The Battle of Saraighat was fought between the Mughal forces lead by Raja Ram Singh and the Ahoms lead by Lachit Borphukan, the Ahom governor of Guwahati in 1671. The Mughal army was defeated by a militarily much weaker Ahom army which used a combination of guerrilla tactics, psychological warfare and military intelligence. The defining battle was fought on the river Brahmaputra, which Lachit Borphukan personally lead, in spite of a high fever. The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... The Tai Ahoms ruled parts of present day Assam for nearly 600 years: from 1228 to 1826. ... Lachit Borphukan was a great general from Assam, India. ... Guwahati is a city in India, often considered to be the gateway to the north-east part of the country. ... Events May 9 - Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempts to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. ... Distinguish from the type of ape called a gorilla. ... The U.S. Department of Defense defines psychological warfare (PSYWAR) as: The planned use of propaganda and other psychological actions having the primary purpose of influencing the opinions, emotions, attitudes, and behavior of hostile foreign groups in such a way as to support the achievement of national objectives. ... Military intelligence (abbreviated MI, int. ... The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia. ... Hyperthermia: Characterized on the left. ...

Background

Assam was the only state of India, which defeated successive attempts by Delhi Sultans and Mughal emperors. Starting from the invasion of Bakhtiyar Khilji in early thirteenth century to the invasions of the Mughal armies of Aurangzeb in the late seventeenth century. Assam defeated seventeen such invasions. No doubt the geographical remoteness of Assam was the major factor but no less important was the military leadership and the fighting qualities displayed by the people of Assam. Assam (অসম) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ... This article deals with the city of Delhi. ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic monarch ruling under the terms of shariah. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Aurangzeb Abu Muzaffar Muhiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir (November 3, 1618 – March 3, 1707), usually known as Aurangzeb, but also sometimes as Alamgir I, was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1658 until 1707. ... Assam (অসম) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ... Assam (অসম) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ... Assam (অসম) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ...

Of these seventeen invasions there was only one in which the invader achieved some success. This was Mir Jumla's invasion. Mir Jumla was the Mughal Viceroy at Dhaka. In 1662 as the head of the large Mughal army he advanced up the Brahmaputra into Assam. There was dissension among the Ahoms and they could not put up any worthwhile resistance. The Ahom capital at Gargaon fell to the invader and king Jayadhwaj Singha fled to the hills. Like Napoleon at Moscow, Mir Jumla at Gargoan found that he had won only a pyrrhic victory. The French grand army got, decimated in the severe winter of the Russian steeps. Similarly Mughal army got decimated by monsoon, malaria and dysentery. During its retreat, Mir Jumla died of illness. However before retreating he had imposed a humiliating treaty on the Ahoms. Two Ahom Royal princesses were taken for the Mughal imperial harem. Ahoms had to pay 3 lakhs as war indemnity and an annual tribute of 20 elephants. They also had to cede the western half of their kingdom from Guwahati to Manas river. The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Dhaka (previously Dacca; Bangla: ঢাকা), population 9,000,022 (2001), is the capital of Bangladesh. ... Events March 18 – Short-timed experiment of the first public buses holding 8 passengers begins in Paris May 3/May 2 - Catherine of Braganza marries Charles II of England – as part of the dowry, Portugal cedes Bombay and Tangier to England May 9 - Samuel Pepys witnessed a Punch and Judy... The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia. ... Assam (অসম) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ... The Tai Ahoms ruled parts of present day Assam for nearly 600 years: from 1228 to 1826. ... Gargaon was the capital of Ahom kingdom in Assam. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA:   listen?) is the capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Monsoon in the Vindhya, a mountain chain in central India A monsoon is a periodic wind, especially in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia. ... Red blood cell infected with Malaria (Italian: bad air; formerly called ague or marsh fever in English) is an infectious disease which in humans causes about 350-500 million infections and approximately 1. ... Dysentery is an illness involving severe diarrhea that is often associated with blood in the feces. ... A treaty is a binding agreement under international law concluded by subjects of international law, namely states and international organizations. ... The Tai Ahoms ruled parts of present day Assam for nearly 600 years: from 1228 to 1826. ... This article is about the noble title. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Imperial is a term that is used to describe something that relates to an Empire, Emperor, or the concept of Imperialism. ... In traditional Arab culture, the harîm حريم (cf. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas recki (extinct) Stegodon (extinct) Deinotherium (extinct) Mammuthus (extinct) Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of animals, the only family in the order Proboscidea that still exists today. ... Guwahati is a city in India, often considered to be the gateway to the north-east part of the country. ... Manas is the name of: A Kyrgyz epic poem (see Manas (epic); A commune in Drôme département, in France (see Manas, Drôme) Level of consciousness in Yogacara Buddhism, the manas-vijnana A river in the state of Assam in India. ...

