Mula Gabharu (also known as Nang Mula) was the daughter of the Ahom king,

Supimphaa Supimphaa was the king of Ahom kingdom from 1493 CE to 1497 CE. In order to exact revenge on the murderers of his father Suhenphaa, he unleashed a reign of terror among people of both high and low ranks alike. Due to some minor fault, he even ...

, and the wife of Phrasengmung

Borgohain Borgohain (Ahom language: ''Chao Thao Lung'') was one of the two original counselors in the Ahom kingdom. He was selected by the Ahom king from members of the Ahom nobility (''Satgharia Ahom''), who vowed not to fight for the position of Ahom kin ...

. She organised women warriors after her husband had fallen in battle against Turbak, an invader sent by the

Sultan of Bengal The Bengal Sultanate (Middle Bengali: , Classical Persian: ) was a Post-classical history, late medieval sultanate based in the Bengal region in the eastern South Asia between the 14th and 16th century. It was the dominant power of the Ganges- ...

in 1532, and herself fell in the Battle of Kachua. During the battle, women warrior Jayanti, Pamila, Lalita, etc., were the companions of Nang Mula.

Biography

Mula was the daughter of the Ahom king

, and the wife of Phrasengmung Borgohain. Mula's brother,

Suhungmung Suhungmung (), or Dihingia Roja was one of the most prominent Ahom Kings who ruled at the cusp of Assam's medieval history. His reign broke from the early Ahom rule and established a multi-ethnic polity in his kingdom. Under him the Ahom Ki ...

, succeed their father as the king of the Ahom kingdom. Mula Gabhoru's husband, Phrasengmung, heard that the minister Khunlung and other warriors lost their lives in the hands of Turbak. Mula Gabharu said to Phrasengmung, 'There are dark clouds in the skies of Assam. To preserve Assam's freedom and protect it from destruction, you must join the war'. Her husband told her, "You are an idol of bravery, and with you as my wife, I am fearless. To me, life and death are not important than the independence of this country. The shield of self-defence and the weapon of courage is the best shield". During the war, Mula Gabharu gave her hands to her husband and said, "Be able to protect your country, your own son, and your own wealth and honor with these words."''

Promise to defeat Turbak

Phrasengmung promised by lighting 101 lamps, a tradition known as ''Kin Lao'', that he will take the determination of protecting his country, son, awards, and honors. The Ahom soldiers, who wore armors, were themselves unbeatable. Phrasengmung did not get the chance to wear his armor and fought without armor. After seven days of fighting, the news of her husband's death reached Mula Gabhoru. In mourning, she promised to destroy the murderers of her husband. After that, she took a Hengdang and joined the war. On the fourth day of the war, she saw her husband's murderer, the commander Turbak Khan. Seeing her husband's murderer in the war zone, Nang Mula bravely fought with Turbak Khan. But Turbak Khan was a trained fighter and so he killed Mula Gabharu. After her death, the Ahom soldiers were awakened in new strength. Under the leadership of Kanseng Borpatro Gohain, the Ahom soldiers defeated Turbak in the place of Mokh.

Memorials and monuments

School

Mulagabhoru Girl's MES School was established in 1987 in the name of great warrior Mula Gabharu. The school is situated in Dichow Botua,

Sivasagar {{Infobox settlement , name = Sivasagar , settlement_type = Metropolis , image_skyline = Sivasagar.jpg , image_alt = {{multiple image , border = infobox , total_width = 270 , image_style ...

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

, Postal Code: 785670

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Mula Gabharu Day

People of

celebrate Mulagabhoru Day on 29th May every year.

Birangana Mula Gabharu Award

Every year, Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad (TYPA) holds a ceremony on Mulagabhoru Day and presents the Birangana Mula Gabharu Award.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gabharu, Mula Indian female royalty People of the Ahom kingdom 1486 births 1532 deaths Indian women in war