The Battle of Saraygat was an epic naval battle fought in 1671 between the Mughals and the Ahom kingdoms on the Brahmaputra River at Saraygat in what is now Guwahati, Assam.
A video was recently posted to Instagram imagining the epic scale of this battle with the help of AI.
Ahom Kingdom
Around the 13th century, a group of people (later known as the Ahom) migrated from present-day Myanmar to the Brahmaputra Valley.
They settled the area and eventually founded a new state known as the Ahom Kingdom.
Ahom-Mughal Empire Conflict
From the beginning, the relationship between the Ahomids and the Mughals was fraught with animosity, largely due to the growing Mughal advances in the northeastern frontier.
In the 17th century, a series of conflicts broke out between the Ahomid and Mughal empires over control of the Brahmaputra Valley.
After Aurangzeb ascended the Mughal throne, he ordered Mir Jumla to invade Assam, invading Assam in 1662 and capturing the Ahom capital Gargaon.
Mir Jumra’s invasion left the Ahom kingdom depopulated, its fortresses destroyed, and its treasury depleted under the terms of the Treaty of Girajarigat in January 1663.
The Ahom then embarked on a renewed effort to reclaim the kingdom from the Mughals. Military production increased, forts were built, and the army was reorganized under the capable commander Rasit Borupkan.
Battle of Saraygat
This battle is considered unique in Indian history. It was not only because the small Ahom army was able to defeat the mighty Mughal army, but also because the war was fought in the middle of the river.
Rasit Bhopukhan knew that it would be foolish to engage in cavalry battles as the Mughal cavalry was far superior. Instead, he focused on naval warfare, a strength of the Ahom army that the Mughals lacked.
Brahmaputra at Saraygat, Guwahati was therefore chosen as the site of the war. It was the narrowest and ideal for naval defense.
Russit established his headquarters in the sandbank between the Kamakya and Sukreshwar hills. The Mughal emperor Ram Singh concentrated his forces on the opposite bank, but he risked not crossing the Brahmaputra.
After months of stalemate, at Aurangzeb’s insistence, Mughal forces crossed the Brahmaputra River and attacked the Ahoms. A long war began and both sides fought valiantly.
During the final stages of the Battle of Saraygat, some Assamese forces withdrew. Although Rasit was seriously ill, he boarded seven boats that were advancing towards the Mughal fleet.
“If you (soldiers) want to run away, run away. The King has given me a task here and I will do it well. Let the Mughals take me away. You will report to the king that you have fought well against the General.”
Following his orders, Ahom’s soldiers rallied and a desperate battle on the Brahmaputra River was ensured. Ultimately, the Ahomids won, and the Mughals were forced to withdraw from Guwahati.
The Battle of Saraygat thus resulted in a decisive victory for the Assamese forces and formally ended the long-running conflict with the Mughals.
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