Challenging Destiny

By Pranjit Agarwala

India is a country where there is unity in diversity. However is this really true? This book
narrates a real life story of socio-communal integration which began in Assam during the British
era. With the passage of time it has become a unique example of national integration,
patriotism and social service.
“Challenging Destiny” is about the illustrious “Agarwala Family” of Assam. The family’s story is
intertwined with the events that occurred in Assam during the British Raj. The dismissal of the
last Ahom King, the opening up of tea gardens, discovery of oil and coal, the revival of the
Assamese language and cultural identity, beginning of the freedom struggle, the effects of
World War 2, partition and the independence of India. The story begins in 1827. A teenaged Navarangram Agarwala starts off on foot from Churu,
Rajasthan, in northwest India to redeem a fortune. He walks across Northern India and finally
reaches Assam in northeast India. In Assam he not only gains wealth but begins a process of
socio-communal assimilation that spawns a lineage that integrates completely into the
Assamese community. By 1947 Navarangram’s progeny by their deeds and contributions
become the standard bearers of Assamese socio-cultural renaissance and a symbol of its
identity. It is a story of national integration with few parallels in India proving that unity in
diversity is not just a catchy slogan.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BlueRose Publishers
• Release date: Jul 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9789354273919

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Today we live in the age of cyber space where distances have been telescoped into sound and mega-bytes. Everything is now accomplished by the click of the mouse. What new inventions science will make in the future for our work to become easier is open to speculation but not a matter of doubt. Two hundred years ago life was rudimentary. Our forefathers had no such technology to help them in their work. It therefore required immense courage, caliber, determination and perseverance to achieve even a modicum of success. Not to speak of migrating from Rajasthan to Assam, starting from scratch and not only leaving behind a financial inheritance for posterity but an enduring legacy of socio-communal integration.

In the third decade of the nineteenth century a boy from Marwar came to Assam seeking a fortune. He was not a fortune seeker by choice or a fortune hunter by birth. A cruel blow of fate had robbed his family of a fortune and forced him to leave his home in search of an El Dorado while still in his teens. He was not the first nor would he be the last from his community and region to take this well trodden path heading east by northeast.

Fate may have bestowed fortunes on many. However rarely has destiny ordained a person to become the medium of a process of integration of two communities of people from the opposite corners of India, the northwest and the northeast. A process which, with the passage of time influenced the socio-cultural fabric of a community and helped it emerge from the shadow of an alien culture to establish an identity of its own.

It was a time when India was dotted with numerous independent princely states. Its society rigidly bound by time tested customs and traditions. The people divided by caste, communal and religious prejudices. When India was politically disunited and the sun never set on the British Empire. At such a time in Assam a migrant youth started a process of communal integration and socio-cultural assimilation that with successive generations became a unique example of national integration, patriotism and socio-cultural renaissance with few parallels in India. This extraordinary saga of national integration on the banks of the Brahmaputra has its origins in the deserts of Rajasthan.

The migrant youth was Navarangaram Agarwala. He was the progenitor of the Agarwala Family in Assam. His life and times as well as the early years of the family have been vividly described in the diary maintained by his eldest son Haribilash Agarwala.

Chapter 1

Around 1720 a man named Channunmal lived in the village of Ked in the erstwhile princely state of Jaipur in what was then known as Rajputana. Channunmal was a Baishya by caste and belonged to the Gargarishi gotra of Madhayanand sakha and Karnaprabha prasakha. The family priest was Yamuna Ram Shahel, a Gaur Brahmin belonging to the Yajur vedic sect who lived in Jhunjhunu.

After marriage Channunmal migrated to the village of Gudda in the same State. Why Channunmal left Ked is not known. Because Channunmal was from Ked the family was called Kedia. His sons Kushal Chand and Ghasiram were born in Gudda. Kushal Chand and Ghasiram had an aunt who lived in the village of Tain. The aunt was rich but childless. She therefore asked her nephews to come to Tain and help her manage her business and estate.

Around 1755 responding to their aunt’s request both brothers shifted to Tain. At Tain they learnt the intricacies of the traditional family business from their aunt. Both the brothers developed the business beyond the aunt’s expectations. Once settled she also got them married. Ghasiram had a son Hemraj and in time the aunt also got her grandson married to a beautiful young woman. In the meanwhile the brothers separated. When his father died Hemraj became the sole inheritor of his father’s business and properties. The aunt had the satisfaction of seeing the birth of her first great grandson Navarangaram whom she doted upon.

