Moamoria rebellion

The Mayamara Satra was founded by Aniruddhadev, in the early 17th century. The Satra belonged to Kala–Samathi sect of Ekasarana Dharma. This Kala–Samathi sect was founded by a disciple of Sankardeva, Gopaldeva. He prominently propagated the teachings of Neo–Vaisnavism among the tribals of Upper Assam. It particularly could gain popularity among the tribals for its egalitarian and humanitarian outlook. The sect had twelve Satras, six presided by Brahmana abbots and six presided by Shudra abbots. Out of these twelve Satras, the Mayamara and Dihing were the most influential. The humanitarian outlook was best observed in the former, both the former Satras freely admitted converts from backward classes of society and placed them on equal footing even with the high Hindu caste.

The disciples of the Mayamara Satra were called Moamorias/Matak, but they belonged to various castes and tribes such as; Moran, Ahoms,[8] Chutias, Kacharis, Bihias, Kaibarta and Brittials as well as caste–Hindus like the Brahmanas, Kayastha and Kalitas. The disciples of the Mayamara Satras were scattered all over the whole country. The Moran tribe were the most prominent disciples, along with the Chutia and Kachari who also formed the pillars of Ahom military. These former tribes were also employed in various royal departments and establishments.[9]

As the Mayamara Satra rose into prominence, it aroused the jealousy and suspicion of the Ahom monarchy. King Pratap Singha (r.1603–1641), executed one of the disciple of the Satra for one of his remarks about the king's hall. When Pratap Singha learnt that the Moamorias wouldn't bow down their heads before anyone except their Guru. He tested four of his nobles who were also disciples of the Satra (Borgohain, Barpatra Gohain, Neog Phukan and one commander in chief), by making them gallop their horses against swords placed horizontally to their neck, in this test two of them lost their lives.[10] King Suramphaa alias Bhanga Raja (r. 1641–1644) executed the Mayamara abbot Nityanandadeva in 1650, when he was informed that he was boosting his power and prosperity. His disciples widely regarded him as a martyr; they took a vow to avenge his death even at the cost of their lives. During the reign of Jayadhwaj Singha (r. 1648–1663), Jayramdeva the Mayamara abbot, had to remain in concealment due to fear of punishment, but was brought back at the intercession of Auniati abbot. In 1673, the abbots of four Kala–Samathi Satras– Mayamara, Makajan, Dihing and Sesamukh were arrested by Udayaditya Singha. But a palace coup engineered by an influential disciple of these Satras, let them escape unhurt. Gadadhar Singha who came in conflict with the Vaisnava Satras, started indiscriminate persecution. He dispersed all the married and un–celibate monks from the Satras, and the monks not belonging to the high castes were forced into doing hard labour on construction sites. The abbots and the leading members of Kala–Samathi Satras, including the Mayamara abbot, Vaikunthadeva were executed in 1691. This measure was taken because a large number of Vaisnava disciples falsely introduced themselves as Kewaliya bhakats (celibate disciples) and claimed exemption from rendering personal labour to the state.

Rudra Singha (r. 1696–1714), reversed the persecution and rehabilitated the persecuted Satras. He followed the policy of divide and rule, in 1702 at a conference held between the Vaisnava Satra abbots, he promulgated a synod, which debarred the Shudra Mahantas from initiating Brahmins. Through this synod, he engineered a clash between the Brahmanas and Shudra Mahantas. Further the persecution under Phuleshwari in the reign of Siva Singha, aggravated the situation more. The period intervening this, was spent preparing for the rebellion.[11][12]

However, the only evidence in support of the above contention is recorded in Kashinath Phukan's Assam Buranji. Dutiram Hazarika, contemporary to Kashinath, and a stauch Vaisnava himself doesn't record any mentions of persecution by the queen in his metrical chronicle. Although, refers to some wrongs done to the Mahantas. In Captain Welsh's record, made no mention of the religious factor or of the guilt of queen Phuleshwari leading to prevailing discontent through the information collected from Premier Purnananda Burhagohain in 1794.[13]

The Paiks were divided into two classes.

1. Kanri or Karni (lowest grade), the general population.
2. Chamua and Visayas or officers (higher grade),[14] the privileged population.

It was mandatory for every Paik to render service to the state, and were given a plot of land (two puras=2.66 acres) in exchange for their service. Originally Paiks were grouped into a squad of four men (got) and each one had to render their service to the state for four months, but during the reign of Rajeswar Singha, due to excessive loss of manpower in the Naga wars, the strength of a got had to be reduced to three;[15] thus increasing the pressure upon the Paiks. Each Paik was subjected to a guild (Khel) assigned under an officer. However, a sum of three rupees could be paid by the Paik in exchange for exempting the system. [16] Some Karnis were promoted to the classes of Chamuas and even Apikan Chamuas, thus enjoying higher status and didn't have to go to war.[17] The Paiks to escape the compulsory manual service, enlisted themselves in Satras as bhakats (residential monks), who as per the law, were permitted exemption from such compulsion. [18] Otherwise, exemption in the form of slave to the protection of some families.

