A History of Assam c12.192

c12.192

In 1668 there were hostilities with the Muhammadans at Rangamāti, where a Raja named Indra Daman was apparently in command; his troops were defeated at Kākphāk, on the south bank of the Brahmaputra but, on his coming up in person with reinforcements, the Ahoms fell back on Srighāt. His attack on this place failed, and he retreated to Jakhalia. But a fresh enemy was soon to appear on the scene. The news of the defeat of Firuz Khān, and of the loss of Gauhāti, reached Aurangzeb in December 1667. He at once resolved to wipe out the disgrace, and, with this object, appointed Raja Rām Singh to the command of an Imperial army, which was to be strengthened by troops of the Bengal command. He was accompanied by Rashid Khān, the late thānādār of Gauhāti. Some time was taken up in collecting and transporting his army, which consisted of 18,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry, with 15,000 archers from Koch Bihār; and he did not reach Rangamāti until February 1669.* The Ahoms had not quite completed their preparations for resisting his advance, so resorted once more to their old device of opening insincere negotiations in order to gain time. They sent to enquire of Rām Singh why he was invading the country. He replied by referring to the old treaty under which the Bar Nadi and the Asurār Āli had been taken as the boundary, and demanding the evacuation of the country to the west of this line. By the time he received this reply, the Bar Phukan had completed his dispositions. He replied that he would rather fight than yield an inch of the territory which Providence had given to his master. In spite of this somewhat bombastic announcement, he seems to have retreated some distance before he ventured to resist the invaders, and the first two battles of the campaign were fought near Tezpur in the beginning of April. The Ahoms were worsted on both occasions, but they gained a naval battle, and soon afterwards repulsed the Muhammadans in an attack on their fort at Rangmahal. Rām Singh was compelled to retire to Hājo, where he quarrelled with Rashid Khān. The latter, having previously been in independent command at Gauhāti, could not brook a subordinate position, and claimed equal rank with Rām Singh. To make matters worse he was suspected of secret correspondence with the enemy. Eventually Rām Singh cut his tent ropes and ordered him out of the camp. Soon afterwards the Muhammadans were again defeated near Suālkuchi, both on land and water.