Navarangaram was born in Tain amidst opulence in 1811. He was soft spoken, charming and good looking. His childhood was spent in their palatial haveli (mansion) in Tain listening to his grandmother’s tales of Rajputana. The remains of the ruined haveli in Tain is known to have existed till 1980. He also had two younger brothers Ramlal and Gulabchand. Doted upon by his mother and grandmother and nurtured on the chivalry of Rajputana, Navarangaram dreamt of a glorious future.

Navarangaram’s father Hemraj had expanded the business beyond the confines of Tain. By 1821 he had become a prominent and wealthy saudagar (merchant). He was well known asTainwala. However Hemraj’s spectacular success and wealth became the cause of his downfall. In those feudalistic days when the writ of powerful zamindar clans ran over large areas it was sacrilege for a person outside the clan to become more wealthy and influential. The zamindar of Tain was not pleased with the growing influence and wealth of Hemraj and planned to destroy him.

Hemraj frequently travelled out of Tain on business. Taking advantage of such an occasion the zamindar with his men raided the house of Hemraj looting and destroying everything. The zamindar left a deadly message of more destruction and even death if Hemraj stayed on. Hemraj could not turn to anyone for help as everybody was afraid of defying the zamindar and suffering severe consequences. In those days there was no legal system or police protection available.

Overnight Hemraj was reduced to destitution and fearing for the lives of his wife and small children he left Tain and the State of Jaipur.

In 1821 he came to Churu in the then princely State of Bikaner. Churu even though a village then, was a centre of trade and commerce. Perhaps that was the reason Hemraj chose to come to Churu. In Churu he built a home for his family with whatever he could salvage from the wreck of his home in Tain. But he was heart- broken at having to abandon Tain. Unable to bear the trauma Hemraj died soon after, leaving behind a young widow and three small children. The eldest Navarangaram was ten years, Ramlal six years and Gulabchand only four years.

Shocked and devastated by her husband’s untimely death, Hemraj’s young widow was left in dire straits. For a young widow with three small children in a new place with a conservative patriarchal society where women remained in purdah (veil), it was even more daunting. But she displayed courage and resolve to survive without becoming a burden on anyone.

To survive and nurture her children she sold her gold ornaments. At a time when there was no legal protection or redress, conditions of living harsh and a man could suddenly lose everything, even his life, a woman’s gold ornaments were considered the ultimate form of security in a crisis. However, extremely hard times followed. But Navarangaram refused to accept poverty as his destiny.

Around 1827 at the age of sixteen challenging destiny he set out eastwards on foot to turn the wheel of fortune. He was then unmarried and left behind his two younger brothers and mother at Churu. Having lived for generations in Tain they were shekhawatis who were considered to be brave, sacrificing, hard working and culturally oriented. They belonged to the clan of King Agrasen whose followers used the title Agrawal/Agarwal.

While there is no record of his journey, it is assumed that he must have joined the many caravans that in those days traversed the land. Ocassionally some good Samaritans in the caravan must have fed the boy. Or he must have helped doing chores around the camp in exchange for a meal. In this way for nearly two years Navarangram Agarwal travelled across North India always joining a caravan that was headed eastwards. He is known to have passed through places like Farrukabad, Mirzapur, Kashi and Murshidabad. North India was then in transition with the Moghul empire crumbling and the British empire rising. Navarangaram Agarwal finally arrived in Goalpara, Assam, at the end of 1828 earning passage as a sorandar (helper) on the boat he came in.

Chapter 2

Assam is situated in the Northeast corner of India. Today it is one of the seven Northeastern states of India viz: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura. Together they are popularly known as the seven sisters. (Sikkim was also included in the region in 1975 when it joined the Indian Union). The seven northeastern States are connected to the Indian sub-continent by a narrow strip of land in North Bengal. This strip known as the chicken’s neck in strategic military terminology begins near Siliguri which is the main city of North Bengal.

Siliguri is located at the tri-junction of Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Nepal is located towards the North-west of the city, Bhutan towards the North-east and Bangladesh towards the South. The city is also the gateway to Sikkim and the Darjeeling hills. From Siliguri the chicken’s neck corridor stretches eastwards for about 100 kms running along the southern border of Bhutan on its North and northern border of Bangladesh on its south. The corridor is 33kms at the widest point coming down to only 14kms at the narrowest point. The corridor leads into the plains of the Brahmaputra valley in the western part of Assam. This is the only surface link between India and its Northeast today. In 1828 the region was even more inaccessible.

