Chronicles of Ahom Kingdom 3

4. Chaolung Shukhangpha or Tyaolung or Taoshukhang (1293 – 1332, 39 years)

Chaolung Shukhangpha, the eldest son, succeeded the throne after the death of Chaolung Shubinpha.

During his reign the Ahom population grew through the natural process and also by admission of many locals into the fold and it made the Ahoms more powerful. wuth the new found power the Ahoms attacked the Koch kingdom which was ruled by Durlov Narayan ( also callled Khun Kamta meaining Kamateswar i.e. the King of Kamatapur). The war lasted for a long time and both sides suffered heavy losses. On the advice of his ministers, the Kamateswar sent his envoy to the Ahom king with arrangements for peace. A treaty was made and the Kamateswar gave his sisters Rajani and Bhajoni in marriage to Chaolung Shukhangpha.

The king of Maolung demanded tribute from Chaolung Shukhangpha citing that as the Ahom king is a linear descendent of the king of Maolung. The first Ahom king Chaolung Shukapha had emigrated from Maolung. However, the king of Maolung died and the matter of paying tribute also subsided.

Chaolung Shukhangpha had four sons, namely,Shukhrampha, Sutupha, Tyaokhamti and Tao Shulai or Chao Pulai. He had another son named Shudangpha from his other queen.  He ruled for thirty-nine years and died in 1332 AD.

5. Chaolung Shukhrangpha or Tao Shukhrampha (1332 – 1364, 32 years)

The eldest son Chaolung Sukhrangpha or Tao Shukhrampha ascended the throne in 1332 AD. He made Tao Shulai alias Tao Pulai alias Chao Pulai the Saring Raja.

Chaolung Sukhrangpha became unpopular due to some of his actions and Chao Pulai with the help of some nobles conspired against the king. However, the conspiracy was detected and Chao Pulai fled and requested his maternal grandfather, the Kamateswar (Koch King) for help. Kamateswar came to Athgaon and then to Saring and constructed a fort there. Chaolung Shukhrangpha sent a messenger to the Kamateswar and informed him about the cause of quarrel. Kamateswar realized the truth, made peace with the Ahom king and returned back. Some accounts say that Chao Pulai was instigated by the Borgohain and some say that a maid of the king poisoned the mind of the king against Chao Pulai.

The Morans used to supply wood to the king’s kitchen. The Changmai observed that a Moran youth, after delivering the wood always used to take back his ‘carrying pole’ made of bamboo while the others discarded their ‘carrying poles’ along with the woods. So, the Changmai one day asked him to throw away the ‘carrying pole’ but the Moran declined. The Changmai then forcefully collected it and on checking found a ‘Hengdang’ hidden inside it. The ‘Hengdang’ was taken to the king and all the nobles recognized that the ‘Hengdang’ belonged to Thaoururu Buragohain who was lost during the reign of the third Ahom king Chaopha Shubinpha. The Moran replied to the king that the ‘Hengdang’ belonged to his father who has expired. His mother was called and she narrated the details. The king then appointed him as Buragohain and renamed him as “Chaofrongdum”.

Taphrikhin, son of Chaobin Borgohain was made Borgohain after the death of Chaopangbonduk Borgohain.

After ruling for thirty-two years Chaolung Shukhrangpha died.

6. Chaolung Shutupha alias Tao Shutupha alias Taphikhen alias Devraj (1364 – 1376, 12 years)

After the death of Chaolung Sukhrangpha, his brother Chaolung Tao Shutupha became the king in 1364 AD. The nobles brought Tao Shutupha from Dahikhor and made him the king.

There were frequent disputes with the Chutias. The Chutia king invited Chaolung Shutupha when the latter was at Chapagurinagar, to go for rowing in a boat in the Safrai river. The Chutia king enticed Chaolung Shutupha to his own barge without attendants and then treacherously murdered him in 1376 AD.

After the murder of Chaolung Shutupha, there was no Ahom king for about four years. The kingdom was managed by Chaofrongdum Buragohain and Taphrikhin Borgohain.

7. Chaopha Tyao Khamti (1380-1389, 9 years)

In 1380 AD, after ruling the country for four years, the nobles found it difficult to run the country and made Tyao Khamti who was the third son of Chaolung Shukhangpha the king. After becoming the king, he decided to take revenge on the Chutias for the killing of his brother, the earlier Ahom king.

He left for the Chutia kingdom with an army leaving the kingdom in the hands of his ‘Borkuwori’ (elder queen). However, the ‘Borkuwori’ was jealous of the ‘Horukuwori (younger queen) as the latter was the king’s favourite and was also pregnant at that time. As the ‘Borkuwori’ was issueless, she conspired against the ‘Horukuwori’. She being the makeshift ruler, pressed charges against the ‘Horukuwori’ and instituted an enquiry. The enquiry was done as per her instructions and in the enquiry the ‘Horukuwori’ was found guilty. The punishment for the charge was to be beheaded and the Chowdang was ordered to execute her. however, the Chowdang after learning that the ‘Horukuwori’ was pregnant, took her to the forest and instead of killing her, made a raft and set her adrift in the river Brahmaputra.

Chaopha Tyao-Khamti returned back after defeating the Chutias. He was horrified to hear about the enquiry and subsequent punishment leading to the death of ‘Horukuwori’. He ordered a new and impartial enquiry and found that the charge pressed upon the ‘Horukuwori’ was baseless. Chopha Tyao-Khamti became unstable and indecisive. However, he could not punish his ‘Borkuwori’ and in turn fell under her influence and became a party to her numerous acts of oppression.

Chaothaithum became the Buragohain and Tyatanbin became the Borgohain. The nobles became very irritated with the king and for the betterment of the kingdom Chaopha Tyao-Khamti was assassinated in 1389 AD after ruling for nine years.

There was no king for nine years from 1389 AD to 1397 AD. ( 10 years according to some histories)