Aranyam at 16:02, 20 March 2026

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{{Short description|Mughal-Ahom war (1682)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Itakhuli
| partof = the [[Ahom-Mughal conflicts]]
| image =
| date = {{start and end dates|1682|8|15|1682|8|16|df=yes}}
| place = [[Guwahati]]
| result = Ahom victory<ref name="dick247"/>
| combatant1 = [[Ahom kingdom]]
| combatant2 = [[Mughal Empire]]
| commander1 = Dihingia Alun [[Borbarua]]<ref>{{harvtxt|Sarkar|1992|p=253}}</ref>
| commander2 = Mansur Khan<ref name="Sarkar 1992 254">{{harvtxt|Sarkar|1992|p=254}}</ref><br/>Ali Akbar<ref name="Sarkar 1992 254">{{harvtxt|Sarkar|1992|p=254}}</ref><br/>Jayanta Singh<ref name="Sarkar 1992 254">{{harvtxt|Sarkar|1992|p=254}}</ref>
| strength1 =
| strength2 =
| casualties1 =
| casualties2 =
| territory = Ahoms reconquer lands unto the [[Manas River]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Gogoi |first=Deepanjan |title=The Ahom-Mughal Conflict: A Study of the Political Geography of Medieval Assam (1228-1826) |url=https://www.vifindia.org/sites/default/files/The-Ahom-Mughal-Conflict.pdf |website=Vivekananda International Foundation |date=July 2020 |access-date=25 September 2024}}</ref>
}}
[[File:Cannon of Gadadhar Singha 2.jpg|thumb|Captured cannon from the Mughals after the battle of Itakhuli]]
{{Assam History}}
The '''Battle of Itakhuli''' was fought in August 1682 between the [[Ahom Kingdom]] and the [[Mughal Empire]] in an area that is in modern-day [[Assam]]. The Ahoms pushed back Mughal control to the west of the [[Manas River]].<ref name="dick247">"In the Battle of Itakhuli in September 1682, the Ahom forces chased the defeated Mughals nearly one hundred kilometers back to the Manas River. The Manas then became the Ahom-Mughal boundary until the British occupation." {{harv|Richards|1995|p=247}}</ref> The main battle was fought at a garrison island on the Brahmaputra, in which the Mughal [[Faujdar|fauzdar]], Mansur Khan, was defeated and the remnant of the Mughal forces pursued to the [[Manas River]]. With this win, the Ahoms recovered [[Kamrup region#Sarkar Kamrup (1639-1681)|Sarkar Kamrup]] from the Mughals.

==Ahom preparations==
After [[Gadadhar Singha]] became the [[Ahom Dynasty|Ahom king]] in 1681, preparations began in March 1682 for a war to expel the [[Mughals]] from [[Guwahati]]. An army was organized under the Dihingiya Alun Barbarua. A three-pronged advance was made in June and July 1682: under the commands of Holou Deka-Phukan and the Namdangiya Phukan along the north bank of the [[Brahmaputra River]]; under Garhgayan Sanikoi Neog Phukan and Khamrak Charingiya Phukan along the south bank; and the navy under Bandar Barphukan and Champa Paniphukan.<ref>{{harv|Sarkar|1992|p=253}}</ref>

==Mughal defences and battles==
The Mughals were at a disadvantage, with the ''faujdar'' Mansur Khan ill, and widespread discontent among the soldiers.<ref name="harv|Sarkar|1992|p=254">{{harv|Sarkar|1992|p=254}}</ref> The Imperial attention was focused elsewhere: [[Aurangzeb]], the Mughal emperor, was drawn toward the [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]] due to the [[Mughal–Maratha Wars]] (1680–1707), and the [[Bengal Subah|Subah of Bengal]] was busy with its dispute with the [[East India Company]].<ref name="Sarkar 1992 256">{{harv|Sarkar|1992|p=256}}</ref> As the Ahom forces advanced, the Mughals retreated from the advance outposts—Bahbari and Kurua on the north bank and Kajali and Panikhaiti on the south bank—to the fort of Itakhuli. The Ahoms now cast their focus on Shah Buruz on the north bank (Salal Borgohain, Bandar Borphukan, the Sadiyakhowa Gohain, the Marangikhowa Gohain, and others) and on [[Itakhuli]] on the south bank (Dihingiya Borbarua, Saring Phukan, and others posted at the Sarania fort). The Pani Phukan kept his fleet at the mouth of the Barnadi River.<ref name="harv|Sarkar|1992|p=254"/>

The only contested battle was fought when Ali Akbar, the commander of Itakhuli, attacked the Ahom forces at the Sarania fort, but he had to retreat after heavy losses. This prompted the ''faujdar'' Mansur Khan to desert the fort (17 July 1682). At this, the Ahoms advanced to Itakhuli and besieged it.<ref name="harv|Sarkar|1992|p=254"/> A naval battle was fought at Paniduar on 15 August 1682 between the Dihingia Rajkhowa (Ahom) and Jayanta Singha (Mughal), with the defeat and surrender of Jayanta, leaving the garrison at Itakhuli without any naval support.<ref name="Sarkar 1992 255">{{harv|Sarkar|1992|p=255}}</ref>

Unable to sustain his position, Ali Akbar abandoned Itakhuli with his forces the next day at dawn, met with Masur Khan at Guwahati, and retreated to Rangamati secretly by boat. The cavalry—under Indradaman, Dalan Singh, and Kabir Khan—retreated by land, pursued by the Borbarua by land and water up to the Manas River. The evacuated fort of Itakhuli was then occupied by the Chetia Borphukan.<ref name="Sarkar 1992 255"/>

==Aftermath of the war==
The war spoils were enormous—pearls, gold, silver, copper, brass, lead, weapons and animals of war. Among the prisoners, the cousins of Raja Ramsingh were released, but the Bhatdhara Phukan, brother of the late [[Laluksola Borphukan]] who had abandoned Guwahati, was ghoulishly killed.<ref>Bhatdhara Phukan was made to eat the flesh of his sons and then killed. {{harv|Sarkar|1992|p=255ff}}</ref>

With the fall of Itakhuli, the Ahom kingdom quickly occupied the region up to Manas River, and set up administration under the [[Borphukan]], with his headquarters at Guwahati.<ref name="Sarkar 1992 256"/>

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last=Richards |first=John F. |title=The Mughal Empire |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HHyVh29gy4QC |access-date=26 January 2013 |year=1995 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=0521566037 }}
*{{cite book |last=Sarkar |first=J N |chapter=Assam-Mughal Relations |title=The Comprehensive History of Assam |volume=2 |editor-last=Barpujari |editor-first=H K |year=1992 |publisher=Publication Board Assam |location=Guwahati |pages=148–256}}
*{{cite web |last=Gogoi |first=Deepanjan |title=The Ahom-Mughal Conflict: A Study of the Political Geography of Medieval Assam (1228-1826) |url=https://www.vifindia.org/sites/default/files/The-Ahom-Mughal-Conflict.pdf |website=Vivekananda International Foundation |date=July 2020 |access-date=25 September 2024}}
{{refend}}

[[Category:17th century in the Ahom kingdom]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1682|Itakhuli]]
[[Category:1682 in India]]
[[Category:History of Guwahati]]

Battle of Itakhuli - Revision history

Aranyam at 16:02, 20 March 2026