NAGAON, Assam

Main Attraction: Ankia Bhaona

The history of Assamese drama begins with the plays of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva, a great saint and social reforme ,written in the early sixteenth century. These plays are popularly known as Ankia Nats and staging is known as Bhaona. The Bhaona is a traditional form of entertainment, Bordowa Satra of Nagaon district which is the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva is a Shrine and a centre of Vaishnava art and culture

‘Ankia’means one act and ‘Nat’ means drama. Therefore, ‘Ankia Nat’ simply means one act play. Later, many of his followers (including Madhabdeva, the most famous disciple of Sankadeva) also wrote numerous dramas for Bhaona. These plays were written in a language called Brajavali. The Sutradhara of an Ankiya Nat, though not a character of the play, is an integral part of it; he recites slokas, sings, dances and explains in prose what is what at every stage of Bhaona. Apart from Sutradhara the” Bhaoriya”( the actors performing characters as per script.), “Gayan” (the singers), “Bayan” : (they plays khol, Taal etc. from the beginning to the end of bhaona) plays important role in Ankia Bhaona. Ankia Nat always conveys religious or social messages.

Brief History

The old Nagaon district with its headquarter at Puranigudam was known as Khargarijan in the past. There was a canal in the middle of the district which extended from north-east to south-west for several kilometers .This canal was surrounded by reeds which were locally known as khagaries and the district was named after these khagaries as Khargarijan. The Kacharis attacked the kingdom of Ahom king Pratap Sinha during his reign (1603- 1641 AD) and advanced up to Kaliabor . The people of Kaliabor and Raha fled in panic leaving hearth and home. Shortly after expulsion of the Kacharis from the Ahom kingdom, the king posted one officer named Momai Tamuli Barbaruah to rebuild this area. He established new villages and settlement them in these new villages and resettled them in these new villages. This new settlement was therefore called Nagaon. The word ‘Na’ means new and ‘Gaon’ means village. 

From this time, the place was renamed as Nagaon in place of Khagarijan. It can be said distinctly that the whole of the Nagoan district was a separate kingdom under its own rulers. The recent research activities show that the whole of Nagaon district consisted of different independent kingdoms ruled by different rulers such as the king of Kamrupa, the Jaintias, the Kacharis, the Bara-Bhuyans , the Koches, the Ahoms etc.

The Pragjyotishpur was the ancient name of Assam and Kamrupa in the medieval period. The erstwhile Nagaon district was a part of the ancient kingdom of Pragjyotishpur and was ruled by dynasties of Barman, Salastambha and the Palas of Pusya Varman. The first historical dynasty of the Bhauma Naraka family believed to have ruled in ancient Assam about 355 AD.

From various sources like epigraphs and literary works the existence of two kingdoms of Davaka (Daboka) and Kadali within the present Nagaon district were traced. The remains of forts, temples and building are the example of existence. Some of these ruins are attributed the capital of a king named Hansadhaj during the fourth century A.D. It is evident from the Badganga inscription Davaka of Bhutivarman (553-554A.D) formed an integral part of his kingdom of Kamrupa. Like Davaka, Kadali was an independent kingdom of Nagaon district ruled by Kirata of Mongolian chiefs and was included in Kamrupa in the sixth century A.D. Though this kingdom lost its independence, it did not lose its entity as late as the eleventh century A.D. when the Palas ruled in Kamrupa. By this time Kadali was ruled by a woman named Kamala with the help of her sister and ministers for this it was known as Narirajya. She was probably a Kachari or Jaintia queen. This kingdom is identified with Kadali of Nagaon .

The entire area of Nagaon district formed an integral part of Kamrupa during the reign of Bhutivarman (510-555A.D.) who was eight in descent from Pusyavarman of Bhauma dynasty. He was also known as Mahabhutavarman who ruled for forty-five years.

Bhaskarvarman, (594-650A.D.) who was the greatest monarch in the Bhaum family received the sunken fortunes of his family. He was well educated in Sastras. His alliance with Harsh that has been recorded in the Harshacharit by Bana, is a landmark in the history of Kamarupa. In 643A.D.Hiuen Tsiang, the Chinese pilgrim was invited by the king. He, in his travel account recorded highly of Bhaskar Varman.With the passage of time Bhaskar Barman’s the dynasty who ruled over Kamrupa for many generations came to an end and the new family of Salastambha ascended the throne of Kamrupa.Salastambha was also a powerful king as surmised from the Bargaon grant which describes him as a tiger-like king. The Bargaon copper plate grant of Ratnapala states that there were as many as 21 rulers of Salastambha’s family who rules Kamrupa from 970 to 990 A.D. The accession of Harsa (725-750 A.D) to the throne of Kamrupa, marked an era of prosperity and territorial expansion. He gave his daughter Rajyamati in marriage in the king of Nepal. The discovery of Hayunithal grant of Harijaravarman in the Kopili valley points to the fact that Nagoan was an integral part of his kingdom. Vanamala son of Harijaraj varman had a long period of reign. He was mighty monarch and extended his kingdom through conquests. His grandson Balavarman II was also as powerful king (885-910A.D). His two grants viz, the Nagaon grant found on the bank of the Kalang in Sutargaon near Puranigudam and the Uttar Barbil grant near Howraghat, in Mikir Hills (now Karbi Anglong) prove that Nagoan formed a major part of Kamrupa during 10th century A.D.

