Indian Epigraphy c8.s2.t11: 7. Assamese (Asamiyā)
Indian Epigraphy c8.s2.t11
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7. Assamese (Asamiyā)
c8.s2.t11.1
The Ahom kings of Assam originally issued copper-plate charters in the Ahom language.² But, when their Hinduization was more or less complete, they adopted Sanskrit and Assamese as their official languages. The charters of the later Ahom rulers are written partly in Sanskrit and partly in Assamese. They are dated in the Śaka era. The coins of the early rulers have legends in the Ahom language and alphabet while the legends on the coins of the later kings are in Sanskrit in Assamese-Bengali characters exactly as their epigraphic records are.³
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² I saw one such record with the Pāṇḍās of the Kāmākhyā temple near Gauhati. For an Ahom pillar inscription of the 16th century, see *ASIR*, Vol. XXIV, pp. 157-58; *A. R. Ep.*, 1957-58, No. B 75.
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³ See Smith's *Catalogue*, pp. 298 ff., for the coins of Śukleṃmun (1539-52 A. D.), Śupātphā alias Gadādharasiṃha (1681-95 A. D.) and Śuneṃphā alias Pramathasiṃha (1744-51 A.D.) with legends in Ahom and those of Śuseṃphā (Cuceṃphā) alias Svarganārāyaṇa Pratāpasiṃha (1611-49 A.D.), Rudrasiṃha (1696-1714 A.D.) and others with legends in Sanskrit.
c8.s2.t11.4
Among the Sanskrit-Assamese copper-plate grants known to us, mention may be made of those (1) of Śivasimha and his queen Ambikā granted in 1732 A.D. and renewed by Rājeśvarasimha in 1760 A.D., (2) of Lakṣmīsimha issued in 1775 A.D., and (3) of Gaurīnāthasimha issued in 1892 A.D.⁴ The stone inscriptions of the time of the later Ahom kings are generally in Sanskrit.⁵
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⁴ Cf. *A. R. Ep.*, 1957-58, Nos. A 3-5.
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⁵ See ibid., Nos. B 62 ff.