Battle of Alaboi

Ram Singh challenged Chakradhwaj Singha to a duel and said that, if defeated, he would retreat back with his army to Bengal. The Assam Raja took this as a sign of disrespect and impatiently, ordered his commanders and army for a attack to Mughal.[1]

The mughals then concentrated their army near Alaboi hills in the vicinity of Dalbari. There was vast pain in front of Mughal camp and the level lands touched the Brahmaputra on one side and Sessa river on the other.[2] Lachit Borphukan wanted to avoid an open encounter with the superior Rajput cavalry, but the king order to be followed. The Buranjis narrate that a female warrior name Madanvati at the vanguard of the Mughal army, who rushed into the enemy lines with the speed of lightening, putting many soldiers to her sword, till she was shot dead by the Assamese soldiers. Persian sources don't mention about it, possibly could be a men disguised as a women to demoralised the Assamese army. Ram Singh ordered his lieutenants to engage the Assamese while on their retire to the forts with spoils and captives. The Assamese army was hardly prepared against the Mughal weapon and cavalry. As a result, Assamese army lost ten thousand of their brave men.[3]

Ram Singh on receiving the first taste of decisive victory, cried out,- Look at the rashness of the Assamese! They venture to fight in the plains against the Amber horseman! He requested the Borphukan to desist from provoking the Rajput cavalry in future. The Borphukan wrote back to Ram Singh describing the Alaboi attack as unauthorised diversion on the borders chieftains who joined the Assamese army on the order of the king. A detachment has been lost, wrote Lachit Borphukan, and we are many more prepared for action.[4] However the disaster disturbed Lachit Borphukan. Each of our soldier is a pillar of our strenght, said the Borpukan and we have lost to-day ten thousand such stalwarts.The Buragohain consoled Lachit Borphukan.Ram Singh now thought of that disaster of Alaboi have humbled the spirit of Assamese, and he repeated his demand for the evacuation of Guwahati, Ram Singha tried to bribe the Phukans and the Rajkhowas, Ram Singh even sent a necklace [5]studded with gems as a present to Borphukan: but failed to produce the result he calculated to achieve.

Baruah, S L (1986), A Comprehensive History of Assam, Munshiram Manoharlal,

Atan Buragohain and His Times

• Ahom Dynasty
• Ahom kingdom
• Ahom–Mughal conflicts
• Battle of Saraighat