Ahom religion
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The Ahom religion is the
ethnic religion In religious studies, an ethnic religion is a religion or belief associated with a particular ethnic group. Ethnic religions are often distinguished from universal religions, such as Christianity or Islam, in which gaining converts is a prima ...
of the
Ahom people The Ahom (Pron: ), or Tai-Ahom is an ethnic group from the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The members of this group are admixed descendants of the Tai people who reached the Brahmaputra valley of Assam in 1228 and the local ind ...
. The Ahom people came into
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
in 1228, led by a Tai prince
Sukaphaa Sukaphaa (), also Siu-Ka-Pha, the first Ahom king in medieval Assam, was the founder of the Ahom kingdom and the architect of Assam. A prince of the Su/Tsu (Tiger) clan of the Mao-Shan sub-tribe originally from present-day Mong Mao, Yunnan Prov ...
, and admixed with the local people. The people who came into Assam included two clans of priests, joined later by a third, who brought with them their own religion, rituals, practices and scriptures. The religion is based on ritual-oriented
ancestor worship The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...
that required animal sacrifice (''Ban-Phi''), though there was at least one
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
influenced ritual in which sacrifice was forbidden (''Phuralung''). Ancestor worship and the
animistic Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, h ...
concept of ''khwan'' are two elements it shares with other
Tai folk religion The Tai folk religion, or Satsana Phi ( lo, ສາສະໜາຜີ, links=no; th, ศาสนาผี, links=no, , "religion of spirits"), or Ban Phi ( Ahom: 𑜈𑜃𑜫 𑜇𑜣) is a form of animist religious beliefs intermixed with Buddh ...
s. There is no
idolatry Idolatry is the worship of a cult image or "idol" as though it were God. In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, the Baháʼí Faith, and Islam) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the ...
except for the titular god of the Ahom king and though there is a concept of
heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
or a heavenly kingdom (''Mong Phi'', sometimes identified with a part of
Tian ''Tiān'' () is one of the oldest Chinese terms for heaven and a key concept in Chinese mythology, philosophy, and religion. During the Shang dynasty (17th―11th century BCE), the Chinese referred to their supreme god as '' Shàngdì'' (, "Lor ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
), there is no concept of hell. It was the
state religion A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular, is not necessarily a t ...
of the Ahom kingdom in the initial period. The Ahom kingdom expanded suddenly in the 16th century and the
Ahom people The Ahom (Pron: ), or Tai-Ahom is an ethnic group from the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The members of this group are admixed descendants of the Tai people who reached the Brahmaputra valley of Assam in 1228 and the local ind ...
s became a small minority in their own kingdom—though they continued to wield control. Subsequently, they slowly converted and by the early 19th-century, Ahom religion declined to be replaced by
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
. In the 1931 survey, all Ahoms listed Hinduism as their religion. Nevertheless, since the 1960s and 1970s due to an Ahom revivalism movement, as well as efforts from scholars, many of the older practices of the Ahom religion are being resurrected. The three priestly clans (''Mo'sam'', ''Mo'hung'', ''Mo'Plong'') of the Ahom people are the current custodians of the Ahom religion.


Ahom system of ancestor worship

Dam-Phi (''Dam'': dead; ''Phi'': god) is the worship of ancestors as gods and it is performed either in individual households (''Dam-Phi'') or publicly (''
Me-Dam-Me-Phi Me-Dam-Me-Phi is the most important Ancestor worship communal festival in the Ahom religion celebrated by the Ahom people on 31 January every year in memory of the departed. It is the manifestation of the concept of ancestor worship that the ...
''). The dead in Ahom society becomes a ''Dam'' (literally, 'spirit of the dead'). They are held in awe (fear, wonder, and reverence); worshiped and propitiated for protection. After the fourteenth generation a ''Dam'' becomes a god (''Phi'') and is worshiped by the whole community. There are three grades of ''Dam''s graded according to the generation (with the highest living generation numbered one) and the circumstances of death, and they progress from one grade to the next.


