Burmese Invasion of Assam — Question Answer
Welcome to HSLC Guru. This post provides complete ASSEB Class 9 Social Science History Chapter 4 solutions for Burmese Invasion of Assam.
সাৰাংশ: অষ্টাদশ শতিকাৰ শেষভাগত অসমৰ অহোম ৰাজশক্তি অভ্যন্তৰীণ ষড়যন্ত্ৰ আৰু দুৰ্বলতাত জৰ্জৰ হৈ পৰিছিল। প্ৰধানমন্ত্ৰী পূৰ্ণানন্দ বুঢ়াগোহাঁইৰ সৈতে বিৰোধ হোৱাত বদনচন্দ্ৰ বৰফুকনে ব্ৰহ্মদেশৰ (মান) ৰজা বডৌপায়াৰ সহায় বিচাৰি ১৮১৭ চনত মান সৈন্য অসমলৈ মাতি আনে। ইয়াৰ পিছত ১৮১৯ আৰু ১৮২১ চনত পুনৰ মানসকলে অসম আক্ৰমণ কৰি প্ৰত্যক্ষভাৱে শাসন-শোষণ চলায়, যাক ‘মানৰ দিন’ বুলি জনা যায়। মানসকলৰ অত্যাচাৰ, লুণ্ঠন আৰু হত্যাকাণ্ডত অসমৰ জনজীৱন বিপৰ্যস্ত হৈ পৰে। অৱশেষত ১৮২৬ চনৰ ২৪ ফেব্ৰুৱাৰীত স্বাক্ষৰিত ইয়াণ্ডাবু সন্ধিৰ যোগেদি মানসকলে অসম ত্যাগ কৰে আৰু অসমত ইংৰাজ শাসনৰ সূচনা হয়।
Summary: By the late 18th century the Ahom kingdom of Assam had been gravely weakened by internal conspiracies and misrule. After falling out with the powerful Prime Minister Purnananda Buragohain, Badanchandra Barphukan sought the help of the Burmese king Bodawpaya and brought a Burmese army into Assam in 1817. Further invasions followed in 1819 and 1821, after which the Burmese ruled Assam directly with great cruelty — a period remembered as the ‘Maanor Din’ (Burmese days). Their plunder, oppression and massacres devastated Assamese society. The First Anglo-Burmese War ended with the Treaty of Yandaboo on 24 February 1826, by which the Burmese left Assam and British rule began.
Textbook Questions and Answers
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
1. In which year did the Burmese interfere in the internal politics of Assam? (1816 / 1817 / 1819)
Answer: 1817.
2. ______ was the brother of Ruchinath Buragohain. (Jagannath Dhekial Phukan / Badanchandra Barphukan / Chandrakanta Buragohain)
Answer: Jagannath Dhekial Phukan.
3. In August of which year was Badanchandra murdered? (1816 / 1817 / 1818)
Answer: August 1818.
4. Numali Rajmao was the mother of ______. (Chandrakanta Singha / Purnananda Buragohain / Brajanath Gohain)
Answer: Chandrakanta Singha.
5. The Treaty of Yandaboo was concluded on 24 February of which year? (1818 / 1826 / 1828)
Answer: 1826.
Very Short / Short Answer
6. Which country was conquered by the Burmese in 1784 during the reign of King Bodawpaya?
Answer: Arakan, the coastal region to the east of Burma, was conquered by the Burmese in 1784.
7. From when did the enmity between the Burmese and the British begin?
Answer: It began after the Burmese conquered Arakan in 1784, when Arakanese refugees fled into British-held Bengal and created friction along the border; this enmity later took the form of three Anglo-Burmese wars fought between 1824 and 1885.
8. Name the king of Cachar who fled to Srihatta, unable to tolerate Burmese oppression.
Answer: Govinda Chandra, the king of Cachar.
9. After the defeat of the Ahoms in which battle did Purnananda Buragohain die?
Answer: He died after hearing of the Ahom defeat in the Battle of Ghiladhari (1817).
10. What is ‘Baishali Hukong’?
Answer: ‘Baishali Hukong’ was one of the scribes (Baishali) who accompanied the Burmese army into Assam and recorded the events of the campaign.
11. What is ‘Baishali Mung-dun-Sun Kham’?
Answer: ‘Baishali Mung-dun-Sun Kham’ was the other of the two scribes (Baishali) who accompanied the Burmese army and chronicled its activities in Assam.
