The history of Ancient Assam is full of great and legendary giants that include great kings, valorous warlords, merchants, diplomats and scholars. The history of Ancient Assam is often ignored or not given much importance due to which it hardly gets into the limelight properly. If we look around, then there are several traditions and cultures in our society that exists or has their origins from certain historical figures and their life incidents. Often, these figures or incidents are overlooked for the very reason that they have been passed on to us in the form of legends and ballads written by Poets.
The tradition of Manasa Puja or worship of the Snake Goddess is quite old in the folk culture of Ancient Assam or Kamrupa. Ojapali tradition of Assam, which is a shamanistic form of folk dance and includes dialogues and songs, is also closely connected to the tradition of Manasa Puja in the state. The tradition of Ojapali is quite prominent in the Darrang region of Assam and it was patronized long ago by the Koch King Dharmanarayan of Darrang under his kingship. The ballads sung in the Ojapali of Darrang were written by the Kamrupi Poet Sukavi Narayandev in his version of the Padmapuran. Sukavi Narayan has written the story of Goddess Manasa along with which we also find the mention of the powerful Kamrupi Merchant Chand Sadagar from Ancient Assam. Few opinions say that he lived between 200 and 300 AD in Western Assam. The legends about Chand Sadagar are famous both in Assam and Bengal. These ballads and legends originated in Greater Kamrupa, a part of which is today’s North Bengal and later passed on to and adopted by the rest of the Bengal. According to Historians like KL Barua, these ballads must have been current in Western Kamrupa and rest of the northern Bengal before the verses were reduced to writing by two Kamrupi Poets: Sukavi Narayan in 13th Century and Durgavar Kayastha in early 16th Century respectively. However, the history or existence of Chand Sadagar cannot be rejected just because it has been passed on through mere legends and ballads. There are many prevailing legends about various historical figures but they never make their existence invalid. For instance, the legend about wrath of Goddess Kamakhya on the King Naranarayan and her curse to his royal family never makes the existence of the King invalid. However, scholars may have various opinions on these mythical legends. But, the historical information in these legends cannot be denied.
The legends about Chand Sadagar and Manasa have been passed on from one generation to another generation in the form of ballads and folklores. The prevailing legends state about how Chand Sadagar who was an adherent devotee of Shiva rejected to worship Manasa and even consider her as a Goddess, was brought down to the feet of the Goddess after she had shown her wrath on him by getting his son Lakhindar bitten by a snake. But on Lakhindar’s wife Behula’s extreme devotion, the pleased Goddess revived his son again and thus Chand became a devotee of the Goddess forever.
Sukavi Narayan in 13th CE also describes about the sea voyages of Kamrupi Trader Chand Sadagar in his version of Padma Purana. Such descriptions have also been provided by Bipradas Pipilai of Bengal in his Manasamangalakavya of around 15th CE. The descriptions are almost same but may have little difference. However from all of them, it is sure that Chand Sadagar used to travel through long routes and had established trade relations in various distant places outside Assam crossing the sea. Bipradas describes that the trading ship of Chand Sadagar would proceed from Champaknagar of Kamrupa to sea after passing through the Tribeni Junction at modern-day West Bengal. The people in Bengal might have already adopted these legends from Assam before they were penned down by Bipradas. The residence of Chand Sadagar has been mentioned as Champaknagar which is in Chaygaon, modern Kamrup, Assam.
Currently, it is an archeolgical site and several remains have been found there. It is notable that Chand Sadagar belonged to a class of Kamrupi traders called Sadagars or Sauds. Historian KL Baruah mentions in his book “Early History of Kamrupa” that the people from the Kalita caste of Assam were then the Sadagars. These people gave birth to the tradition of powerful trading in Ancient Assam. Although, the Kalitas of Assam socially fall in the Kshatriya or Warrior Class but they had adopted several occupations that resulted in the formation of various professional-clans among them which is also confirmed by writers like Sarat Chandra Goswami of Assam. One such clan has been noted as “Baniya-Kalita” (different from a certain group called Brittiyal-Boniya) by Dr. Upendra Rabha Hakacham in his book “Bor-Axomor Borno Hindu Jati Jonogosthi”. These Kalitas should probably be the descendants of the Sadagars or Traders who performed trading. Thats why we also see prevalence of surnames like “Vaisya (Business Class)” and “Saud (traders)” among some Kalitas and that some of them also wear the sacred-thread (Logun in Assamese) according to Vaisya rites while the others can wear according to Kshatriya rites. Their history is quite similar to the Agrawal traders who although said to be descendants of King Agrasen and later established themselves in trading. The name of the coin used by Kamrupi Sadagars finds its mention in the first century Greek account “Periplus of the Erithryian Sea” as “Kaltis” which also relates to the Kalitas of Assam. This proves that these Kalita-Sadagars from Assam had established trade-relations with the foreign world long ago. As a matter of fact, Gold was obtained by washing in the Brahmaputra, Subansiri and other rivers.
KL Barua in “Early History of Kamrupa” describes that the Kamrupi Sadagars carried their merchandise in large boats down the Brahmaputra and reached the sea after skirting round the Garo Hills. They crossed this sea and traded in ports like Tampralipti. The Bardic tales relating to Behula mentions that Chand-Sadagar, whose mer-ghor in Chaygaon, built of stones, existed till recent times used to trade in sea-going boats.
Chand Sadagar has occupied a very important place in the ballads and folklores of the state especially in Western Assam. The tradition of worshipping Goddess Manasa has its possible origin from the legend of Chand Sadagar which also developed the Ojapali in Assam through Sukananni and Durgavari ballads in the state. It is a matter of great pride that powerful merchants like Chand Sadagar who had established trade relations with the foreign world come from our state. And it is our responsibility to bring his history into the mainstream discussion and educate the new generation about it in the most convenient way.
(The views and opinions expressed are the author's own.)
