Assam government is celebrating the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan in Delhi. Know this Assamese General who defeated Aurangzeb

Along with the rest of Assan, the national capital, Delhi woke up to witness massive hoardings as well as train brandings in all prime locations of the city of Ahom General Bir Lachit Borphukan.

Notably, the Assam state government has decided to hold the concluding ceremony of Ahom General Bir Lachit Borphukan, marking his 400th birth anniversary at the national capital, Delhi on the 23rd and 24th of November, 2022.

The two-day event will be held at Vigyan Bhawan to showcase the life of the few warriors of eastern India who defected to the Mughals in the great battle of Saraighat.

The event will have been conceptualized with an aim to bring Lachit Borphukan's achievements and life to the limelight in the rest of India as many are still unaware of the legendary warrior of northeast Assam.

In a tweet, Assam cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika wrote, "Pleased to see a full train branding of @OfficialDMRC  in New Delhi today highlighting the 400th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Assam’s Bir Lachit Borphukan!
We are leaving no stone unturned to showcase the legend’s valour at the national arena this time!"

"With immense pride in heart, sharing a few images of hoardings, banners & LEDs from different parts of New Delhi highlighting the 400th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of legendary Bir Lachit Borphukan to be celebrated here in New Delhi on 23rd & 24th Nov’22", he added.

In the present day, honouring one of the greatest army generals of India, Lachit Borphukan, the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla in Pune confers the Lachit Borphukan gold medal to its best cadet every year. 

The medal was instituted in 1999 following an announcement by then Army chief General V.P. Malik, who said the medal would inspire defence personnel to emulate Borphukan’s heroism and sacrifices.

Who is Lachit Borphukan?

Lachit Borphukan was a commander, in the Ahom kingdom, located in present-day Assam, India, known for his leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat that thwarted a drawn-out attempt by Aurangzeb's Mughal forces under the command of Ramsingh I to take over Ahom kingdom.

The decisive victory of the Ahoms over the massive Mughal forces in the naval battle on the Brahmaputra at Saraighat near Guwahati in 1671 is even today remembered for Borphukan’s inspirational leadership, bravery and unconventional war tactics. “That defeat proved to be the final nail in the coffin of the expansionist policies of the Mughals in the Northeast,” Kovind said in his address. History, however, suggests that the Mughals had once again captured Guwahati in 1679. It was Ahom king Gadadhar Singha who regained Guwahati and the Ahom kingdom permanently from the Mughals in 1682.

In the battle of Alaboi, fought on August 5, 1669 between the Ahoms and the Mughals, around 10,000 Ahom soldiers were killed, forcing Borphukan’s army to retreat. The President highlighted the determination of Borphukan, who, despite the massive defeat in Alaboi, decimated the Mughals within just two years—in Saraighat. The war memorial will be constructed at Alaboi near Dadara in the Kamrup district of Assam. Along with Borphukan’s statue, the memorial will also feature a 100-ft-long ‘Hengdang’ (Ahom sword).