A History of Assam c12.34

c12.34

Meanwhile the Ahoms were preparing to resist his advance up the river. They collected a force of twelve thousand foot, including their Koch auxiliaries, and a numerous fleet. They took up a position at Jogighopā on the north bank of the Brahmaputra and at Hirāpur on the opposite side of the river, their fleet being anchored in mid-stream between these two forts. Several engagements took place, and in the end the Ahoms were defeated. In one of these fights Chandra Nārāyan was killed. The Muhammadans then crossed the Monās,* and encamped at Chandankot for the rainy season, when it was impossible to carry out extended operations on land. Their forces had by this time been considerably augmented by the remnants of the old garrisons and by the levies of the local zamindars, who returned to their allegiance as Zainuddin advanced. In the *Buranjis* his army is spoken of as "a great host," but its actual strength is not stated. A flying column of five thousand men was despatched, under Muhammad Zamān, the Faujdār of Sylhet, to eject the Ahoms from the south bank; and when this had been accomplished, the same officer was sent with a strong detachment to reinstate Uttam Nārāyan in his zamindari at Barnagar on the Monās, whence he had been driven by three thousand Ahoms and Koches. He crossed the Pomāri river and advanced towards Barnagar, whereupon the Ahoms withdrew to Chothri at the foot of the Bhutān Hills. Muhammad Zamān now entrenched himself at Bishenpur to await the close of the rainy season and get his war material into order. Soon afterwards, the Ahoms, having received reinforcements which brought their strength up to forty thousand men, advanced to the Kalāpāni, about three miles from his encampment, and threw up entrenchments. They made several night attacks on the Muhammadans and, by erecting palisades all round their camp, cut off all their supplies. No regular engagement occurred until the close of the rains, when the main body of the Muhammadans left Chandankot and marched on Bishenpur. The Ahom generals, seeing the advisability of doing something before the two hostile forces could effect a junction, and having received an additional reinforcement of twenty thousand men, made an attack in force on Muhammad Zamān’s position. This was on the night of the 31st of October 1637. They carried two of his stockades, but next morning he again drove them out and, attacking in his turn, took in succession fifteen stockades which had been erected by them. They retreated to Pomāri, with the loss of four thousand men and several generals, as well as a number of matchlocks and other weapons.*