Abhayapuri
Encyclopedia
Abhayapuri is a small town in Bongaigaon district in the Indian state of Assam
. Surrounded by natural forests and hills, it is located on the National Highway 31, about 200 km west of Guwahati
. Nearest airport is at Guwahati
. Abhayapuri Railway Station is managed by the North East Frontier Railways.
, a famed Koch general and the younger brother of Moharaj Nara Narayan
, the great emperor of Kamata Kingdom
in the 16 th century.
The first capital of Bijni
Kingdom was at modern Bijni town (1671–1864) but later the capital was shifted to Dumuria (now known as Dalan Bhanga) due to attack by Jhawlia Mech and (a local chief under Bhutan
Kingdom). A dreaded earthquake occurred at 5 PM, in 12 th June/1897 (1897 Assam earthquake) badly damaging the royal palaces of Dumuriya, and therefore, it was decided to shift the capital again to Deohati forest area which was later named as Abhayapuri after Devi Abhoyamata, the family deity of the ruling dynasty. Later, during the rule of the last king, Raja Bhairabendra Narayan, the Government of India took over this kingdom.
family, descended from the Koch king Nara Narayan, who reigned over Kamata kingdom
from 1534 to 1584. Before his death, Nara Narayana allowed his kingdom to be divided between his son Lakshmi Narayan and his nephew Raghu Rai (son of Chilarai
). Raghu Rai established his capital at Barnagar in the Barpeta
(now a district in Assam), and received as his share the Koch
territories lying to the east of Sankosh River.
After the death of Nara Narayan in 1584, Raghu Rai declared independence. The eastern kingdom ruled by Raghu Rai came to be called Koch Hajo
and the western Koch Bihar
.Soon after the declaration of independence, the two kingdoms started showing hostilities against each other. Raghu Rai was succeeded by his son Parikshit Narayan and was defeated in 1602 by the army of Nawab of Dhaka (governor for the Mughals) who was moved by Lakshmi Narayan (ruler of Koch Bihar). Parikshit was defeated at Dhubri (now a district in Assam) and sued for peace. But soon, he continued with the hostilities and in 1614 was driven up to Pandu, now in Guwahati. There, Parikshit surrendered and agreed to become a vassal of the Mughal Empire. But before he could take up this assignment he died. The Mughals then appointed Kabisekhar as the kanungo and instructed Sheikh Ibrahim Karori to set up a Mughal system of administration. Parikshit' son Bijit Narayan, was confirmed by the Mughals as 'jamindar' of the area between the river Manas and the Sankosh, and from him the Bijni
family descended. The name "Bijni", now a sub-division of Chirang district of Bodoland Territorial Area in Assam, comes from the name of the king Bijit Narayan.
Under the Mughal rule, the Bijni king Bijit Narayan paid a tribute of Rs. 5,998 which was afterward commuted to an annual delivery of 68 elephants. During the last two decades of 17th century, the Mughals lost their influence on Assam while the East India Company gradually started strengthening their foothold in different parts of India including Bengal.
The East India Company
was awarded the 'diwani' or overlordship of Bengal by the empire following the Battle of Buxar in 1764 and the company came to an agreement (known as Permanent Settlement
) with Bengali landlords in 1793 to fix revenues to be raised from land. With the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826, the East India Company finally took control of the both Upper Assam and Lower Assam. However, it was doubtful whether Goalpara
was ever included in the Permanent Settlement
. According to The Imperial Gazetteer of India (Volume 8), a small assessment from the Bijni
kingdom was always accepted in lieu of land revenue, though it has sometimes been argued it was nothing more than a tribute. The Imperial Gazetteer of India, which was published in 1902, states that the Bijni family paid a revenue of Rs. 1,500 and cesses amounting to nearly Rs. 19,000 for an estate which covered an area of 950 square miles (2,460.5 km²) with an estimated rent-roll of Rs. 2 lakh.
On the conclusion of the Bhutan war (or Duar War
) fought between British India and Bhutan in 1864–1865, the Bijni family put forward claims to hold a large tract of land in the Eastern Duir which they alleged that they were in possession under the Bhutan government. The claim was admitted and in 1870 a settlement was effected with the Court of Wards on behalf of the minor Bijni Raja. The present extent of the estate to which they were entitled was still matter of uncertainty, but in 1882 it was ruled by the government of India that the Raja should receive 130000 acres (526.1 km²) of land. These estates generally remained under the direct management of the government, who allowed to the Raja 7.5 percent of the collections as his share of profits.
