400 Years of Lachit Borphukan: Assam is celebrating Bir Lachit Divas to honor the great Ahom general Lachit Borphukan. PM Narendra Modi will attend a valedictory function in Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan on November 25 to commemorate the 400th birthday of Ahom commander Lachit Barphukon.
The Assam government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is celebrating the three-day celebrations of Ahom general Lachit Barphukon’s 400th birth anniversary in the National Capital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the valedictory function at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan on November 25.
On the first day of the event, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated an exhibition. Kiren Rijiju, Union Law and Justice Minister, will attend a cultural night that evening.
Ahom General Lachit Barphukan had fought and defeated the Mughals in the battle of Saraighat in 1671 is one of the finest examples of courage, valour, leadership and deep patriotism. (2/2) #400YearsofLachitBarphukan pic.twitter.com/oCD5Pcf9VV
— NSitharamanOffice (@nsitharamanoffc) November 23, 2022
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be the chief guest at the Vigyan Bhawan plenary session on November 24.
The valiant general defeated the 45 thousand-strong Mughal armies in the final battle of Saraighat, forcing the Aurangzeb army to flee for their lives.
For 600 years, the Ahom kings ruled parts of what is now modern-day Assam and neighboring states. Their reign coincided with the Mughals’ dominance of much of South Asia, but the Ahoms held out and are said to have ‘defeated the Mughals 17 times.’
My address at the inauguration of the celebration of #400YearsofLachitBarphukan at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/yrnx0d9DDp
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 23, 2022
Lachit Borphukan, on the other hand, stands tall among Ahom’s leaders for having fought one of the most vital battles against an intruding Mughal army, depleting the enemy and decisively turning them back.
Mughals planned to invade Assam, enter South East Asia through Brahmaputra valley and spread Islam in the region. But Lachit Barphukan foiled the attempt at Saraighat and created history: CM Dr @himantabiswa#400YearsofLachitBarphukan
— Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) November 23, 2022
Aurangzeb had ordered the invasion in 1669, led by his ally Rajput Raja Ram Singh I, who led a combined Mughal and Rajput army to the Mughal empire’s outskirts and found himself in unfamiliar territory. The Ahom had the advantage of knowing the terrain, whereas the Mughals preferred an open battle. Borphukan waged guerrilla warfare against the invaders, attacking and then retreating, until Ram Singh I unleashed his entire army on the Ahoms, defeating them in the Battle of Alaboi.
Lachit Barphukan’s contribution towards protecting Assam from Mughal aggression is one of the most glorious chapters of our history: CM Dr @himantabiswa at the celebration of 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Barphukan at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.#400YearsofLachitBarphukan
— Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) November 23, 2022
Finally, the Mughals were defeated by the Ahoms led by Lachit Borphukan during the battle of Saraighat in 1671. Borphukan is best known for his battle leadership. The Mughal influence in the region had been completely eradicated by 1682.
Also Read: Assam: War memorial to come up at Battle of Alaboi site in Assam
Here few things you need to know about Lachit Borphukan:
Borphukan was raised in a comfortable household by his father, Momai Tamuli, who later rose to become the first Governor of Upper Assam and Commander-in-Chief of the Ahom army (Borbarua). Momai Tamuli set up his education in the humanities, military science, and scriptures.
Borphukan is widely credited with winning the Battle of Saraighat, which took place on the banks of the Brahmaputra. The Mughal army had 30,000 infantry, 15,000 archers, 18,000 Turkish cavalries, 5,000 gunners, and more than 1,000 canons. Borphukan knew that regular warfare would not be able to defeat these vast armies. As a result, the braveheart used guerrilla warfare tactics and wise terrain selection to lead the Ahom army to a decisive victory.
Since 1999, the National Defence Academy (NDA) has awarded the “Lachit Borphukan gold medal” to the best passing cadet.
