| Ahom Religion (Phuralung religion) | |
|---|---|
| Type | Taoic |
| Scripture | Lit Lai Peyn Kaka |
| Language | Ahom language |
TheAhom Religion (also known as Phuralung religion) is theethnic religion of theAhom people.[1] The Ahom people came intoAssam in 1228, led by aTai princeSukaphaa, and admixed with the local people. The people who came into Assam included two clans of priests, joined later by a third, who brought with them their own religion, rituals, practices and scriptures. The religion is based on ritual-orientedancestor worship[2] that required animal sacrifice (Ban-Phi),[3] though there was at least oneBuddhism influenced ritual in which sacrifice was forbidden (Phuralung).[4] Ancestor worship and theanimistic concept ofkhwan are two elements it shares with otherTai folk religions.[5] There is noidolatry except for the titular god of theAhom king[6] and though there is a concept ofheaven or a heavenly kingdom (Mong Phi, sometimes identified with a part ofTian,China),[7] there is no concept of hell.[8] It was thestate religion of theAhom kingdom in the initial period.
TheAhom kingdom expanded suddenly in the 16th century and theAhom peoples became a small minority in their own kingdom—though they continued to wield control. Subsequently, they slowly converted and by the early 19th-century, Ahom religion declined to be replaced byHinduism. In the 1931 survey, all Ahoms listed Hinduism as their religion.[9] Nevertheless, since the 1960s and 1970s due to an Ahom revivalism movement, as well as efforts from scholars, many of the older practices of the Ahom religion are being resurrected.
The three priestly clans (Mo'sam,Mo'hung,Mo'Plong) of the Ahom people are the current custodians of the Ahom religion.[10]
The word Phuralung is a combination of two Tai-Ahom words Phura and Lung combiningly Phuralung.[11] In theTai-Ahom language, religion or a doctrine is referred asAm-Su-Shin. In 1975 The priestly class conference formed theAssam Phuralung Society and the religion of the Ahoms was namedAm-Chu-Sin Phuralung orPhuralung Religion.[citation needed]
Dam-Phi (Dam: dead;Phi: god) is theworship of ancestors as gods and it is performed either in individual households (Dam-Phi) or publicly (Me-Dam-Me-Phi). The dead in Ahom society becomes aDam (literally, 'spirit of the dead').[12] They are held inawe (fear, wonder, and reverence); worshiped and propitiated for protection.[13] After the fourteenth generation aDam becomes a god (Phi) and is worshiped by the whole community.[14] There are three grades ofDams graded according to the generation (with the highest living generation numbered one) and the circumstances of death, and they progress from one grade to the next.
The head of the household and his wife or the parents are called theNa Dam ("newDam", 2nd generation), the next higher generation theGhai Dam ("mainDam", 3rd generation) and the next higher generation theChi Rwan Dam (4th generation). EachDam is complete only when both the husband and wife are dead. These threeDams constitute theGriha Dam (householdDam) and they are believed to reside in the North-east pillar of the kitchen,Pho Kam (Assamese:Dam Khuta), which is usually raised first during the construction of the house and is considered most sacred place in the entire house.[15] TheDam Phi rituals are directed at thePho Kam.[16] The household deity,Seng Ka Pha, is also worshiped at thePho Kam.[17] Those who die unnaturally, without children or unmarried are calledJokorua Dam and are not included in theGriha Dam and treated and worshiped differently.[18]
The next nine generations ofDams (5th to 13th) constituteChang Dam, theDams who have been let out of the house into the threshold;[19] and are worshiped according to special rites, calledNo Puruxor Saul Khua (feast for nine generations).
This is the final stage forDams and in this stage, theDams (14th and above) are considered to have become gods (Phi) and merged with original forefathers of the entire community collectively calledChao Phi Dam. In this class ofDams the two evil deities,Ra Khin andBa Khin too belong, but they are worshiped with lower status and separately.[20] TheJokorua Dams in the fourteenth generation becomeKhin and join these two deities.[21]
It is mentioned in the Ahom ScriptureLit Lai Peyn Kaka that at first there was nothing besides the water of the ocean.Pha Tu Ching — which is an omnipotent shapeless, impersonal, almighty god[22] — opened his eyes to the void and thus created from his breast the first deity —Khun Theu Kham. Freshly created, and finding nothing to lean on,Khun Theu Kham dove into the water and then laid on his back, and a lotus plant issued from his navel. This was followed by the creation of a crab, a tortoise, and an eight-hooded snake that encircled the tortoise. The eight hoods spread in eight directions. Then were created a white elephant with long tusks, and two mountains in the north and south, on which pillars were placed. Then a pair of gold-tinted spiders were created that floated in the air and dropped excrement, from which earth came about. The spiders then placed eight pillars in the eight corners of the wall, and spun their web to create heaven. Heaven in Ahom religion denotesTien, a part ofYunnan inSouthwest China[23] known asMong Phi.
