Tai Ahom International

Syu Ka Pha is said to have left Maulung in 1215 A.D. with a following of 8 nobles, and 9,000 men, women and children, it may be surmised, that the great majority of his followers were adult males. He had with him 2 elephants, and 300 horses. For 13 years, he wandered about the hilly country of the Patkai, making occassional raids of Naga villages, and in 1228 A.D., he arrived in Khamjang.

He crossed a river called the Khamnamjang in rafts, and came to the Nongnyang lake. Some Nagas attempted to resist his advance, but he defeated them and the other Nagas made their submission. Leaving one of his nobles to rule the conquered country, Syu Ka Pha proceeded to Dangkaorang, Khamhangpung and Namrup. He bridged the Sessa river and ascended the Dihing, but finding the place unsuitable, he retraced his step and proceeding downstream, reached Tipam. Thence he went, in 1236 A.D., to Mungklang Chekhru(Abhaypur), where he stayed for several years. In 1240, this tract of country became flooded during the rainy seasons, so he left it and descended the Brahmaputra to Habung, where he spent 2 years, while here, the Ahoms lived by cultivation. But this place also was liable to inundation, and in 1244 a heavy flood necessitated another move. Sukapha, therefore, continued his journey down the Brahmaputra till he reached the mouth of the Dikhu. Thence he went to Ligirigaon. In 1246, he proceeded to Simaluguri, leaving a detachment at Ligirigaon. He stayed here for some years. It is said that he contemplated an attack on the people inhabiting the valley of the Namdang (a tributory of Dikhu), but gave up the idea on finding how numerous they were. In 1253, Simaluguri was abandoned in favour of Charaideo, where a city was built amid general rejoicings. To celebrate the occasion two horses were sacrificed to the Gods, and prayers were offered by the Deodhais under a mulberry tree.

Syu Ka Pha was an enterprising and brave prince and his treatment of the conquered Morans and Borahis was most judicious. The memory of his wanderings along the valley of the Dihing river is still preserved in various local names and traditions. Sukapha appointed 2 great officers of State, known as the Bor Gohain and the Burha Gohain, who exercised powers second only to those of the king himself. Syu Ka Pha made friend with his brother rulers in his ancestral home, and sent them presents of gold and silver. He died in 1268 A.D.

On the occasion of the second anniversary of Tai-Ahom International, we would like to thank all the members and people associated with this organization for their constant support and feedback. We hope to broaden this online platform and would thereby encourage everyone to provide valuable  information about our culture , which we can share it globally via this website. We would also like to request everyone to take every possible steps required to preserve our rich Tai-Ahom culture. Pe Ong Le Ahom!

Warm regards

Team of Tai-Ahom International

After the Burmese invasion and during the British rule, the Ahoms and the other Tai groups were drifted apart under the force of historical circumstances. The Ahoms leaned more towards Hinduism and the Assamese language, while the other groups remained attached to their Tai language and Buddhism. The Tais of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh brought Tai cultural elements along with their migration in the form of oral and written documents. Several creation myths and legends aprevalent among the Tais have their relations with others Tais of SE Asia and China. One such important document is the Ahom cosmogony.

In the Ahom cosmogony or the creation myth, God Pha Tu Sing Phrong Hung appeared out of void. He sent from heaven different heavenly beings down to earth; sun, moon, tree, nature, animal, lesser gods, spirits and human kinds. Later on from the lineage of heavenly being Lord of heaven, Lengdon send down two princes Khun Lung and Khun Lai to rule in the earth.

The Ahom and Shan Legends of sending down Khun Lung and Khun Lai with necessary regalia like elephants, animals, scholars, mandarins etc. from Heaven coincides with the Lao story of sending down Khun Borom. The time of Khun Lung and Khun Lai and Khum Borom might be of about 7th century AD. The myth of creation of heaven and earth reflects the older view than the time of glacier melting age of about 10 to 30 thousand years. The story of flood may be created at about 10 to 15 thousand years ago when glaciers started melting and inundating the human inhabited areas of greater eastern Asia. In Ahom, Pak Pen Kaka is the cosmological creation myth. God with is first creation of god began creation of earth at the beginning.  Again, Phu Kao Kham- a pair of golden spider god and goddess created by almighty one became like husband and wife and laid four golden eggs from where later on earth, spirits, lesser gods, fire, nature, human kind had been sprouted.  The story of creation of eggs found among Ahom seems to be unique and may be one of the oldest versions of creation myths. It is known that golden egg myth and giant gourd myth are found both among Tai Phake and Tai Shan. Probably Tai Khamti and other Tai groups of Assam might have possessed the Ahom cosmogony and gourd myths, but they might have lost them due to the influence of Theravada Buddhism. Manuscripts comprising of such myths may possibly be present but not yet explored.