Preparations for an All-Out War

After this humiliating defeat, Jayadhwaj Singha died in utter dissatisfaction. At his deathbed, he exhorted his nephew and successor king Chakradhwaj Singha to remove the spear of humiliation from the bosom of the nation (Assam). The new king was determined to retrieve national honour and started making elaborate preparations for recovering territory lost to the Mughals. Stock of food and war material were built up and an expeditionary army organised and trained. Assam (অসম) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ...

Preparations were complete in 1667 and Lachit Borphukan, as the new commander in chief of the new Ahom army advanced from Gargaon near Sibsagar in upper Assam to Guwahati. Lachit Borphukan was a great general from Assam, India. ...

Initial Phase

Lachit Borphukan soon captured the Mughal post in north Guwahati and later the fort in south Guwahati. (Currently the Kamrup Deputy Commissioner's bungalow is situated on this place). Although the Mughal cannons posed a heavy threat to Lachit's army, the cannons failed to charge as a Assamese muslim subordinate of Lachit, Bagh Hazarika poured water into the cannons in the previous night in a secret mission. The Mughal governor was captured along with a large number of soldiers. The Mughals abandoned Guwahati. Lachit Borphukan was a great general from Assam, India. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Fortifications (Latin fortis, strong, and facere, to make) are military constructions designed for defensive warfare. ... Kamrup was the mighty Kingdom ruled by Narayana Dynasty before the British broke the Kingdom into two big districts. ... A bungalow is any single story house. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ...

Mughal Retaliation

However, Lachit Borphukan anticipated a larger retaliatory attack by the Mughals and he started arranging defenses, obstacles and garhs (meaning earthen walls) around Guwahati. The hillocks around Guwahati and the Brahmaputra river already served as excellent natural barriers against an invading army. Lachit was thorough, sincere and ruthless in carrying out this task. He even did not care to behead his own uncle for negligence in his duty. Lachit Borphukan was a great general from Assam, India. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Guwahati is a city in India, often considered to be the gateway to the north-east part of the country. ... Guwahati is a city in India, often considered to be the gateway to the north-east part of the country. ... The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia. ...

The Mughals struck back in March 1669. Raja Ram Singh was the commander in chief of the advancing Mughal army which consisted of 30,000 infantry, 15,000 archers, 18,000 Turkish cavalry, 5,000 gunners and over 1000 cannons besides a large flotilla of boats. Portuguese and other European sailors were employed, to man the fleet. These forces moved up the Brahmaputra from Dhaka to Guwahati. Lachit's spies kept him informed of the progress of Ram Singh's advance. The Mughals laid siege to Guwahati, which lasted for a little over one year. The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... // Events Samuel Pepys stopped writing his diary. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Guwahati is a city in India, often considered to be the gateway to the north-east part of the country. ...

Lachit fought from within the barriers knowing that on open ground his small ponies will not stand a chance against the Mughal cavalry on open ground. He led guerrilla attacks against the Mughals and made them suffer a lot of casualties. Although Ram Singh made a lot of efforts which included trying to bribe Lachit, he failed miserably in this stage of war. The north-east Indian monsoon made their task more difficult. The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Distinguish from the type of ape called a gorilla. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ...

