Bakata
Bakata (located in present-day Sibsagar district) was first an Ahom province (Mueang) and later the capital of the Ahom kingdom[1] established by the Ahom king Suhungmung (1497–1539) in the 16th century. Since his capital was by the Dihing river, Suhungmung is also known as the Dihingia Raja. The next king, Suklenmung (1539–1552), moved the capital to Garhgaon. Studies of palaeochannels in Upper Assam based on satellite imagery match with the historical accounts and suggest that the Dihing River once followed a more southerly course and likely joined the Disang River near Bakata.[2] The Satsari Buranji mentions that the Bakata province during the reign of Tao Khamti was under the rule of his brother Susheng-phaa.[3]
The place is recorded in the Chinese chronicle Ming Shilu[4] and is referred to as 八家塔 or Ba-jia-ta (pronounced as Ba-ka-ta in older forms of Chinese[5]), an early 15th-century polity ruled by the Tai/Ahom chief Dao-Qing-Han.[6] Before it became the Ahom capital in the early 16th century, the Ming Shilu describes Bajiata as one of the three Ahom polities annexed in 1408 by Podi-nalang (last name Narayan)[7] of Da Gu-la, an unidentified polity located somewhere in Assam, in the year 1408 AD.[8] According to the chronicle, Podi-nalang attacked the three Ahom polities of Di-ban (identified with Tipam[a]), Ba-jia-ta, and Meng-lun, occupied their territories, and carried off their chiefs Kan-jie-li-mei, Dao-Qing-Han, and Dao-Han-Ti[b] respectively.[13] The subsequent imperial order described the three polities as “isolated and weak, without ready assistance”, and instructed Podi-nalang to return their territories, officials, people, livestock and property.[14]
The historical Bakhar Bengena tree, scientifically dated to 1433–34 CE, corresponding to an age of about 580 years in 2013–14, is located at Bakata. Local tradition identifies the tree as having once marked the boundary between the Chutia and Ahom kingdoms.[15][16] This tradition is broadly consistent with the Buranjis, which describe the Dihing River, lying west of Bakata, as a boundary between the two kingdoms.[17][18]
Notes
[edit]- ↑ Geoff Wade identifies Di-ban as Tipam and describes it as a polity associated with the early Ahom sphere.[9] Laichen Sun likewise identifies Di-ban with Tipam, placing it among the early fifteenth-century polities situated between the Brahmaputra valley and northern Myanmar.[10]
- ↑ The Ming name 刀罕替 (Dao Hanti) may be a Chinese rendering of the Tai name Tao/Thao Khamti. Evans notes that the Chinese character 刀 was used for the Tai chiefly title tao/thao[11], while Daniels identifies the Chinese name Daihan with Tai Tai Kham, indicating that 罕 (han) could transcribe Tai kham.[12] The resulting form closely resembles the name of the Ahom ruler Tao Khamti.
References
[edit]- ↑ Baruah, S. L. (1985). A Comprehensive History of Assam. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. p. 227.
Suhungmung made Bakata on the Dihing River his capital.
- ↑ Sarma, J.N, A study on palaeochannels from satellite imagery in a part of Upper Assam, p.77-78
- ↑ Bhuyam, S.K, "Satsari Buranji", p.10
- ↑ Wade, Geoff (1994). The Ming Shi-lu (Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty) as a Source for Southeast Asian History, 14th to 17th Centuries (PhD thesis). University of Hong Kong. doi:10.5353/th_b3123394.
Ba-jia-ta ... undoubtedly refers to Bakata in Assam
- ↑ The pinyin form Bā-jiā-tǎ reflects modern Mandarin pronunciation. The character 家, now read jiā, is reconstructed by Baxter and Sagart with Middle Chinese kae and Old Chinese *kˤra, showing an earlier velar k- initial.Baxter, William H.; Sagart, Laurent (20 September 2014). "Baxter-Sagart Old Chinese reconstruction, version 1.1" (PDF). University of Michigan.