''Griha Dam''

The head of the household and his wife or the parents are called the ''Na Dam'' ("new ''Dam''", 2nd generation), the next higher generation the ''Ghai Dam'' ("main ''Dam''", 3rd generation) and the next higher generation the ''Chi Rwan Dam'' (4th generation). Each ''Dam'' is complete only when both the husband and wife are dead. These three ''Dam''s constitute the ''Griha Dam'' (household ''Dam'') and they are believed to reside in the North-east pillar of the kitchen, ''Pho Kam'' (Assamese: ''Dam Khuta''), which is usually raised first during the construction of the house and is considered most sacred place in the entire house. The ''Dam Phi'' rituals are directed at the ''Pho Kam''. The household deity, ''Seng Ka Pha'', is also worshiped at the ''Pho Kam''. Those who die unnaturally, without children or unmarried are called ''Jokorua Dam'' and are not included in the ''Griha Dam'' and treated and worshiped differently.


''Chang Dam''

The next nine generations of ''Dam''s (5th to 13th) constitute ''Chang Dam'', the ''Dam''s who have been let out of the house into the threshold; and are worshiped according to special rites, called ''No Puruxor Saul Khua'' (feast for nine generations).


''Chao Phi Dam''

This is the final stage for ''Dam''s and in this stage, the ''Dam''s (14th and above) are considered to have become gods (''Phi'') and merged with original forefathers of the entire community collectively called ''Chao Phi Dam''. In this class of ''Dam''s the two evil deities, ''Ra Khin'' and ''Ba Khin'' too belong, but they are worshiped with lower status and separately. The ''Jokorua Dam''s in the fourteenth generation become ''Khin'' and join these two deities.


Gods and cosmogony

It is mentioned in the Ahom Scripture ''Lit Lai Peyn Kaka'' that at first there was nothing besides the water of the ocean. ''Pha Tu Ching''— which is an omnipotent shapeless, impersonal god almighty—opened his eyes to the void and thus created from his breast the first deity—''Khun Theu Kham''. Freshly created, and finding nothing to lean on, ''Khun Theu Kham'' dove into the water and then laid on his back, and a lotus plant issued from his navel. This was followed by the creation of a crab, a tortoise and an eight-hooded snake that encircled the tortoise. The eight hoods spread in eight directions. Then a white elephant with long tusks and two mountains in the north and south were created, on which pillars were placed. Then a pair of gold-tinted spiders were created that floated in the air and dropped excrement, from which earth came about. The spiders then placed eight pillars in the eight corners of the wall and spun their web to create heaven. Heaven in Ahom Religion denotes Tien a part
Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the ...
in
Southwest China Southwest China () is a region in the south of the People's Republic of China. Geography Southwest China is a rugged and mountainous region, transitioning between the Tibetan Plateau to the west and the Chinese coastal hills (东南丘陵) and ...
known as ''Mong Phi''.


Creation of gods

''Pha Tu Ching'' also created a consort for ''Khun Theu Kham'', and ''Lon Kām'' (four golden eggs) were born to them. ''Phā Tu Chin'' then created a ''Thaolung'' to warm the eggs—but the eggs would not hatch for many years. So he sprinkled ambrosia (''Nya Pulok'') on them and four gods emerged: (1) ''Pha-Sang-Din-kham-Neyeu'', (2) ''Seng-Cha-Cha-Kham'', (3) ''Seng-Kam-Pha'', and (4) ''Ngi-Ngao-Nham'' (also called ''Phu-ra''). The fourth son, ''Ngi-Ngao-Kham'' stayed back to help create the world. The third son revolted and turned into an evil spirit, though his son ''Seng Ka Pha'' became a household deity.