Joy Narayan
Shiv Narayan
Bijoy Narayan
Mukunda Narayan
Haridev Narayan
Indra Narayan
Amrit Narayan
Kumud Narayan
Jogendra Narayan
Bhairabendra Narayan
of Ambar
Kingdom of Rajasthan. Ram Singh excavated here with army of Delhi Sultan at the time of invading Ahom
Kingdom in the second half of 17th century.
The Lalmati-Duramari Ganesh Temple near Abhayapuri, is one of the oldest temples in Assam. The historical authenticity of the images are yet to be ascertained. Based on the study of the stone carvings and modes related to the carved idols, some archaeologists has opined that the temple and images belong to 8th to 10th centuries AD. The existence of ruins in Lalmati-Durgamari area along with temples was brought to the notice of the Historical & Antiquarian Department of the Govt. of Assam in 1974. The department undertook excavation work which resulted the discovery of the temples, images and idols of Gods and Goddesses.
The Lungai Pahar Shiva Temple is located 10 km away from the main town of Abhayapuri. Visitors need to climb the 227 stairs to reach the temple inside which there are stone carvings of Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Goddess Kali.
-Rajbonshies (belong to Indo-Mongoloid ethnic group of people) have been the living in this area now known as Abhayapuri. These people are the original sons of the soil and their existence can be traced back to the "Kiratees" of pre-vedic epic age (Mahabharata
). These Kiratas of dim past are also mentioned in Kalika-Purana
and Yogini Tantra
and also in histories written both by native and foreign scholars.
Yogis,Kalitas, Kayasthas and older Muslims are also indigenous who settled in this part of land prior to the advent of Britishers in North East Region. Some of them settled in the area centuries before the advent of Britishers. In a much later period, people from different parts of Assam migrated to Abhayapuri.
Among major festivals, Diwali, Holi, Durga Puja, Swaraswati Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Kalipuja, Shivaratri are celebrated by the Hindus of Ahbayapuri. Those of Islamic faith celebrate Idd and Muharram. Besides the religious festivals, Bihu
, the agricultural festival of Assam is celebrated by all Assamese, irrespective of caste, creed or religion.
The people of Abhayapuri have long been known for their interest in culture and education. The 44th conference of The Asam Sahitya Sabha was held in Abhayapuri in 1977 under the presidentship of Syed Abdul Malik, a big name in the history of modern Assamese literature. The area where the conference was held is still known as Sahitya Sabha Path (Road).
, Abhayapuri had a population of 14,671. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Abhayapuri has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 55% of the males and 45% of females literate. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
In the last few years, population of Abhayapuri has increased surprisingly with a large number migrating government workers starting to reside permanently in the town. In addition, people migrating from nearby villages also catapulted the population
. This burst in population, combined with lack of development in public infrastructural facilities, has started playing spoilsport on the once-remarkably-peaceful small town in recent years. Also, the increasing number of private and public vehicles, especially small passenger carriers like 'tempos' and vans, and motorcycle
s has raised serious concern about road traffic safety.
Abhayapuri College Established in 1955.
.
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
. Surrounded by natural forests and hills, it is located on the National Highway 31, about 200 km west of Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
. Nearest airport is at Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
. Abhayapuri Railway Station is managed by the North East Frontier Railways.
History
Abhayapuri was the capital of the ancient Bijni Kingdom established by the king, Raja Bijit Narayan alias Chandra Narayan in 1671. Bijit Narayan was the son of Parikshit Narayan who was the grandson of Yuvaraj Sukladhwaj alias ChilaraiChilarai
Shukladhwaj , or more popularly Chilarai , was the younger brother of Nara Narayana, the king of the Kamata kingdom in the 16th century. He was Nara Narayana's commander-in-chief, and he got his name Chilarai because his movement as a general was as fast as a chila .Chilarai is known to have...
, a famed Koch general and the younger brother of Moharaj Nara Narayan
Nara Narayan
Maharaja Naranarayan was the third and last ruler of the undivided Koch kingdom of Kamata. He succeeded his father Biswa Singha. Under him the Koch kingdom reached its cultural and political zenith. He introduced a silver coin, called the Narayani, that greatly influenced the numismatics of Assam...