家 jiā Middle Chinese kae Old Chinese *kˤra
- ↑ Southeast Asia in the Ming Shilu: An open access, "(9th July 1406): The envoy Xuan-ma-sa and others who had been sent by the native ruler Po-di-na-lang of Da Gu-la and other places, advised: "In our region there are seven territories, namely Da Gu-la, Xiao Gu-la, Di-ma-sa, Cha-shan, Di-ban, Meng-lun and Ba-jia-ta. They are all in the extreme South-west and since ancient times there had been no contact with China. Now that the Heavenly Court has sent officials to promulgate orders of grace, all the people want to be within the Empire, and they request that offices be established to administer them. They also request that the nearby people who have not attached themselves be pacified and instructed." This was approved. As the regions of Da Gu-la and Di-ma-sa were broad, pacification superintendencies were established there, while in Xiao Gu-la, Cha-shan, Di-ban, Meng-lun and Ba-jia-ta, Chief's Offices were established. Po-di-na-lang was appointed as Da Gu-la Pacification Superintendent, and La-wang-pa was appointed as Di-ma-sa Pacification Superintendent, while Bai-zhang, Zao Zhang, Kan-jia-li-mei, Dao Han-ti and Dao Qing-han were appointed as the Chiefs of the Xiao Gu-la and other chief's offices."
- ↑ Southeast Asia in the Ming Shilu: An open access, “as the name of the Da Gu-la ruler recorded in the MSL -- Po-di-na-lang-- suggests "....narayan"”
- ↑ "The MSL refers to Ba-jia-ta as a polity subordinate to Da Gu-la. Given the likelihood that Da Gu-la indicates the Ahom (or other Assam) polity, there seems liitle doubt that Ba-jia-ta is the Chinese name for Bakata, which became the Ahom capital, located in today's Assam."(Wade 1994, p. 243)
- ↑ "Di-ban. Very likely Mung Tipam, a polity subordinate to the Ahom."(Wade 1994, p. 252)
- ↑ Sun, Laichen (2000). Ming–Southeast Asian Overland Interactions, 1368–1644 (PhD thesis). University of Michigan. p. 78.
Diban as Tipam
- ↑ Evans, Grant (2014). "The Ai-Lao and Nan Chao/Tali Kingdom: A Re-orientation" (PDF). Journal of the Siam Society. 102: 231.
Still today, many pa-yi chiefs have the Chinese surname Tao 刀 because chief is "tao" in pa-yi. The Chinese have made a family name out of a title. Thao is an honorific in Lao, and other Tai languages.
- ↑ Daniels, Christian (2023). "When did the Ahom Migrate to Assam?". Indian Journal of Tai Studies. 23: 39.
The Mongol-Yuan appointed the Baiyi leader of Mengguang, Daihan (Tai: Tai Kham), as a native official.
- ↑ Southeast Asia in the Ming Shilu: An open access,"(21st August 1408): An envoy was sent to take orders with which to instruct Po-di-na-lang, the Da Gu-la Pacification Superintendent. At this time, the Supervising Secretary Zhou Rang and others had returned from Gu-la and said that, without authority, Po-di-na-lang had dispatched troops to attack the Di-ban, Meng-lun and Ba-jia-ta Chief's Offices, occupied their land and carried off the native official Jia-li-mei and others."
- ↑ Wade, Geoff. "Yong-le: Year 6, Month 8, Day 1 (21 August 1408)". Southeast Asia in the Ming Shi-lu. Asia Research Institute and Singapore E-Press, National University of Singapore. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
Di-ban, Meng-lun and Ba-jia-ta are isolated and weak, without ready assistance.
- ↑ Government of Assam website: Bakhar Bengena Tree
- ↑ Faraway wishing tree
- ↑ Assam Buranji(SM), p.9
- ↑ Bhuyan, S.K., Satsari Buranji, p.56