Achyut Krishna Hazarika
(hkachyut17@gmail.com)
For a long time, the name of Lachit Barphukan was unknown and unheard in larger parts of India. However, the grand celebration of the 400th anniversary of Lachit Borphukan in the presence of the Prime Minister in the national capital on 24th November and the announcement by the famous movie director, Mr. Vivek Oberoi in early 2021, to make a movie on Lachit is evidence to the growing acknowledgement of the legend of this military hero.
By shredding hangdang through the body of his own Maternal Uncle, accused of procrastination and indiscipline on military undertaking; Lachit uttered it loud and clear, “Deshot Koi Momai Dangor Nohoi…(Kin are not above the national interests) that was the message of discipline to his legion of army while defending the Ahom territories from the imperialist Mughals. Thus, motivated through a strike of fear and norms of discipline, High Pavement of strategic importance (Garh) was built within the night. Surely, not a narration for the soft hearted, this is the saga of the greatest military general of Ahom History, Lachit Barphukan and his Defence of East from Mughal Aggression. As aptly acknowledged by the incumbent Prime Minister as a symbol of India’s “Atma Nirbhar” military might.
Defender of the Dawn: Leadership and Military Strategy
Lachit Barphukan was instrumental in not only in the taking over of Gauhati from the Mughals in 1667 but he was also the hero who defeated the mighty Mughal Commander Raja Ram Singh. In this period Lachit had shown exemplary knowledge of military strategy and shown extraordinary military leadership. The strategic move of bringing the adversary to fight in the narrow stretch of Saraighat was important to reduce the physical capacity of the enemy. Lachit used his limited resource with great effectiveness in this war.
Case Study: Defence of Saraighat
Being well aware of the topography, Lachit utilized terrains, rivers, and dense forests provided natural defence capabilities for the Ahom troops. In general, the Ahoms used defensive tactics rather than offensive ones (Hazarika, 2015, p.20). The Ahom rulers have created a fortification ring. These fortifications were known as garhs. These garhs were not only erected on land but in water too. Unlike the northern part of India, the Ahoms built fortification, which was more suitable to their geographical area. Hence, use of bamboo and mud was common for these garhs. The hilly terrain of Assam provided natural planks to erect forts. Low hills on each bank of the river enabled Lachit to organise formidable defenses in the Guwahati area. He set up prepared defenses with 9-foot gaps on the plains and 13.5-foot gaps on the hills. The river line was reinforced on both sides of the defensive perimeter, and stockades were erected on the river’s sand banks to prevent the usage of the waterway. Defense in depth and all-around defence were guaranteed (Sinha, 2001). The use of forts as an important defensive mechanism for war strategy by Lachit Barphukan is also mentioned in the book by Kautilya (‘The Arthashastra’ by Kautilya). Kautilya regards the fort to be more important for the defence of kingdom, since it allows the kingdom to survive during the period of the siege. Kautilya in Arthashastra has mentioned mainly four type of forts- Parvatadurg (hill fort), audakadurg (water fort), dhanvandurg (desert fort) and Vandurg (forest fort). Lachit Barphukan had mainly used two typesof forts according to the terrains of the Ahom Kingdom. When a traveller Hangalbhanga Laskar, who had stayed in the camp of Ram Singha prior to the battle of Saraighat, fell into the hands of Ahoms and was asked to opine on the impression that the Mughals have about the preparedness of Assam, he narrated the conversation between Ram Singh and his commander Rashid Khan:
The Ahoms have built forts on the tops of the hills, and the outer
plains are too narrow for an open combat. The Assamese have proven unbeatable in their conflicts against foreigners because of this. The fortifications are complicated and complex, with three corridors leading to each fort. Our powerful weaponry cannot reach the enemy, and we have no choice but to battle with arrows and guns. Their ministers, commanders, and infantry should all be commended for erecting such a formidable defence wall.
When Ram Singha approached the fort at Sarai and initiated an attack, he once again experienced the farsightedness of the Ahom commander. When Mughal army reached closer and the Ahoms were not fully prepared, Lachit started a sham negotiation with the Mughals. The negotiation was done through the captured Mughal Governor, Firoz Khan. However, when the Ahom army was fully ready for the Mughal attacks, then Lachit Barphukan sent a clear message to Raja Ram Singh that Guwahati and Kamrup belong to the Ahoms and they will fight to the last to defend it.
In his military strategy, Lachit Barphukan has understood the importance of time and place and acted accordingly as it’s said: “a dog on land drags a crocodile and a crocodile in water drags a dog” (Singh, 2013). Similarly, the Ahom commander, Lachit Barphukan was aware of the fact that in the open land the Mughals can crush the Ahoms anytime, but in narrow stretches of land and river, the Ahoms will have an upper hand due to the capability to fight in such areas and the knowledge of the terrain and river. Therefore, the Mughal army was provided deliberate openings to reach Saraighat. And the strategic location of this place of battle proved harmful to the Mughal army and beneficial to the Ahoms.
Now, the task was of leadership and personal valour. Lachit was able to use the Ahom army to its maximum possible effectiveness. This was possible due to his determination and leadership. The maximum effective utilization of manpower was done by using many psychological tools. The use of national sentiment, religion and superstition was important. Interestingly, Kautilya has also specifically mentioned the use of religion, and superstition to bolster the morale of the soldiers. For example, the services of astrologers were taken to interpret the dream and predict the victory of Ahoms. At the same time, the use of fear was also important. The leader tends to instil a sense of fear amongst his troops about failures and laxness. Before the war “Lachit Barphukan gave an order that every man must fulfil his duty by holding true to his charge, and that if any commander orsoldier was found to be negligent, his head would be taken off immediately, with the potential of royal intervention following. (Bhuyan, 1947, p.37).
It is interesting to note that it is believed (however not verified) that Lachit killed his uncle due to his negligent behaviour. It is highly possible that this rumour was spread for the purpose of psychologically preparing the manpower to fight till the end.
Leadership also involves leading from the front by showing exemplary courage and selflessness. During the final phase of the war, Lachit Barphukan was seriously ill. The Mughal army had an upper hand and the Ahom soldiers were demoralised. Lachit was observing the unfolding of events from the Itakhuli fort. Finally, Lachit ordered his men to carry him on a boat towards the theatre of war. He shouted- “The King has put all the people in my hands to fight Bongal. Shall I go back to my wife and children?”(Sarkar, 1992, p.226). This was an important turning point in the battle for Ahoms. Lachit’s brave entry in to the battle boosted the morale of the Ahom soldiers and now all of them were ready to fight till the end.
It was a complete and decisive victory for the Ahoms. Unfortunately, Lachit Borphukan of an unknown illness died a year later in April 1672 at the age of 50. Lachit Borphukan’s Maidam was created by Swargadeo Udayaditya Singha in 1672 as a memory of Lachit Borphukan which was situated in Jorhat.
Due to the distorted look at Indian history, many episodes and heroes were side- lined and kept out of the mainstream Indian history. With the growing research about these episodes and heroes of Indian history, gradually the heroes like Lachit will hopefully get their due place in the annals of Indian history.