# Sutanpha > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sutanpha > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sutanpha.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutanpha > Source revision: 1356783431 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Sutanphaa** (Siva Singha; died 14 December 1744) was the 31st king of [Assam](/source/Ahom_kingdom) of the [Ahom dynasty](/source/Ahom_dynasty) from 1714 to 1744. He was the eldest son of his predecessor [Rudra Singha](/source/Rudra_Singha). ## Reign As per the death bed injunction of [Rudra Singha](/source/Rudra_Singha), he was succeeded by his eldest son. Siva Singha ascended the throne on the 20th day of Magh, and assumed the [Ahom](/source/Ahom_Dynasty) name Sutanphaa and the Hindu name of Siva Singha. He gave up Rudra Singha's plan to organize a confederacy of the [rajas](/source/Raja) of Hindustan and to invade [Bengal](/source/Bengal) ([Mughal Empire](/source/Mughal_Empire)), but obeyed his father's injunction to become a disciple of Krishnaram Bhattacharjya (Nyayavagish), the [Shakta](/source/Shakta) priest from nearby [Nabadwip](/source/Nabadwip) in present-day [West Bengal](/source/West_Bengal). He gave the management of the [Kamakhya Temple](/source/Kamakhya_Temple) to Krishnaram, who came to be known as Parbatiya Gosain, as his residence was on top of the Nilachal hill. Siva Singha accepted him as the royal priest and made a large number of land grants to temples and Brahmin priests.[1] Siva Singha is said to have established such an elaborate system of [espionage](/source/Espionage) during his reign that he had accurate information of everything that was done or spoken in the kingdom.[2] ### Dafla expedition There was no war in his reign, except in January 1717 there was an expedition against the [Daflas](/source/Dafla) of the northern hills, who had again taken to raiding the plains people. After they had been reduced to submission, an embankment was constructed along the foot of the hills inhabited by them as protection against future raids.[3] ### Bar Rajas Siba Singha was a staunch [Shakta](/source/Shakta) and was greatly influenced by the Brahmin priests and astrologers. In 1722, his spiritual guides and astrologers predicted that his rule would shortly come to end in near future, due to the consequences of *chatra-bhanga-yoga*. That he not only made many lavish presents to various temples and the Brahmins, in hope of conciliating the gods and averting the calamity but also endeavor to satisfy the alleged decree of fate by a subterfuge that greatly diminished his prestige in the eyes of his people. Therefore at the suggestion of Parvatiya Gosain, consented to endow his chief queen [Phuleshwari](/source/Phuleshwari), a Nat by caste, with the supreme vest, who assumed the name [Pramatheswari](/source/Phuleshwari) and the title of Bar Raja.[4] Queen Phuleswari minted coins in the joint name of her and her husband where she used [Persian](/source/Persian_people) legend, the first of its kind in Assam. Phuleswari was more under the influence of the Brahmins, particularly the Parvatiya Gosain than the king. It is believed that this was instigated by Gosain and in her zeal for Sakta Hinduism, she attempted to make [Shaktism](/source/Shaktism) the State religion. With this objective, she ordered the [Vaishnava](/source/Vaishnava) Gosains to worship the goddess Durga. She then forbade the worship of other deities and personally supervised the act of desecration of the Sonarijan camp. Learning that the Sudra Mahantas were strong Vaishnavites and opposed animal sacrifice, she held a [Durga](/source/Durga) puja in the capital Rangpur and forced [Moamoria](/source/Moamoria) and several other Gosains to offer oblations to the goddess and smeared sacrificial blood on their foreheads. The Moamarias never forgave this insult to their spiritual leader and it became one of the prime reasons that they broke out in an open rebellion about half a century later, which came to be known as the [Moamoria rebellion](/source/Moamoria_rebellion).[5] [Phuleshwari](/source/Phuleshwari) in 1731 died while giving birth.