Shukladhwaj (1510 – 1571 AD), or more popularly Chilarai, was the younger brother of Nara Narayan, the king of the Kamata kingdom
in the 16th century. He was Nara Narayan's commander-in-chief and he
got his name Chilarai because his movement as a general was as fast as a
chila (kite). Chilarai is known to have descended from the powerful founder of the Koch dynasty
of Kamatapur, Viswa Simha. By his valour, he played a significant role
in expanding the empire of his elder brother, Maharaja Nara Narayan. His
valour ensured Koch supremacy over the Bhutia, Kachari kingdom and the
Ahoms though several battles were fought between the Koches and Ahoms
with countable victories for both sides.
Biography
Chilarai was the third son of Maharaja Viswa Singha (1523-1554 A.D.). His mother Padmavati was from the country called Gaur.
Chilarai was instrumental in giving Srimanta Sankardev
protection and shelter, as well as marrying his niece Kamalapriya
(alias Bhubaneswari). It was only due to his Royal Patronage that
Sankaradev was able to establish the Ek Saran Naam Dharma in Assam and bring about his cultural renaissance. His son and grandson were responsible for breaking away of Koch Hajo from the parent kingdom.
Shukladhwaj also named Chilarai which means 'Kite Prince' was perhaps
the greatest general that Indian history ignored. A master military
strategist, he was the commander of elder brother and Koch king
Naranarayan's army. Chilarai's valour ensured Koch supremacy over the
Bhutia, Kachari kingdom (of Hadimba, now dimapur) and the Ahoms (though
several battles were fought between the Koches and Ahoms with countable
victories for both sides). In June 1563 the Koches under the command of
Chilarai managed to occupy the capital of Ahom, Gargaon.
Several Kings namely the then Raja of Manipur and the Khasi chief
(Viryyavanta) submitted to the Koch army.The Jaintia Raja and Rajas of
Tippera(Tripura) and Sylhet were also vanquished and put to death by
Chilarai and his army. It must be mentioned that Chilarai never
committed brutalities on unarmed common people and even those kings who
offer their surrender were treated with utmost respect. Only those kings
and soldiers who refused to surrender were treated with strong hands.
But the brothers never annexed conquered territories nor oppressed the
people. They only collected tributes from the vanquished kings. Even
enemy- prisoners were kindly treated and given land-grants to settle”.
Chilarai also adopted guerrilla warfare successfully- even before Shivaji Maharaja of Maratha empire did.
The duo (Chilarai and Naranarayan) turned towards Bengal but due to
unforeseen circumstances Chilarai was captured by the Afghan Sultan
Sulaiman Karrani while Naranarayan retreated to his capital. Much of the
Koch kingdom was captured by the Afghans thereafter. However Chilarai
and Nara Narayan later rebuilt the Kamakhya temple that the Sultan's army had destroyed. They also patronized the great Vaishnavite movement of Sankardev.
Bir Chilarai Divas
The birth anniversary of Mahabir Chilarai is organized by Government of Assam annually from 2005.The Government also declares this day as state holiday.
Bir Chilarai Award
The awards instituted by the Directorate of Cultural Affairs,
Government of Assam in 2005 which comprise a shawl, a citation and a
cheque of Rs. 1 lakh
References
- ^ "Article Details". Ht Syndication. 2013-03-03. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
- ^ "History Book of Cooch Behar". Coochbehar.nic.in. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
- ^ Baruah Sarma, Geetima. "Bir Chilarai – The Great General of Assam". India-north-east.com. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
- ^ Sukhabilāsa Barmā (2004). Bhāwāiyā: Ethnomusicological Study. Global Vision Publishing Ho. pp. 75–. ISBN 978-81-8220-070-8. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ^ Donald R. Hopkins (15 September 2002). The Greatest Killer: Smallpox in History. University of Chicago Press. pp. 141–. ISBN 978-0-226-35168-1. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ^ "BirChilarai - Assam Online Portal". Online.assam.gov.in. 2013-04-01. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
- ^ "Chilarai | Vir Chilarai | Bir Chilarai | History of Chilarai | Kamata kingdom | Bir Chilarai Divas | Bir Chilarai Award". Assaminfo.com. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
- ^ http://www.samachar.com/Bir-Chilarai-Ganesh-Gogoi-Bhaben-Saikia-awards-presented-lcvkPDcbeja.html
Further reading
- Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa (2003). Generalissimo Chilarai and his times: a historical biography. Vikram Publishers. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- Guptajit Pathak (2008). Assam's history and its graphics. Mittal Publications. pp. 132–. ISBN 978-81-8324-251-6. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- Sarkar, J N (1992), "Chapter IV: Early Rulers of Koch Bihar", in Barpujari, H. K., The Comprehensive History of Assam 2, Guwahati: Assam Publication Board
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