Geographical Outline OF Assam History PDF

Preview

Summary

As you learned about the different sources of ancient Assam in the first unit of this course, we will discuss the origin of the name Assam, different mountain routes, ancient Assam's climate, and the extent of Pragjyotisha- Kamarupa in this unit....

Description

GEOGRAPHICAL OUTLINE OF ASSAM HISTORY INTRODUCTION

As you learned about the different sources of ancient Assam in the first unit of this course, we will discuss the origin of the name Assam, different mountain routes, ancient Assam's climate, and the extent of Pragjyotisha- Kamarupa in this unit. GEOGRAPHICAL OUTLINE OF ANCIENT ASSAM

Assam- Origin of the Name

In the Epics, Puranas, and early literature, Assam is referred to by various names. In the Epics, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata, it is referred to as Pragjyotisha. The origin of the name Pragjyotisha has been the subject of several theories. According to one theory, a group of Chinese people known as the Chao-Theius migrated to India very early. They became known as the Zuhthis in India, and one of their centres was named Prag-Zuhthis. However, there is insufficient evidence to support this theory. Another theory claims that the name Pragajyotisha comes from the Austric phrase Pgar-Juh, which means "a region of extensive hills." Another theory connects the country's name to its astronomical significance. According to the Kalika Purana, Brahma, the creator, calculated the stars for the first time in Pragjyotisha. According to E. A. Gait's "A History of Assam," 'Prag' means former or Eastern, and 'Jyotisa' means a star, astrology, or shining. As a result, Pragajyotisha can be translated as "City of Eastern Astrology," which is derived from Prag-Jyotisa. Pragjyotishapura is a name that appears frequently in early literature and inscriptions for both the land and its capital city. In the Allahabad Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta (4th century A.D.) and the early Puranas, ancient Assam is referred to as Kamarupa for the first time. In the first half of the seventh century A.D., Hiuen Tsang visited Kamarupa and referred to it as Kamolupo. The word Kamarupa is also thought to be derived from an Austric

formation such as Kamru or Kamrut. In The Mother Goddess Kamakhya, Banikanta Kakati claims that the word represents a new cult, namely the worship of the mother goddess Kamakhya. He also claims that the word Kamakhya, like Kamoi (demon) in old Khmer, Kamoit (devil) in Cham, Kamet (corpse) in Khasi, and Komui (grave) in Santali, is derived from an Austric formation. It's possible that Kamarupa is a Sanskritization of a non-Sanskrit word. The Tabaquati-Nasiri and the Riaz-ul-Salatin, as well as the Haragaurisamvada, a 19th-century Assamese chronicle, refer to this land as Kamru or Kamrud. In the Ain-i-Akbari, the territory is referred to as Asham, and in the Padshahnama, it is referred to as Asam. The name Assam has an ambiguous origin. Asama may be a later Sanskritization of an earlier form Acham, according to Bani kanta Kakati. Cham referred to Tai- Shan people, while Acham referred to those who were not Tai or Shan. In the early 13th century A.D., these groups arrived in the Brahmaputra Valley. Another theory claims that the word Assam comes from a Bodo formation called Ho-Chom, which means "low land." According to legend, it was in Assam that the Indian cupid Kamadeva regained his rupa or form after being reduced to ashes by Lord Siva. As a result, it was renamed Kamarupa. Early literature refers to the island of Umananda in the middle of the Brahmaputra as Bhasmachal, and it is said to be made of the ashes or bhasma of the ill-fated Kamadeva. This land was referred to as Kamru or Kamrud in early Persian works such as the Tabaquat-i-Nasiri and the Riaz-ul-Salatin. In later Persian works such as the Ain-iAkbari and the Padshahnama, the territory is referred to as Asham or Asam. The term Asham or Asam appears in the Fathiya-i-Ibbriyah. Tavernier assumed the identity of Asam. The term was only used in Persian sources to refer to the people of the Ahom kingdom, not the modern-day state of Assam. Assam appears to be the English translation of Asam.

Mountain Routes

The North-Eastern and Central hill tracts, as well as the Brahmaputra and Barak Valleys, can be divided into two physical units in Assam. The Eastern Himalayas are located in Assam's northwestern corner. The Bhutias, Akas, Dafalas, Mishings, Adis, Mishimis, and other semi Mongoloid tribes who inhabit these hills are named after the various parts of the sub Himalayan region. Several routes connected Assam to the neighbouring countries. Between Assam and Myanmar, the Patkai hill served as a natural border. The migration of racial elements from South-East Asia was aided by the Assam-Myanmar routes in the east, which ran through Cachar-Manipur. The Ahoms and other Tibeto-Burman migrants from the north-east followed the Patkai hills route. Certain waves of Tibeto-Burmans may have used the mountain passes of Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan. The Brahmaputra and Ganges Valleys were the most common routes in the West. This is the path that the Aryan speakers took to reach Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa.