1/4 to 1/3 of the population had to render their service in the form of labour to the ruling class and bureaucrats without any wages anytime. The system gradually transformed into a kind of feudal system. Once it became feudal, Paiks were oppressed both emotionally and physically so they gradually got resolved to either escape from the system or protest against it. [19]

Kirti Chandra Borbarua, a noble of high status, heaped insults and indignities upon the Mayamra abbot Astabhuj and particularly his son Gagini Deka, goaded the Moamorias to wreak terrible vengeance on to the Borbarua. [21]

On September 15, 1769, Ragh Neog, a leading disciple of the satra, was flogged by Ahom officials for not supplying the required number of elephants. This acted as the transgressing point and blessed by their spiritual head, the Morans raised the standard of revolt after collecting an army of about seven thousand. By November, the Mataks led by Ragh Neog, Naharkhora Saikia and his two wives Radha and Rukmini,[22] promised the throne to three exiled Ahom princes (Mohanmala Gohain, and two sons of Rajeswar Singha) and with their help liberated the territory north of the Burhidihing river. On November 21, 1769 the rebels occupied the Ahom capital and placed Ramakanta, son of Naharkhora, on the throne. All high offices were thrown open to the Morans and Mohanmala Gohain was executed for his alleged conspiracy with the royalist. The Ahom king, Lakshmi Singha, was captured and kept a prisoner. All high officers were executed and three common Mataks became the three great Gohains. Ragh Neog became the Borbarua, a kanri paik became the Borphukan and two common Ahoms became the Gohains at Sadiya and Marangi.

The rebel leaders went to pay homage to the abbot of Mayamara Satra, which was the source of unity among the rebels. Heavy penalty was imposed on the royalist satras, also they were forced to pay homage to the Mayamara abbot.

The rebels, inexperienced in statecraft, failed to usher in a new order. Instead, they began imitating the unpopular practices of their erstwhile leaders. Ragh Neog seized the wives and daughters of many nobles and kept them in his harem. As some of the rebel officers took on the airs of the old nobility, many rebels were dissatisfied and, led by Govinda Gaoburha, left the capital and reached Sagunmuri. After four months of rebel regime, there came the spring festival (bohag bihu). The peasant soldiers who were voluntarily guarding the capital left their posts to visit their villages, so the defense of the capital got weakened and thus vulnerable.[23] Taking advantage of this, some of the old nobility in disguise killed Ragha on April 14, 1770 with the help of Kuranganayani, an Ahom queen from Manipur, and retook the capital. In the purge that followed, Ramakanta the rebel king, Naharkhora, Radha, Rukmini, Astabhujdev, the Moamara sattradhikar and his son Saptabhuj were all executed.

After the capital was recaptured the remaining rebel forces in Sagunmuri under Govinda Gaoburha attempted to overthrow the king again. This movement too had the signs of a popular uprising. The main weapons used by the rebels were bamboo staves and clubs, and their slogan was praja-oi joroiroa, chekani-oi sopai dhora ("Ye oppressed subjects, hold your stave close"), and this uprising was called chekani kubua ron ("The war of the staves"). In one of the engagements, the Borpatrogohain and the Dhekial Phukan were killed, and the Borgohain made a hair breath escape. The rebels advanced toward Rangpur and they were met at Thowra by the forces of the Burhagohain, the new Borpatrogohain, the Borgohain and a detachment cavalry from the Manipur king. In this battle the rebels were defeated; Govinda Gaoburha was captured and executed.[24]

Under the pressure of Premier Ghanashyam Burhagohain, king Lakshmi Singha initiated a process of ruthless persecution of the Moamorias. Some rebels then retreated deep into jungles and continued guerilla warfare under leaders like Lephera, Parmananda and others. An initial royalist force under the Na-Phukan and the Deka-Phukan was defeated, but a later force under the Borpatrogohain was able to eliminate Lephera and Parmananda. Subsequently, the Burhagohain began systematically destroying the villages and killing the remaining leaders; in a siege many rebels and their families died of starvation. The remaining people were then separated and settled at different places. One of the last holdouts, Nomal, was finally captured and executed.[25] The whole process of suppression almost took one year.

The royal persecution that followed after the reinstatement of royalists couldn't put flames of revenge and rebellion among the minds of people, especially the Moamarias. A decade after the first rebellion, the peasants of Rangpur, Garhgaon, and the areas adjacent secretly began organizing themselves. As they were fewer in strength, they planned to launch a surprise attack.

In April 1782, in the festive atmosphere of bohag bihu, when the king also had just finished his coronation celebration the rebels secretly entered the palace campus and set fire to the coronation hall. They attacked the convoy of the king under the veil of night, but the king somehow managed to escape and took shelter in the underground compartments of Kareng–Ghar. Then the rebels proceeded towards Rangpur, overcame the resistance offered by the city guards and occupied it. In the meantime, the royalist under the Burhagohain marched with a strong contingent to recover Rangpur, wrested the rebels and compelled them to retreat. [26] Then the king on being advised, rejecting any conciliatory policy, pursued a policy of total extermination of the Moamorias as suggested by Rajmantri Burhagohain. Several thousands of peasant paiks were killed and many escaped to the neighboring kingdoms and hills to save their lives, this had an adverse effect on the production system and the economy was on the verge of collapse. Reluctantly the Burhagohain suspended the massacre at the request of courtiers.[27][28]

The waters of the rivers could not be drunk and people could not walk along the roads. Even the water and fish of the Brahmaputra became tainted with the stinking smell of corpses. Half of the country was depopulated...