12. Who was the Prime Minister of Assam when the Burmese army came with Badanchandra?
Answer: Purnananda Buragohain, the Buragohain (Prime Minister).
13. What was the strength of the Burmese army that came to Assam with Badanchandra?
Answer: About 8,000 Burmese soldiers.
14. How many additional soldiers did Badanchandra collect on his arrival in Assam?
Answer: About 8,000 more soldiers, gathered from the subordinate (tributary) chiefs.
15. What title did Chandrakanta Singha give Badanchandra on appointing him Prime Minister?
Answer: The title ‘Mantri Barphukan’.
16. Mention the years in which the Burmese invasions took place.
Answer: 1817, 1819 and 1821.
17. When was Badanchandra killed or assassinated?
Answer: In 1818.
Long Answer
18. Write in brief about the expansion of the Burmese empire in Manipur and Arakan.
Answer: From the time of Alaungpaya, the founder of the ruling Burmese dynasty, Burma began to expand westward. In 1784 King Bodawpaya conquered Arakan, the western coastal kingdom, and annexed it to his empire. After the occupation of Arakan, large numbers of Arakanese refugees fled into British-held Bengal, which created tension between the Burmese and the British along the border. The Burmese then repeatedly attacked Manipur in an effort to bring that kingdom under their control. By occupying Manipur, the Burmese planned to use Assam as a military base against the English. Thus the expansion of the Burmese empire in Arakan and Manipur created a new political situation on the eastern frontier, whose direct impact soon fell upon Assam as well.
19. Discuss how the despotism of Purnananda Buragohain gave birth to political conspiracies.
Answer: Purnananda Buragohain was the very powerful Prime Minister during the reigns of Kamaleswar Singha and Chandrakanta Singha. He concentrated the entire administration in his own hands, and the kings became little more than nominal rulers. His harsh and autocratic rule made many nobles, chiefs and officers deeply discontented. In particular, a bitter rivalry developed between him and Badanchandra Barphukan. As a result, several conspiracies were hatched against Purnananda, though at first he suppressed them with a firm hand. It was these internal feuds and conspiracies that ultimately weakened the Ahom state and paved the way for Burmese interference.
20. What was the ultimate result of the political conspiracies hatched against Purnananda Buragohain?
Answer: The conspiracies against Purnananda Buragohain did not succeed at first, and he crushed the conspirators severely. But his conflict with Badanchandra Barphukan grew serious; when Purnananda tried to arrest him, Badanchandra fled first to Calcutta and then to Burma, where he sought the help of the Burmese king. This became the direct cause of the Burmese army being invited into Assam. In 1817 the Burmese army arrived, and on hearing of the Ahom defeat at the Battle of Ghiladhari, Purnananda died. Thus the ultimate result of the internal feuds and conspiracies was Burmese interference in the Ahom kingdom and the collapse of its royal authority.
21. Why did the Burmese invade Assam under the leadership of Badanchandra Phukan? Give reasons.
Answer: Because of his conflict with Purnananda Buragohain, Badanchandra Barphukan sought the help of the Burmese king Bodawpaya in order to take revenge on his rival and gain power. On the other side, the Burmese king himself was looking for an opportunity to extend his empire westward and to use Assam as a military base against the English. Bodawpaya therefore granted Badanchandra’s request and sent a force of about 8,000 soldiers to Assam. Thus a combination of personal revenge and Burmese imperial ambition made the first Burmese invasion under Badanchandra’s leadership possible.
22. Discuss in brief the Burmese interference in Assam under the leadership of Badanchandra Barphukan.
Answer: In 1817 about 8,000 Burmese soldiers, led by Badanchandra Barphukan, crossed the Patkai range and entered Assam. On reaching Assam, Badanchandra gathered about 8,000 more soldiers from the subordinate chiefs. In the battles of Ghiladhari and Kathalbari the Ahom army of Purnananda’s side was defeated, and Purnananda died. Chandrakanta Singha then made peace and appointed Badanchandra as Prime Minister with the title ‘Mantri Barphukan’. Badanchandra became the real master of the kingdom, while Chandrakanta Singha remained king only in name. Once their task was done, the Burmese army returned to Burma with many gifts.
