An Account of Ahum Kirat Tribe of Assam

The Ahums are the descendents of Shan people of North Burma, who under the leadership of Chu-ka-pha, crossed Mt. Patkoi in about 1228 A.D. and entered the upper portion of the land to which they gave their own name and called it the Ahum or Aham which the aboriginal Kirat people pronounced Assam.
They were as many as 9000 people with 300 horses and two elephants. With this force they took possession of upper Assam from the hand of Kachhari and Chutiya tribes. They were engaged for several hundred years in conflicts with Kachharis and Chutiyas and it was not till 1540 A.D. that they finally overthrew the latter and established their rule as far as Khallang. The power of the Chutiya tribe had been broken and their King slain some forty years earlier.
In 1562 A.D. the Koch King Nara Narayan, who was at the zenith of his power invaded the Ahum territory and in the following year he inflicted a decisive defeat on them and sacked their capital. Subsequently the Koch Kingdom was divided into two States so its power was declined and that of Ahum Kings increased and so the Rajas of Jaintiya, Dimmasa and others who had formerly been feudatories to Koch King, acknowledged the suzerainty of Ahums.
The Musalmans on several occasions invaded their country, but never succeeded in conquering their country. A Pathan named Turbuk led his army as far as Kollabar in 1506 A.D. and defeated the Ahums; but was in his return beaten back and chased as far as Kartoya. The next invasion was led by Saiyad Babakar in 1627 A.D.; but was equally unsuccessful. Their army was cut up and the Ahums established their sway as far as Gohati.

In 1663 A.D. Mir Jumla invaded their Country with a large army and after some fighting took the capital. The Ahum Raja fled eastwards and worried the Musalmans by a constant guerilla warfare during the rains. This together with the difficulty of obtaining supplies and the extreme unhealthiness of the climate, and the consequences of heavy mortality among his troops who threatened to mutiny made Mir Jumla glad to patch up a peace which he did and retreated rapidly to Bengal where he died shortly.
Afterwards, the Ahum King again took Gohati and made the Koch Kings of Mangaldai and Beltola his tributaries. He defeated another invasion led by Raja Ram Singh and extended his boundary up to river Monass.
The Ahums were then at the height of their power and all the minor rulers of Assam acknowledged their suzerainty.
After that, the Assam Kings of Tai Ahum Shan family were converted into Hinduism and claimed descent from Raiput family. King Chuk-rung-pha was very eager to become Hindu disciple of Krisna Ram Bhattacharja, in 1695 A.D.; but he died soon in 1714 A.D. So his son Sib Singh became Hindu King and occupied the temple of Kamakhya.