Statue of Valour watches over battle for Ahom pride in Assam’s tea capital, Jorhat

Statue of Valour watches over battle for Ahom pride in Assam’s tea capital, Jorhat

Subject: History

Section: Medieval India

Context:

• PM Modi inaugurated the ‘Statue of Valour’ in Jorhat, Assam in honor of General Lachit Barphukan.

More on news:

• The 125-foot statue depicts Lachit Borphukan, the iconic Ahom general revered for leading the Battle of Saraighat in 1671 to prevent the Mughal army from occupying Assam.
• The park encompasses the maidam, or earthen pyramid, where he was buried after the battle.

About Lachit Barphukan:

• Lachit Borphukan (24 November 1622 – 25 April 1672) son of Momai Tamuli Borbarua was an Ahom Borphukan.
• He was  primarily known for commanding the Ahom Army and the victory in the Battle of Saraighat (1671) that thwarted an invasion by the vastly superior Mughal Forces under the command of Ramsingh I.
• He died about a year later in April 1672.

Ahom Dynasty:

• Dedicated to Swargadeo (or emperor) Sukapha, who came from China’s Yunnan to establish the Ahom dynasty that ruled Assam for 600 years until the British takeover in the 1800s, this represents Ahom pride as much as the Lachit statue park. 
• The Ahom community, to which the Gogois belong, make up the majority of voters in the Jorhat constituency.
• Catering to the aspirations of the Ahoms, one of six communities demanding Scheduled Tribe status, is crucial for political parties, especially as the Sivasagar and Charaideo districts form half the constituency.
• These districts comprised the core of the erstwhile Ahom kingdom.

About Majuli islands:

• Mājuli or Majuli (mazuli) is a large river island located in Assam, India. 
• It is formed by the Brahmaputra River to the south and east, the Subansiri River to the west and an anabranch of the Brahmaputra River called Kherkutia Xuti to the North.
• The island is inhabited by members of the Mising, Deori and Sonowal Kachri tribes and is a hub of Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture.
• The caste Assamese and the Mising tribe, who dominate this island which is often referred to as Assam’s spiritual capital.

Other Areas in Assam  in news:

• Meleng
• Hoollongapar: The Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, formerly known as the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary or Hollongapar Reserved Forest is an isolated protected area of evergreen forest located in Assam, India.