A History of Assam c14.2

c14.2

THE nobles placed the Jubrāj, Gaurināth Singh on the vacant throne, and he was installed as king with the usual ceremonies. He assumed the Ahom name Suhitpāngphā. He ordered his father's body to be cremated and the ashes to be intombed at Chāraideo, after a funeral ceremony performed according to Hindu rites. He caused the other princes of the blood to be mutilated, in order to render them ineligible for the succession. He chose the Bar Barua as his chief adviser. The latter set himself to poison the king's mind against the Bar Gohāin, with whom he was on bad terms; he accused him of having been opposed to Gaurināth's elevation to the throne and, on this charge, which seems to have been wholly unsubstantiated, the unfortunate man and several of his near relatives were beheaded. But the Bar Barua's triumph was of very short duration. He gave great offence to the king by disposing of important matters without consulting him, and was dismissed from his office and deprived of all his possessions.