A History of Assam c12.44

c12.44

Pratāp Singh died in the year 1641 after a reign of 38 years. He was a capable, energetic and ambitious prince; and, although a great part of his reign was distracted by wars with the Kachāris and Muhammadans, he was still able to devote much attention to the internal organization of his kingdom, the development of backward tracts and the construction of roads, embankments and tanks. There were several conspiracies during the first few years after his accession, which were repressed with the ferocious severity customary amongst the Ahoms. The petty chiefs or Bhuiyās, who occupied the tract on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, between the Bharali and the Subansiri, had discontinued the payment of tribute from the time of the Koch invasion under Sukladhvaj; and in 1623 one of their number named Uday declared himself independent and was joined by several other chiefs. He was arrested and executed, and Pratāp Singh took the opportunity to break the power of the Bhuiyās for ever. He transferred them and their principal supporters to various places on the south bank of the Brahmaputra and forbade them to cross to the north bank on any pretext whatsoever; a number of men who, disregarding this order, went there to rear cocoons were put to death.