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{{Short description|Koch Dynasty noble}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Bir Chilarai Koch
| honorific_suffix =
| title =
| image = Chilarai Dhubri.JPG
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Statue of Bir Chilarai at [[Dhubri, Assam]]
| death_date = 1571
| death_cause = [[Small pox]]
| birth_name = Sukladhwaja
| allegiance = [[Koch dynasty]]
| serviceyears = 1563–1571 A.D.
| rank = [[Commander-in-Chief]]
| battles = *'''[[Koch–Ahom conflicts]]'''
*'''Koch-Jaintia War'''
*'''Koch Invasion of Tripura'''
*'''Koch Invasion of Sylhet'''
| spouse = Kamalpriya<ref>{{Cite book |last=Barkakoti |first=Sanjib Kr |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tkjkAAAAMAAJ |title=Sri Sri Sankardeva: A Total Personality |publisher=Bani Mandir |year=1995 |isbn=9788172060268 |pages=78 |language=English}}</ref>
| relations = [[Biswa Singha]] (father)<br />[[Nara Narayan]] (brother)
| coronation =
| birth_date = 1510
}}

'''Sukladhwaja''' (popularly known as '''Bir Chilarai'''; 1510–1571 AD) was the 3rd son of Biswa Singha, founder of the [[Koch dynasty|Koch Dynasty]] in the [[Kamata Kingdom]] and younger brother of [[Nara Narayan]], the second king of the Koch dynasty of the Kamata kingdom in the 16th century. He was Nara Narayan's commander-in-chief and finance minister ''([[Dewan]])'' of the kingdom.<ref>"Assisted by his younger brother, Sukladhwaj, an able and dashing military general, with the nickname 'Chilarai' or 'Kite Prince' as Diwan, Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief..." {{harvcol|Sarkar|1992|p=74}}</ref> He got his name Chilarai because, as a general, he executed troop movements that were as fast as a ''chila'' ([[kite (bird)|kite/Eagle]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://htsyndication.com/htsportal/article?arid=%221030428%22&pub=%22Assam+Tribune%22 |title=Article Details |publisher=Ht Syndication |date=3 March 2013 |accessdate=2 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035907/http://htsyndication.com/htsportal/article?arid=%221030428%22&pub=%22Assam+Tribune%22 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Military career==
===Confrontation with Manipur===
{{See also|Koch–Ahom conflicts}}
Historical sources suggests that King Naranarayan and Chilarai have defeated the [[Ahom kingdom|Ahoms]]. Ripu Singha, the king of Manipur did not resisted the Koch forces under Chilarai, after getting informed about the war between the Ahoms and Koch dynasty. The king surrendered to them and paid twenty thousands of silver rupees, one thousand of gold coins and forty elephants. Besides this, Naranarayan imposed an annual tribute of rupees twenty thousands, three hundred gold coins and ten elephants on the Manipuri king.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Choudhary |first=Dr. Subhajit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O3H2EAAAQBAJ&q=bir+chilarai+amil+sylhet |title=The Koch Dynasty and Charismatic Bir Chilarai |date=21 February 2024 |publisher=Shashwat Publication |pages=226 |isbn=978-93-6087-753-8 |language=English}}</ref>

===War with the Jaintia Kingdom===
The Koch army then marches towards the [[Jaintia Kingdom|Kingdom of Jaintia]], consisted of the [[Khasi and Jaintia Hills|Jaintia Hills]] and north to the [[Barak River]]. Unlike the king of Manipur, the Jaintia king preferred to resist the Koch power and came into an armed conflict with them. He was killed in action during the war. Subsequently, his son ascended the throne and submitted to the Koch. He gave Chilarai a thousand horses, ten thousand silver coins and one thousand gold coins and one hundred special type of Jaintia swords called ''Khanga,'' as compensation for the war. The king also agreed to pay an annual tribute of ten thousand silver coins, seventy horses and three hundred ''Nakoidaos'' (a special kind of knife).<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Nath |first=D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ECxUOSudNGYC&q=Sylhet+ |title=History of the Koch Kingdom, C. 1515-1615 |publisher=Mittal Publications |year=1989 |isbn=9788170991090 |pages=62–63, 65 |language=English}}</ref>

===Invasion of Tripura===
The Vamshavali states that after Chilarai's war with the Jaintia Kingdom, he marched towards [[Twipra Kingdom|Tripura Kingdom]] with 40,000 soldiers. Historical sources suggests that the king of Tripura was slain in the battlefield, and 18,000 of his soldiers were put to death. The battle fought at Langai in the southern border of Kachar. The dead king's brother surrendered to the Koch paying them ten thousand silver coins, one hundred gold coins and ten horses. He was installed on the throne on the condition of paying an annual tribute of nine thousand gold coins.<ref name=":1" />

