History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v3.c41.s2.6

v3.c41.s2.6

The king was the patriarch of the clan; he decided questions of social precedence and caste purity, made religious sacrifices for the good of the entire tribe, and was venerated as a semi-divine being and the custodian of the tutelary god of the tribe (*Somdeo*). Ahom punishments were draconic, men being put to death with torture at the slightest fault and even at the mere caprice of the king. Women, no doubt, enjoyed freedom of movement, and lived unveiled, but polygamy was the general practice, wives being regarded as mere chattels, and changing owners, even in the royal family. Cruelty and sensuality were the vices of the Ahom kings, but this fact does not seem to have impaired their military efficiency.∗