Sadiya

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Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)
Tinsukia district map

Sadiya (सदिया) is a town in Tinsukia district, Assam, India. It was known as Samvedya (संवेद्य) (Tirtha) in Mahabharata (III.83.1).

Location

There are three possible routes from Sadiya to Tibet.[1]The first route is through the valley of Dihang or Tsang Po. The second one through the Dibang valley and the third route through the Lohit valley which leads to Zayul province, the extreme south-eastern province of Tibet.[2] It acted as a trade route which passed through the Shan state of Mongkawng and then finally reaches to Yunnan.[3]

Origin

Historically, the region between the Lohit River and the Dibang River was known as Sadhayapura as per copper inscriptions.

The word "Sadiya" is derived from the Deori-Chutia language and it stands for "land of rising sun". "Sa/Xa" means "Sun", "Di" meaning "water" and "Ya" meaning "land". The ancient city of Sadhayapur/Sadiya can be identified as Bhismaknagar today, situated in the north of modern-day Sadiya town.

Variants

Rivers

Brahmputra when enters into Arunachal Pradesh (India), it is known as Dihang or Siang. The Dihang, winding out of the mountains, turns toward the southeast and descends into a low-lying basin as it enters northeastern Assam state. Just west of the town of Sadiya in Tinsukia district Assam, the river again turns to the southwest and is joined by two mountain streams, the Lohit River and the Dibang River.

Jat clans

History

Early history: Based on inscription , it is assumed to be the capital of Chutiya king Lakṣmīnārāyaṇa of the early fifteenth century.[4]

According to some records, the Nara king Phukloimung attacked Sadiya in 1524 but was defeated and pushed back.[5]

Sadiya was the third capital of Chutia Kingdom established by the second Sutiya ruler Ratnadhwajpal in 1248 and remained as the capital till 1524.[6] Extensive remains of buildings and fortifications built during the rule of the Chutias near about Sadiya still point to the importance of the region in the past. Historically Sadiya included the entire districts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Tinsukia. It was the center of development of the Eastern form of Prakrit during both the Chutia and Ahom periods, which later gave rise to the modern form of Assamese.[7] Its stands on a grassy plain, almost surrounded by forested Himalayan mountains, on the right bank of Lohit river what is locally (but erroneously) considered the main stream of the Brahmaputra river.

Architecture and ruins

The entire area of Sadiya was a well developed city in the medieval times. The ruins like Bhismaknagar, Rukmininagar, Tamreswari temple, Shiva temple, Pratima garh, Bura-buri temple built during the Chutia period.

Bhismaknagar Fort

Main article: Bhismaknagar The Bhismaknagar Fort located in Roing is an important monument built by Chutia kings with the walls of the fort spread over 10 sq. km. The name was probably derived from Bhishmaka, the divine Hindu lineage created for the Chutias in the 16th century.[8]

A brick with the name Lakshminarayan indicates that the fort was repaired during the 15th century.[9] The Bhismaknagar central complex extended over an area of 1860 square meters and displays three halls, six ingresses and two extension rooms. There is also a 2 meters high stone wall inside the complex. The architecture of the fort displays medieval culture. While quarrying in the fort, enormous pieces of work of art like potteries, terracotta figurines, terracotta plaques and decorative tiles were recovered.

Fabricated from the burnt bricks gave this fort an impressive and remarkable top view and thus explores the dexterity of people of ancient era. This fort can still be signified as an astonishing work of art.

The city's area is 10 square km. It is surrounded by a wall 4.5 meters high and 6 meters wide made using granite stone(6-9 courses)[24] and bricks on the east, west and south directions. In the north, the Mishmi hills provided a natural barrier. Although very less excavation has been carried out by the Arunachal government, preliminary excavations have revealed three tanks and two gates in the eastern and western directions.[10]

The Bhismaknagar central complex extended over an area of 1860 square meters and displays three halls, six ingresses and two extension rooms. There is also a 2 meters high stone wall inside the complex. The architecture of the fort displays the medieval culture. While quarrying the fort the enormous pieces of work of art like potteries, terracotta figurines, terracotta plaques and decorative tiles were preserved.