, the great emperor of Kamata Kingdom
Kamata Kingdom
The Kamata kingdom appeared in the western part of the older Kamarupa kingdom in the 13th century, after the fall of the Pala dynasty. The rise of the Kamata kingdom marked the end of the ancient period in the History of Assam and the beginning of the medieval period. The first rulers were the...
in the 16 th century.
The first capital of Bijni
Bijni
Bijni is a town and a town area committee in Chirang district in the state of Assam, India.-Geography:Bijni is located at . It has an average elevation of 53 metres .-Demographics:...
Kingdom was at modern Bijni town (1671–1864) but later the capital was shifted to Dumuria (now known as Dalan Bhanga) due to attack by Jhawlia Mech and (a local chief under Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
Kingdom). A dreaded earthquake occurred at 5 PM, in 12 th June/1897 (1897 Assam earthquake) badly damaging the royal palaces of Dumuriya, and therefore, it was decided to shift the capital again to Deohati forest area which was later named as Abhayapuri after Devi Abhoyamata, the family deity of the ruling dynasty. Later, during the rule of the last king, Raja Bhairabendra Narayan, the Government of India took over this kingdom.
Bijni Kingdom
The Bijni Kingdom was situated between 250 53' and 260 32' N. and 900 85' and 910 85' E. The estate was in possession of the BijniBijni
Bijni is a town and a town area committee in Chirang district in the state of Assam, India.-Geography:Bijni is located at . It has an average elevation of 53 metres .-Demographics:...
family, descended from the Koch king Nara Narayan, who reigned over Kamata kingdom
Kamata Kingdom
The Kamata kingdom appeared in the western part of the older Kamarupa kingdom in the 13th century, after the fall of the Pala dynasty. The rise of the Kamata kingdom marked the end of the ancient period in the History of Assam and the beginning of the medieval period. The first rulers were the...
from 1534 to 1584. Before his death, Nara Narayana allowed his kingdom to be divided between his son Lakshmi Narayan and his nephew Raghu Rai (son of Chilarai
Chilarai
Shukladhwaj , or more popularly Chilarai , was the younger brother of Nara Narayana, the king of the Kamata kingdom in the 16th century. He was Nara Narayana's commander-in-chief, and he got his name Chilarai because his movement as a general was as fast as a chila .Chilarai is known to have...
). Raghu Rai established his capital at Barnagar in the Barpeta
Barpeta
Barpeta is the headquarters of Barpeta district, Assam, India. The city is located about north west of Guwahati.Barpeta is renowned in the Historical map of Assam as the "Land of the Satras"...
(now a district in Assam), and received as his share the Koch
Koch
Koch may refer to:* Koch , a type of Arctic boat* Koch people , an ethnic group originally from the ancient Koch kingdom in north east India* Koch , people with this surname* Koch, Łódź Voivodeship, a village in central Poland...
territories lying to the east of Sankosh River.
After the death of Nara Narayan in 1584, Raghu Rai declared independence. The eastern kingdom ruled by Raghu Rai came to be called Koch Hajo
Koch Hajo
Koch Hajo was the eastern portion of the Kamata kingdom that splintered off under Raghudev Narayan in 1581 from the Kamata kingdom then under Nara Narayana in medieval Assam. The Sankosh river was fixed as the boundary between Koch Hajo and the western portion that came to be called Koch Bihar....
and the western Koch Bihar
Koch Bihar
Koch Bihar was a small kingdom located south of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, west of the upper Brahmaputra valley Ahom kingdom, and north-east of the Ganges plain and Bengal. It was formed when the Kamata Kingdom under the Koch dynasty split following the death of Nara Narayan in 1586. The...
.Soon after the declaration of independence, the two kingdoms started showing hostilities against each other. Raghu Rai was succeeded by his son Parikshit Narayan and was defeated in 1602 by the army of Nawab of Dhaka (governor for the Mughals) who was moved by Lakshmi Narayan (ruler of Koch Bihar). Parikshit was defeated at Dhubri (now a district in Assam) and sued for peace. But soon, he continued with the hostilities and in 1614 was driven up to Pandu, now in Guwahati. There, Parikshit surrendered and agreed to become a vassal of the Mughal Empire. But before he could take up this assignment he died. The Mughals then appointed Kabisekhar as the kanungo and instructed Sheikh Ibrahim Karori to set up a Mughal system of administration. Parikshit' son Bijit Narayan, was confirmed by the Mughals as 'jamindar' of the area between the river Manas and the Sankosh, and from him the Bijni
Bijni
Bijni is a town and a town area committee in Chirang district in the state of Assam, India.-Geography:Bijni is located at . It has an average elevation of 53 metres .-Demographics:...
family descended. The name "Bijni", now a sub-division of Chirang district of Bodoland Territorial Area in Assam, comes from the name of the king Bijit Narayan.
