Ahom’s Foreign Policy towards Eastern Neighbors

Diplomacy in North East India

The Tai people migrated from their homeland in the Guangxi region into the rest of South East Asia after fierce wars with the Chinese. The Ahom Tai migrated into the Brahmaputra valley of modern Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, mixing with the locals (Morey.) Siu-Ka-Pha, a Mong Mao Prince, arrived in Assam with some followers in 1228, and established the Ahom Kingdom (Phukan.) Thus, understanding the foreign policy of Ahom regarding its eastern neighbors gives an understanding of the origins, expansion, and assimilation of the Ahom Tai into the fabric of the North East and the tapestry of India.

Mong Mao in Yunnan China, and Mong Kwang in Myanmar

The buranjis — or chronicles — of Ahom display six centuries of relation between the Ahom rulers and the Mong Mao a Tai state in Yunnan, China, and the Mong Kwang in Myanmar (Phukan.) It starts with the founder Siu-Ka-Pha. He was raised in the Mong Mao court by his maternal grandparents, as his uncle Pa-Meo-Pung did not have a male heir; however, after eighteen years a son was born to the Mong Mao ruler (Phukan.) Therefore, when Siu-Ka-Pha founded Ahom, diplomatic ties with the Mong Mao were naturally established. Siu-Khran-Pha, who succeded his father Pa-Meo-Pung, told Siu-ka-Pha, “Go you Brother. Establish yourself. But forget not to send tribute of allegience annually (Phukan.)” Therefore Ahom’s initial relationship with Mong Mao was a tributary one; in fact, the Ahom Tai carried with them the language, culture, and political system of southern China (Phukan.) The embryo of Ahom, Kham Jang, sat upon the Patkai pass which insured a connection to the Mong Mao (Phukan.) After further conquests, Siu-Ka-Pha settled on the banks of the Dikhow, and sent an embassy carrying tribute to Mong Mao and informing them, “We are now at this place.”

Thus, it is appropriate to label the initial Ahom as an extension of Mong Mao. It seems only the fourth Ahom ruler tried to break this tradition but quickly complied with the Mong Mao overlords (Phukan.) However, Mong Mao dominance withered away due to the Yuan imperial army, and finally ended when the Ming invaded (Phukan.)

As the Mong Mao were falling, the Mong Kwang of northern Myanmar rose to become the central power of the Tai world (Phukan.) Mong Kwang’s opportunity to bring Ahom into its hegemony arose when some officials opposing Siu-Dang-Pha fled and reported, “There is no king of your family in Down Country [Assam.] Go and take back your throne (Phukan.)” The officials hated that the Ahom king was born and raised in a Brahmin family (Phukan.) General Ta-chin-Pao invaded and beelined towards the capital Tipam; however, was pushed back to Kham Jang (Phukan.) Meanwhile the Mong Kwang learnt of the true origins of Siu-Dang-Pha and demanded the general sue for peace (Phukan.) A Pat Kai Seng Kan, a ceremony where a fowl is sacrificed, occurred to promise peace between the two Tai states, with the hill range between them becoming known as Pat-kai (Phukan.) Ahom and Mong Kwang had regular visits and envoys between them (Phukan.)

The two Tai states helped each other in border disputes, provided shelter, and had marriages between them (Phukan.) It is said that Gargaon was built at the behest of an Ahom queen who had been a Mong Kwang princess (Phukan.) Eventually Mong Kwang was subjugated by the Burmese, then the British invasion and subsequent Anglo-Burmese war ended the relation between Ahom and Mong Kwang (Phukan.)

Despite small gaps in their relationships, Ahom, Mong Mao, and Mong Kwang remained in almost constant contact until each was respectively taken out by an external power (Phukan.) The British took Ahom, the Han imperialists finished Mong Mao, and the Burmese conquered Mong Kwang (Phukan.)

The Hill Tribes

The Tai Ahom initially annexed and intermarried with the hill tribes and Nagas (Phukan.) However, once the kingdom was fully established it pursued a tactful pacifist policy with bordering tribes, with violence serving as a last resort (Baruah.) Ahom rulers viewed the diversity of the tribes in the north, east, and south as problematic to annexation and conformity. Baruah writes in Ahom Policy Towards the Neighboring Hill Tribes, “hill people with their distinct social setup would hardly adjust themselves into the Ahom system of administration resting on the Paik system.”

