Asom Diwas: In remembrance of Swargadeo Chaolung Sukapha, the architect of 'Bor Axom'

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• Dec 2, 2021 | moderator

Digital Desk: Asom Diwas or Asom Day is a regional holiday of Assam observed annually on December 2. The day commemorates the advent of Su-Ka-Pha, a Shan dynasty prince, who along with his 9000 followers entered Assam in the early 13th century, and established the Ahom Kingdom, thus changing the course of Assam history.

Chaolung Sukapha, a prince from Chieng-Sen, the capital of Mong Mao, near China and Myanmar border, entered Assam after leaving Mong Mao in 1215. According to tradition, Sukapha’s grandmother advised him thus – “no two tigers live in the same jungle, no two kings sit on the same throne.” Sukapha thus had to leave his capital and begin his journey towards the Brahmaputra valley.

Some historians also claim that Ahoms belong to the Shan branch of the great Tai or Thai family of Southeast Asia. The Shans were named so because of they established a land named Tyai-Shan on the bank of the river Tarim that flowed to the north of Mongolia and China. Therein, they expanded their kingdom upto Yunan in China and continued to expand, thus covering the entire Hukong Valley in present Myanmar, thus establishing numerous small states therein.

Of all the states, the Mau branch was said to be the most powerful ethnic group inhabiting the biggest of these states, calling themselves as the Mungmas.

As per legends, Ahoms claim Mungrimungram as their original homeland and that Khumlai, their younger progenitor, rule over this kingdom. The third king of Khumlai's family divided the kingdom between his two sons - Maulung and Mungrimungram on the bank of the Sheuli river in upper Burma thus being distributed between the two.

It was at Maulung, where Su-Ka-Pha, the founder of the Ahom kingdom in the Brahmaputra Valley, was born to Phusan Khang.

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Some Tai chronicles from outside Assam record the journey of Sukapha from Mong-Mit Kuplingdao (and not Mong Mao) in 1227 where he was the ruler.

Sukaphaa followed an older known route from Yunnan to Assam that passed through Myitkyina, Mogaung and the upper Irrawady river valley. On his way, he stopped at various places and crossed the Khamjang river to reach the Nangyang lake in 1227. Here he subjugated the Nagas very ferociously and established a Mong. He left one Kan-Khrang-Mong there to guard the passage back, and proceeded to cross the Patkai hills at the Pangsau Pass and reached Namrup (in the Brahmaputra valley) in December 1228. The journey, from Mong Mao to Namrup thus took Sukaphaa about thirteen years and the year he reached Namrup is considered as the year the Ahom kingdom was established.

Asom Diwas is a significant celebration in the socio-political life of the state. People of the state pledge to take the ideals of unity and brotherhood of great Ahom King Chaolung Su-Ka-Pha forward to build a stronger and composite Assam.

The state observes celebrations, programmes are conducted, tributes are paid to Chaolung Su-Ka-Pha, whose significant works to establish peace and stability in the state continues to be the prime component of ‘Bor Axom’, a dream he saw and achieved by bringing together diverse communities big and small under one umbrella - Greater Assam.