23. Discuss the causes of the Burmese invasion of Assam.
Answer: There were several causes behind the Burmese invasion of Assam. First, the internal conspiracies of the Ahom kingdom, the quarrels among the nobles and the rivalry between Purnananda and Badanchandra had weakened the state. Secondly, Badanchandra Barphukan invited the Burmese army into Assam by seeking the help of the Burmese king against his rival. Thirdly, the Burmese king Bodawpaya wished to expand his empire westward and to use Assam as a military base against the English. In addition, the wealth and fertile land of Assam also attracted the Burmese. This combination of internal weakness and external ambition opened the way for the repeated Burmese invasions.
24. What were the results of the Burmese invasion of Assam?
Answer: The results of the Burmese invasion of Assam were terrible. The nearly six-hundred-year-old Ahom rule collapsed, and Assam passed under British control. Through the Burmese plunder, oppression and brutal massacres, countless people were killed or forced to flee the country. Many villages became deserted, agriculture and trade were destroyed, and the economy of the kingdom broke down completely. This period is known in the history of Assam as the ‘Maanor Din’ (Burmese days), remembered as a time of great suffering. Finally, the Treaty of Yandaboo of 1826 ended Burmese rule and marked the beginning of British rule in Assam.
25. Which rebellion is known as the ‘Panimua rebellion’?
Answer: The rebellion that broke out during the reign of Kamaleswar Singha against the autocratic rule of the Prime Minister Purnananda Buragohain is known as the ‘Panimua rebellion’. Various discontented officers and common subjects took part in this rebellion. Purnananda’s concentration of power and harsh system of administration had created this widespread discontent. Although the rebellion was ultimately suppressed, it revealed the internal weakness and disorder of the Ahom kingdom.
26. Mention two results of the military intervention of the Burmese in Assam in 1817.
Answer: Two chief results of the Burmese military intervention in Assam in 1817 were — (a) the Ahom army was defeated in the Battle of Ghiladhari and the Prime Minister Purnananda Buragohain died, which brought his autocratic rule to an end; and (b) Badanchandra Barphukan gained real power with the title ‘Mantri Barphukan’ while Chandrakanta Singha remained king only in name, and through this the direct influence of the Burmese spread over the politics of Assam.
27. When did the first Anglo-Burmese war take place? Where was this war fought?
Answer: The first Anglo-Burmese war took place from 1824 to 1826. The growing expansion of the Burmese empire and their advance towards British-held territory formed the background of this war. In the war the forces of the English East India Company defeated the Burmese and advanced into Burma up to a place called Yandaboo. Finally, on 24 February 1826, the treaty was signed at Yandaboo itself, bringing the war to an end.
28. Mention the main provisions of the Yandaboo treaty.
Answer: The main provisions of the Treaty of Yandaboo, signed on 24 February 1826, were — (1) the Burmese would give up Arakan and Tenasserim to the British; (2) the Burmese would pay one crore rupees to the British as war indemnity; (3) the Burmese would renounce all claims over Assam, Cachar and Jaintia and would not interfere in these regions again; (4) the Burmese would recognise Gambhir Singh as the king of Manipur; and (5) both sides would exchange envoys and conclude a commercial treaty.
29. Write about the importance of the Treaty of Yandaboo.
Answer: The Treaty of Yandaboo was a landmark event in the history of Assam. This treaty ended the first Anglo-Burmese war and expelled the Burmese from Assam for ever, thus bringing the terrible ‘Maanor Din’ to a close. Through it, all Burmese claims over Assam, Cachar and Jaintia came to an end. On the other hand, the treaty marked the beginning of the rule of the English East India Company in Assam and indirectly ended nearly six hundred years of Ahom rule. In this way the Treaty of Yandaboo changed the course of the political history of Assam and the whole of North-East India.
Short Notes
30. Bodawpaya
Answer: Bodawpaya was a powerful king of Burma (reign 1782–1819). He conquered Arakan in 1784 and expanded his empire. At the request of Badanchandra Barphukan, it was he who sent the first Burmese army into Assam in 1817. It was during his reign that Burma’s westward imperial expansion reached its height.
31. Gambhir Singh
Answer: Gambhir Singh was a prince of Manipur who had been driven out of Manipur by the Burmese. With British help he raised the Manipur Levy and drove the Burmese out of Manipur. Through the Treaty of Yandaboo he was recognised as the king of Manipur. The credit for freeing Manipur from Burmese rule belongs to him.
32. Gobind Chandra
Answer: Gobind Chandra (Govinda Chandra) was the king of Cachar. Unable to tolerate the oppression of the Burmese and the Manipuri princes, he fled to Srihatta (Sylhet) and sought British help. Later he was reinstated in Cachar as a tributary king under the British.