Climate The climate of ancient Assam is difficult to reconstruct due to a lack of materials. So far, no literary evidence or extensive excavations have been conducted in Assam to reach a tentative conclusion. Only Hiuen Tsang tells us that the country was low and damp in the 7th century A.D. Shihabuddin Talish, a Muslim chronicler who accompanied Mir Jumla on his expedition to Assam in 1662, claims that it rained in Assam for eight months of the year. Even the four months of winter did not go by without rain. Assam's climate is characterised by extreme humidity and excessive rainfall. The state of Assam is covered in evergreen forests. According to Hiuenreferences Tsang's and evidence from local inscriptions, the climate and soil are suitable for the cultivation of rice, jackfruit, coconut, sugarcane, mango, cane, bamboo, and bay leaves.

Extent of Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa

The modern state of Assam is only a small part of the ancient Pragjyotisha or Kamarupa kingdom. The kingdom's political boundaries changed over time, but there is no doubt that its northern and southern borders extended far beyond the modern state of Assam.

Pauranic Account

The boundaries of ancient Assam are defined by a number of ancient scriptures. According to most Puranas, Kamarupa encompassed Manipur, Jayantia, Cachar, parts of Maimensing, Sylhet, Rangpur, and parts of Nepal and Bhutan up to the river Karatoya in the west. The 9th century A.D. Kalika Purana mentions Karatoya as its western boundary. It also says that the kingdom of Kamarupa was triangular in shape, with 100 yojanas of length and 30 yojanas of breadth, and that Devi Dikkaravasini lived near the kingdom's eastern border. The river Swetaganga was said to have flowed alongside Dikkaravasini's shrine, which has since been excavated at Sadiya. Kamarupa was divided into Ratnapitha, Bhadrapitha, Saumarpitha, and Kamapitha, according to the Yogini Tantra of the 12th century A.D. (with additions up to the 17th century A.D.). The four boundaries of Kamarupa are, in brief, the Karatoya (West), Dikshu river (East), Kanjagiri (North), and the Laksa river (South). Yogini Tantra also refers to Kamarupa's geometric shape as triangular, and gives the same measurement to the kingdom of Kamarupa as stated in the Kalika Purana, with a slight variation in expression only. Kamarupa is divided into four pithas by the Haragaurisamvada, which is marked by river boundaries. Ratnapitha was located between the Karatoya and the Swarnakosha, Kamapitha was located between the Swarnakosha and the Kapila, Swarnapitha was located between the Puspika and the Bhairavi, and Saumarpitha was located between the Bhairavi and the Dikrang, according to the text.

Ramayana and Mahabharata

According to references in the Epics, the country stretched all the way to the sea and was partly hilly. The city of Pragjyotisha is said to be located on a gold-crested

mountain called Varaha, which stood on the limitless Varunalaya, according to the Ramayana. Bhagadatta, the king of Pragajyotisha, is referred to in the Mahabharata as Sailalaya (dwelling among the mountains), Parvatapati (lord of the mountains), and Purvasagaravasi (inhabitant of the Eastern sea), and his troops are described as Chinas, Kiratas, and sea-coast dwellers. The Assam range included the Varaha mountain. The Lauhitya (Lohit) Sagara was the sea. The Kiratas were Mongoloid people, while the Chinas were most likely Bhutanese and Tibetans.

Accounts of Hiuen-Tsang

During the reign of King Bhaskaravarman in 638 A.D., the eminent Chinese scholar Hiuen-Tsang paid a visit to Assam. According to him, the kingdom was more than a myriad li in size, or 1667 miles in circumference. He travelled more than 900 li (150 miles) east from Pun-Na=Fa-Tan-Na (Pundravardhana), then crossed the Ka-lo-tu river (Karatoya). In his records, he stated that the country to the east of Kamarupa is a series of hills and hillocks with no major city, and that one can reach the barbarians in the south-west (of China). He also states that Kamarupa is 1600 li west of upper Burma, beyond the black mountains. It was 600 kilometres to the south-east of Pundravardhana, with the river Ka-lo-tu separating the two countries. As a result, it appears that Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa ruled over a large part of Eastern India....