The Ahoms were originally Tai- Shans. They came to Assam via the Patkai hills in the early part of the thirteenth century from upper Brahma under the leadership of Sukapha, who laid the foundation of their kingdom in Assam in the early part of the 13th century. They brought political integration to Assam and ruled Assam for about 600 years. The Ahoms brought with them three priestly classes, namely Deodhais, Mahans and Bailungs. They had their own deities, such as Phura, Tara, Along, Chomdeo, etc., which they worshipped according to their own rites through their priest. For the first two hundred years, the Ahoms continued to follow their traditional religion with sacrifices in their religious performances. Hindu influence first entered the Ahom court during the reign of King Sudangpha alias Bamuni Konwar (1397-1407AD), who had been brought up in a Brahmin family. Suhungmung alias Dihingia Raja (1497-1539 AD) was the first Ahom king who assumed the Hindu title Svarganarayana or Swargadev by which the later Ahom rulers were normally designated. His reign was marked by the growing influence of the Brahmans on the one hand, and the growth of the Neo- Vaishnavite Movement promulgated by Sri Sri Sankardeva on the other hand. Towards the middle of the 17th century, the Ahom kings ruling over upper Assam had adopted a liberal outlook in the field of religion. The Ahom rulers showed, at the same time, due respect and courtesy to the Vaishnava monks, and also patronised the Ahom priests and allowed them to perform their rituals. Jayadhvaj Singha (1648-1663AD) was the first Ahom ruler to formally embrace Hinduism as a religion of the king. By the 17th century, the speedy growth of Neo- Vaishnavite movement with its popular appeal throughout the state brought about further changes to the Ahom religious policy. During the time of Gadadhar Singha (1681-1696 AD), Saktism strongly entered the Ahom court. From the early part of the 18th century, Saktism became one of the major religions of the Ahom court. By adopting the Sakta faith, by supporting the Vaishnava monks and Satras and by maintaining the orthodox Ahom rituals and ceremonies, the Ahom rulers encouraged a state or triarchy in religious matters, leading to a considerable amount of rivalry between the three groups. The objective of the paper is to study the religious policy of the Ahom rulers. The findings reveal that the importance attached to the Brahmanical fraction of Vaishnavism by the later Ahom rulers led to sectarian clashes, which finally led to the decay and fall of the monarchy.
Dr. Pranjal Bhuyan (Thu,) studied this question.