#GS-01 Indian History
- Lachit Borphukan was a commander and Borphukan, in the Ahom kingdom in present day Assam.
- He is known for his leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat that thwarted a drawn-out attempt by Mughal forces under the command of Ramsingh I to take over Ahom kingdom.
- He was chosen as one of the five Borphukans of the Ahom kingdom by king Charadhwaj Singha, and given administrative, judicial, and military responsibilities.
- Lachit Borphukan died a year after the Battle of Saraighat from a long festering illness.
- He was buried at Teok in Jorhat and a maidam (a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave) was commissioned in his honor.
- The Ahom kingdom was established by Sukaphaa, a Tai prince from present-day Yunnan Province, China.
- It expanded drastically under Suhungmung in the 16th century.
- The Ahom kings ruled large parts of what is now known as Assam for nearly 600 years, from the early 13th century to the early 19th century.
- The Ahoms engaged in a series of conflicts with the Mughals from 1615-1682, starting from the reign of Jahangir till the reign of Aurangzeb.
- Aurangzeb dispatched Raja Ram Singh I of Jaipur in 1669 to Ahom eventually resulting in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671.
- Borphukan was one of the five patra mantris (councillors) in the Ahom kingdom.
- The position was created by the Ahom king Prataap Singha.
- The position included both executive and judicial powers, with jurisdiction of the Ahom kingdom west of Kaliabor river.
- The region to the east of Kaliabor was governed by the Borbarua who was another one of the five patra mantris.
- The Borphukan was also responsible for maintaining diplomatic relationships with the ruling houses in Bengal and Bhutan.
- The Borphukan’s residence was situated in the present Fancy Bazaar area of Guwahati.