If the Ahom kings tried to force annexation onto them, the Hill Tribes would simply recede further into the jungles (Baruah.) Furthermore, expeditions into Hill country had proven to be costly. Udayaditya Singha (1660–1673) suffered heavy casualties against the Daflas in the Subansiri region (Baruah.) Rajeshwar Sinha (1752–1769) lost two thirds of his forces in a bid to restore Jai Singha to the throne in Manipur against Burmese occupation in 1765 (Baruah.) Effectively, it was difficult to fight in the rough terrain of mountains and jungles against the guerilla tactics of the Hill Tribes (Baruah.) Campaigns in South East Asia’s lush mountains have always been challenging, think of the disaster mighty USA suffered in Vietnam, or the fruitless campaigns of different Chinese powers over the centuries into South East Asia. Despite Ahom’s power in the plains total control of the hills was nearly impossible, and for most of their history the Hill Tribes remained isolated and secure in nature’s fortress.

Eventually, as Ahom slowly grew, it came into conflict with the Muslim powers in the west (Baruah.) This is where Ahom adopted the policy of insuring appeasement, peace, and solidarity in the North East, to ensure the ability of the North East to band together and combat external threats such as the Mughals (Baruah.) An example is Ahom’s policy to appease the Bhutanese, and in times of need recruit them into their forces (Baruah.) Madhavcharan Kataki told Mughal commander Raja Ram Singh of Amber, “Numerous chieftains of the mountainous regions have become our willing allies in the campaign… Their participation in this campaign has been directly sanctioned by His Majesty (Baruah.)” This demonstrated the masterful defensive pact of the North East which Ahom was able to successfully lead, immensely increasing their power in the process.
The Tai Ahom intermarried and adopted the culture, habits, religion and languages of the people and tribes they conquered (Baruah, Guha.) Examples of this integration can be found throughout Ahom history. The decorated Miri Sandikai family of Ahom was founded by Miri, an adopted son of a Burhagohain (Baruah.) King Gadadhar Sinha (1681–1696) had two Naga consorts appointed to important administrative positions (Baruah.) The second Barphukan, governor of Lower Assam, was the son of a Banferra Naga (Baruah.) Queen Phuleswari had a young Bhutanese as her page (Baruah.) Kancheng, the first Barpatra Gohain, was born in a Naga family (Baruah.) Chieftains from the tribes were invited to Royal Feasts, and there are accounts of tribes voluntarily joining the Ahom as they saw themselves as part of the same fraternity (Baruah.) In order to avoid clashes with the Nagas and other Hill Tribes, Ahom would grant them Pikes, and tax-free fishing and farming grounds (Baruah, Guha.) Ahom also pursued a policy of free trade with the Hill Tribes, and gained access to resources protected from others for centuries (Enie.)

This is a kingdom conscious of its weaknesses, and ethnic minority status; thus, it creates alliances against a common foe and actively engages in cultural assimilation. These are masterstrokes and demonstrate a highly capable administration, excelling in state craft and diplomacy.

Final Thoughts

Ahom positioned itself as an influential power in the Tai world, the Brahmaputra Valley and surrounding hills through clever diplomacy stressing peaceful compromises, integration and acceptance of others.

Sources

1. Morey, S. (2014). Ahom and Tangsa: Case studies of language maintenance and loss in North East India. Language Documentation & Conservation Special Publication , 7. https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/4601/1/03Morey.pdf.
2. PHUKAN, J. (1991). RELATIONS OF THE AHOM KINGS OF ASSAM WITH THOSE OF MONG MAO (IN YUNNAN, CHINA) AND OF MONG KWANG (MOGAUNG IN MYANMAR). Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 52, 888–893. Retrieved May 8, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/44142722
3. Baruah, S. (1977). AHOM POLICY TOWARDS THE NEIGHBOURING HILL TRIBES. Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 38, 249–256. Retrieved May 8, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/44139078
4. Enie, L. (2016). Trade relationship between Naga and Ahom. Shodhganga. Retrieved May 8, 2021, from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/220124.
5. Guha, A. (1983). The Ahom Political System: An Enquiry into the State Formation Process in Medieval Assam (1228–1714). Social Scientist, 11(12), 3–34. doi:10.2307/3516963
6. Nyejat Konyak, N. (2019). Understanding Konyak- Ahom Relations Through Folk- Narratives. Indian Journal of Tai Studies, XIX, 194–202. http://taistudiesmoranhat.org/webdocs/Indian%20Journal%20of%20Tai%20Studies%202017,2019/Indian%20Journal%20of%20Tai%20Studies%202019.pdf#page=194.