Dibrugarh: In a path-breaking initiative, a delegation today visited Sumsi village in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap district to explore and document historical sites linked to the Ahoms and the Noctes.
The delegation was led by Padmashree awardee and historian Professor Jogendra Nath Phukan and Arunachal Pradesh Minister for Environment & Forest, Geology, Mining & Minerals and DoTCL, Wangki Lowang. The visit focused on the Deomali sub-division of Tirap district.
During the visit, the team examined an ancient maidam in Sumsi village. Available historical records suggest the site dates back to the Ahom era.
A maidam, or moidam, is an earthen mound of stones raised over graves, a burial tradition followed by the Ahoms.
Noted Assam historian Surya Kumar Bhuyan, in his book Assam Buranji, wrote that Swargadeo Joydhaj Singh’s mother, Rajmao, died at Namsang during Mir Jumla’s invasion in 1662. Villagers in Sumsi believe the large earthen mound in their village belongs to her.
To verify these historical claims, the delegation interacted with local residents and documented oral accounts passed down through generations. The site is believed to be around 335 years old.
Villagers, led by Raja Wanglok Lowang, accorded the team a warm welcome.
Speaking to the media, Prof Phukan said the team had visited the site mentioned in Assam’s historical records to assess its significance.
He said the survey could mark the first step towards uncovering a strong historical bond between the Ahoms and the Noctes.
Thanking Prof Phukan and his team, Minister Wangki Lowang said the visit could help reveal an important chapter of Ahom history in Arunachal Pradesh.
He stressed the need to document historical facts that have survived only through oral tradition for centuries.