===Invasion of Sylhet===
Chilarai invaded [[Sylhet]], which was under the rule of the [[Karrani dynasty]] of [[Bengal Sultanate]] during the reign of [[Sulaiman Khan Karrani]]. Sylhet was then administrated by a governor with the rank of ''Nawab,'' named Amil, under the allegiance of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]] and the Sultan of Bengal.<ref name=":1" /> After two days of constant battle, Chilarai rushed and beheaded Amil. Seeing the condition of Amil, his forces retreated away from the battlefield. Amil's brother submitted and paid a large amount of three lakhs of silver rupees, gold coins, horses and elephants to the Koch dynasty. After the victory in Sylhet, Chilarai was returning back to his kingdom.<ref name=":0" />

On his way, he defeated a small chiefdom named Dimrua. Panteshwar, the king of Dimrua was imprisoned and released later.<ref name=":0" />

== Religious patronage and character ==
It was only due to his royal patronage that [[Sankardeva]] was able to establish the [[Ek Saran Naam Dharma|ekasarana-namadharma]] in Assam and bring about his cultural renaissance.

Several rulers, namely the then king of [[Manipur (princely state)|Manipur]] and the Khasi tribal chief (Viryyavanta), submitted to Chilaray. Chilaray and his army also vanquished and killed the [[Jaintia kingdom|Jaintia]] king, and kings of [[Twipra Kingdom|Tippera]] (Tripura) and Sylhet. Chilaray is said to have never committed brutalities on unarmed common people, and even those kings who surrendered were treated with respect. He was harsh to kings and soldiers who refused to surrender, but neither him nor his brother ever annexed territories or oppressed the common people. They only collected tributes from the vanquished kings. They even treated enemy prisoners kindly, and gave them land-grants to settle.

== Death ==
Chilaray died in 1571 of [[small pox]] on the bank of [[Ganges]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mahabahu.com/the-great-general-chilarai-a-military-genius-and-cultural-luminary/ |title=The Great General Chilarai|website=mahabahu.com |date=3 March 2013 |accessdate=12 February 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sentinelassam.com/more-news/editorial/chilarai-saviour-of-the-assam-school-of-neo-vaishnavism|title=Chilarai: Saviour of the Assam school of Neo-Vaishnavism|website=sentinelassam.com|date=3 March 2013 |accessdate=12 February 2025}}</ref>

==Bir Chilaray Diwas==
The birth anniversary of Mahabir Chilaray is organised by [[Government of Assam]] annually from 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://online.assam.gov.in/web/bir-chilarai-divas |title=BirChilaray – Assam Online Portal |publisher=Online.assam.gov.in |date=1 April 2013 |accessdate=2 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121206043028/http://online.assam.gov.in/web/bir-chilarai-divas |archive-date=6 December 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Government also declares this day as state holiday. It is celebrated on the Purnima of Magh Maah of Hindu Calendar.

==Bir Chilaray award==
The Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam instituted these awards in 2005. They comprise a shawl, a citation, and a cash award of Rs. 100,000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.assaminfo.com/famous-people/48/bir-chilaray.htm |title=Chilaray | Bir Chilaray | Bir Chilaray | History of Chilaray | Kamata kingdom | Bir Chilaray Divas | Bir Chilaray Award |publisher=Assaminfo.com |date= |accessdate=2 June 2013}}</ref><ref>http://www.samachar.com/Bir-Chilaray-Ganesh-Gogoi-Bhaben-Saikia-awards-presented-lcvkPDcbeja.html{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|author=Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa|title=Generalissimo Chilarai and his times: a historical biography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V09uAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=2 June 2013|year=2003|publisher=Vikram Publishers}}
* {{cite book|author=Guptajit Pathak|title=Assam's history and its graphics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MdjO3XVk0MAC&pg=PA132|accessdate=2 June 2013|year=2008|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-81-8324-251-6|pages=132–}}
* {{cite book|last=Sarkar|first=J.N.|year=1992|contribution=Chapter IV: Early Rulers of Koch Bihar|editor-last=Barpujari|editor-first=H.K.|title=The Comprehensive History of Assam|volume=2|publisher=Assam Publication Board|place=Guwahati}}
* {{Citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ECxUOSudNGYC|last=Nath |first=D. |title=History of the Koch Kingdom, C. 1515-1615 |pages=5–6|publisher=Mittal Publications|year= 1989|isbn=8170991099}}
{{refend}}

[[Category:16th-century Indian people]]
[[Category:People from Assam]]
[[Category:1510 births]]
[[Category:1571 deaths]]

Chilarai - Revision history

Roexpertindia at 12:03, 3 December 2025