Home > Indian History > History of India > Suhungmung
Suhungmung
Suhungmung was an Ahom ruler who ruled from 1497 to 1539 AD. His reign was significant in terms of expansion of the kingdom to great extents.

Share this Article:

SuhungmungSuhungmung was the king of Ahom dynasty who reigned over the kingdom from 1497 to 1539 AD. The reign of Suhungmung was very significant in the history of medieval Assam. He brought about new changes in the kingdom, freeing it from the clutches of old administration, and set up a multi ethnic society. His reign also marked great expansions of Ahom kingdom. Invasions of Muslim rulers and Turbak Khan were also successfully prevented by Suhungmung. Collapse of Khen dynasty also took place in this period whereas the Koch dynasty captured the Kamata kingdom. Tonkham, the general of Suhungmung, chased the Muslim invaders up to the western border of Kamarupa kingdom, towards Karatoya River. This was the farthest venture of the Ahoms in their entire history. Suhungmung was also the first king of the dynasty who adopted a Hindu title, Swarganarayana. Suhungmung had made Bakata along the bank of Dihing River, the capital of the kingdom for which he was also called as Dihingia Raja.

Expansion of Ahom Kingdom
During the rule of Suhungmung, Ahom kingdom expanded its boundaries to great extents. In 1504, he suppressed the revolt of Aitonia Nagas following which they accepted the over lordship of Ahoms. He also captured the Habung region. However his most important annexation was the Sutiya kingdom.

Expedition against Sutiya Kingdom
In 1513, Suhungmung got involved in a conflict with Sutiya king after the annexation of Namdang and Mungkhrang. Dhir Narayana was the Sutiya king at that time. When the new fort of Mungkhrang was captured in 1520, the Sutiyas counterattacked the Ahoms which led to a battle. The battle was won by the Ahoms who ultimately owned the fort and expanded the kingdom up to the Tiphao River bank. A new fort was established there which was again attacked by Sutiyas. Sutiyas were once again defeated in an expedition led by Suhungmung himself. The Sutiyas were further attacked and finally the king and the prince of the kingdom died in the battle. Sutiya royal heirlooms were then possessed by Suhungmung and in the newly captured region an office was established for Sadiakhowa Gohain. This was the first significant expansion of Ahom kingdom during the rule of Suhungmung.

Expedition against Kachari Kingdom
Expeditions against Kachari kingdom were started in 1526 by Suhungmung. In 1531 the ruler of Kachari kingdom, Khunkhara, sent his army under the commander ship of his brother Detcha for driving away the Ahoms from Marangi. In the battle, the Kacharis were gravely defeated. Kacharis were then chased up to Dimapur, their capital, and Khunkhara fled away. Following this, Detsung, a Kachari prince was made the king of the Kachari kingdom. After a few years, Detsung, also revolted against the Ahoms but was attacked till Jangmarang and killed. Dimapur was then permanently abandoned by the Kacharis and they set up their new capital at Maibong.

Defence against Muslim Invasion
In 1527 the Muslim rulers invaded the Ahom Kingdom but were gravely defeated. The second attempt to invade the kingdom was made after a few years in which they marched up to the Brahmaputra. But the invaders were once again defeated and Barpatra Gohain killed the commander named Bit Malik along with the possession of guns and cannons. In April 1532 a Gaur commander, Turbak, marched against the Ahom kingdom with a large army. Suklenmung, the son of Suhungmung initially defended their kingdom at Singri. Suklenmung was however defeated and injured in the battle after which the Ahoms backed off to Sala. At Sala, the Ahoms were again attacked and after a number of expeditions, the Ahoms recorded their first victory in March 1533. Their victory caused great losses to the army of Turbak. Finally the Ahoms defeated the Muslim invaders in the following several battles. The final battle took place near Bharali River in which Turbak was executed and his army was chased up to Karatoya River which is presently in north Bengal. The soldiers who were arrested later constituted a major Muslim population of the kingdom. They were known as Garia owing to their Gaur origin. This population later emerged as renowned brass craftsmen of the region.

Suhungmung was stabbed to death by one of his servants, Ratiman, while he was asleep. According to some historians, Suklenmung, the son of Suhungmung was also involved in the conspiracy of his assassination. There were four sons of Suhungmung among which Suklenmung was the eldest who succeeded his throne. Suleng was his second son who was given the position of Charing Raja. Suteng was the third son who was known as the Namrupiya Raja. Sukhring, his fourth son, did not get any estate of his own.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.