Under the Mughal rule, the Bijni king Bijit Narayan paid a tribute of Rs. 5,998 which was afterward commuted to an annual delivery of 68 elephants. During the last two decades of 17th century, the Mughals lost their influence on Assam while the East India Company gradually started strengthening their foothold in different parts of India including Bengal.
The East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
was awarded the 'diwani' or overlordship of Bengal by the empire following the Battle of Buxar in 1764 and the company came to an agreement (known as Permanent Settlement
Permanent Settlement
The Permanent Settlement — also known as the Permanent Settlement of Bengal — was an agreement between the East India Company and Bengali landlords to fix revenues to be raised from land, with far-reaching consequences for both agricultural methods and productivity in the entire Empire and the...
) with Bengali landlords in 1793 to fix revenues to be raised from land. With the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826, the East India Company finally took control of the both Upper Assam and Lower Assam. However, it was doubtful whether Goalpara
Goalpara
Goalpara is the district headquarter of Goalpara district, Assam, India. It is situated west of Guwahati.-Etymology:The name of Goalpara is said to have originally derived from `Gwaltippika` meaning `Guwali village` or the village of the milk men. In the local dialect "para" means...
was ever included in the Permanent Settlement
Permanent Settlement
The Permanent Settlement — also known as the Permanent Settlement of Bengal — was an agreement between the East India Company and Bengali landlords to fix revenues to be raised from land, with far-reaching consequences for both agricultural methods and productivity in the entire Empire and the...
. According to The Imperial Gazetteer of India (Volume 8), a small assessment from the Bijni
Bijni
Bijni is a town and a town area committee in Chirang district in the state of Assam, India.-Geography:Bijni is located at . It has an average elevation of 53 metres .-Demographics:...
kingdom was always accepted in lieu of land revenue, though it has sometimes been argued it was nothing more than a tribute. The Imperial Gazetteer of India, which was published in 1902, states that the Bijni family paid a revenue of Rs. 1,500 and cesses amounting to nearly Rs. 19,000 for an estate which covered an area of 950 square miles (2,460.5 km²) with an estimated rent-roll of Rs. 2 lakh.
On the conclusion of the Bhutan war (or Duar War
Duar War
The Bhutan War was a war fought between British India and Bhutan in 1864–1865.Britain sent a peace mission to Bhutan in early 1864, in the wake of the recent conclusion of a civil war there, under Ashley Eden...
) fought between British India and Bhutan in 1864–1865, the Bijni family put forward claims to hold a large tract of land in the Eastern Duir which they alleged that they were in possession under the Bhutan government. The claim was admitted and in 1870 a settlement was effected with the Court of Wards on behalf of the minor Bijni Raja. The present extent of the estate to which they were entitled was still matter of uncertainty, but in 1882 it was ruled by the government of India that the Raja should receive 130000 acres (526.1 km²) of land. These estates generally remained under the direct management of the government, who allowed to the Raja 7.5 percent of the collections as his share of profits.
Rulers of Ancient Abhayapuri (Bijni Kingdom)
Bijit Narayan (alias Chandra Narayan)Joy Narayan
Shiv Narayan
Bijoy Narayan
Mukunda Narayan
Haridev Narayan
Indra Narayan
Amrit Narayan
Kumud Narayan
Jogendra Narayan
Bhairabendra Narayan
Archaeological Monuments
Ram Rajar Garh near Deohati village is a man-made historical pond which was excavated by Ramsingh IRamsingh I
Mirza Raja Ram Singh I was the elder son Mirza Raja Jai Singh I and was ruler of Amber, and head of the Kachwaha Rajput clan, from 1667 to 1688.- Career as prince :...
of Ambar
Ambar
Ambar may refer to:* Hambar, the Serbo-Croatian and original Turkish form, the name for a Balkan and Central European building for drying maize* A common Indian given name meaning "The Sky" in Hindi...
Kingdom of Rajasthan. Ram Singh excavated here with army of Delhi Sultan at the time of invading Ahom
Ahom kingdom
The Ahom Kingdom was a medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India...
