War and weapon

The Ahom, who ruled over the Brahmaputra Valley for nearly six hundred years, is a lesser-known polity in medieval India. Though their military triumph over the Turko-Afghan, Mughal, etc., is well documented, their war armament is less known. The book remits this gap through a descriptive study and analysis of Ahom weapons preserved and displayed in museums across Assam, India. The weapons that are identified include--swords, choppers, spears, firearms, and shields. The identification process is supplemented by introducing a novel way of classifying the Ahom weapons based on their type. Accordingly, the weapons are classified as--weapons of Ahom origin, weapons acquired as tribute, and weapons collected as war booty. Such a classification aids in understanding the Ahom interaction with neighboring ethnic groups and kingdoms with whom weapons were exchanged as tribute or war booty. The documentation is supplemented by identifying how the Ahom procured iron ore and pig iron for manufacturing weapons, i.e., through indigenous smelting, trade, and tribute.

In the book, two perspectives are evaluated regarding the earliest usage of firearms by the Ahom. The colonial perspective is neglected, as Ahom knew the utility of firearms and gunpowder before Turbak invaded the Brahmaputra Valley in 1532 CE. Moreover, they had an indigenous way of manufacturing firearms and gunpowder, which they could have learned from their interaction with the Chutiya and Dimasa kingdoms, who possessed firearms by the late 15th century CE.