Rukmini Nagar

In the hills north of Roing lie scattered some old brick structures, mainly between the Chidu and Chimri villages situated at an altitude of about 305 m. The local people, the Idus, were desirous of giving an Idu word to the name, and hence it came to be called Rukmini Nati (nati—the Idu word for bricks). An exploration-cum-excavation work, undertaken by the Research Department of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, to study the ruins, has thrown some light on the antiquities. In course of the progress of work, which continued from January 1973 to April 1974, excavation of two mounds at Chimri, II km from Roing, unearthed two rooms, 10x10 m and 10x12 m respectively built on a slope, at a distance of 14 m from each other. The contents dug out from inside the walls of the rooms were of river-borne materials, a fact which suggests that they were destroyed by floods. The potsherds resembling those of Bhismaknagar in shape, fabric and technique that were unearthed bear ample evidence to the extension to this area of the same culture as of Bhismaknagar.

The other archaeological sites in this area are located (I) near Chidu Inspection Bungalow, (2) at Cheko Nati between Chidu and Chimri and (3) in the hills north of Chimri. No relics, however, could be found at the first two sites, although potsherds at Chidu and brick walls, steps, etc. at Cheko Nati were reported to have been seen earlier. The third site north of Chimri is situated at a high altitude of about 610 m. Not a single brick found there was in alignment, and everything seemed destroyed. The situation of all the four sites on a hilly terrain suitable for defence indicate that they are parts of a single complex representing a fort which extended from Chidu to Chimri. It is probable that the main centre of this complex was at Cheko Nati. Another archaeological site called Duku Limbo is on the left bank of the Dibang at'the foot of Elopa hill. The brickbats found at this site suggest that the Brismaknagar culture had extended to this point.[11]

Tezu Fort

An old Mud Fort in the Tindolong area, six km from Tezu, was explored in 1972. It falls on the main road from Sadiya to Tezu. The area of the fort, enclosed by earthen ramparts—365.76 m X 350.52 m, is square in shape. The rampart is eight ft high, and equally broad at the top with sloping sides. On both the -inner and outer sides of the rampart run two ditches about 6 m wide. There is a prominent mound, circular in shape (diameter 30.48 m approximately) and about 3 m in height, almost at the centre of the enclosure. The mound appears to be a cavalier for lookout purposes. Some potsherds found at this site are too fragmentary to bear any conclusive evidence. It may, however, be assumed that the Mud Fort linked by the route from Bhismaknagar to Parshuram Kund was probably associated with the early culture that flourished in and around Sadiya and Bhismaknagar. [12]

The complex seems to represent a defensive mud-fort or redoubt of a modest dimension unlike the fortified city of Bhismakanagara. It was suitable for a small band of soldiers to maintain vigilance against the enemies from their hide-outs inside jungle especially in guerilla warfare, the normal practice in the region. Scarp and counter-scarp provided by the rampart and ditches immensely strengthened the defence in the topography of the country. Strategic considerations are palpable from the situation of the fort on principal route from Sadiya and Bhismaknagar to Parshuram Kund facing the Lohit river, perhaps to keep watch on the enemy from its left bank around Chowkham and hence the position of the mound meant for this purpose nearer the river. The fort has been assigned roughly to a period about the 14th-15th century.[13]

In Mahabharata

Samvedya (संवेद्य) (Tirtha) is mentioned in (III.83.1)

Vana Parva, Mahabharata/Book III Chapter 83 mentions names of Pilgrims. Samvedya (संवेद्य) (Tirtha) is mentioned in (III.83.1)Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content....Pulastya said, 'Arriving next at the excellent tirtha called Samvedya (संवेद्य) (III.83.1) in the evening, and touching its waters, one surely obtaineth knowledge. Created a tirtha in days of yore by Rama's energy, he that proceedeth to Lauhitya (लॊहित्य)(III.83.2) obtaineth the merit of giving away gold in abundance.

