Lachit Borphukan 402nd Birth Anniversary

About Lachit Borphukan

He was born on November 24, 1622, in modern-day Assam.
He belonged to the Ahom kingdom, which ruled Assam from the 13th to the 19th century.
He was a skilled commander, expert in guerrilla warfare & later became commander-in-chief of the Ahom army (appointed by Prataap Singha)
He led the Ahom army in the Battle of Saraighat, 1671.
Recognition:
- Statue of Valour: It is a 125-foot bronze statue of Lachit Borphukan located in Jorhat district, eastern Assam.
- INS Lachit: Indian Navy’s guided-missile destroyer named in honour
- Lachit Borphukan Gold Medal: Introduced in the year 1999. It is awarded to those cadets of the National Defence Academy who perform at their highest level.

Battle of Saraighat, 1671

It was fought between Ahoms and Mughals.
Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb sent an army under Raja Ram Singh to conquer Assam, expanding Mughal territory.
Lachit Borphukan led the Ahom forces and used strategic guerrilla warfare, naval tactics, and the natural terrain of the Brahmaputra River to defeat the Mughals despite being outnumbered.