The eastern part of the great Himalayan range that stretch across the Indo-Gangetic plains also run across this region’s northern section. As it continues eastwards and reaches Burma it gradually peters out into the Naga and Patkai hills. There were many mountain passes in these ranges which offered passage into the Brahmaputra valley from the east. However the approach from the Indian sub-continent on the west and south west was hazardous because of the densely forested hills and steep escarpments of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo hills. The mighty Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers with their numerous tributaries also made marching across the plains of East Bengal, now Bangladesh, difficult for an invading army.

Therefore the geo-politics of the region was quite different two hundred years ago. Till the advent of the British the events occurring in the Indian sub-continent had little impact on the region. The region was influenced more by it’s neighbours on the North and East i.e the kingdoms of Bhutan, Tibet, China and Burma.

Assam had been in turmoil because of divisions in the royal family since the last quarter of the 18th century. A power struggle for the Ahom throne gave the Burmese the opportunity to invade and occupy Assam. The Burmese ruled Assam practically from 1821 to 1825. The Burmese were interested in Assam because they wanted a base from where they could attack the British and expand their territory.

But instead of providing strategic governance to strengthen their position they let loose a reign of terror. Burmese atrocities depopulated the countryside leaving large parts in wilderness. Many villages were abandoned and large tracts of fertile farmland lay fallow. Places like Doboka and Kopili valley became so depopulated that the traces of Assamese civilization almost disappeared.

The Treaty of Yandabu at the end of the Anglo-Burmese war in 1826 freed Assam from Burmese tyranny, ended nearly six hundred years of Ahom rule and signaled the beginning of the British Raj in the region. Therefore in 1828 though free of Burmese tyranny and internal strife, Assam lay in a devastated condition.

However the British, actually the British East India Company which was a trading firm, had already annexed lower Assam up to Biswanathghat. Upper Assam had not yet been annexed by them. It was Ahom territory governed on the basis of the Non-Regulated system. The boundary between the two territories was the Behali river on the north bank and Dhansiri river on the south bank of the Brahmaputra. The surrounding hill tracts were ruled by various warrior tribes like the Nagas, Dufflas, Akas, Miris etc. These tribes accepted Ahom suzerainty but were not governed by them. The British maintained the status quo.

The economy was based on the barter system. The Ahoms followed the paik system of collecting revenues. Under the system revenue was paid through the rendering of service to the authorities or the King. Agriculture and weaving prevalent in the villages were for self consumption and not commercial. The people met their needs of other essential commodities like salt, pulses, edible oil etc by an exchange of goods. There was no circulation of money. Coins were minted to mark royal occasions only.

Upper Assam and the south bank of the Brahmaputra were comparatively more prosperous than lower Assam and the north bank. The standard of living in the former was higher with most people using silk and gold ornaments. In contrast people used cotton cloth and silver ornaments in the latter.

Communication was difficult as the land was covered by dense forests and roads were almost non-existant. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries served as a means of communication. Boats like holong naos (country boats) and pansois (flat bottomed rafts/boats) were the main mode of transportation. This too was confined mainly to the aristocrats who plied their personal boats to travel over long distances or to ferry goods.

The common people who rarely ventured out from their villages trekked when they needed to go somewhere. Often the men of the village got together and trekked along the banks of the rivers carrying their produce to a trading post to exchange for essential items. Thus like now, even then a lack of proper communication and connectivity was a major hurdle in Assam.

However like now, even then Assam had a liberal and pluralistic society. Even though the Ahoms were the conquerors of Assam they assimilated with the indigenous population through marriage. They also readily adopted the local language, culture and customs, while retaining their own language, customs, culture and religious practices. There was no purdah (veil). Women were respected and given high regard in the Ahom society. The women were refined, enlightened, active and accomplished.

Although some communities were socially identified by their skills and professions, unlike the Hindu society there was no rigid caste system and segregation. But slavery was prevalent in the Ahom period. Not only the royalty or nobles owned slaves but all persons with some means and status owned one or more slaves. The slaves labored in the fields or did the household chores. In 1842 the British abolished slavery.

