Lachit Borphukan’s navy had become powerful. But they did not have horsemen to fight on the ground. To capture Guwahati, it was necessary to capture the fort of Itakhuli. and then…
There are controversies after calling Bagh Hazarika a fictional character.
When the Mughals were becoming powerful in the 16th century, they wanted to increase their supremacy in the Northeast as well. The Ahoms were a big challenge for the Mughals there. Tension increased between the two and in 1615 dragged them to the battlefield. After this, for 5 decades, the Mughals and the Ahoms kept clashing with each other from time to time. In 1661 Mir Jumla, the governor of Bengal, captured a large area including Guwahati.
Lachit Borphukan, the brave warrior of Assam came forward to get Guwahati back from the hands of the Mughals. There was another brave Muslim warrior in Lachit’s front, who filled water in the cannons of the Mughals and the Ahoms won in this battle. The name of this Muslim warrior is Ismail Siddiqui, who is called Bagh Hazarika in Assam.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has questioned the very existence of the tiger Hazarika. Controversy has erupted after Ismail Siddiqui, a Muslim warrior from Assam who killed the Mughals, was described as a ‘fictional character’. This has angered a large section in Assam.
After all, who was Ismail Siddiqui, how did he get the name Bagh Hazarika and how important was his role in the fight against the Mughals?
The strategy of the Ahom army after the defeat
Let’s start the story from where we left above. The defeat of the Ahoms by the Mughals in 1661. The Ahoms had to retreat in this war. Ahom king Jaydhwaj Singh was embarrassed by this defeat. In the last days before his death, he called his successor Chakradhwaj Singh and said-
You will have to remove this thorn of shame from the country’s chest.
Raja Chakradhwaj Singh took over the throne and started building a powerful army to deal with the Mughals. He made commanders at many levels in his army. Deka leading 10 soldiers, Sainia leading 100 soldiers, Hazarika commander of 1000 soldiers, Rajkhowa leader of 3000 soldiers, Phukan leader of 6000 soldiers.
The commander who was above all these was called Borphukan. Lachit was appointed on this post in the army of King Chakradhwaj, who was called Lachit Borphukan. We have already read about Lachit, born on November 24, 1622, on whose birth anniversary celebrations were held across the country.
Veer Hazarika of Lachit Borphukan
There was another intelligent warrior in Lachit’s army, Ismail Siddiqui. This 17th century warrior was born in an Assamese Muslim family in Dhekerigaon near Garhgaon in Assam. Ismail Siddiqui alias Bagh Hazarika is believed to have been second only to the Ahom general Lachit Barphukan in the Battle of Saraighat.
There is a legend about him that in his village he killed a tiger while fighting unarmed. That’s why tiger was added to his name and because of leading 1000 soldiers, Hazarika. Ismail Siddiqui alias Bagh Hazarika was the pride of Lachit’s army.
Lachit knew that he could not face the Mughals directly in the battlefield. In such a situation, he prepared a navy of his own to fight in the Brahmaputra. Apart from this, he made cannons and equipped the army with weapons. In 1667 he started his military campaign for the liberation of Guwahati.
Siddiqui’s coercive plan
Lachit Borphukan’s navy had become powerful. But they did not have horsemen to fight on the ground. To capture Guwahati, it was necessary to capture the fort of Itakhuli. How would it have been possible without the cavalry! In such a situation, he prepared Plan-B. Ismail Siddiqui was selected for this.
Siddiqui suggested a plan to the Ahom general Lachit Barphukan, the royal minister Atan Burhagohain and other generals. Regarding the plan to make Mughalia cannons useless. Everyone was impressed and Siddiqui was given command to lead the operation.
… and the Mughals fell on their face
Under the leadership of Siddiqui, a group of soldiers crossed the Brahmaputra river and reached the northern bank. Siddiqui was looking for an opportunity. He knew that the Mughal soldiers would offer their Fajr i.e. dawn prayers early in the morning. This happened and taking advantage of this opportunity the soldiers climbed the embankments. The soldiers filled water in the cannons of the Mughals, due to which they became useless.
The Ahom army declared war by blowing trumpets and started moving forward. The Mughal army could not believe it. Mughal soldiers ran towards their posts and started moving forward. But as soon as he wanted to fire a cannon on the Ahom army, he failed. The cannons had become wet and useless. Without cannons, the Mughal army proved weak and failed to save the fort. In this way the army of Lachit Borphukan regained Guwahati.
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