सदिया

सदिया (Sadiya) भारत के असम राज्य के पूर्वोत्तरी भाग में तिनसुकिया ज़िले में अरुणाचल प्रदेश की सीमा के समीप स्थित एक ऐतिहासिक स्थान है। यह सुतीया राजवंश की तीसरी राजधानी थी और इसकी स्थापना सन् 1248 ई. में चुटिया वंश के दूसरे राजा, रत्नध्वजपाल, ने की थी। यह सन् 1524 ई. तक राजधानी रही। यहाँ उस काल के कई खण्डहर मिलते हैं।

भूगोल: सदिया वन से ढके हिमालय के निचले पहाड़ों से घिरे 123 मीटर की ऊँचाई पर एक घास वाले मैदान पर स्थित है। यह क्षेत्र सोतफ़ूल नामक एक चमेली जैसे फूल के लिए प्रसिद्ध है। सदिया के समीप ब्रह्मपुत्र नदी (जो यहाँ पर दिहांग नदी कहलाती है) में उसकी दो मुख्य उपनदियाँ - लोहित नदी और दिबांग नदी - विलय होती हैं। इन संगमों के बाद स्थानीय ब्रह्मपुत्र की चौड़ाई बहुत अधिक है।

संवेद्य

संवेद्य (AS, p.929) नामक प्राचीन तीर्थ का उल्लेख महाभारत, वनपर्व 85,1 में हुआ है- 'अथ संध्यां समासाद्य संवेद्यं तीर्थमुनमम् उपस्पृश्य नरोविद्यां लभते नात्र संशयः।' अर्थात 'संध्या के समय श्रेष्ठ [p.930]: तीर्थ संवेद्य में जाकर स्नान करने से मनुष्य की विद्या को लाभ होता है, इसमें संदेह नहीं है।' इस तीर्थ का अभिज्ञान सदिया (बंगाल) से किया गया है। संवेद्य के आगे महाभारत, वनपर्व 85, 2-3 में लौहित्य और करतोया का उल्लेख है।[14]

External links

See also

References

  1. ↑ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Sadiya". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 993.
  2. ↑ Kaulback, Ronald (1934). "The Assam Border of Tibet". The Geographical Journal. The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers). 83 (3): 177–189. ISSN 0016-7398. JSTOR 1785520. p. 177
  3. ↑ Laichen, Sun (2000), Ming -Southeast Asian overland interactions, 1368--1644. p.189
  4. ↑ Shin, Jae-Eun (2020). "Descending from demons, ascending to kshatriyas: Genealogical claims and political process in pre-modern Northeast India, The Chutiyas and the Dimasas". The Indian Economic and Social History Review. 57 (1): 49–75. doi:10.1177/0019464619894134. S2CID 213213265. p. 56
  5. ↑ Laichen, Sun (2000), Ming -Southeast Asian overland interactions, 1368--1644.p.239
  6. ↑ (Col. Ved Prakash:912)
  7. ↑ Yasmin Saikia, Assam and India: Fragmented Memories, p.6
  8. ↑ Shin, Jae-Eun (2020). "Descending from demons, ascending to kshatriyas: Genealogical claims and political process in pre-modern Northeast India, The Chutiyas and the Dimasas". The Indian Economic and Social History Review. 57 (1): 49–75. doi:10.1177/0019464619894134. S2CID 213213265. p. 55
  9. ↑ Shin 2020, p. 56.
  10. ↑ Raikar, Yashawant. Archeology in Arunachal Pradesh. 1980, p. 19.
  11. ↑ Lohit District
  12. ↑ Lohit District
  13. ↑ Chattopadhyay, S., History and archaeology of Arunachal Pradesh, p. 71
  14. ↑ Aitihasik Sthanavali by Vijayendra Kumar Mathur, p.929-930
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