ^ a b (Baruah 1985, p. 321)
  33. ^ a b (Baruah 1985, p. 322)
  34. ^ "Fighting with these same archers and shieldsmen our kings had vanquished even the foreigners on numerous occasions, but the very same archers,’ lamented an Ahom noble, 'become demoralized and terrified at the mere sight of the Moamarias and take to their heels."(Guha 1991:118)
  35. ^ "The ban on the entrance of the Darrangis and the Kamrupis to the capital city was more rigidly enforced at Gauhati, the headquarters of Borphukan, where no Kamrupi trader or officer was allowed to stay overnight...This caused him not only inconvenience but also humiliation."(Baruah 1985:323)
  36. ^ (Baruah 1985, p. 349)
  37. ^ (Barjupari 1993:336)
  38. ^ (Guha 1991, p. 121)
  39. ^ (Baruah 1993, p. 163)
  40. ^ (Baruah 1993, p. 164)
  41. ^ (Dutta 1990, p. 397)
  42. ^ (Barpujari 1992, p. 290)

Bibliography

  • Hazarika, Dhurba Jyoti (2005). The roots of the popular discontent in Assam under the ahom rules. Gauhati University.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Barpujari, HK (1992). Barpujari, H K (ed.). The Comprehensive History of Assam. Vol. 2. Guwahati: Publication Board Assam.
  • Gogoi, Jahnabi (2002), Agrarian system of medieval Assam, Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi
  • Baruah, S L (1985), A Comprehensive History of Assam, Munshiram Manoharlal
  • Baruah, S. L. (1993), Last Days of Ahom Monarchy, New Delhi{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Dutta, Sristidhar (1985), The Mataks and Their Kingdom: Castes and Tribes of Assam, Chugh Publications, archived from the original on 2023-07-01, retrieved 2023-05-28
  • Dutta, Sristidhar (1990). "The Moamaria Rebellion of Assam and the Participation of Hill Tribes and their Bahatias". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 51: 393–398.
  • Guha, Amalendu (1984). "Neo-Vaishnavism to Insurgency: Peasant Uprisings and Crisis of Feudalism in Late 18th Century Assam". CSSSC Occasional Paper;67.
  • Guha, Amalendu (1991), Medieval and Early Colonial Assam, Calcutta: K P Bagchi
  • Sharma, Chandan Kumar (1996). "Socio-Economic Structure and Peasant Revolt : The Case of Moamoria Upsurge in the Eighteenth Century Assam". Indian Anthropologist. 26 (2): 33–52. JSTOR 41919803.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Moamoria_rebellion&oldid=1213415536"