[6] The king then married her sister Draupadi, and made her the Bar Raja, after which she assumed the name of [Ambika](/source/Ambika,_Bar_Raja). [Ambika](/source/Ambika,_Bar_Raja) had constructed the famous [Sivasagar Siva doul](/source/Sivasagar_Sivadol), at her patronage, the famous manuscript on elephantry [Hastividyarnava](/source/Hastividyarnava) was composed. She died in 1738. Then Siva Singha then married Endari or Akari-Gabharu, whom he made the Bar Raja, with the name of [Sarbeswari](/source/Sarbeswari).[7] The two successors of [Phuleshwari](/source/Phuleshwari), Ambika and Sarbeswri wielded the same authority and power as her, but were however not as energetic as their predecessor in patronizing [Saktism](/source/Saktism).[8] ## Religious proclivities It was during his reign that Hinduism became the predominant religion among [Ahoms](/source/Ahom_people), and those who persisted in holding old tribal beliefs and customs came to be regarded as a separate degraded class.[9] He made numerous temples and made large-number of land grants to Brahmanas, so that out of 48 copper plates recording land grants by all Ahom kings 19 of them belonged to him. He made an attempt to use Saktism as an counterforce against the growing power of [Vaisnava Satras](/source/Satras). Alongside he made support, provisions of [Paiks](/source/Paik_system), and land grants to the Brahman Satras as well.[10] **Basudev Devalaya** (Assamese:বসুদেৱ দেৱালয়) in Balikaria, [Nalbari district](/source/Nalbari_district), [Assam](/source/Assam) is an ancient [Hindu temple](/source/Hindu_temple) and is dedicated to [Basudev](/source/Vasudeva). This temple was built by [Ahom King](/source/Ahom_dynasty) Sutanphaa.[11][12] Believed to have been built by the Ahom King, Siba Singha (1718-1744) **Balilecha Kali Mandir** at Ballilesha village is a living Sakti Peeth. There is an 18th inch high statute of Kali made of Asta Dhatu inside the temple. Though there were also Bishnu Doul and Shiva Daul, the carthquake of 1897 almost destroyed them. A Kali Pukhuri covering 8 Pura of land however still exists. It is situated in a beautiful location on river bank of Pagaldia about 7 km away south-east of Nalbari town.[13] ### Art and literature Siva Singha was a great patron of literature and music. His reign is considered the golden era of Assamese manuscripts, many notable manuscripts were written one of which was the [Hastividyarnava](/source/Hastividyarnava) which received royal patronage. Foreign musicians were invited into his country to instruct his own and the Monarch became the author of a large collection of pious songs.[14] ## See also - [Ahom dynasty](/source/Ahom_dynasty) - [Ahom kingdom](/source/Ahom_kingdom) - [Phuleshwari](/source/Phuleshwari) - [Moamoria rebellion](/source/Moamoria_rebellion) ## Notes 1. (Baruah 1985, p. 294) 1. (Baruah 1985, p. 295) 1. Gait 1905, p. 177. 1. (Baruah 1985, p. 294) 1. (Baruah 1985, p. 296) 1. (Dutta 1985, p. 295) 1. (Gogoi 1968, p. 513) 1. (Dutta 1985, p. 88) 1. (Baruah 1985, p. 296) 1. (Dutta 1985, p. 88) 1. ["About Basudev Devalaya"](http://kvknalbari.nic.in/dist.html). *Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Nalbari*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200409121612/http://www.kvknalbari.nic.in:80/dist.html) 2020-04-09 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 September 2020. 1. ["Historical places in Nalbari district"](https://www.nalbari.assampanchayat.gov.in/home/-/asset_publisher/DJswxjISxL0g/content/historical-places). *Historical places - NALBARI-Zilla Parishad*. Retrieved 1 September 2020.[dead link] 1. [https://nalbari.assam.gov.in/tourist-place-detail/271](https://nalbari.assam.gov.in/tourist-place-detail/271) 1. *Wade, John Peter, An Account of Assam.*. R. Sarmah, Assam. p. 141. ## References - Baruah, Swarna Lata (1933), "Last Days of Ahom Monarchy: A History of Assam from 1769–1826", Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi - Baruah, S L (1985), "A Comprehensive History of Assam", Munshiram Manoharlal - Dutta, Sristidhar (1985), "The Mataks and their Kingdom", Allahabad: Chugh Publications - Gogoi, Padmeshwar (1968), "The Tai and the Tai Kingdoms", Guwahati: Gauhati University - Gait, Edward (1905), "A History of Assam", Thacker, Spink & Co, Calcutta --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sutanpha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutanpha) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutanpha?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.