In 1828 when a seventeen year old Navarangaram set foot in Assam he saw a land covered with thick jungles, bisected by a huge river and interspersed by many of its tributaries. A land which was sparsely populated with indolent people whose, language, customs and culture were completely alien to him. The people had little or no exposure to the outside world, its social mores and commercial system. It was completely different from the climes, culture, environs and arid lands of his native Rajputana or North India that he had traversed. He was circumspect yet confident. He believed fate had guided his footsteps to this remote corner of India giving him a final challenge as well as an opportunity to script a new destiny.

Chapter – 3

When Navarangaram reached Assam he had nothing.

Goalpara is situated on the south bank of the river Brahmaputra in the western part of Assam. It was then an important river port and business centre of Assam under British rule. Navarangaram first worked at Goalpara in the firm of Ramdayal Poddar. Ramdayal Poddar who was originally from Ratangarh perhaps knew about Navarangram’s background. He appointed the teenager as a gomosta (salesman) in his firm. Later he sent him to the firm’s branch at Biswanathghat. Biswanathghat is situated on the north bank of the Brahmaputra almost 400 kms upstream due east of Goalpara. It was then an important trading post in the interiors of Assam with a British military camp.

However Navarangram was by blood and spirit an entrepreneur. Around 1830 he left his job and decided to start his own business. With his meager savings he opened a shop at Biswanathghat. But finding it difficult to compete with the established shops he decided to go further upstream. He came to Gomiri which was then a part of the Ahom territory.

Gomiri situated on the north bank of the Brahmaputra is located about forty kilometers further east and upstream of Biswanathghat. A small village by the river, the rural hinterland surrounding Gomiri was then covered by dense forests. The village folk were extremely poor. They ate on banana leaves and drank from bamboo flutes. Ornaments for women were rare, and if any, were made of silver.

The villages situated inland had access to the river through pathways in the forests. Most of the pathways converged in and around Gomiri making it an access point to the river for these interior villages. But by no stretch of imagination could Gomiri be considered as a trading point or place of business. It was just a small village by the Brahmaputra. Yet Navarangram with his innate sense of business decided to try his luck in this little village by the mighty river.

He had by now picked up a smattering of the local language, enough to understand and be understood. His limited capital forced him to start off on a very small scale. He brought goods from Biswanathghat and sold them in and around Gomiri. After some time taking due permission from the concerned Ahom authorities he set up a small shop at Bebejia village. The shop was located on the western side of Kukurmora hula opposite the house of Ghinai Bordeka.

The exact year is uncertain. But according to account books written by him in nageri, there were entries of credit outstanding in the names of Ramdhan Bhadra, Dokkhi Kotoky and Kohiram Bepari dated 1832.

Navarangaram was a robust, amiable and genial person. Therefore he got a warm response from the local people unlike other outsiders. He also had a ear for languages. He knew several languages which helped him mix with people quite easily. At the same time he was hard working, enterprising and together with his business acumen, diligence and geniality he prospered rapidly. His shop grew and soon he purchased a seven bigha (2 acres) plot nearby. This plot was situated on the eastern side of his first location. Here he built a bigger gola (general store) along with a residence. (The plot of land is still there at Gomiri in the name of the family).

Chapter – 4

In 1826 when the British defeated the Burmese and signed the Treaty of Yandabu they had no intention of annexing Assam. They had intended to set up a tributary government in Assam. For administrative convenience Assam was divided into two parts, lower Assam and upper Assam. Rangpur was the capital of upper Assam and Guwahati of lower Assam.

However David Scott who was appointed the Agent of the Governor General for the new territory realised that the revenue prospects in lower Assam were brighter than that of upper Assam. He also believed that if lower Assam was permanently occupied there would be considerable increase in revenues.

Perhaps he got this impression from Moghul chronicles. Mir Jumla’s chronicler had estimated that if Assam was administered directly by the Moghuls it was likely to yield yearly revenues of Rs.40 to Rs.45 lakhs. The calculation was based on revenue from land, forest produce, elephants, ivory etc. Hence the British quickly annexed lower Assam. Upper Assam was not annexed. A strong British military contingent commanded by Colonel Richards was stationed at the Ahom capital, Rangpur.

Though politically upper Assam was Ahom territory the real power was in the hands of the British. There was therefore a strong undercurrent of resentment. The Ahom royalty and nobles were unhappy at the loss of power, privileges and social status. There was also resentment among the general Assamese people at the loss of their independence. In 1828 Ahom prince Gomadhar Konwar led an abortive rebellion to oust the British. They quickly quelled it, captured and imprisoned the prince.

