Question: Why Did Suhungmung Is Known As The Napoleon of Assam

Question: Why did Suhungmung is known as the
Napoleon of Assam
Answer: Chao Suhungmung (r. 1497–1539)

(Swarganarayan, Dihingia Raja)
(Assamese: স্বৰ্দেউ
গ চুহুুংমুং) was one of the most
important Ahom kings belonging to the Dihingia
clan. His reign forms another important chapter in
the history of medieval Assam. His reign broke
from the early Ahom rule and established a multi-
ethnic polity in his kingdom. Under him the Ahom
Kingdom expanded greatly for the first time
since Sukaphaa.
He was the first Ahom king to adopt a Hindu title,

Swarganarayana, indicating a move towards an
inclusive polity; and Ahom kings came to be known
as Swargadeo which is known as the Assamese
translation of Ahom word Chao-Pha. He is also
called the Dihingia Raja, because he
made Bakata on the Dihing River his capital and
also belonged to the Dihingia clan. Suhungmung
was the last progenitor Ahom king (all subsequent
kings were his descendants).The princes
descending from the former kings were settled in
the districts of Dihing, Charing, Tipam, Chamguri,
Tungkhung and Namrup.
Suhungmung took a census of the population and

reorganised the society on the basis of clans.
Suhungmung established new Ahom positions.
1. Borpatrogohain is the third of the great
Gohains(the others
being Burhagohain and Borgohain, instituted
by Sukaphaa). The first Barpatra Gohain was
an Ahom prince brought up by a Naga chief.
2. Sadiakhowa Gohain looked after the Sadia
region taken from the Sutiyas in 1523.
3. Marangikhowa Gohain looked after the lower
Dhansiri river valley taken from the Kacharis.
Under Suhungmung the Ahom Kingdom acquired a

vision of an extended polity and consolidated rule.
He began by suppressing the revolt of the
Aitonia Nagas in 1504 and making them accept
Ahom overlordship.[1] He surveyed the country
and annexed the Habung region.[1] But his biggest
successes were against the Chutiya Kingdom.
Chutiya Kingdom
After Suhungmung annexed Habung and Panbari,

which were previously Chutiya Bhuyan
principalities in 1512, the then Chutiya king
Dhirnarayan decided to attack the Ahom
kingdom to prevent any further expansion. He
invaded the Ahom kingdom in 1513 at
Dikhoumukh. But, the Ahoms resisted the invasion.
The Chutiyas again attacked the Ahoms in 1520
and occupied the areas up to Namdang and
Mungkhrang. But, soon Dhirnarayan died and the
reign of the kingdom was passed to the son-in-law
named Nitipal who was weak and inefficient in
ruling. Many other vassal chiefs of Lakhimpur,
Majuli, Biswanath became independent and were
eventually annexed by the Ahoms. In 1522, the
Ahoms fought back, re-occupied their lost
territories and erected a fort at Dibrumukh
(Dibrugarh). Although, Nitipal tried to attack the
fort the following year, he was unsuccessful.
Suhungmung then extended the Ahom Kingdom to
the mouth of the Tiphao River, where a new fort
was constructed. The Chutiyas fortified Sadia but
they were soon defeated. The Chutiyas were
pursued further and their king and prince were
killed in battle. Suhungmung established the office
of the Sadiakhowa Gohain to look after the newly
acquired Sadia region, while he appointed the
Borgohain and Buragohain to rule the region
between Biswanath and Dhemaji. He also created
the Borpatrogohain post to rule between the
territories of the other two gohains.[2] Though this
was not the end of the conflict it brought to an end
the first major expansion of the Ahom Kingdom.
Against Kachari Kingdom
In 1526, Suhungmung marched against the Kachari

Kingdom. In 1531 Khunkhara, the Kachari king,
sent forces under his brother Detcha to drive the
Ahoms away from Marangi but the Kachari army
was defeated and their commander killed. The
Kacharis were pursued up to the
capital Dimapur and Khunkhara had to flee.
Suhungmung established a Kachari prince,
Detsung, as the Kachari king. But Detsung rose in
revolt in a few years, and the Ahoms pursued him
till Jangmarang where he was killed. The Kachari
Kingdom abandoned Dimapur permanently and
established their new capital at Maibong. Unlike the
Chutiya Kingdom, Suhungming did not take direct
possession of the Kachari Kingdom.
Muslim invasions
The first Muslim invasion of the Ahom Kingdom
occurred in 1527, but it was defeated and pushed
back to the Burai River. A few years later, there was
another attempt when a commander advanced up
the Brahmaputra in fifty vessels. This too was
defeated. In yet another expedition, the Barpatra
Gohain slain the commander, Bit Malik, and
captured cannons and guns. The most successful
among these initial raids on the Ahom Kingdom
was the one led by Turbak.
Turbak, a Gaur commander, advanced against the
Ahom Kingdom in April 1532 with a large force.
He first faced Suklen, Suhungmung's son, at Singri.
In this battle Suklen was defeated and wounded and
the Ahoms retreated to Sala. The Ahoms again
faced reverses at Sala and some other expeditions
thereafter, but won the first significant victory in
March 1533 when a naval force was defeated with
heavy losses to Turbak's forces. This led to a period
of stalemate with the two armies encamped on
opposite banks of the Dikrai River.
The Ahoms finally attacked the invaders and
defeated them in a number of battles. In the final
battle fought near the Bharali River, Turbak was
killed and his army pursued till the Karatoya river
in present-day North Bengal. The captured soldiers
subsequently became the first significant Muslim
population of the Ahom Kingdom. They were
called Garia since they were from Gaur, and the
appellation was later extended to all Muslims. This
population finally became well known as expert
brass craftsmen.
The Buranjis mention the first use of firearms by
the Ahoms in these battles.
Due to the massive extension of the Ahom territory

through aggressive invasions king Suhungmung is
regarded as the Napoleon of Assam.

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Question: Why did Suhungmung is known as the

Answer: Chao Suhungmung (r. 1497–1539)

He was the first Ahom king to adopt a Hindu title,

Suhungmung took a census of the population and

Under Suhungmung the Ahom Kingdom acquired a

After Suhungmung annexed Habung and Panbari,

Against Kachari Kingdom

In 1526, Suhungmung marched against the Kachari

Due to the massive extension of the Ahom territory

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