Worshipful gods

According to Ahom beliefs, the supreme, formless, omnipotent being is ''Pha Tu Ching'', who is the creator, sustainer and destroyer of everything. The other gods and the universe are his creation. The Ahom
pantheon Pantheon may refer to: * Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building Arts and entertainment Comics *Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization * ''Pantheon'' (Lone St ...
of gods that generally receive oblations are ''Lengdon'', ''Khao Kham'', ''Ai Leng Din'', ''Jan Chai Hung'', ''Jasing Pha'', ''Chit Lam Cham'', ''Mut-Kum Tai Kum'', ''Ra-Khin'', ''Ba-Khin'' and ''Chao Phi Dam''. Chumpha: The
Chumpha Chumdeo or Chum Fra Rung Mung or Chumpha ( as, চোমদেও, চোম ফ্ৰা ৰুং মুং, চোমফা) is an Ahom deity or the god of heaven in the Furalung custom. The Ahom kings worshipped and kept it in the Deoghar along ...
(''Chumpha-Rung Seng-Mong'', was the titular deity of the Ahom dynasty, represented by a relic and which symbolized the Ahom king's sovereignty. It accompanied Sukaphaa across the Patkai on his journey into Assam. It used to be housed in the royal seat, till
Suklenmung Suklenmung(1539–1552) was a king of the Ahom kingdom in medieval Assam. Since he established his capital at Garhgaon (which would remain the capital of the Ahom kingdom till the establishment of the Tungkhungia kings), he is also called t ...
(1539–1552) moved it away and it played a prominent role during
Singarigharutha ceremony Singarigharutha was the traditional coronation ceremony of the king of the Ahom kingdom, a medieval kingdom in Assam. During the period of Ahom supremacy in Assam, the Singarigharutha ceremony had important constitutional significance. It was bel ...
. The relic is said to have been brought down from ''Mong Phi'' by ''Kun Lung'' and ''Kun Lai'' the ancestor of Sukaphaa rulers Of Mong Ri-Mong Ram (Now
Xishuangbanna Xishuangbanna, Sibsongbanna or Sipsong Panna ( Tham: , New Tai Lü script: ; ; th, สิบสองปันนา; lo, ສິບສອງພັນນາ; shn, သိပ်းသွင်ပၼ်းၼႃး; my, စစ်ဆောင် ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
) and could be worshiped and handled only by the king.


Other honourable gods

There are many other Gods including Major Ahom Gods. The
Tai-Ahom The Ahom (Pron: ), or Tai-Ahom is an ethnic group from the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The members of this group are admixed descendants of the Tai people who reached the Brahmaputra valley of Assam in 1228 and the local indi ...
people and generally had numbers of gods and spirits. They believe that in this world of phenomena visible objects have invisible spirits. Here are some of them. * ''Langkuri'' * ''Chao Ban'' (God of the Sun) * ''Chao Den'' (God of the Moon) * ''Chao Phai'' (God of the Fire) * ''Chao Pha Kun'' (God of the Rain) * ''Tai Lang'' (God of the Death) * ''Aai Yang Nao'' * ''Kham Seng'' or ''Aai A Nang'' (Goddess of Wealth) * ''Lao Khri. (Full Name : ''Mo-Seng Pha Lao-Khri'') * ''Pu-Phi-Su'' (the god of the forest Who live in the Tun-Rung-Rai (ficus tree)) * ''Khun Theu Kham'' * ''Krai Pha Rung Kham'' * ''Pha but rum Shang Dam'' * ''Pha Ship ip shang Den''


Scriptures

The religious aspects are inscribed in scriptures written in
Ahom language The Ahom language or Tai-Ahom language is a dead language, that was spoken by the Ahom people, that is undergoing a revival. Ahom is an important language in Tai studies. It was relatively free of both Mon-Khmer and Indo-Aryan influences and has ...
in a kind of barks known as in ''Xasi'' Bark. Ahom religion has various manuscripts on Divination, Prognostics, khwan calling, incantation, Phralung. The three priestly clans (Mo'sam, Mo'hung, Mo'Plong) widely use these scripts. Some prayer scripts are known as ''Ban-Seng'' were found from
Habung Habung is a historical region in present-day Lakhimpur district of Assam, India, although some Tai-ahom activists claim it to be a part of present-day Dhemaji district. According to Wade (1800), the region where the Subansiri river and the ...
. Some of them were brought from
Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
.


Rituals

The Ahom religion is based on rituals, and there are two types of rituals: ''Ban-Phi'' that involve animal sacrifice and ''Phuralung'' that forbids animal sacrifice. Rituals could also be performed at the household level or at the communal level.


