District Profile

The erstwhile undivided Darrang district was an old administrative unit of Assam. The district of Sonitpur was initially bifurcated from Darrang. Later the new Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) of Udalguri was curved out with major part of Darrnag and some part of Sonitpur.The name of the district appears to have originated from the term Darrang Raja, a branch of Koch Kings. Dharmanarayan was known as the founder of the dynasty of Darrang Rajas. The present Mangaldoi area was at that time known as Darrang Desh, even after annexation of Assam by the British in 1826. It is also believed that, the word Darrang might have been used by the aboriginals of this district, who were of the Tibetan stock. This name may have been borrowed from the Daflas or the Bhutias, whose main duar or pass for coming to the plains from Himalayan ranges lay along the course of Barang river. They called it Duar-ganga, which after corruption to Duaranga may assume the present form of Darranga or Darrang. However, Lt. Mathic, in his report on Darrang district (1835), has observed that Darrang means land of flood and is derived from Dur and Rung possibly Ahom words. This district, which once formed a part of the ancient Kamrupa was ruled by three dynasties viz., the Varmans, the Salastambhas and the Pals. Pushyavarman, who was the first important ruler of Varman dynasty, is quoted to be flourished in the middle of the fourth century A.D. and this dynasty ruled over Kamrupa for about three hundred years. Of this dynasty, Bhaskar Varman (594-650 A.D.) was the greatest monarch even among the most remarkable rulers of ancient India. The dynasty of Salastambha family is believed to have commenced after the end of Bhaskar Varman’s rule. This family was called as Bhaumas of Haruppesvara, which is identified with Tezpur. The kingdom of Kamrupa, after the death of the last king of Salastambha dynasty towards the end of the 10th century, passed into the hands of Brahmapala, the founder of the Pala family and this line of Pala Kings ruled for about one hundred fifty years. The last king of this dynasty was Jaya Pala, who expired in 1138 A.D. Darkness descends on the history of Kamrupa after the fall of the Pala dynasty and next successors. According to records, the Ahom king Suhungmung alias Dihingiya Raja (1497-1539 A.D.), occupied the territories on the north bank of the Brahmaputra in 1505 A.D. when Bar-Bhuyan was ruling there in small principalities. They defeated the Chutiyas in 1523 A.D. The Ahom territory was soon exposed to the Koch and the Muslim invasions. The Muslims invaded the Ahom territory thrice and many decisive battles were fought in Darrang. Soon after this, Biswa Sinha, the first Koch king conquered Darrang and rose to power in about 1515 A.D., where the Bara-Bhuyan still had some semi-independent principalities in several parts of this district. After Biswa Sinha’s death in 1540 A.D, his eldest son Malladev, who assumed the name of Naranarayan, took the throne and his brother Chilarai was appointed as the commander-in-chief. The reign of Naranarayan represents the Zenith of Koch power. They invaded the Ahom territory in 1546 A.D. and rulers of Manipur, Jaintia, Tipperah, Shylet, Khynim and Dimarua, were all brought under subjugation, besides the Ahom king who was also subdued by the Koches. Thereafter, Suklenmung (1539-1552 A.D.) regained the lost territory in Darrang from Koch in a great victory. 10 Naranarayan captured this territory again in 1563 A.D. The entire territory north of the Brahmaputra remained in the hands of Koches. The Ahom king Sukhampa (1552-1603 A.D.), the successor of Suklenmung made vigorous attempts to recover their lost territories. After his death in 1603 A.D, Pratap Sinha ascended the Ahom throne. After Naranarayan’s death in 1584 A.D., quarrel began between his son Laxminarayan and Chilarai’s son Raghudev. Raghudev was succeeded by his son Parikshit, who soon became involved in hostilities. Laxminarayan sought the help of Nawab of Dacca to subdue Parikshit and Parikshit approached Ahom king Pratap Sinha for help but no avail. In 1619 AD., the Mughals defeated Parikshit and his kingdom was annexed to Mughal Empire. Parikshit’s brother Balinarayan sought shelter under Pratap Sinha. In 1616 A.D. Pratap Sinha inflicted a crushing defeat on the invading Muslims on the banks of Bharali and appointed Balinarayan as the protectorate king and the tributary Raja of Darrang in 1616 A.D. with a title Dharmanarayan. The history of Darrang after Balinarayan, centers mainly round the Ahom kings, who began to strengthen their hold on the Darrang Rajas. The struggle between Muslims and Ahoms for capturing each other’s territory started after 1617 A.D. But in 1637 A.D., the Muslims, who were advancing towards Kajali, defeated Ahoms. In the counter offensive, the war ended with a treaty between Muslims and Ahoms, specifying each other’s boundaries. Dharmanarayan succeeded by his son Mahendranarayan, and after his death in 1643, Chandranarayan succeeded him. Chandranarayan shifted his capital to Mangaldoi and successfully resisted the onslaughts of Bhutias. After his death in 1660 A.D., Suryanarayan became the Raja of Darrang under Ahom king Jayadhwaj Sinha, successor of Pratap Sinha. Mir Jumla, the Governor of Bengal made an attack on Assam on 4th January 1662 and captured Gauhati. Jayadhwaj Sinha died in November 1663 and he was succeeded by Chakradhvaj Sinha (1663-1669 A.D.). In 1667 A.D., he recaptured Gauhati and extended their territory to the Manas river and regained Darrang. On hearing this, Aurangzeb sent a big army against Ahom, which reached Rangamahi in February 1669 A.D. and advanced up to Tezpur. But Ahoms gained a decisive victory over Moghals in 1671 A.D. during the reign of Udayadithya, the successor of Chakradvaja Sinha. Mughals retreated to Rangamati. Udayadithya was succeeded by Gadadhar Sinha (1681-1695). The zenith of Ahom power was reached during the reign of Rudra Sinha (1695-1714 ), who succeeded Gadadhar Sinha. But his son Siva Sinha (1714-1744 A.D.) was a weak prince. Indranarayan was the king of Darrang during this period and Ahoms greatly curtailed his powers. Most of the area placed under the direct administration of Ahoms. During the period of Kamaleswar Sinha (1795-1810), who succeeded the Ahom throne in 1795, there was a series of insurrections in several parts. The Daflas and Moamarias rose in rebellion. Burmese invaded Ahom and intruded upon British territory, which led to British intervention. Soon after a war between British and Burmese, the treaty of Yandaboo took place on February 24, 1826, which led to the eventual annexation of Assam to the East India Company and Darrang became part of it. This was tagged with Lower Assam and administered from Gauhati till 1833, when it was separated and erected into a district known as Darrang with head quarter at 11 Mangaldoi. In 1835, the headquarter of the District was shifted to Tezpur. In 1983, when a new District of Sonitpur was created comprising the area of Tezpur Sub-Division, Tezpur became the District headquarter of Sonitpur district and Mangaldoi became the headquarter of Darrang district.