MAJIU AIDEO : ONLY LADY OFFICER IN THE 600 YEARS OF AHOM RULE IN ASSAM

MAJIU AIDEO : THE ONLY LADY OFFICER IN 600 YEARS OF AHOM ADMINISTRATION IN ASSAM

DIGANTA KUMAR GOGOI

Majiu Aideo the eldest daughter and second among the children bore out of of Prince Kadamdighala Gohain and princess Numali.

Prince Kadamdighala Gohain was the grandson of Prince Lechai Namrupia Raja, who was the youngest son of Ahom King Gadadhar Singha, and the younger brother of Ahom King Rudra Singha.

Her other siblings are Kinaram Gohain, Chandrakanta Gohain and Saru Aideo, the latter two being younger than her.

MAJIU AIDEO : ONLY LADY OFFICER IN THE 600 YEARS OF AHOM RULE IN ASSAM

Prince Kadamdighala Gohain was holding the rank of Charingia Raja, when the reigning monarch Swargodeo Gaurinath Singha died at Jorhat, in 1795 CE. Since Gaurinath Singha has no heir, the king entrusted Prime Minister Purnananda Burhagohain to select the next king.

Prince Kadamdighala Gohain supported Prime Minister Purnananda Burhagohain in suppressing the Moamoria rebellion, and therefore good relation seem to exist the Premier raised the elder son of Prince Kadamdighala Gohain, Kinaram Gohain as the new king of the Ahom Kingdom, who was then a mere baby of less than two years old. In 1795 CE.

Kinaram Gohain was proclaimed Swargadeo Kamaleswar Singha, the sovereign of Ahom Kingdom in Assam and was placed on the throne at the Dichoi camp. The Tai-Ahom priests conferred upon him the title Suklingphaa.

During the reign of Kamaleswar Singha, Prime Minister Purnananda Burhagohain and Kalia Bhomora Barphukan, successfully quell all internal rebellions, recalled most of the Assamese fugitive cultivators, successfully reconstructed the towns and villages of Upper Assam, which were devastated by civil wars due to which the country experienced relatively peace and prosperiety.

Prince Kadam Dighala Charingia Raja, died in 1799 CE at Jorhat. Chandrakanta Gohain, the younger brother of Kamaleswar Singha, was appointed to the rank of Charingia Raja.

To strengthen the relation between the Royal House of Tungkhungia and the Kuoigayan Burhagohain family of Purnananda Burhagohain, in December, 1805 CE, Majiu Aideo, was given marriage to Lari Gohain, the second son of Purnananda Burhagohain. The marriage symbolizes the union of the Royal House of Tungkhungia and the Kuoigayan Burhagohain family.

With this marriage, the influence of Prime Minister Purnananda Burhagohain over the Royal family increased and his respect over other Ahom nobles of Ahom Kingdom also rises. Unfortunately, the marriage did not last long and she quarrelled with her husband, parted with him, and became the wife Oreshanath Dhekial Phukan, another son of Purnananda.

In January 1811 CE Swargadeo Kamaleswar Singha died of small pox disease at the age of sixteen. His younger brother Chandrakanta Gohain, was installed as the king of Ahom Kingdom by prime minister Purnananda Burhagohain. Meanwhile, Kalia Bhomora Barphukan of Guwahati, passed away, and Purnananda Burhagohain, appointed Badan Chandra of Duara family as Barphukan at Guwahati.

In order to consolidate his position, Badan Chandra tried to make friendship with Purnananda Burhagohain. He gave his daughter Pijou Gabhoru to Purnananda’s son, Oreshanath Dhekial Phukan along with a huge amount of gold ornaments and utensils as dowry. The move backfired when Purnananda Burhagohain expressed his displeasure and suspected Badan Chandra Borphukan of misusing his office.

Angered by the behaviour of Purnananda Burhagohain, Badan Chandra Borphukan encouraged conspirators in the capital Jorhat with the aim to assassinate Purnananda Burhagohain. The conspiracy failed and the conspirators were punished. The alleged link of Badan Chandra Borphukan with the conspirators got revealed.

Meanwhile, things are also not going well in household of Purnananda Burhagohain, as his both daughter in laws Majio Aideo and Pijou Gabhoru, have became bitter rival in their domestic life, in their attempt to influence their husband household.

