History Files
 

Far East Kingdoms

South Asia

 

Jayantiya Kingdom
AD 1500 - 1835

The Jayantiya emerged as the Khen kings were extinguished and the Chutiya and Ahom kings were dominant in Assam. It is possible that they were only able to claim independence and found a kingdom due to the chaos caused by the invasion by the sultan of Bengal, Alauddin Husain Shah. Ruling in the Jayantia hills, nestling beneath which was the capital of Jaintiapur, they were allied to the Ahoms. Their territory was bordered by the Barak river valley in the north, reaching over to the eastern side of the Shillong Plateau (modern Meghalaya in north-eastern India), and down as far as the southern plains, including the north-east corner of modern Bangladesh.

(Information by Abhijit Rajadhyaksha.)

1500 - 1516

Prabhat Ray

Founded the kingdom.

1510

The Koch kingdom emerges to take the place of the fallen Khen kings in Assam.

1516 - 1532

Majha Gosain

1532 - 1548

Burha Parbat Ray

1548 - 1564

Bar Gosain

1564 - 1580

Bijay Manik

1580 - 1596

Pratap Ray

1586

The Kachari are forced out of their kingdom and the Koch take over, ruling from Khaspur. During his reign, the Kachari king, Satrudaman, is also responsible for an invasion of the Jayantiya kingdom which begins a period of increased Kachari dominance there. However, they are rivalled by the Ahoms, and the domination seems to be short-lasting.

Cachar tea plantation
This tea plantation at Cachar probably fell within the southern limits of Jayantiya territory in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries

1596 - 1612

Dhan Manik

1612 - 1625

Jasa Manik

1625 - 1636

Sundar Ray

1636 - 1647

Chota Parbat Ray

1647 - 1660

Jasamanta Ray / Jahomatarai

1644 - 1648

Jasamanta Ray and King Nooriya Roja of the Ahoms become involved in a dispute over territory, which sours the previously good relations between the kingdoms.

1660 - 1669

Ban Singh

1669 - 1678

Pratap Singh

1673

The Chutiyas fall under the domination of the Ahom kings, and are absorbed into their state.

1678 - 1694

Lakshmi Narayan

1694 - 1708

Ram Singh I

1708 - 1731

Jay Narayan

1731 - 1770

Bar Gosain

1770 - 1780

Chattra Singh

1780 - 1790

Bijay Narayan

1790 - 1832

Ram Singh II

1824 - 1826

The First Anglo-Burmese war ends with the Treaty of Yandabo, according to which Burma cedes territory to the British East India Company. Following the war's conclusion, the Company permits Ram Singh II to retain his own lands north of the River Surma.

1830

The king of the Kacharis dies without a heir and the East India Company annexes his kingdom under the details of its Doctrine of Lapse.

1832 - 1835

Rajendra Singh

Last Jayantiya king.

1835

The Jayantiya kingdom is annexed by the East India Company. The capital at Jaintiapur is abandoned and quickly falls into ruin. Only the Ahom kings survive in Assam.

 
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