(SIU is a totemic symbol of the clan meaning “tiger”. In keeping with the family custom, his maternal grandparents named him “SIU-KA-PHA” meaning “a tiger from heaven“.)
Born in 1192 A.D. to Chao Chang-ngeu, son of Chao Chang-bun of Mung Khu Mung Ja (of Khunlung line) and Nang Mong –Blok-Kham-Sen, daughter of Chao Tai-pung , old king of Maolung and younger sister of King Pa-meo-pung of Mung Mao-lung, Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha was the nominated King (Het Chao) of Mung Mao-lung till he was 19 years of age. However destiny had other plans. When his maternal aunt and her 3-year-old son Siu-Khan-Pha laid claim to the throne, Siu-Ka-Pha in his characteristic way in displaying his sense of generosity and righteousness relinquished the throne of Mung Maolung.
Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha, by that time, was a great warrior and he could have staged war against his cousin but chose not to. This was one of the rarest qualities of his, which became his guiding principle in later life. Peace and negotiation became the corner stone of his future policy and generosity and adaptability became his forte to win hearts and influence people in his adventures into the unknown west ‘where the birds went to rest after dusk’. However, in his long sojourn, he was always on the march and he could not rest properly even in our country as he was in search of a very suitable place where there were no floods. Moreover, as a Tai, he was always on the look-out for places where there was water for wet paddy cultivation and the river valleys were the best for that.
Siu-Ka-Pha went to his father’s country and had consultations with the nobles and officers and decided not to stay in the vicinity of his maternal cousin’s kingdom and instead set out in the year towards the west to find new kingdom. He was a firm believer in not shedding his kin’s blood and in the principle of ‘live and let live’. He was aware of Kamrup or Mung Pa-Kam and knew the journey over the hills and the dales to be an arduous one.
Siu-Ka-Pha took all the men coming from his father’s kingdom Mung-kha Mung-ja. Nine thousand warriors accompanied him. Seven nobles led the army. These nobles were men of determination and strong willed who were ready to sacrifice their lives for Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha. Three hundred cavalry were also there along with one female and one male elephant.
The importance of Siu-Ka-Pha was the fact that he was a peace loving king and did not shed blood in the Brahmaputra valley when he started expanding his hold over the territories here. He displayed his high sense of diplomacy by befriending the local kings of the Morans and the Barahis. He was an expert strategist in entering into the diplomatic relations with the local kings. He developed a very strong spy network to inform him about the local kings and the populace.
These spies first went from village to village and spread the message that Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha descended from heaven and the Lord of Heaven sent him to rule the earth. They tried to persuade the local kings and the people to accept his suzerainty and even had recourse to many subterfuges to get him recognized as the overlord. In fact, it is clearly recorded in history that he conquered the Naga country in the hills, the Kamata king, the Kachari king and the Chutia king, that too without shedding blood and having recourse to diplomacy.
He befriended the Moran and the Barahi kings who recognized him as their overlord by giving away one princess each in marriage to him. By entering into such matrimonial alliances, he encouraged his unmarried men to take wives from the local population. The beauty of it was that the families from which they married were made Ahoms, the new name of the Tais led by Siu-Ka-Pha having the equal social position with the Tais. The instances are galore of many notable Ahom families tracing their origin to the different tribes and castes of this country.
Another important quality of Chaopha Siu-Ka-Pha was the strategy adopted by him in not imposing his language and religion on the subjects of his kingdom. The Tai language was the court language and was spoken by the Tais . The Tai religion was quite different from that of the religion practiced by the local people. Its main features were the worship of the spirits of the dead kin in the family and the worship of the gods of heaven and the gods of the wilderness.
Due to the intermarriages with the local Moran, Barahis, Chutias, Kacharis, the Tai families in which these girls got married were to teach the brides the ways of the Tais and their culture and language. In reciprocation, the Tais began to learn the local language Kamrupi (called the Assamese language, later on) and thus a common lingua-franca developed which blossomed into the chaste Assamese language.
The presence of the Hindu pavilion in Umpha worship which is a particular Tai form of worship speaks volumes of the progress of assimilation and integration. No doubt, Chaopha Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha laid the foundation of a strong common race and a common language called Assamese. In fact, the name of this country became Assam (Axom) from the generic name Ahom by which the local people used to call Siu-Ka-Pha and his accompanying Tais.
The material development by introduction of Muga silk, stretched looms, artifacts, horses, utensils ,dresses, types of houses etc. and the green revolution by introduction of the plough and buffalo etc encouraging the locals to go for wet paddy cultivation in place of slash and burn method are the material contributions of Chaopha Siu-Ka-Pha, the great Tai King and the First King of Assam.
Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha’s westward journey passed through three sovereign countries – China, Myanmar and India. The first section is from Mong Mao in Yunnan to the border of Myanmar is 192 k.m. The second section is from the border of China to India’s border at Pangsu Pass is 335 k.m. The third section is from the Pangsu Pass to Charaideo in Sivasagar is 488 k.m. He established his permanent capital in Che Rai Doi (Che Tam Doi Che Lung Che Kham Ran) in around 1152-53 C.E. The total journey extents over 1123 k.m.
In the year 1268 A.D. this great leader of men died after ruling for forty one years. He was buried by way of building a moidam or mausoleum in the Tai way and the system of burial by way of burial started from that time.
In conclusion, Swargadeo Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha not only created an united state of Assam, the westward journey of Siu-Ka-Pha itself opened route from southern China to India via Upper Burma (Myanmar), and hence the inflow of ideas, systems, language, culture, etc. from southwestern China to North-East India. He developed a new political philosophy of a strong and united kingdom on a new ideal of protection and preservation of various indigenous groups of people. And finally, he was successful in creating a new economy based on wet-paddy cultivation.
To know more about Swargadeo Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha, the Ahoms, and the Great State of Assam, check back soon for our Resources page.