Meanwhile, Burhagohain received reports of atrocities committed by Badan Chandra Borphukan and his two sons, Janmi and Piyoli on the people of Western Assam. Finally in 1815 CE, Purnananda Burhagohain decided to act and he send a deputation with orders to arrest Badan Chandra Borphukan and bring him to the capital Jorhat for justice.

Pijou Gabhoru, anxious of her father’s safety and subsequent humiliation in the hand of her rival Majiu Aideo, sent an early message to Badan Chandra, warning him of the impending danger. Warned by his daughter, Badan Chandra Borphukan escaped to Bengal, which was under British rule.

Badan Chandra pleaded to British authorities in Calcutta for military assistance against Purnananda Burhagohain, but it was refused. After meeting a Burmese agent in Calcutta, Badan Chandra went to Myanmar, and sought military assistance from King Bodawpaya. Bodawpaya, who after careful consideration, dispatched an military expedition, under Badan Chandra, to Assam.

While Burmese under Badan Chandra entered into Assam in 1817 CE, prime minister Purnananda Burhagohain breathed his last, and resistance against Burmese invaders crumbled down. King Chandrakanta Singha came in term with Badan Chandra, and made him his Prime minister. Purnananda ‘s son Ruchinath, the newly appointed Burhagohain, left Jorhat, for Guwahati, fearing retribution from Badan Chandra.

King Chandrakanta and Badan Chandra meanwhile arranged for return of Burmese army, by bestowing gifts for Burmese commanders, and one Ahom princess Hemo Aideo for Burmese king Bodawpaya.

After sometime, ministers of court conspired with Queen Mother Numali Rajmao, and assassinated Badan Chandra and imprisoned his sons. They sent messages to Ruchinath Burhagohain at Guwahati, imploring him to return to Jorhat, but Ruchinath distrustful of Chandrakanta’s intention ignored their invitation. He, rather conspired with Ahom prince Brajanath Gohain, descendant of Ahom king Rajeswar Singha, and came into arrangement to make Brajanath’s 10 year old son Purandar as new king.

Ruchinath Burhagohain forces moved upwards to Jorhat, dethroned Chandrakanta Singha, and installed Purandar Singha in 1718 CE as new king of Ahom Kingdom. Chandrakanta was mutilated in his right ear, by Ruchinath’s brother Biswanath alias Premnath Marangi Khowa Gohain, to make him ineligible to became king as per traditions of Ahom monarchy, where king being held as representative of Lengdon, the lord of Heaven, must possessed physical appearance free from any kind of mutilation, marks or physical deformity.

Meanwhile friends of deceased Badan Chandra fled to Myanmar and informed king Bodawpaya, about the events at Assam. Bodawpaya, considered assassination of Badan Chandra and desposal of Chandrakanta, whom he considered as his allies, as insult to his authority. He responded by dispatching a force of 30,000 (Thirty thousand) troops to Assam under Burmese general Alungmingi.

After suffering defeat at the hands of Burmese, Purandar Singha and Ruchinath Burhagohain retreated first to Guwahati and later to British administered Bengal. Chandrakanta Singha was reinstated as king in February, 1819 CE, and bulk portion of Burmese troops returned to Myanmar, leaving behind a small garrison in case of any exigency.

Chandrakanta Singha initiated efforts to free himself from Burmese influence, and accordingly appointed Patalang, a Kachari, former officer in Burmese military, as Barbarua, to assist him in this endeavour.

Majiu Aideo was wrested back by Chandrakanta Singha from Burhagohain family, and she remains in the company of her brother. Realising her potential as cunning and capable woman, Chandrakanta Singha conferred on her the management of the Naosalia Khel, the guild of boat builders. This was the first and only instance of a lady being officially appointed in the administration of state, in 600 years of Ahom monarchy.

Chandrakanta Singha also arranged marriage of Majiu Aideo with Patalang Barbarua, as efforts to strengthen his administration. Later he dispatched Patalang Barbarua to construct a line of fortification at Dighalighat, to check further incursion of Burmese into Assam, and the newly constructed fortification was named Jaypur. Majio Aideo also proceeded to join her husband, perhaps to help him in the construction of Dighalighat dockyard, being superintendent of boat builders.