Pha Tu Ching also created a consort forKhun Theu Kham, andLon Kām (four golden eggs) were born to them.Phā Tu Chin then created aThaolung to warm the eggs—but the eggs would not hatch for many years. So he sprinkled ambrosia (Nya Pulok) on them and four gods emerged:
The fourth son,Ngi-Ngao-Kham stayed back to help create the world. The third son revolted and turned into an evil spirit, though his sonSeng Ka Pha became a household deity.
According to Ahom beliefs, the supreme, formless, omnipotent being isPha Tu Ching, who is the creator, sustainer and destroyer of everything.[24][25] The other gods and the universe are his creation. The Ahompantheon of gods that generally receive oblations areLengdon,Khao Kham,Ai Leng Din,Jan Chai Hung,Jasing Pha,Chit Lam Cham,Mut-Kum Tai Kum,Ra-Khin,Ba-Khin andChao Phi Dam.[26]
| God | Domain | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khao Kham | The presiding deity of water |
| 2 | Ai Leng Din | The presiding deity of earth |
| 3 | Jan Chai Hung | The master god of all natural powers |
| 4 | Lengdon | The ruler of the whole universe |
| 5 | Chit Lam Cham | The presiding deity of seven powers |
| 6 | Mut-Kum Tai-Kum | The master gods of light: the sun and the moon |
| 7 | Jasing Pha | The original wise forefathers, masters of language, culture, education and knowledge. |
| 8 | Chao Phi Dam | The forefathers above the thirteenth generation. |
| 9 | Ra-Khin | The evil power that creates different diseases, pain, misery in the body. |
| 10 | Ba-Khin | The evil power who creates diseases, pain in mind. |
Chumpha: TheChumpha (Chumpha-Rung Seng-Mong, was the titular deity of theAhom dynasty, represented by a relic and which symbolized the Ahom king's sovereignty. It accompanied Sukaphaa across the Patkai on his journey into Assam.[27] It used to be housed in the royal seat, tillSuklenmung (1539–1552) moved it away and it played a prominent role duringSingarigharutha ceremony.[28] The relic is said to have been brought down fromMong Phi byKun Lung andKun Lai the ancestor of Sukaphaa rulers Of Mong Ri-Mong Ram (NowXishuangbanna,China)[29] and could be worshiped and handled only by the king.
There are many other Gods including Major Ahom Gods. TheTai-Ahom people and generally had numbers of gods and spirits. They believe that in this world of phenomena visible objects have invisible spirits.[30] Here are some of them.[31]
The religious aspects are inscribed in scriptures written in theAhom language on a kind of bark known asxasi. Ahom religion has various manuscripts on divination, prognostication,khwan calling, incantation, and Phralung. The three priestly clans (Mo'sam, Mo'hung, Mo'Plong) widely use these scripts. Some prayer scripts are known asBan-Seng were found fromHabung. Some of them were brought fromYunnan,China.[citation needed]
| Scripture | Description |
|---|---|
| Lit Lai Pak Peyn Ka Ka | The Lit-Lai-Pat-Peyn-Ka-Ka is considered as the main scripture of Ahom religion.[33] Most of the cosmology and Gods of Ahom religion derived from this vast scripture. |
| Khyek Phi Pha Nuru Lengdon Lit Khamphi Lengdon Lanmung | These two texts enumerate the ritual worship ofLengdon |
| Ming Mang Phurālōng | This text enumerates thePhurālōng ritual worship. |
| Doya Phurā Puthi Nemimang Phura Yao Ching Bong Phura Urak Pha Phra | These three books list the Jataka tales of the Buddha. |
| Khyek Phi Umpha Umpha Phi Kun An Lao | These books enumerate the ritual worship ofUmpha |
| Dam-Phi-Chi-Phun-Kka-Rik Khwan Khon Ming Bar Phai | These books list theRik-khwan ritual worship for longevity. |
| Lit Me-Dam Me-Phi | This book lists the ritual worship of ancestors. |
| Lai lit Nang Hoon Pha | This lists the ritual Ahom marriage ceremony calledCho-klong. |
