Suremphaa (reign 1751–1769), or Rajeswar Singha, the fourth son of Rudra Singha, became the Ahom Dynasty of the Ahom kingdom after the death of his brother King Pramatta Singha. Rudra Singha's third son, Mohanmala Gohain, was considered ineligible for kingship as his face was pitted with smallpox marks. According to the norm established after Sulikphaa Lora Roja, an Ahom prince had to be free from any physical disability, defects or deformities to become a king.
Reign
The king, though a capable administrator, preferred pleasures to the affairs of the state. The administration was looked after by Bakatial Gendhela
Borbarua, renamed Kirti Chandra Borbarua after the Manipur expedition (see below). Kirti Chandra was an overbearing person, disliked by the other nobles; there were attempts to assassinate him. He learned that the
Chakaripheti Buranji in Numali
Borgohain's possession attributed a low and non-Ahom origin to him. To extinguish a future challenge to his position, he had all the Buranjis collected under the Swargadeo's orders and scrutinized for this reference. Many Buranji's were destroyed during this exercise.
[Gogoi 1968, pp519-520.]
Expedition to Manipur
Later, Jai Singh of
Manipur made a personal appeal to Rajeswar Singha in his court to help him drive out the Burmese from his kingdom. Rajeswar Singha consulted his ministers and sent an army consisting of
mul and
dewal paiks in 1765 commanded by Duara Haranath Bitarual Phukan as the Senapati Phukan (Commander) to Manipur directly over the hills south of
Charaideo to reinstate Jai Singh. But the jungle was extremely dense so the work of clearing a road was laborious and time-consuming. The troops suffered great hardship, lack of food and many died from raiding Naga tribesmen and snake bites. The king ordered the return of the army. This unsuccessful expedition came to be known as the
Lotakota ron (War of the Creepers).
[Gogoi 1968, p518]
Administrative works
Like his father
Rudra Singha, Rajeswar Singha constructed many temples and renovated the palaces. Notable among his contribution is the present existing structure of the seven-storied palace of
Garhgaon which was built around 1752. Rajeshwar Singha added three underground stories known as
Talatal Ghar made of brick and an indigenous type of cement to the four-storied Kareng Ghar (or palace) at Rangpur. The Talatal ghar had two secret tunnels connected to the Dikhow river and the
Kareng Ghar for use as an escape route in case of any enemy attack. The Borbheti Than which about 7 km from
Jorhat town was built during his reign. His most notable contribution among temples of
Assam is the building of the unique Navagraha temple in
Guwahati.
Other works of King Rajeswar Singh are– Basistha Temple, Manikarneswar Devalaya, Chitrachal Mandir,Naba Graha Mandir, Negheriting Shiva Doul, Hara Gauri Dol, Sukreswar Temple, Kamakhya Temple Mandir, Dirgheshwari temple, Shri Kedar Temple, Moglau Pukhuri, Sil Pukhuri, Ghanashyam House, Bahikhowa Bar Phukanar Ali, Luthuri Kath,Katiya Barua Ali, Deka Barbarua Ali.
See also
Notes
-
Gogoi, Padmeswar (1968) The Tai and the Tai kingdoms, Gauhati University, Guwahati.
-
Barpujari, H. K., The Comprehensive History of Assam, Vol-III, Publication Board, Assam.
-
Naoboicha Phukan, Padmeswar., Asom Buranji, Publication Board,Assam, Guwahati-781 021