Meanwhile Burmese king Bodawpaya died in 1819 CE, and his grandson Bagyidaw became the new monarch of Myanmar. On receiving intelligence on Chandrakanta’s efforts to free himself from Burmese influence, Bagyidaw sent a military expedition under his general Mingi Maha Tillowa on pretext of sending gifts to Chandrakanta Singha.

The Burmese troops arrived at Jaypur in March 1821 CE, and after witnessing construction of fortification at Jaypur, murdered Patalang Borbarua, without warning. Majiu Aideo was sent to her brother Chandrakanta, to assure him of the protection of Burmese Commander, but, Majiu Aideo being smart and intelligent, used this opportunity to warn her brother Chandrakanta not to place faith in these promises, as she revealed the interior motive of Burmese to conquer Assam and engulf it into territory of Myanmar.

Both siblings fled Jorhat to Guwahati in March 1821 CE. The Burmese general, initially tried to convince Chandrakanta to return and remove all misunderstandings, but on being refused by Chandrakanta, the Burmese general made Jogeswar Singha, brother of princess Hemo Aideo, who was earlier given to King Bodawpaya for marriage, as king of Ahom Kingdom in November, 1822 CE.

Chandrakanta Singha, advised by Majio Aideo, raised armies from Western Assam and neighbouring British administered Bengal, made attempts to oust the Burmese invaders from Assam, but their brave efforts finally ended in defeat during the Battle of Mahgarh and Hadirachowki, in the month of April and June, 1822 CE. Chandrakanta finally surrendered to Burmese, hoping for restoration to kingship, but his hopes are thwarted, as Burmese put him under house arrest, at Jorhat.

After victory of British forces in first Anglo Burmese War(1824-1826 CE), the new British authority removed Chandrakanta Singha and his family members, to Kaliabar, in present day Nagaon district, and was granted 300 rupees monthly pension by British government. In 1833 CE, when British Government installed his political rival, Purandar Singha, as feudatory king of Upper Assam, Chandrakanta moved with his family and settled at present day Uzan Bazar, in Guwahati.

In 1837 CE, Chandrakanta visited Calcutta (present day Kolkata) and submitted his request to Governor- General for the restoration of his kingdom. His request was turned down. However, the authority raised his pension to Rs. 500 per month, but before he can enjoy his raised pension, he died in 1839 CE, at Guwahati, after his return from Calcutta.

In the meantime, the British Government annexed Upper Assam in 1838 CE, in lieu of default in annual tax payment, and accusing Purandar Singha’s administration of corruption and oppression to his subject, which finally put an end to 600 years reign of Ahom dynasty in Assam.

Meanwhile, after British occupation of Assam, Majiu Aideo initially resided in Nagaon, and was granted annual pension, of 600 rupees and the grant of 10 likchowas or retainers. She later joined her brother Chandrakanta at Guwahati.

Because of her previous experience in administration, and in order to contribute to her comfort and respectability, she was entrusted by the British administration with the management of a khel in Naduar, which, according to British Government report, is located in south bank of river Brahmaputra, bordering Garo hills.

Later due to receipts of complaints from the people, reporting of her oppression, she had been removed from the charge. Major Adam White, the then Commander of the Assam Light Infantry, and Political Agent to Government in Upper Assam, has stated the above details in his reports. He was critical in his comments for Majiu Aideo, and has mentioned her strong affinity for liquor, particularly for rum.

In 1853 CE, when Judge A.J. Moffatt Mills visited Assam, Majiu Aideo was alive and receiving her pension from the British Government.

No records have come to light regarding the last days of Majiu Aideo. Born as princess in the royal family of Tungkhungia clan of Ahom dynasty, Majio Aideo played an important part in the final days of Ahom kingdom. She actively entered the world of politics at a time when it was mostly dominated by men.

Her capability was well noticed by her royal brother Chandrakanta, who appointed her Superintendent of Naosolia Khel or guilds of Royal boat builders, which remains as only instance of a woman appointed as on date. During the turbulent period of Burmese invasion of Assam, She acted as advisor to her brother, king Chandrakanta Singha, and subsequently shared his vicissitudes.

While less records are present to prepare a comprehensive biography of this remarkable lady, one can hope further research and extensive studies will throw further lights in the life and contribution of only woman official of Ahom regime.

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