My motherland, Assam, sacredly revered as the land of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradeva, Madhavadeva, and Ajan Pir, has a glorious history of formation and evolution that compels any history enthusiast and even general people to know, read, and explore the region more. Since the Sankardev-AjanPir times, a brotherhood has continued to prevail, irrespective of faith and belief, in the present-day Assam.
This syncretism that flourished with the onset of religious movements in medieval times has provided a distinct characteristic that the Assamese people still cherish.
If one looks back to the history of origin, the region had come to be known ever since the mythological times as has been found in the popular epics Ramayana and Mahabharata though not by the present name, as the region has evolved through numerous phases carrying different names, popularly as Pragjyotishpur and Kamrupa in the ancient period, Bor Axom in the medieval times and finally Assam or Axom in the present day.
Just as the history of mainland India, this region has witnessed the rise and fall of scores of rulers, dynasties, invasions, migration and assimilation, further leading to the formation of a composite Assamese society.
No matter there are no written records or less evidence about who all have been the aborigines of this land, however, popular theories assert that the region traced human footprints of Austric origin as early as in the early stone age times, followed by settlement of Mongoloids and others. It is, however, firm that Assam, like any other places in the world, was no exception to the worldwide phenomenon of migration.
People from different regions came and settled here from time to time. Some came and established themselves by creating kingdoms while some got assimilated with the existing ones.
The Assam region witnessed the coming of Ahoms in 1228 AD under the leadership of Siu-ka-pha marking the beginning of a landmark phase in Assam history in the medieval era.
The pioneer Siu-ka-pha who is not just known as the founder of the Ahom Kingdom, but also revered for his amicable nature, down-to-earth personality, and unparalleled leadership, marked the foundation of a unified Assam or more popularly the Bor Axom or the Greater Assam with the assimilation of different existing communities and tribes, and later on annexing native kingdoms such as Koch, Chutia, Kachari, etc.
This medieval period, thus, accounts to many such legendary personalities such as Lachit Barphukan, Veer Chilarai, Sati Sadhini, Mulagabharu, and others, who all have left unparalleled legacy in medieval Assam. We commemorate them popularly across the state on different occasions.
Having said that, their stories, however, have rarely got popularized nationally, which they deserve! Assam which stood undefeated at the hands of the mighty Mughals despite their repeated attempts to conquer the region and who had the record of conquering every land of its rivals, is just one glorious example among landmark events in Indian medieval times but these are hardly known elsewhere outside Assam.
Similarly, many events happened during the colonial era, for instance, the Patharughat Massacre of 1894, which though several Assamese writers such as Arup Kumar Dutta, Samudra Gupta Kashyap and others, have time and again recalled as a historic peasants’ revolt, where 140 peasants had laid down their lives to bullets of the British government; no less dreadful than the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre, however, receives less commemoration today; these stories remain in the concealed pages of Indian history.
As a significant part of the British Raj, colonial Assam had had undergone through no-less hard times than the other Indian regions.
Evidently, in the anti-colonial struggle, the participation and contributions of Assamese people had been immense, and that the freedom struggle in Assam had already begun much before the coming of the Indian National Congress and the Gandhian movements in Assam’s political landscape. As noted by Assamese historians, Assam already possessed the inclusive character that India is admired for and that the combined efforts of the different communities in Assam had sufficed to the formation of modern Assam in an independent India throughout the freedom struggle times.
However, Assamese contributions remain underrated. The tales of the great Assamese freedom fighters of the pre-independence era such as Piyali Phukan, Kushal Konwar, Maniram Dewan, Piyali Barua, Kanaklata, and many others, unfortunately, don’t find any space in the Indian history books.
Assam, despite having shared numerous episodes of history with mainland India since ancient times, remains left out from the mainstream historical archives.
Well, the question isn’t just about why there has been so much historical neglect. The larger issue lies in our efforts in studying our own history, exploring the unexplored, and preserving them. It is saddening to see how poorly many of the significant historical sites and monuments have been preserved and maintained.
The Charaideo Maidam, for instance, also called as The Pyramids of Assam, despite being known to all about its historical significance, and that it has a potential to attract world tourists, remains undervalued.
Hence, unless and until we look up to ourselves first, there arise no questions in raising the issue. However, a recent initiative by the state government ‘Assam Darshan scheme’ to renovate a slew of religious sites, which are mostly historical, to preserve Assamese culture adds some hope in this regard. Likewise, more initiatives, if taken, would subsequently boost State tourism as well.
Our responsibility, thus, continues in exploring, preserving, promoting, and celebrating Bor Axom in all possible forms.
(The author is an Electronics & Communication Engineering Graduate. He also works as a freelance writer; areas of interest lies in social, historical, and geopolitical issues. The views expressed in the article are his own.)