Communal ceremonies


''Me-Dam-Me-Phi''

''Me-Dam-Me-Phi'' (
Ahom language The Ahom language or Tai-Ahom language is a dead language, that was spoken by the Ahom people, that is undergoing a revival. Ahom is an important language in Tai studies. It was relatively free of both Mon-Khmer and Indo-Aryan influences and has ...
: ''Me''-worship; ''Dam''-spirit of the dead; ''Phi''-god) is one of the major ceremonies among the Ahom religious rituals that is performed publicly, propitiating the spirits of the dead. In the modern times, this is held annually on 31 January. The rituals begin with the creation of a temporary structure with bamboo and thatch octagonal in shape, called ''ho phi''. In it six raised platters on the main platform are placed for the following divinities: ''Jashing Pha'', ''Jan Chai Hung'', ''Lengdon'', ''Chit Lam Cham'', ''Mut-Kum Tai-Kum'', ''Chao Phi Dam''. To the left of the main platform the raised platforms for ''Khao Kham'' and ''Ai Leng Din'' are placed; and to the right the raised platters of ''Ra Khin'' and ''Ba Khin''.


''Rik-Khwan Mong Khwan''

The ''Rik-Khwan Mong Khwan ''(
Ahom language The Ahom language or Tai-Ahom language is a dead language, that was spoken by the Ahom people, that is undergoing a revival. Ahom is an important language in Tai studies. It was relatively free of both Mon-Khmer and Indo-Aryan influences and has ...
: ''Rik''-to call; ''Khwan''-Life/longevity/Soul; ''Mōng''-Nation), is a ritual to worship ''Khwan'', to enhance or to call back the prosperity of the state or a person. The Rik Kwan is an important part of the Tai-Ahom marriage system described in the old Tai script ''Lai Lit Nang Hoon Pha''. In early days Rik-Khwan Mung Khwan was performed by the Tai-Ahom kings on the victory of a war or the installation of the new kings. In the ceremony, devotee propitiates the god Khao Kham (the god of water) and invoke to restore the soul in the original normal place and to grant a long life.


Non-communal rituals


''Dam Phi''

The ''Dam Phi'' rituals are specific to propitiating the ''Na Dam'', ''Ghai Dam'', ''Chi rwan Dam'' and the ''Jokorua Dam'' at the ''Pho Kam'' pillar inside the house. These rituals are offered on all auspicious occasion in the household—the three
Bihu Bihu is a set of three important Assamese festivals in the Indian state of Assam – 'Rongali' or 'Bohag Bihu' observed in April, 'Kongali' or 'Kati Bihu' observed in October, and 'Bhogali' or ' Magh Bihu' observed in January. The Rongali Bihu ...
s, the ''Na Khua'' ceremony (feast following new harvest), new birth in the household, ''nuai tuloni biya'' (female puberty ceremony), ''Chak lang'' (marriage), and annual death ceremonies.


Similarities With East Asian religions

Ahom religion is primarily based on worshiping Deities called ''Phi'' and ''Dam'' (Ancestor Spirit). Ancestor worship and the
animistic Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, h ...
concept of ''khwan'' are two elements it shares with other
Tai folk religion The Tai folk religion, or Satsana Phi ( lo, ສາສະໜາຜີ, links=no; th, ศาสนาผี, links=no, , "religion of spirits"), or Ban Phi ( Ahom: 𑜈𑜃𑜫 𑜇𑜣) is a form of animist religious beliefs intermixed with Buddh ...
s. While the duality of the individual self Han (Phu) and Pu are concepts that probably came from
Taoism Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Ta ...
Concepts
Yin and Yang Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the cycles of yin and ya ...
. The custom sacred offerings consisting of chicken and ''Lao'' traditional rice beer, both in diluted (''Nam Lao'') and undiluted (''Luok Lao'') forms can be seen in other
Tai folk religion The Tai folk religion, or Satsana Phi ( lo, ສາສະໜາຜີ, links=no; th, ศาสนาผี, links=no, , "religion of spirits"), or Ban Phi ( Ahom: 𑜈𑜃𑜫 𑜇𑜣) is a form of animist religious beliefs intermixed with Buddh ...
too.


See also

* Bathouism *
Sanamahism () , native_name_lang = mni , image = The Symbol of Sanamahi.svg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = The Symbol of Sanamahism (Source: Wakoklon Heelel Thilen Salai Amailon Pukok Puya) , ...


Notes


References

* * *


Further reading

* * {{Belief systems Ahom kingdom Asian ethnic religion Religion in Assam Indian religions