In Ahom creation myths and also other Tai creation myths, a greater world view is reflected. The Tai peopl settle in plains surrounded by hills around. Through the plains or flat valleys, rivers flow originating from hills and from lakes or sometimes from the watershed areas. Water of rivers is gold; as water is needed for wet rice cultivation. Without water, rice cultivation is not possible. Tai people are wet rice cultivators throughout the world. The story of flood reflects the glacier melting and inundation of fertile Tai inhabited land mass and great destruction and also migration of Tai people to upstream sources of rivers. Gods taught Tai people to cultivate rice and all other necessary techniques of livelihood. Hills throughout the boundary protects Tai settlement as walls arising like posts of the world with a network of sky as umbrella overhead. Sun. moon, rain, cloud, air also help them in thriving livelihood as gods. The great omnipotent God-creator looks after them floating on the top of the sky like an umbrella. The great omnipotent God-creator Pha Tu Sing Phrong Hung is being prayed all the time by Ahom as the supreme being. The other gods like Pha Lai Bet, Pha Pin Bet are also prayed as ‘ Pha Tu Sing Phrong Hung, Pha Lai Bet, Pha Phra tra along with sikiya ranni pan boi mou chao ka oi’. In olden times, Ahom held worship to Pha Tu Sing.

The lesser gods Ngi Ngao Kham specified as son of god and as winged lion dragon is also worshipped by all the Tais. The Ahom also worshipped Dragon with grand manner but due to the influence of Hinduism, the worships is not observed in grand manner but accompanied as deity with other deities. Dragon dance, dragon boat race, dragon statue processions are performed in China and South East Asia, specially in China Dragon worship is related to wet rice cultivation and water festival too. It is believed that dragon brings rain, helps in need and most powerful being which gives power and strength to the state. Therefore, all the Tais accept winged lion dragon or winged snake dragon as royal insignia as a symbol of power. In Ahom royal days it was worshipped in grand manner by Ahom royalty.

-to be contd.

WISHING ALL THE MEMBERS OF TAI-AHOM INTERNATIONAL A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF  YOU WITH LOTS OF SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS.

The Tai-Ahom chronicles record the fact that Chao Lung( the great king) Syu-Ka-Pha while coming from Mong-Mao, through the Patkai hill ranges to Assam, on arrival at Nam-RUk, performed the ceremony namely Me-Dam-Me-Phi. Thus, Siu-Hum-Mong(Dihingia Raja) (1497-1539) celebrated it on a state level after his astounding victory over the Chutiyas and then after defeating the Kacharis. Siu-Klen-Mong (Garhgayan Raja) (1539-1552) observed Me-Dam-Me-Phi, celebrations on state level after the victory over the Mussalmans and the Kacharis and after conclusion of peace with the Koches. Siu-Seng-Pha (Pratap Singha) (1603-1641) performed it after the disaster with the Kacharis and before going to war with the Mughals and after victory over them.

By far the most conspicuous celebration was observed during the reign of Siu-Ping-Mioung alias Chakradhwaj Singha (1663-1669). It was performed before going to war with the Mughals. Mughal General Mir Jumla’s invasions during the reign of Siu-Tam-La alias Jayadhwaj Singha ( 1648-1665) totally shattered the Ahom polity and economy. Politically, the nation failed to exhibit unity and cohesion in fighting against the formidable Mughals due to Jayadhwaj Singha’s secretarian policy of laying too much emphasis on Hinduism. For the first time, the Ahom Swargadeo became a tributary one to the Mughals. Economically, the devastations enormously disrupted the production activities. Besides, the huge amounts of tributes imposed by the Mughals with timely, strict compliance virtually reduced the Ahom sovereign to an ordinary vassal. But his successor, Siu-Pung-Mong alias Chakradhwaj Singha (1663- 1669) was a man of practical politics. He could never forget the humiliating defeat of his brother in the hands of the Mughals. He had grit and determination to wipe out the ignobility faced by the nation. So he held a council with all the nobles and officers and argued, ‘My brother Chaopha Siu-Tam-La did not make any offer to our forefathers…..So the Mussalmans could come to our country and devastate the land. The Karis and Hajuas were massacred and all people suffered great misery……. The people at large should be collected and offerings should be made…… I wish to know your opinions’. The Buragohain replied. ‘In the ancient times your forefathers used to do the same thing when they were overtaken by such misfortune. They thus regained their former powers.’

This was the genesis of the Me-Dam-Me-Phi festival and that belief is still alive among the Ahoms. Obviously, it is secular in outlook with participation of the people at large irrespective of caste and creed and a festival of the masses in organizing themselves following the foot prints of their ancestors and to secure the benign blessings from them in their earthly life.

Thus the celebration of this socio-religious festival hints at more of political socializations at the crucial moment of social disaster as well as that of in time of peace and prosperity. It was intrinsic resurging the life of the Tai-Ahom state.