The Burmese influence on Assam in the 18th century

The Ahom dynasty existed from 1228 to 1826. In the 19th century, Assam faced interventions from both the Burmese and the British, leading to significant historical shifts. Another influential entity was the Ava Kingdom of Burma, which existed from 1365 to 1555 and had a profound impact on the Assamese monarch system. The first Burmese conquest of Assam occurred in 1817, after which it came under British control for the next century. However, a map drafted in 1792 by Dutch cartographer Jan Barend Elwe marked Assam as part of the 'States of Ava Kingdom,' sparking the discussion in this post.

The reason for this misinterpretation lies in the fact that the outside world knew Burma by the name of Ava for a considerable period until the 19th century. Although the capital of the ruling Burmese dynasty was Ratanapura (former name for Ava or Inwa), European cartographers collectively referred to the entire ruling clans of Arakan, Pegu, and Martaban as the 'Kingdom of Ava.' Despite the total conquest of Assam by Burma in 1817, Burmese interference in Assamese politics had begun a century earlier in the 1700s, culminating in the events of 1817. Early invasions from the 1750s saw the fall of Manipur, making the Burmese the ultimate masters of the Brahmaputra valley, followed by the surrender of rulers in Silchar and Jayantia (in Meghalaya). Manipur, in particular, suffered greatly from Burmese influence, lasting until 1824 when conflict arose with the British.

The ties between Assam and Burma were forged when Manipuri ruler Jay Singh sought assistance from the Ahom king of the Tunggkhukia family, Rajeshwar Singha or Suremphaa (reigning from 1751 to 1769) to liberate Manipur from Burmese control. The Ahom Chief Minister Purnananda Buragohain, serving three rulers between 1783 and 1817, aided a Shan chief against the Burmese Konbaung Dynasty. Simultaneously, Assam experienced a civil war involving three warring groups—the Moamorias, the controllers of institutional centres known as Sattra, and the Ahom chiefs—leading to a phase of instability and unrest known as the Moamoria Rebellion (1769 to 1805). These events created an opportunity for Burma to assert control over the entire Brahmaputra river valley.

Furthermore, when deposed Assamese subjects or members of the royal family sought refuge or assistance from Burmese royalties, they were promptly accepted, contributing to a complex political landscape in Assam. The intensity of Burmese influence in Assam and neighbouring areas, marked by atrocities and violence (known in Assamese as Manoor Akromon), led European cartographers to conveniently label it as mere 'influence' and place Assam under the 'States of Kingdom of Ava' on various maps. While the Ahoms are celebrated for resisting Mughal shadows for centuries, this aspect of their history often goes unnoticed, and the impact of Burmese politics on Assam remains under-appreciated. Even today, the Assamese population in Burma, known as Oitali, bears both Assamese and Burmese names and has adapted to Burmese practices and cultures.