Kingdom in the second half of 17th century.
The Lalmati-Duramari Ganesh Temple near Abhayapuri, is one of the oldest temples in Assam. The historical authenticity of the images are yet to be ascertained. Based on the study of the stone carvings and modes related to the carved idols, some archaeologists has opined that the temple and images belong to 8th to 10th centuries AD. The existence of ruins in Lalmati-Durgamari area along with temples was brought to the notice of the Historical & Antiquarian Department of the Govt. of Assam in 1974. The department undertook excavation work which resulted the discovery of the temples, images and idols of Gods and Goddesses.
The Lungai Pahar Shiva Temple is located 10 km away from the main town of Abhayapuri. Visitors need to climb the 227 stairs to reach the temple inside which there are stone carvings of Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Goddess Kali.
People and Culture
Since time immemorial, KochKoch
Koch may refer to:* Koch , a type of Arctic boat* Koch people , an ethnic group originally from the ancient Koch kingdom in north east India* Koch , people with this surname* Koch, Łódź Voivodeship, a village in central Poland...
-Rajbonshies (belong to Indo-Mongoloid ethnic group of people) have been the living in this area now known as Abhayapuri. These people are the original sons of the soil and their existence can be traced back to the "Kiratees" of pre-vedic epic age (Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
). These Kiratas of dim past are also mentioned in Kalika-Purana
Kalika-Purana
The Kalika Purana is a Hindu religious text, considered as one of the 18 Upapuranas. The extant text contains 98 chapters with over 9000 stanzas and is the only work of the series dedicated to the worship of the goddess Kali her manifold forms such as Girija, Devi, Bhadrakali, and Mahamaya...
and Yogini Tantra
Yogini Tantra
Yogini Tantra is a voluminous Tantra that is especially important in the vamachara form of tantric worship. It is dedicated to the worship of Kali and Kamakhya. The work was composed in Assam, and generally contains some historical information....
and also in histories written both by native and foreign scholars.
Yogis,Kalitas, Kayasthas and older Muslims are also indigenous who settled in this part of land prior to the advent of Britishers in North East Region. Some of them settled in the area centuries before the advent of Britishers. In a much later period, people from different parts of Assam migrated to Abhayapuri.
Among major festivals, Diwali, Holi, Durga Puja, Swaraswati Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Kalipuja, Shivaratri are celebrated by the Hindus of Ahbayapuri. Those of Islamic faith celebrate Idd and Muharram. Besides the religious festivals, Bihu
Bihu
Bihu denotes a set of three different cultural festivals of Assam and celebrated by the Assamese diaspora around the world. Though they owe their origins to ancient rites and practices they have taken definite urban features and have become popular festivals in urban and commercialized milieus in...
, the agricultural festival of Assam is celebrated by all Assamese, irrespective of caste, creed or religion.
The people of Abhayapuri have long been known for their interest in culture and education. The 44th conference of The Asam Sahitya Sabha was held in Abhayapuri in 1977 under the presidentship of Syed Abdul Malik, a big name in the history of modern Assamese literature. The area where the conference was held is still known as Sahitya Sabha Path (Road).
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Abhayapuri had a population of 14,671. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Abhayapuri has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 55% of the males and 45% of females literate. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
In the last few years, population of Abhayapuri has increased surprisingly with a large number migrating government workers starting to reside permanently in the town. In addition, people migrating from nearby villages also catapulted the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
. This burst in population, combined with lack of development in public infrastructural facilities, has started playing spoilsport on the once-remarkably-peaceful small town in recent years. Also, the increasing number of private and public vehicles, especially small passenger carriers like 'tempos' and vans, and motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s has raised serious concern about road traffic safety.
Educational Institutes
Abhayeswari H.S. & M.P. School is the most notable educational institution in the town of Abhayapuri. Established in the year 1904 by the Bijni Raj Estate, this school has crossed 100 glorious years of its existence. Situated at the heart of the town of Abhayapuri, it is considered one of the early major educational institutions in the state of Assam.Abhayapuri College Established in 1955.
Politics
Abhayapuri consists of two assembly constituencies: Abhayapuri North and Abhayapuri South, both of which are part of Barpeta (Lok Sabha constituency)Barpeta (Lok Sabha constituency)
Barpeta Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam state in north-eastern India.-Assembly segments:Barpeta Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segments:-Members of Parliament:...
.