Suklenmung
Encyclopedia
Suklenmung was a king
of the Ahom kingdom
in medieval Assam
. Since he established his capital at Garhgaon
(which would remain the capital of the Ahom kingdom till the establishment of the Tungkhungia kings), he is also called the Garhgaiya roja in the Buranji
s. It was during his reign that Madhabdev and Sankardeva
's son-in-law Hari were captured and Hari executed, which precipitated the flight of Sankardeva to the Koch kingdom.
He was the first Ahom king to strike coins. The coins were octagonal in shape, with legends in the Ahom script.
, his father and the erstwhile king, was assassinated by one of his servants, Ratiman, in January 1539. Some Buranji
s suspect that Suklenmung was behind the plot even though Suklenmung tried to dispel the rumors by having the brothers of Ratiman, the assassin, executed.
During his father's reign Suklen (as he was then known) offered the first defense against the Bengal invader Turbak in 1532, which he lost and in which he suffered personal injury grievous enough that he had to be replaced by the Borpatrogohain
as the commander of the army.
, by moving the Baro-Bhuyan
in the Kopili river valley closer to the capital. In 1546, the kingdom was invaded by the Koch commander, Chilarai
, who advanced along a road constructed in secret by his half-bother, Gohain Kamal (and thus called Gohain Kamal Ali), along the north bank of the Brahmaputra river
to establish a camp at Narayanpur in present day North Lakhimpur district. Suklenmung was able to remove the Koch army from the northbank.
Ahom Dynasty
The Ahom Dynasty ruled the Ahom Kingdom in present-day Assam for nearly 600 years. The dynasty was established by Sukaphaa, a Shan prince of Mong Mao who came to Assam after crossing the Patkai mountains...
of the Ahom kingdom
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...
in medieval Assam
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...
. Since he established his capital at Garhgaon
Garhgaon
Garhgaon was the capital of the Ahom kingdom for many years. It was built by the Ahom king Suklenmung in 1540. It lies 13 km east of present-day Sibsagar town. The palace structures were made of wood and stones...
(which would remain the capital of the Ahom kingdom till the establishment of the Tungkhungia kings), he is also called the Garhgaiya roja in the Buranji
Buranji
Buranjis are a class of historical chronicles written in the Ahom and Assamese languages. The first such Buranji was written on the instructions of the first Ahom king Sukaphaa who established the Ahom kingdom in 1228...
s. It was during his reign that Madhabdev and 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...
's son-in-law Hari were captured and Hari executed, which precipitated the flight of Sankardeva to the Koch kingdom.
He was the first Ahom king to strike coins. The coins were octagonal in shape, with legends in the Ahom script.
Ascension
Suklenmung became the king after SuhungmungSuhungmung
Suhungmung , was one of the most important Ahom kings, who ruled at the cusp of Assam's medieval history. His reign broke from the early Ahom rule and established a multi-ethnic polity in his kingdom. Under him the Ahom Kingdom expanded greatly for the first time since Sukaphaa, at the cost of...
, his father and the erstwhile king, was assassinated by one of his servants, Ratiman, in January 1539. Some Buranji
Buranji
Buranjis are a class of historical chronicles written in the Ahom and Assamese languages. The first such Buranji was written on the instructions of the first Ahom king Sukaphaa who established the Ahom kingdom in 1228...
s suspect that Suklenmung was behind the plot even though Suklenmung tried to dispel the rumors by having the brothers of Ratiman, the assassin, executed.
During his father's reign Suklen (as he was then known) offered the first defense against the Bengal invader Turbak in 1532, which he lost and in which he suffered personal injury grievous enough that he had to be replaced by the Borpatrogohain
Borpatrogohain
Borpatrogohain was the third of the three great Gohains in the Ahom kingdom. This position was created by Suhungmung Dihingia Raja specially for an Ahom prince who grew up in a Naga chieftains house. This position was reserved for the descendant of the first Borpatrogohain, Kancheng, who was the...
as the commander of the army.
Territory
Suklenmung consolidated the kingdom's command over the regions captured from the Kachari kingdomKachari Kingdom
The Kachari Kingdom was a powerful kingdom in medieval Assam. The rulers belonged to the Dimasa people, part of the greater Bodo-Kachari ethnic group...
, by moving the Baro-Bhuyan
Baro-Bhuyan
The Baro-Bhuyans were warrior chiefs and landlords of medieval Assam and Bengal who maintained a loose independent confederacy. In times of aggression by external powers, they generally cooperated in defending and expelling the aggressor. In times of peace, they maintained their respective...
in the Kopili river valley closer to the capital. In 1546, the kingdom was invaded by the Koch commander, 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...
, who advanced along a road constructed in secret by his half-bother, Gohain Kamal (and thus called Gohain Kamal Ali), along the north bank of the Brahmaputra river
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra , also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. It is the only Indian river that is attributed the masculine gender and thus referred to as a in Indo-Aryan languages and languages with Indo-Aryan influence...
to establish a camp at Narayanpur in present day North Lakhimpur district. Suklenmung was able to remove the Koch army from the northbank.