Lachit Bhorphukan: Hero From Assam Among Famous Warriors Who Stopped Mughals From Conquering Northeast India
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Lachit Bhorphukan was a great warrior from Assam, where he was a commander of the army of the Ahom Kingdom. Lachit bravely defeated the powerful Mughal Army, using some of the riskiest strategies, ever.

His name became particularly famous when Lachit Bhorphukan recovered Gauhati, the largest city of Assam and Northeastern India, from the Mughals in 1667 and was presented with the Hengdang, a single-edged gold (silver or wood) plated sword. Image source
In the mid-1600s, the Mughal Empire was at the peak of its glory and extended over large parts of the Indian subcontinent and Afghanistan; it was the second largest to have existed in the Indian subcontinent, covering an impressive area of 4 million square kilometers, after the Maurya Empire, which spanned 5 million square kilometers.
A great military leader of medieval India and son of commander-in-Chief of Ahom forces, Lachit was educated in Hindu, Indian scripture, military skills, and other disciplines necessary for him as a nobleman.
From his father, Lachit had inherited involvement, a sense of duty, and loyalty. He was now occupied with the preparations for the war.
The Mughals’ force and pacification dominated over a large part of India and in consequence, the country began to experience a series of revolutions and uprisings.
Now it was time to liberate Guwahati from Mughal-occupation. Lachit Bhorphukan was selected to lead the forces of the Kingdom of Ahom to liberate Guwahati from the Mughal occupation.
He raised the army and preparations were completed by the summer of 1667. He knew the enemy and he knew that his army had no chance to fight on the plains. He chose the forested and hilly terrain just outside Guwahati, as his battlefield, where his men had an advantage over the Mughals.
It was still time to made strategic preparations to the battle that took place on Brahmaputra River, near Saraighat, Guwahati. At the crucial moment in this decisive battle, the Mughals’ army was about to land at Andharubali, where Lachit had his headquarters.
He immediately sent orders to all the land and naval forces to attack. He also ordered his boats to be prepared for him and forced himself from the sickbed and on to the boats, (at that time he was very ill). He firmly stated that regardless of what happens, he will never desert his country. His war-boats immediately headed toward the naval battle and along with all Ahom warships smashed into the Mughal warships.
The Mughal admiral was killed and the Mughals suffered the loss of three top-ranking officers and about 4000 dead.
Guwahati, of which history and myths go back several thousands of years, was recovered by Lachit, who successfully defended it against the Mughal forces.
The day of the decisive battle - one of the worst defeats the Mughal Army would ever face - is not known for certain, only that it happened in the middle of March 1671.
The battle would be remembered for the victory of a much smaller Ahom army over the mighty Mughal Army, through a combination of tactical brilliance, guerilla warfare, and intelligence gathering.
Lachit Borphukan was among many other brave kings and generals who managed to keep the North East of India free. The victory in Saraighat Battle immortalized the brave warrior who was presented with the Hengdang, a single-edged gold plated sword.
However, Lachit Borphukan never recovered from his illness and died a year later in April 1672.
Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com Staff Writer
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesMore From Ancient Pages
-
On This Day In History: Admiral Richard E. Byrd Made His First Flight Over The South Pole – On Nov 29, 1929
News | Nov 29, 2016 -
God Loki – Trickster And Wizard Of Lies In Norse Mythology
Featured Stories | Sep 14, 2017 -
Tower Of The Winds And Daydreaming Of Andronicus Of Cyrrhus
Ancient Places | May 14, 2019 -
2,000-Year-Old Ruins In Mary Magdalene’s Town Of Magdala On The Shore Of The Sea Of Galilee
Ancient Places | Dec 26, 2014 -
On This Day In History: Fire Of Skopje Started Intentionally – On Oct 26, 1689
News | Oct 26, 2016 -
Deciphered Dead Sea Scroll Reveals Secret Calendar And Two Events Not Mentioned In The Bible
Archaeology | Jan 23, 2018 -
Teaching Is Not Essential For People To Learn How To Make Tools, Study Says
Archaeology | Dec 6, 2015 -
Rollo: Viking Sea Lord, Chieftain And The First Ruler Of Normandy
Featured Stories | Oct 5, 2017 -
What Function Did Towering Columns Have In Ancient Rome?
Ancient History Facts | Jun 2, 2018 -
Egyptian Temple Culture In Ptolemaic-Era Survived Changes And Became Even Stronger – Researcher Says
Archaeology | Mar 1, 2017 -
10 Great Viking Misconceptions Still Being Perpetuated
Featured Stories | Jan 11, 2019 -
Are Priceless Ancient Gold Tablets Of The Serpent People Hidden Underground In Los Angeles?
Ancient Places | May 24, 2014 -
Nevsehir Labyrinth Of Tunnels: Largest And Most Complex Underground City In The World
Civilizations | Apr 7, 2015 -
On This Day In History: SS City of Glasgow Leaves Liverpool And Is Never Seen Again – On March 1, 1854
News | Mar 1, 2017 -
Beowulf Is Much Older Than Previously Thought And Not An English Poem – Professor Says
Linguistic Discoveries | Jan 6, 2020 -
A 1,800-Year-Old Amasya Mosaic Goes On Display For The First Time After Seven Years
Archaeology | Jul 21, 2020 -
Could Doggerland Be Europe’s True ‘North Atlantis’ Of Stone Age?
Ancient Places | Nov 19, 2018 -
Why Has The Leaning Tower Of Pisa Survived Strong Earthquakes Since The Middle Ages?
Ancient Places | May 10, 2018 -
Secrets Of Quipu – One Of The Most Mysterious Phenomena That Existed In Odd Number Of Dimensions
Artifacts | Feb 9, 2015 -
Natural Wonders: ‘Fingal’s Cave’ – An Enigmatic Place Shrouded In Mystery And Legend
Featured Stories | Jul 11, 2015