The Ahom Riverine Navy and the Battle of Saraighat (1671)

– Ms Sanika Jadhav 

Ahoms belonged to the Shan race who were original inhabitants of Upper Burma. They migrated to Assam in the 13th century. They established a mighty kingdom known as Ahom kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam.

The first Ahom-Mughal Conflict broke out in 1615-16 due to unauthorized trade by Mughals in Ahom territories. Ahoms emerged victorious in this battle of Samadhara in 1616. However, such skirmishes continued between the two and led to the Treaty of Asurar Ali in 1639 which was signed between Mughal Fauzdar Allah Yar Khan and Ahom Commander-in-Chief Tamuli Barbarua. According to this treaty, Barnadi bank in the north of Brahmaputra river and Asurar Ali on the southern bank were finalised as the boundary between the Mughal empire and Ahom kingdom. Mughals accepted the authority of Ahoms to the east of Barnadi and in return Ahoms recognised Mughals supremacy over Kamrup. After this treaty there were no major conflicts between the two.
In 1658, Ahom King Jayadhwaj Singha took advantage of the Mughal war of succession after Shah Jahan and started taking back the lost territories and pushed them beyond Manas River. As a result, in 1663, Aurangzeb sent Mir Jumla, Viceroy of Bengal to attack the Ahom Kingdom. Mir Jumla captured Kamarupa and the capital city of Ahoms, Garhgaon which started the war however no one was winning it so in 1663, to end the war Treaty of Ghilajharighat was signed. By this treaty the area from Manas river to Guwahati was handed over to Mughals.

In 1667, Ahoms under the leadership of Lachit Borphukan, Commander-in-Chief of Ahoms, started capturing back their lost territories from Mughals. To counter Ahoms, Rajput Raja Ram Singh, son of Mirza Raja Jaysingh, was sent by Aurangzeb.
Ram Singh reached Assam in 1669. Around 1671, after failed negotiations, Ram Singh reached Saraighat with a naval fleet. Lachit was planning to isolate Mughals at Saraighat near Guwahati. Saraighat is situated at a strategic point on the banks of river Brahmaputra and surrounded by hills from all sides. The battle broke out between two navies. Initially, Ahoms were losing but after the arrival of Lachit in the war the scenario changed completely. Ahoms army and navy attacked Mughals from both land and river, and pushed them beyond Manas river.

The location of war decided by Lachit was strategic. He was aware that Mughals were inexperienced in naval battle and also knew how to use the geographical area in his favour. Brahmaputra is narrowest at Guwahati. He knew that the sudden narrowing of the river increases the speed of water and it would harm Mughals who were coming from downstream. Also, Ram Singh had 40 big war ships whereas the ships of Ahoms were small.
Ahoms used guerilla tactics to fight Mughals by launching sudden attacks on them. They used the terrain and river excellently. They developed their navy as per the needs and geography of the area. Ahom ships were small in size and light in weight. Their boats were made from chambal wood which was known due to its floating ability. It enabled them to carry heavy arms and many men in a single boat. Ahoms encouraged maintenance of war fleets instead of cavalry. They also appointed specialised officials to look after their navy.

Ahoms also built forts and strengthened the existing forts along the river Brahmaputra. These forts helped them in transportation of arms, ammunitions and men for war and made communication more easier. In the Battle of Saraighat these forts proved beneficial to them at the times of sending reinforcements.

The Battle of Saraighat was not the last battle fought between Mughal and Ahoms however it ended the ambition of Mughals to annex Ahom kingdom and rule over it. It was all due to the excellent leadership, great use of location and strong Ahom navy.

Reference:

“Battle of Saraighat.” Indian Culture, <https://indianculture.gov.in/stories/battle-saraighat>. Accessed 20 May 2025.
Dutt, Sushil. The North East and the Mughals. North-Eastern Hill University, 1981.
Gokhale, Aneesh. “The Battle of Saraighat: Role of the Ahom River Navy.” IndiaFacts, 2016, <https://www.indiafacts.org.in/battle-saraighat-role-ahom-river-navy/>. Accessed 19 May 2025.
Majumdar, R. C. The History and Culture of the Indian People: The Mughal Empire. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1974.
Ray, Saudiptendu. The Ahom-Mughal Conflict. Vivekananda International Foundation, 2024, <https://www.vifindia.org/monograph/2024/may/31/The-Ahom-Mughal-Conflict. Accessed 19 May 2025.