33. Daman Gogoi
Answer: Daman Gogoi was a trusted, high-ranking military officer of the Prime Minister Purnananda Buragohain. He was sent to resist the Burmese army advancing under Badanchandra. But in the Battle of Ghiladhari of 1817 he, along with Hau Bora, was defeated.
34. Hau Bora
Answer: Hau Bora was a senior Ahom military officer under Purnananda Buragohain. Along with Daman Gogoi, he too was sent to Ghiladhari to check the Burmese army. When the Ahom forces were defeated in the Battle of Ghiladhari, he also suffered defeat.
35. Battle of Ghiladhari
Answer: The Battle of Ghiladhari was fought in 1817 between the Burmese army that had come under the leadership of Badanchandra and the Ahom forces of Purnananda Buragohain’s side. In this battle the Ahom army was severely defeated. On hearing of the Ahom defeat in the battle, the Prime Minister Purnananda Buragohain died. This battle paved the way for Burmese interference in Assam.
36. Brajanath Singha
Answer: Brajanath (Gohain) was a prince of the Ahom royal family. After the murder of Badanchandra in 1818, the opposing nobles wished to depose Chandrakanta Singha and place Brajanath on the throne. But according to Ahom custom he was considered unfit to be king because he was physically maimed (his ear had been cut off). Therefore his son Purandar Singha was made king in his place.
37. Purandar Singha
Answer: Purandar Singha was the son of Brajanath Gohain. He was first made king of Assam in 1818. Later, in 1833, the British appointed him tributary king of Upper Assam, but in 1838 he was deposed. He was the last king of the Ahom dynasty.
38. Ala Mingi
Answer: Ala Mingi (also known as Kiamingi) was a Burmese general. In the second Burmese invasion of 1819 he led about 10,000 soldiers. On the orders of Bodawpaya he carried out this campaign to strengthen Burmese control over Assam.
39. Treaty of Yandaboo
Answer: The Treaty of Yandaboo was signed on 24 February 1826 between the English East India Company and the Burmese king. This treaty ended the first Anglo-Burmese war. Through it the Burmese renounced all claims over Assam, Cachar and Jaintia and gave up Arakan and Tenasserim to the British. This treaty marked the beginning of British rule in Assam.
Extra Questions and Answers
1. Who was Badanchandra Barphukan and why did he go to Burma?
Answer: Badanchandra Barphukan was the governor (Barphukan) of Lower Assam, the Gauhati region, in the Ahom kingdom. Because of his conflict with the Prime Minister Purnananda Buragohain and to save his own life, he fled first to Calcutta and then to Burma. There he sought the help of the Burmese king Bodawpaya and brought a Burmese army into Assam.
2. What is meant by ‘Maanor Din’ (Burmese days)?
Answer: The period from 1817 to 1826, during which the Burmese carried on their invasions, rule and cruel exploitation in Assam, is known in the history of Assam as the ‘Maanor Din’. During this period plunder, killing, captivity and widespread oppression devastated the life of the people of Assam. It has remained in the memory of the Assamese people as a time of terrible suffering.
3. Under whose leadership did the third Burmese invasion (1821) take place?
Answer: The third Burmese invasion of 1821 took place under the leadership of Mingimaha Tilwa. After this invasion the Burmese deposed Chandrakanta Singha and began direct rule over Assam.
4. Between which parties was the Treaty of Yandaboo signed?
Answer: The Treaty of Yandaboo was signed on 24 February 1826 between the English East India Company and the king of Burma.
5. What kind of impact did the Burmese invasions have on the common people?
Answer: During the Burmese invasions and rule, terrible atrocities were inflicted on the common people. Through plunder, arson, killing and captivity, many people lost their lives or fled the country. Many villages became deserted, agriculture was destroyed and famine appeared. As a result, the population and economy of Assam were severely damaged.
Key Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Maan (Burmese) | The people of Burma (Myanmar); “Maan” is the Assamese term for the Burmese |
| Maanor Din (Burmese Days) | The period of Burmese invasion and oppressive rule in Assam (1817–1826) |
| Barphukan | A high Ahom officer who governed Lower Assam, the Gauhati region |
| Buragohain | One of the great ministers of the Ahom kingdom, equivalent to Prime Minister |
| Indemnity | A sum of money the defeated side pays the victor as war compensation |
| Tributary king | A subordinate king who accepts overlordship and pays tribute |