According to Bargaon grant of Ratnapal,Bramhmapala (990-1010A.D) succeeded Tyagasinha, the last of the twenty one rulers of the Satastambha dynasty and founded a new line. The king Tyagasinha had no son. After his death his officials elected Brahmapala of the line of Naraka and kindred of the departed king to be the king of Kamrupa. He was a founder of the Palas dynasty. Brahmapala extended his territory over whole of the Nagaon district. He shifted his capital from Haruppeswar/Haruppesvara to a place on the bank of the Lauhitya (Brahmaputra). He was succeeded by his son Ratnapala. The new capital after being fortified by Ratnapala came to know as Durjaya. The Durjaya continued to be the capital of the Palas kings till 1115A.D. The successors of Ratnapala were from Purandarapala, Indrapala, Gopala, Harsapala, Dharmpala and to Jayapala. The most important and powerful among them was Dharmapala. The lost territory of the kingdom during the region of Gopala and Harsapala were recaptured by Dharmapala and restarted the lost glory of Kamrupa by increasing its territory to the west of the Karotoya. 

The darkness was descended on the history of Kamrupa including Nagaon after the expiry of the last king Jayapala (1120-1138 A.D.). Rampala the king of Gauda, conquered Kamrupa during the region of Jayapala. Rampala conquered only the Bengal portion of Kamrupa and placed Tigyadeva as his vassal. After the death of Ramapala, Tingyadeva revolted but Vaidyadeva son of Rampala suppressed the revolt. Vaidyadeva defeated and killed Tigyadeva. He ruled Kamrupa till two other kings succeeded in 1150 A.D. An important king of Kamrupa. Prithu repulsed two Muslim invasions Bakhtiyar (1202A.D) and Ghiasuddin Iwaz (1226 A.D.) and was finally over thrown by Nasiruddin. The next king was Sandhya after Prithu as mentioned in Gurucharita of Ramacharan Thaukur. He repulsed the invasion of Ikhtiyaruddin Yuzbak in 1256-57A.D.

At the time of 13th century a king named Arimatta of the Jitary family came from the north of Brahmaputra and conquered Nagaon and extended his kingdom up to Majuli of Jorhat district after Arimatta, his son Jangalbalahu became the king of a territory which formed the western part of Nagaon district. He constructed a fort near Raha known as Jangalbalahugarh, which is still in existence. The king was defeated by the Kacharis and drowned himself in the Kolong River. After that the Hindu families began to decline and many small principalities were founded by the Ahoms, the Kacharis, the Khasis, the Jayantias and the Bhuyans in the 13th century A.D.

In the 14th century A.D. the son-in-law of the Behali king established a kingdom at Barhmapur of Nagoan district that later on extended his territory upto Sonapur. The Kacharis and Ahoms had made several fights between each other. A battle was fought on the bank of the Dikhou in 1490A.D.with the Ahoms. Again in 1526 and 1531 A.D. the Ahom and Kacharis fought on the bank of the same River. The Kacharis were defeated and the king brother Detcha was killed. In 1536 A.D. Detsung the Kacharis kings quarreled with the Ahoms. And the Kacharis had to leave Dimapur and set up a new capital at Maibong. Here also they met reverses in the hands of Chilarai brother of Koch king Narnarayan. Upto 1603 A..D the Kacharis held a greater part of Nagoan. In the middle of the 16th century the Northern part of Nagaon began to pass into the hands of Ahoms king but from time to time it was over run by the Koches, Mohammdans and Kacharis.

