Sandhya (ruler of Kamarupa)

Sandhya
King of Kamarupa
King of Kamata
Reign1228 – 1260 CE
PredecessorRaja Prithu
ReligionHinduism

Sandhya (also known as Gaudesvara) was a king of Kamarupa in north-eastern India in the present-day state of Assam, India. He founded the Kamata Kingdom when he moved his capital west to Kamatapur (present-day Gosanimari) sometime after 1257 CE.[1]

See also: Yuzbak Khan's invasion of Kamarupa

He became the ruler of Kamarupa in 1228, when Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah, who had earlier killed his predecessor Raja Prithu in 1228 AD,[2] However, after Nasir-ud-din Mahmud withdrew from Kamrup, Sandhya stopped paying tribute and assumed independence.[2][3]

In 1229, after the death of Nasiruddin, Sandhya drove the Muslims out of his territory and captured territory until Karatoya river. After that, to avenge the previous defeats, he invaded the western border of Gaur (Lakhnauti) and annexed regions across the Karatoya into his kingdom. In retaliation, Malik Ikhtiyaruddin Yuzbak the governor of Gaur for the Mamluk rulers of Delhi, attempted an invasion on Sandhya's domain in 1257. However, Sandhya defeated the invasion attempt, captured and killed Malik Ikhtiyaruddin Yuzbak.[4][5][3]

After this attack, Sandhya moved his capital from Kamarupanagara (present-day North Guwahati) to Kamatapur in present-day Cooch Behar district. He established a new kingdom called the Kamata Kingdom.[6][3]

  1. ^ "Kamarupa was reorganized as a new state. 'Kamata' is by name, with Kamatapur as the capital. The exact time when the change was made is still being determined. But it was possibly made by Sandhya (c. 1250–1270) to safeguard against mounting dangers from the East and the West. Its control on the eastern regions beyond the Manah (Manas river) was lax." (Sarkar 1992, pp. 40–41)
  2. ^ a b Baruah 1986, p. 175.
  3. ^ a b c Acharyya, Nagendra Nath (1 June 1957). "5". The History of Medieval Assam (AD 1228 to 1603) (PDF) (PhD). University of London. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  4. ^ (Sarkar 1992, pp. 39–40)
  5. ^ Barman, Rup Kumar (2005). "5". From tribalism to independent state : reflection on the emergence of Kamate-koch Kingdom (PhD). University of North Bengal. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  6. ^ (Kamarupa) was reorganized as a new state, 'Kamata' by name, with Kamatapur as the capital. The exact time when the change was made is still being determined. But it was possibly made by Sandhya (c. 1250 – 1270) to safeguard against mounting dangers from the East and the West. Its control on the eastern regions beyond the Manah (Manas river) was lax.(Sarkar 1992, pp. 40–41)