| Jatak Phi An Ak | Included details of Rituals related to Birth Ceremony.[34] |
| Lit Ye Seng Pha: | Included details of Rituals related toYe-Seng-Pha (Ancestor Queen, Lord Of Knowledge and Arts).[35] |
| Kai Tham Kai theng Muong | manuscript gives the ritual of sacrificing of a chicken by incantation without causing death by suffocation and slitting and gives the method of divination by studying the chicken bones or chicken legs.[36] |
| Pat nam Lai Lit Aap tang | Books included the process of purifying water. |
| Pun Ko’ muong | A manuscript that describes the genesis. |
| Phi Luong - Phi Wan | A manuscript is of Ahom astrology. |
The Ahom religion is based on rituals, and there are two types of rituals:Ban-Phi that involve animal sacrifice andPhuralung that forbids animal sacrifice. Rituals could also be performed at the household level or at the communal level.
Me-Dam-Me-Phi (Ahom language :Me-worship;Dam-spirit of the dead;Phi-god) is one of the major ceremonies among the Ahom religious rituals that is performed publicly, propitiating the spirits of the dead. In the modern times, this is held annually on 31 January. The rituals begin with the creation of a temporary structure with bamboo and thatch octagonal in shape, calledho phi. In it six raised platters on the main platform are placed for the following divinities:Jashing Pha,Jan Chai Hung,Lengdon,Chit Lam Cham,Mut-Kum Tai-Kum,Chao Phi Dam. To the left of the main platform the raised platforms forKhao Kham andAi Leng Din are placed; and to the right the raised platters ofRa Khin andBa Khin.[37]
TheRik-Khwan Mong Khwan(Ahom language :Rik-to call;Khwan-Life/longevity/Soul;Mōng-Nation),[38] is a ritual to worshipKhwan, to enhance or to call back the prosperity of the state or a person. The Rik Kwan is an important part of the Tai-Ahom marriage system described in the old Tai scriptLai Lit Nang Hoon Pha. In early days Rik-Khwan Mung Khwan was performed by the Tai-Ahom kings on the victory of a war or the installation of the new kings. In the ceremony, devotee propitiates the god Khao Kham (the god of water) and invoke to restore the soul in the original normal place and to grant a long life.[39]
Poi cheng ken is a traditional spring festival celebrated in the Ahom month of Duin-Ha, which is part of theSexagenary cycle.[40] The festival is marked by activities like washing, especially bathing household cattle, honoring ancestors, and worshiping the insigniaChum Pha Rueng Sheng Mueang.[41] The rituals of Cheng Ken are detailed in the ancient manuscriptKhyek Lai Bet.[42] As recorded:
Duin ha jao pai ka duin ruk Poi cheng ken ao ma, hu ap nam, khai ap nam....,lit. '‘the month of Duin-ha has passed. Poi cheng ken has come in Duin-ruk. Cows and buffaloes are washed with water.'
TheDam Phi rituals are specific to propitiating theNa Dam,Ghai Dam,Chi rwan Dam and theJokorua Dam at thePho Kam pillar inside the house. These rituals are offered on all auspicious occasion in the household—the threeBihus, theNa Khua ceremony (feast following new harvest), new birth in the household,nuai tuloni biya (female puberty ceremony),Chak lang (marriage), and annual death ceremonies.[43]
Ahom religion is primarily based on worshiping Deities calledPhi andDam (Ancestor Spirit). Ancestor worship and theanimistic concept ofkhwan are two elements it shares with otherTai folk religions.[44] While the duality of the individual self Han (Phu) and Pu are concepts that probably came fromTaoism ConceptsYin and Yang.[45] The custom sacred offerings consisting of chicken andLao traditional rice beer, both in diluted (Nam Lao) and undiluted (Luok Lao) forms can be seen in otherTai folk religion too.[46]
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