Seeing all this in 1832 Lord William Bentinck then Governor General ordered the restoration of upper Assam to Purandar Singha. On April 24th 1833 Purandar Singha was formally installed as King (Raja)of upper Assam with a nineteen gun salute. Jorhat became his capital. He had to pay an annual tribute of Rs.50,000/- to the British East India Company. He appointed Maniram Dewan as the Prime Minister (Barbhandar Phukan) of his territory. It was around this time in 1833 that Navarangaram caught the attention of Maniram Dewan.

Navarangaram had soon realized that after years of turmoil and suffering atrocities at the hands of the Burmese, the people needed rehabilitation. Having himself been a victim of persecution of feudal overlords he resented exploitation of poor helpless people. He thus coordinated his efforts in such a way which was not only favorable to him but also benefitted the people and the area.

Maniram Dewan was impressed by Navarangaram’s work and goodwill among the local people. So he summoned him to the court of Purandar Singha. While there are no records of Navarangaram’s reaction on receiving the summons, it can be presumed that he must have been very apprehensive about having to present himself before the Ahom monarch. Being an outsider there is no doubt that he must have feared punishment for unintentionally hurting some local sentiments.

Hence with great trepidation he presented himself before Purandar Singha. What transpired in the Ahom court is not known. One can only imagine Navarangram bowing in obesience and mumbling a salutation to Purandar Singha in broken Assamese. Perhaps Maniram Dewan then informed the King about his work and goodwill among the people.

Whatever may have occurred, the King appointed him the Haatkhowa bisoya (toll collector) of the markets in the Ahom territory on the north bank. Hearing this Navarangaram was stunned as he was expecting a reprimand. It is believed Navarangram was the first outsider to be given a royal assignment.

When Navarangaram was given the royal appointment his business had just completed only three years. The royal appointment was therefore an acknowledgement of his enterprise and community goodwill. It enhanced his stature and made him an influential person in the area.

The Ahoms though benevolent rulers had done little for the uplift of the common man. The Burmese had looted, plundered and committed inhuman atrocities on the people. The British though looked upon as saviors by the locals, were imperialists out to exploit and extract the region’s rich natural resources for their own profit. As such after six hundred years it was a period of transition socially, politically and economically for Assam. And for Navarangaram it was a period of transition personally.

Chapter – 5

Navarangaram had arrived in Assam as a teenager after being exposed to the harsh cruelties of a feudalistic society in his homeland, the rigid caste system of North India and the class barriers of Bengal. This was in sharp contrast to the warm love, trust and hospitality he received from the indigenous and ethnic people in this remote corner of India.

Perhaps this experience of meeting simple and trusting people in an alien and yet untouched land who generously welcomed him into their homes with love and affection left an indelible mark on his young mind. He may have also realised that people everywhere were basically the same, made of flesh and blood. It was only the man-made religious, communal and economic class barriers that created strife. This divided people and kept them apart causing untold human misery. This belief may have had a profound influence on his outlook and been responsible for the actions and events in his life.

Unlike his fellow Marwaris who interacted with the local populace only for business, Navarangaram went beyond the realm of business. He mingled with the local villagers including people from the nearby hill tribes who often visited him for trade or help. Hence the people visited the other Marwari golas (general stores) only when they needed to buy or sell something. In contrast besides business, Navarangaram’s gola (general store) was considered a meeting place for the people in and around the neighborhood of Gomiri.

Thus it was hardly surprising that he developed friends among the local people. One of his good friends was Tholok Rajkhowa the son of Kandura Rajkhowa of Bebejia. Kandura Rajkhowa was an influential and respected person of the area. Navarangram met Sadori the fair and goodlooking sister of his friend Tholok Rajkhowa. Both fell in love and wanted to marry.

At that time marrying outside one’s community was taboo. Moreover an Assamese girl marrying an unknown settler was unthinkable. A worried Tholok Rajkhowa went to consult the Xatradhikar of Goadhora Than Xatra (Vaishnav monastery) located nearby. Basudev Mahanta, the Xatradhikar(head of the monastery), asked Tholok Does Navarangaram know the Bhagavad? To which Tholok replied Yes your holiness, I have heard him reciting it in Sanskrit. The Satradhikar then replied Go then and get your sister married to him because he is a Hindu whose caste is higher than yours. (Gohain- Tumar Maan Xuwani Nai.). Despite such an assurance both the local Assamese and small Marwari community vehemently opposed their union.