Ahom Setback

However, the Ahom king became impatient and ordered Lachit to attack the Mughals on open ground, mainly because of a misunderstanding after Ram Singhs failed attempt to prove Lachit Borphukan a traitor. Following this order, although reluctantly, Lachit made an attack against the Mughal army in Allaboi. After some initial success in which the Ahoms captured the local Mughal Commander, Mir Nawab, the Ahoms drew the full weight of Mughal cavalry personally led by Ram Singh. The Mughal cavalry decimated the Ahom army on the plains which suffered 10,000 killed. Lachit had taken the precaution of digging a line of defenses at the rear of his advancing, columns to which they could fall back if forced to do so. Thus he managed to extricate the remainder of his forces and moved back into his prepared defenses. The Tai Ahoms ruled parts of present day Assam for nearly 600 years: from 1228 to 1826. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Lachit Borphukan was a great general from Assam, India. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... The Tai Ahoms ruled parts of present day Assam for nearly 600 years: from 1228 to 1826. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... The Tai Ahoms ruled parts of present day Assam for nearly 600 years: from 1228 to 1826. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Italian cavalry officers practice their horsemanship in 1904 outside Rome. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Italian cavalry officers practice their horsemanship in 1904 outside Rome. ... The Tai Ahoms ruled parts of present day Assam for nearly 600 years: from 1228 to 1826. ... Army (from French armée) can, in some countries, refer to any armed force (for example, the Peoples Liberation Army of China consists of ground force, navy and air force branches). ...

The Battle of Saraighat

The Mughals could not penetrate these defenses and ultimately decided to launch a massive naval assault on the river at Saraighat. They had large boats, a few of them mounting up to sixteen canons. The Ahom soldiers were demoralized after the Allaboi disaster. Their Commander-in-Chief was seriously ill. At the sight of the massive Mughal fleet, they began to lose their will to fight. Some elements commenced retreat. Saraighat is a place near Guwahati in Assam, on the banks of the river Brahmaputra. ... The Tai Ahoms ruled parts of present day Assam for nearly 600 years: from 1228 to 1826. ... A Norwegian soldier (a Corporal, armed with an MP-5) A soldier is a person who has enlisted with, or has been conscripted into, the armed forces of a sovereign country and has undergone training and received equipment to defend that country or its interests. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ...

Lachit was observing this development from his sickbed. He had himself carried on a lotto a boat and with seven boats advanced headlong against the Mughal fleet. This had an electrifying effect on his soldiers. They rallied behind him and a desperate battle ensured on the Brahmaputra. The Ahoms in their small boats cut circles round the bigger but less maneuverable Mughal boats. The river got littered with clashing boats and drowning soldiers. This is the famous Battle of Saraighat. The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ...

The Mughals were decisively defeated and they retreated from Guwahati. Ahom territory up to Manas was once again liberated. Thus ended the battle of Saraighat in a glorious Ahom victory, despite all odds and giving Lachit Borphukan very deservedly legendary fame in Assam who later died of the illness that he had been suffering from. The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Guwahati is a city in India, often considered to be the gateway to the north-east part of the country. ... The Tai Ahoms ruled parts of present day Assam for nearly 600 years: from 1228 to 1826. ... Manas is the name of: A Kyrgyz epic poem (see Manas (epic); A commune in Drôme département, in France (see Manas, Drôme) Level of consciousness in Yogacara Buddhism, the manas-vijnana A river in the state of Assam in India. ... The Tai Ahoms ruled parts of present day Assam for nearly 600 years: from 1228 to 1826. ... Lachit Borphukan was a great general from Assam, India. ... Assam (অসম) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ...

Postscript

The Mughal Commander-in-Chief, Raja Ram Singh acknowledging his defeat had a special word of praise for the Assamese solder and the Ahom Commander-in-chief. He wrote, "Every Assamese soldier is expert in rowing boats, in shooting arrows, in digging trenches and in wielding guns and cannons. I have not seen such a specimens of versatility in any other part of India." The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Assamese (অসমীয়া) or Asamiya is the language spoken by some of the natives of the state of Assam in northeast India. ... The Tai Ahoms ruled parts of present day Assam for nearly 600 years: from 1228 to 1826. ... Assamese (অসমীয়া) or Asamiya is the language spoken by some of the natives of the state of Assam in northeast India. ...

External Links

• Emulate the spirit and skill of Lachit Borphukan Author: Lt. Gen. S. K. Sinha