Chilarai: Saviour of the Assam school of Neo-Vaishnavism

Ranjan Kumar Padmapati

(The writer can be reached at rkpadmapati@yahoo.co.in)

The name of Valiant Lachit Borphukan, by now, has crossed the boundary of Assam. A few films and documentaries have been produced, and books both in English and Assamese have been published. But another military genius of the Koch Kingdom, General Chilarai, is lesser known; not much information is available except a book authored by J.P. Rajkhowa. Chilarai is better known for uniting vast tracts of territory; he unified the whole of Eastern India, known as Kamrupa-Kamata-Asoma. Chilarai can be reckoned as the saviour of the Assamese culture; great honour is due to him. 

The Koch Kingdom extended up to the Karatoya in the west; it included Rangpur district, Mymensing, and modern Guwahati and its neighborhoods. The Kochs subdued the Kacharis, the Jayantiyas, the Manipuris, Bhutan, and the kingdom of Tippera, bringing them either under their direct control or making them vassal kings. Chilarai subjugated the Ahom Kingdom in 1563, kept Gargaon under siege for two years, and King Sukhampha took shelter in Naga Hills. The Kite King (Chilarai), C-In-C of the Koch Kingdom, as he is known for his swift actions in the battle fields, is ranked as one of the world’s three great military generals by famous historian Arnold Toynbee (1889–1975), along with Chatrapati Shivaji and Napoleon Bonaparte. When the history of Koch Kingdom is discussed, the name of Sankar-Guru, father of the Assamese community, naturally comes to mind.

Sankardev, during his long twelve-year pilgrimage to North India, saw for himself the degradation of Hinduism and Buddhism and the surcharge of the Bhakti movement flourishing there. After returning to his own land, he propagated the Assam School of Neo-Vaishnavism, where Brahmanical practices are totally absent, following monotheism. At this, the priests were upset for fear of losing their priesthood, poisoned the minds of the Ahom rulers, and termed Sankardeva an atheist. King Suklenmung (Gargayan Raja) inflicted persecution on Sankadev and his followers. Meanwhile, Sankar’s son-in-law, Hari Jowai, was beheaded, which gave Sankar profound grief, and then he decided to leave Dhuyahati (Majuli) to avoid further persecution. At Majuli, Sankardev had stayed for 14 years, propagating his Neo Vashnavisim, completing the Patni Prasad, and composing the Kirtana. He met Madhabdev. Sankar sailed downstream of the Brahmaputra, westward, into the Koch Kingdom. This was the time when Chilarai attacked the Ahom Kingdom. Sankardev came to know the virtuous Koch king Naranarayana, who was a great patron of learning, arts, and culture. This marked the beginning of an epoch-making golden era for the Assamese culture, music, literature, and language that flourished in the royal court and reached its zenith under the kind patronage of the Koch King Naranarayana and Chilarai, who had given shelter to Sankardev, the gem amongst the galaxy of scholars in the royal court. Huge Sanskrit scriptures were translated into Assamese at the instance of Naranarayan and Chilarai.

Entering the Koch Kingdom, initially staying at different places, Sankar finally settled at Patbausi, which was then a part of the Koch Kingdom. Patbausi was the meeting place of his other noted disciples, Harideva, Damodardeva, and many others who joined Sankardeva, and Sankar gained strength. Here too, Sankardev could not escape the wrath of the crooked Brahmins in the Koch Kingdom. Fabricated stories were circulated, and King Naranarayana was machinated with those false stories that Sankar did not obey the doctrine principles of Hinduism and didn’t show any respect for Hindu scriptures. The king Naranarayana, a devout Shakti worshipper, became furious at this and ordered the arrest of Sankardeva. Chilarai, being upset, sent his people for the rescue of Sakardev, knowing his saintly virtues. He took him to his palace of safety and kept him hidden within Chilarai’s premises in Kochi, Bihar. Much ahead of Naranarayana, Chilarai could know Sakardeva’s saintly disposition; he gathered great courage and took a risk to save him from the persecution of Naranarayana. On producing Sankar in the court of Naranarayana, he entered the court, signing the famous hymn (sloka) “Madhu danava darana deva baran,”  which mesmerised the king, won the religious debate, and defeated the Brahmin priests. Chilarai, with his one hundred wives, took initiation (saran) from Sankardeva. The King Naranarayana requested Sankardeva shift his base from Patbausi to Kochi, Bihar.

Thus, Chilarai saved and changed the course of the Neo-Vaishnavism movement. Naranarayana and Chilarai nourished the Assamese culture; otherwise, history would have taken a different path. It was within the territory of Kamrupa-Kamata that Sakardeva completed most of his poetical and dramatic works, like the Kirtan Ghosa, Bhakti Ratnakar, Parijat Haran, Rukmini Haran, Keligopal, Ram Bijoi, Uttarakanda Ramayana, Parijat Harana, Kalidamana, Bhagavata, Gunamala, Borgeets, Bhatima, etc. The famous silk-woven Vridavani Bastra was made at Patbausi, where he had stayed for eighteen and a half years, and then Sankar shifted to Koch Bihar, handing over the charge to Madhabdev, and stayed there till his death in 1569.

About 15–16 dilapidated satras are scattered in North Bengal. Chilarai established the Bheladanga satra for the rehabilitation of Sankardev. It is a tragedy for the Assamese that Koch Bihar, the nerve centre of growth of Assamese culture, was annexed with West Bengal because of weak political representation on January 1, 1950, and detached from the main land of the Koch-Rajbonshis. They were separated, and the Koch-Rajbanshi sentiment is hurt. Chilarai constructed many forts and fortresses, of which one is at Narayanpur and two at Tufanganj are worth mentioning, the Chota Kot and Boro Kot, whose remains are found inside the Chilapata Forest. The temples Boro Mahadeo and Choto Mohadeo, constructed by Chilarai in Tufangang sub-division, are being worshipped even now. The gold-plated (copper) chariot donated by Naranarayana and Chilarai for Doul Jatra to the Ram Rai Kuthi Satra, established by Chilarai, is lying in a most shabby state without any proper care. Many portions of the modern N.H.-37 now run on the famous 350-mile-long old Gohai Kamal Ali. All these remnants of antiquity require conservation measures now in Bengal. It is a matter of great regret that the scholarly book titled “Koch Biharer Itihas,” written by Amanatulla Ahmed, and another article written by Gait titled ”Koch Kings of Kamrupa” have neither been translated into Assamese nor published so far.

After the death of Chilarai (1571 AD), his son Raghudev revolted against Naranarayana, the Koch Kingdom was divided; the kingdom stared weakening. Naranarayana allotted the eastern part of the river Santosh to Raghudev. Lakshminarayana, son of Naranarayana, ascended the throne after the death of Naranarayanaon (1587 AD), the western part. Later, both fought battles in between; the kingdom started eclipsing, which once came to prominence. Subsequently, Hussen Khan conquered Lower Assam towards the end of the 15th century; kings of both parts were taken prisoner and carted off to Delhi; the mighty Koch Kingdom was eclipsed totally.