— Maniram Dewan, Ms. Buranji Vivek Ratna, vol. II.

In 1786 Harihar Tanti raised an army of Moamarias and Dafla–Bahatiyas.[29] Harihar Tanti unified the Mataks, Nishi–Bahatias and the Nishis, his main lieutenant was one Phopai, the leader of Nishi–Bahatia. Several hill–tribes in the third phase of the Moamaria rebellion had either came out to participate or lend their support to the Mataks.

A contingent of the rebels freed Pitambar, a grandson of the late Maymara Sattradhikar, who was in the custody of Auniati satra. Pitambar allegedly performed Brahmayagna (brahman–slaying sacrifice). The Moamorias then occupied Majuli and set fire to the Auniati-satra alongside Dakhinpat and Garmur, hence all royalist satras in Majuli. The abbots of Bareghar and Budhbari Satras were also executed, which belonged to Kala-samathi sect for their collaboration with the royalist.

The rebels overpowered the royalist forces at the important battles of Sagunmuri and Bhatiapar, they also routed the army sent by the vassal chiefs of lower Assam. They gradually marched towards Rangpur, the capital city. The abbots of satras with their hundreds of bhakats (disciples) who sided with the royalist alongside the Ahom priest fought the rebels, but they suffered defeat with serious casualties.[30] The Morans of east under the leadership of Sarbananda Singha also marched towards Rangpur.

Silver rupee of rebel king Bharath Singha, struck in Rangpur.The inscription is in Assamese script - on obverse it mentions the name of the king as a descendant of Bhagadatta (a mythical Hero) and the date; on reverse it extols the King's devotion to Lord Krishna by calling him 'the Bee who got drunk on the nectar from the lotus placed at the feet of the Lord'!

The rebels encircled Rangpur and on January 19, 1788 the king Gaurinath Singha and the inhabitants of the capital fled. The Burhagohain was left in the capital with the administration of Rangpur, who also retreated after resisting the rebels gallantly for some days. The Burhagohain along with other royalist leaders tried to recapture Rangpur, but with no success. King Gaurinath Singha sent a contingent of troops under the Pani Phukan to the aid of Burhagohain, with whom they assumed offensive. Unable to resist the rebels, they fell back upon and ultimately to Namdang. The rebels then laid siege to the Gaurisagar Fort, and a large number of people along with many high officials fell fighting. The Burhagohain had to ultimately retreat to Taratali thence Dichoi.[31] Purnanada Burhagohain kept the territory up to Ladiagarh immune from the rebels.[32] Within a short span of time, the rebels extended their control over large tracts of areas, but no attempt was made to establish a centralised administration by the rebel leaders. The captured region was locally administered with Harihar Tanti in the north bank of the Brahmaputra, Howha ruling Majuli, Sarbananada Singha ruling the Moran tracts from Bengmara (present-day Tinsukia). Bharat was made the king. Coins were struck regularly in Bharat's and Sarbananda's names.[33] In that confusion that followed, Sadiya was occupied by the Khamtis who had recently migrated from Upper Burma.

The defeated royalist under the leadership of Purnanada Burhagohain attempted to regroup in the south of Ladoi–Garh road and established himself in Jorhat, the vanguard of the royalist forces.[34] In April 1789, a detachment of militia was sent from Bacha, mainly constituted of Kacharis, they refused to fight against the Moamorias. The Upper Assam razed by continuous battles and disorder, cultivation suffered, there occurred a very terrible famine–the severest in Assam's history. [35] Other Ahom nobles camped in Darrang and the king in Nagaon where he had to face dissensions[36] and as a result had to move from Nagaon to Guwahati on June 11, 1792.

The counterattacks began around 1792, when Bharat repulsed an attack from the Manipuri king. Gaurinath Singha seeing no out way to quell off the disturbances, finally sought for external help. British traders indulging in Assam trade also requested the East India Company about the later. Accordingly, British Governor General Cornwallis sent a force under Capt Welsh in September 1792. He occupied Guwahati on November 24 1792 without any resistance and on March 18 1794, restored Rangpur to Gaurinath Singha. But before Welsh could completely suppress the Moamorias he was recalled by the British government for its policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of Indian states, which was strictly adhered by John Shore who became the Governor General in the meantime. Capt Welsh returned after receiving a huge bounty of gold, silver, and other articles. Rangpur was captured again by the Moamorias after the departure of Welsh.[37] Gaurinath Singha died in Jorhat in 1794 without leaving any male issue. Purnananda Burhagohain set up the son of Dighala Konwar, Kinaram to the throne, who assumed the name of Kamaleswar Singha. [38]