A History of Assam c11.97

c11.97

The use of firearms by the Ahoms dates from the close of this war. Up to this time their weapons had consisted of swords, spears, and bows and arrows.* The Muhammadans who were taken prisoners in this war were settled in different parts of the country. Tradition says that they were at first ordered to cut grass for the king's elephants, but were found quite unfit for this work. They were next employed as cultivators, but their ignorance of agriculture was so great that they carried mud to the paddy seedlings instead of ploughing land and planting the seedlings in it. They were then left to their own devices, and took to working in brass, an occupation which their descendants, who are known as Morias, carry on to this day.†