To get rid of Bhutias, in the north, two descendants of Chandi, Bar- Bhuyan came to the south bank of the Brahmaputra and settled at Batadraba in Nagaon District. The story regarding Bara Bhuyans goes that Samudra administered the kingdom defeating all his rivals with his Bhuja or arms for which the name Bhuyan came. After Samudra, Manohar became the king at Vishwanath. After his death, his daughter Laksmi ruled for about 14th years. She gained the love of the Sun God and she gave birth to two sons, Santanu and Samanta. Santanu and his twelve sons came to Rampur in Nagaon district and their descendants came to be known as Bara Bhuyans. Samanta remained at Lakhimpur and from him sprang the branch of Saru Bara Bhuyan. Prior to the 15th century, the Bara Bhuyans maintained their independence against the Kacharis and Chutia kings. But with the entrance of the Ahoms, the glory of the Bhuyans started declining. From the middle of the 15th century the Ahom kingdom expended towards the west at the expense of the Bara Bhuyans, Kacharis and Chutias.In 1535 A.D.the Ahom king the Dihingia Raja defeated the Bara Bhuyans and ransacked the territory and made them feudatory chiefs. In 1623 during the region of Pratap Sinha(1603-41A.D.) one of the Bhuyan chiefs named Uday declared independence and his example was followed by many others.

The Bhuyans made distinct contributions to Assamese socio-cultural and religious life. Sankardeva, the great saint poet of Assam and the preceptor of the Vaishnavite movement in Assam was a member of the Baro Bhuyan family and was born at Bardowa in Nagaon district in 1449 A.D.

In 1685 A.D. the Ahom kingdom expelled the Muhammedans and extended their supremacy over five districts of the Brahmaputra valley. In the beginning, the district Nagaon was administered from the Ahom capital Garhgaon by the representatives. But after wards one Barphukan was appointed with its headquarters at Guwahati who administered the area from Kaliabar of Nagaon district to Goalpara as the Ahom kings deputy. In the year 1803, the Ahom army marched to Raha and then to Jamunamukh of Nagaon district where they mounted an attack on the Kacharis and the Moamaries who had burnt and razed villages near Nagaon. The United troops could not easily defeat the royal army; as such Buragohain was compelled to send for replenishment to face the rebellion. Then a fight took place near Nagaon. The insurgents lost the battle and fled down the Kalong to Raha. The Ahom pursued them up to Doboka and shattered them by burning their villages. Prior to this the Kacharis and the Moamaries disputed and quarreled over some matters where upon some of the Kacharies defeated to the Ahom camp. They received a reward of land grants near Bebejia from the Ahom king.

On the death of Kamaleswar Sinha, the brother Chandra Kanta Sinha ascended the throne assuming the Ahom name Sudinpa. He saw the end of the Ahom ruled and the beginning of a new chapter in Assam’s history. As he was a small boy in age, the Buragohain conducted all the administrative business. In his regime, the first Burmese army came to Assam in the end of 1816 A.D. at the invitation of Badan Chandra Barphokan. Chandra Kanta was made a nominal king by the Burmese while full powers were vested in the Burphokan but later on Chandra Kanta was over thrown and Purandar Sinha took the throne in 1818.A.D. The Burmese again defeated Purandar Sinha in 1819 and Chandra Kanta was made a nominal King but he was afraid of his safety and he fled away to the British territory in 1821. Chandra Kanta collecting some troops, made futile attempts to oust the Burmese.

The easy victories in Assam gained by the Burmese encouraged them to commit various wanton acts of aggression at the northern frontier of Bengal, on the border of Chittagong and Sylhet. Due to which the British Governor General decided to resort to arms. But later on the Burmese were compelled to evacuate Nagaon and came to Jorhat. There also they were defeated by the British. Finally a treaty was concluded on February 24, 1826 at Yandaboo between the Burmese and the British.

During the early period of British rule Nagaon district was first administered with Kamrup and Darrang districts. But in 1835 it was formed into a separate district with headquarters of Puranigudam. The headquarters was shifted to Rangagora in 1835. But in 1839 the headquarters was again transferred to Nagaon due to the unhealthy nature of the place.

Nagaon district played very important role in the Quit India Movement. Some of the important episodes of the Nagaon district: during the struggle for independence mention may be made of Gandhi’s visit to Nagaon in 1921, organization of Santi Sena, dislocation of railway lines in 1942, Bebejia firing, Jangalbalahu firing, Barpujia firing, Barhampur firing etc. In this firing many persons lost their lives for the cause of independence. The people of Nagaon continued to play a vital role in the freedom movement till India achieved independence on August 15th, 1947.

The history of the district as an administrative until can be tract out only from the time of its annexation by the British. During the British rule the district Nagaon included considerable portion of the Naga Hills, when North Cachar was formed a separate sub-division. Thereafter in 1867 the position of Naga Hills and Mikir Hills were separated and formed into a separate district. But in 1898 a large position Mikir Hills again transferred to Nagaon and combined with North Cachar Sub-division to form a new district to be known as Untied Mikir and North Cachar Hills district. In 1898 Marigoan Sub-division was separated from the district Nagaon and formed a new district known as Marigaon district.