Going against family and community diktats Sadori married Navarangram in 1834. The ceremony then was more in the form of a ritual of offering her gifts (Kharu Moni). Her acceptance indicated her consent to leave home and join Navarangaram in the bond of marriage.

Their love and devotion for each other helped overcome the disparities in their language, culture, customs and cuisine. Navarangaram readily assimilated into the Assamese community. He adopted their customs, language and way of life. Even though he was a strict vegetarian he allowed his wife to have non-vegetarian food. But how this came about is interesting.

Sadori was fond of fish. At home since childhood she used to catch fish using the Jakoi(a large cone shaped bamboo/cane net). However as she had married a person who was a strict vegetarian she had to respect his feelings. No meat or fish were allowed into the home. Cooking non-vegetarian food was unthinkable! Yet she couldn’t resist the temptation for long. So secretly she used to have fish curry brought from home by her brother.

One day Navarangaram came to know of this. Instead of being offended he gently told Sadori (he used to call her Chadri) that there was no need for her to have fish etc secretly. From now on she could cook non-vegetarian dishes at home. So that she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable he had a separate kitchen built for cooking non-vegetarian food. But Sadori preferred to become a vegetarian. Not only that, she also learnt to cook Marwari dishes for her husband. So both Assamese and Rajasthani dishes were cooked in their home.

Another sensitive marwari custom was regarding the ghunghat. In Marwari households women remain secluded. They were required to be under the ghunghat i.e draw the pallu of their sarees over their heads down to their chests so that their faces remained covered. Navarangaram never insisted that his wife should remain under the ghunghat. However Sadori who wore mekhela chador (traditional Assamese dress) followed the Assamese custom of covering her head with the Uroni (anchal of her chador).

In this way they helped each other adjust, assimilate and forge a new path. Often such adjustments in life are responsible for big changes in society.

Chapter – 6

In 1838 the British deposed Purandhar Singha for failing to pay the annual tribute of Rs. 50,000/- to keep his territory. The British thus gained control over the whole of Assam. North Lakhimpur became the district headquarters for the newly annexed areas of the north bank. Captain Vetch was appointed as the principal Assistant Commissioner for the district. Tezpur was already the headquarters of the Darrang district.

The British then reorganized the process of land revenue collection and introduced the mouzadari system. During the reorganization work Captain Vetch was impressed by the young and energetic Navarangaram. He appointed Navarangaram the Mouzadar of Gomiri, Rangsali and Barangabari section. The adjoining bigger mouzas of Kolongpur and Gohpur were given to Madhavram Borgohain of the Bilotia Gohain family.

Again this was quite unusual. Normally in the initial stages the British did not risk disturbing an existing hierarchy for fear of social repurcussions. Their apprehensions were not unfounded. Resenting Navarangaram’s appointment as mouzadar two persons from Gomiri, Dokkhi Phukan and Duffla Bihiya Phukan, appealed in Guwahati against the appointment. Both were revenue collectors also and were hoping to become mouzadars. Their appeal was dismissed and Navarangaram’s appointment formalized.

Honored, Navarangaram evidently took his responsibilities as a mouzadar seriously and performed his duties sincerely. Noted historian late H.K. Barpujari has quoted a report in the District Gazetteer of Darrang- During his tour to the District of Darrang in 1838, Major Jenkins found a Marwari merchant at Gomiri not only carrying on his trade but performing his duties of the government as a mouzadar and manager of haats at Chaiduar. There is little doubt that this person was Navarangaram.

About seven years had gone by since Navarangram and Sadori’s marriage. However they still did not have any children. The issue became a matter of concern more for Sadori’s family members and some womenfolk of the neighborhood rather than the couple themselves. In those days when the essence of marriage was progeny, polygamy though not common, was accepted as a necessary alternative for a man to continue his lineage. Navarangaram also took a second wife.

His second wife Sunpahi belonged to the Neog family of Charikhilia. The village was located about twenty kilometers east of Gomiri. Navarangram saw Sunpahi while visiting her village on some work. He brought Sunpahi home even though her brother Lakhi Saikia objected.

It is evident that Sadori did not resent her husband’s second marriage because their conjugal life continued normally. She gave birth to her first child only after her husband’s second marriage. In September 1842 Sadori gave birth to a son in their home at Gomiri. His name according to his horoscope was Dopodhar, but he was known as Bapiram son of Navarangaram. Everybody fondly called him Bapi. However in 1861 at the age of