Chilarai
Encyclopedia
Shukladhwaj or more popularly Chilarai , was the younger brother of Nara Narayan
a, 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 (kite
).
Chilarai is known to have descended from the powerful founder of the Koch dynasty
of Kamatapur, Viswa Simha. His mother, Padmavati, was from the country called Gaur
.
Chilarai was instrumental in giving Srimanta Sankardeva
protection and shelter, as well as marrying his niece. His son and grandson were responsible for breaking away of Koch Hajo
from the parent kingdom.
Shukladhwaj also named Chilarai which means 'Kite Prince' was perhaps the greatest general that Indian history ignored. A master military strategist, he was the commander of elder brother and Koch king Naranarayan's army. Chilarai's valour ensured Koch supremacy over the Bhutia, Kachari kingdom (of Hadimba, now dimapur) and the Ahoms( though several battles were fought between the Koches and Ahoms with countable victories for both sides). In June 1563 the Koches under the command of Chilarai managed to occupy the capital of Ahom, Gargaon.
Several Kings namely the then Raja of Manipur and the Khasi chief (Viryyavanta) submitted to the Koch army.The Jaintia Raja and Rajas of Tippera(Tripura) and Sylhet were also vanquished and put to death by Chilarai and his army.
The duo (Chilarai and Naranarayan) turned towards Bengal but due to unforeseen circumstances Chilarai was captured by the Afghan Sultan Sulaiman Karrani while Naranarayan retreated to his capital. Much of the Koch kingdom was captured by the Afghans thereafter. However Chilarai and Naranarayan later rebuilt the KAMAKHAYA temple that the Sultan's army had destroyed. They also patronized the great Vaishnavite movement of Sankardeva.
Chilarai died in 1577 of small pox.
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...
a, the king of the 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 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 (kite
Kite (bird)
Kites are raptors with long wings and weak legs which spend a great deal of time soaring. Most feed mainly on carrion but some take various amounts of live prey.They are birds of prey which, along with hawks and eagles, are from the family Accipitridae....
).
Chilarai is known to have descended from the powerful founder of the Koch dynasty
Koch dynasty
The Koch dynasty of Assam and Bengal, named after the Koch tribe, emerged as the dominant ruling house in the Kamata kingdom in 1515 after the fall of the Khen dynasty in 1498...
of Kamatapur, Viswa Simha. His mother, Padmavati, was from the country called Gaur
Gaur, West Bengal
Gour, or Gaur , as it is spelt mostly in modern times, or Lakhnauti is a ruined city, in the Malda district of West Bengal, India, on the west bank of the Ganges river, 40 kilometers downstream from Rajmahal.-History:...
.
Chilarai was instrumental in giving Srimanta Sankardeva
Srimanta Sankardeva
Mahapurusha Srimanta Shankardeva , was the greatest Assamese saint-scholar, playwright, social-religious reformer and a colossal figure in the cultural and religious history of Assam, India...
protection and shelter, as well as marrying his niece. His son and grandson were responsible for breaking away of 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....
from the parent kingdom.
Shukladhwaj also named Chilarai which means 'Kite Prince' was perhaps the greatest general that Indian history ignored. A master military strategist, he was the commander of elder brother and Koch king Naranarayan's army. Chilarai's valour ensured Koch supremacy over the Bhutia, Kachari kingdom (of Hadimba, now dimapur) and the Ahoms( though several battles were fought between the Koches and Ahoms with countable victories for both sides). In June 1563 the Koches under the command of Chilarai managed to occupy the capital of Ahom, Gargaon.
Several Kings namely the then Raja of Manipur and the Khasi chief (Viryyavanta) submitted to the Koch army.The Jaintia Raja and Rajas of Tippera(Tripura) and Sylhet were also vanquished and put to death by Chilarai and his army.
The duo (Chilarai and Naranarayan) turned towards Bengal but due to unforeseen circumstances Chilarai was captured by the Afghan Sultan Sulaiman Karrani while Naranarayan retreated to his capital. Much of the Koch kingdom was captured by the Afghans thereafter. However Chilarai and Naranarayan later rebuilt the KAMAKHAYA temple that the Sultan's army had destroyed. They also patronized the great Vaishnavite movement of Sankardeva.
Chilarai died in 1577 of small pox.