Habung

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Historical Place of Assam

title: "Habung" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["history-of-assam", "dhemaji", "ahom-kingdom"] description: "Historical Place of Assam" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habung" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Historical Place of Assam ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Habung_Entrance.jpg" caption="The entrance of the temple built in memory of Sukapha who visited Habung in search of agricultural land in the 13th century."] ::

Habung is a historical region in present-day Lakhimpur district of Assam, although some claim it to be a part of present-day Dhemaji district. As per epigrahic records, Habung (Ha-vrnga-Vishaya) was a vishaya or province where Brahmins were settled by Ratna Pala of the Pala dynasty of Kamarupa in the 10th century, After the fall of Kamrupa, the region became part of Chutia kingdom where Chutia kings made land grants to Brahmins. Sukaphaa, the first Ahom king, is known to have spent three years in Habung before finally settling down at Charaideo in 1253.

History

Early history

The earliest reference to Habung comes in the 10th century copper plate grant of Ratnapala of the Pala dynasty, when it was a province (visaya) of the Kamarupa Kingdom with Brahmin settlements.Habung was a Chutiya dependency; that still earlier it was an autonomous principality of Brahmins; and that the latter's origins could be traced back to a circa 10th-century copper-plate and grant issued by king Ratnapala It is known that Sukaphaa, the Ahom king, spent a few years in Habung before finally settling down at Charaideo in 1253.

Medieval period

Copperplates of land grants made in this region are those by the Chutia kings, that date back to the year 1392 AD when king Satyanarayan donated 600 puti of land to a Brahman named "Narayan Dwij" at Dhenukhana. This was the time when the Ahom prince Sudangphaa was still living with his Brahmin foster family at Habung. The copper plate of Chutia king Dharmanarayan dated 1428 A.D. mentions Sri Vrihat-patra as Habung-aadhipati (lord of Habung). The plate records land grants of 400 puti given to a Brahmin named Purandar Vipra, indicating that Habung was a principality of the Chutia kingdom.

The land grant reads,{{Quote |text=“Purandharai Viprai Bhuputinang Saturkhatam Nripadeshata Samagatya Dadadi-Sashana Dadou-Habung-adhi” |author = Copper plate dated to 1428 found in Chapakhowa, Sadiya(Scribe: Swarnakara Krishna Sadhu)}}

Suhungmung, the Ahom king, following an expansionist policy and annexed Panbari of Habung in 1512 AD, which was a part of the Chutia kingdom. The Chutia king Dhirnarayan attacked the Ahoms at Dikhoumukh the next year, but was unsuccessful. The Chutias again attacked the Ahoms in 1520 and occupied the areas up to Namdang and Mungkhrang.

The last copperplate recording a grant made in the region was issued by king Dhirnarayan in 1522 A.D. at a place known as Konwargaon (present-day Dhakuakhana) after which the region was finally annexed by the Ahom king Suhungmung in 1523 A.D.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/1522_Copper_plate_of_land_grant_made_by_Dhirnarayan.jpg" caption="This is the copper plate inscription for the 1522 land grant made by Dhirnarayan in Dhakuakhana or historic Habung"] ::

Popular culture

The Habung region finds mention in several folk songs and tales. For instance, there is a Nisukoni geet (a form of lullaby) where the author talks about an old man (Habungia Burha) and a carpenter (Habungia Barhoi) from Habung.

Notes

References

  • {{citation |last=Guha |first=Amalendu |year=1983 |title=The Ahom Political System: An Enquiry into the State Formation Process in Medieval Assam (1228-1714) |journal=Social Scientist |volume=11 |issue=12 |pages=3–34 |doi=10.2307/3516963 |jstor=3516963 |url=https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/123456789/3259/1/OP_64_The_ahom_political_system.pdf
  • {{citation |last=Wade |first= John Peter |year=1800 |title= An Account of Assam |pages=13-16 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.125418/page/13/mode/1up

References

  1. Wade (1800), in ''An Account of Assam'', notes that the region at the confluence of the [[Subansiri River. Subansiri]] and the [[Brahmaputra River. Brahmaputra]] rivers was known as ''Habung''. He also mentions that it was located near the districts of Gazlung, Narua and Telehi, all of which are located near the Subansiri river.
  2. {{harvp. Saikia. 2004
  3. "Habung was an ancient Brahmin settlement (Havrnga-Vishaya) situated near the mouth of the Dihing river." {{harvcol. Guha. 1983. Guha. 1983
  4. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3517005?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3A6f87fb68b5cbb9c5a988b6772e9607d3&seq=4#page_scan_tab_contents Guha, Amalendu,''Pre-Ahom Roots and the Medieval State in Assam: A Reply'',p. 73, ''Before its annexation by Ahoms, Habung was a Chutia dependency'']
  5. A Chutia chief named ''Vrihat-patra'' referred to as Habung-adhipati is mentioned in the copper plate of Durlabhnarayan dated to 1428 A.D. Another plate of Dhirnarayan dated 1522 AD was found in the region which indicates that Habung was reclaimed by Chutias in 1520 A.D. during the war of Dihinhmukh
  6. [https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/67151/11/11_chapter%203.pdf ''The mention of Dibbaisa river forming southern boundary and Saica the south-western boundary led P.C. Choudhury to identify the Havranga visaya with Habung country lying to east of the river Suvansiri during the 10th-11th century A.D. Habung, comprising present Dhakuakhana region was for centuries a centre of Aryan culture'']
  7. {{harvcol. Baruah. 2007
  8. {{harvcol. Baruah. 1986
  9. {{harvcol. Baruah. 2007
  10. {{harvcol. Baruah. 2007
  11. [https://archive.org/details/ahistoryassam01gaitgoog/page/n107/mode/1up Gait, Edward, "A History of Assam, p.84 The Chutias made no effort to regain their lost territory until 1520, when they attacked the Ahom fort at Mungkhrang. The Ahom commander was killed in a sortie and the garrison fled; and for a time the Chutias once more ruled this tract of country.]
  12. {{harvcol. Baruah. 2007

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