Paik system
Encyclopedia
The Paik system was a type of corvee
labor system on which the Ahom kingdom
of medieval Assam
was based. The origin of the word paik is unknown and it is believed that the system is based on the South-East Asian legacy the Ahoms brought with them in 1228. The mature structure was designed by Momai Tamuli Borbarua
in 1609. The system continued to evolve over time to meet the needs of the Ahom state and in time began to accumulate contradictions. Scholars believe that a major reason for the collapse of the Ahom kingdom was that the Paik system had outlived itself by the 18th century.
Every male in the Ahom kingdom between the ages of fifteen and fifty who was not a noble, a priest, a high caste or a slave was a paik. According to Guha (1991), about 90% of the population belonged to this class at the time of Rudra Singha, around 1714. The top landed aristocracy was about 1% and the rest constituted the servile class.
Cultivable land called roopeet was held communally that was distributed among the paiks (called gaa mati). Wastelands reclaimed by paiks or non-paiks not covered by a royal grant are subject to inclusion in the roopeet category to be distributed as gaa mati in the next paik survey. Surplus cultivable land was distributed as ubar mati among the paiks.
formed of paiks), civil construction (embankments, roads, bridges, tanks etc), military production (boats, arrows, muskets) etc. There were two major divisions of paiks: (1) kanri paik (archer) who rendered his service as a soldier or as a laborer, and (2) chamua paik who rendered non-manual service.
After the first major survey recorded in the Buranji
s which was taken in 1510 under Suhungmung
, the paiks were organized according to families and lineage called phoids and resettled according to their skills. The number of paiks rendering royal service at any time followed the principle ghar muri e-powa or one-fourth the number of paiks in a household. The paik rendering service was rotated and the other paiks in his household tended to his gaa mati during his absence.
In the 1609 restructuring by Momai Tamuli Borbarua
the phoid organization was replaced by the got. A got consisted of four paiks who lived close together. The paiks in a got were numbered mul (first), duwal (second), tewal (third) etc. In times of peace, generally one of the paiks in a got rendered royal service at any given time. In times of war, a second or even a third paik from a got could be asked to render service simultaneously. As before, the gaa mati was tended to by the remaining paiks of the got. This ensured that economic production did not suffer when a large section of the population was not involved in it and contributed to the resilience of the Ahom kingdom in the 16th to 18th century.
During the time of Rajeswar Singha (1752–1789) as the pressure on the Paik system increased, the number of paiks in each got was decreased from four to three.
into self contained ones by incorporating paiks of different professions into each khel.
Khels were further organized under a mel or a dagi. A group of such divisions was attached to each of the three great Gohains, which is then called the hatimur of the particular Gohain. A second group of divisions was placed under the khel officers (Phukan, Rajkhowa and Barua) that rendered service to members of the royal family. The third and the largest group of dagis, organized under khel officers, rendered service to the king or the state.
Paik officials The paiks in a khel were organized under a gradation of officials who commanded a set number of them. They were: Bora (20 paiks), Saikia (100) and Hazarika (1000). More important khels were commanded by a Phukan (6000); a Rajkhowa (a governor of a territory) or a Barua (a superintending officer) each of whom could command between 2000 and 3000 paiks.
The Phukans, Rajkhowas, Baruas and Hazarikas were nominated by the king, and appointed in concurrence with the three great Gohains (Burhagohain
, Borgohain
and Borpatrogohain
). The Boras and Saikias were appointed by their respective Phukans and Rajkhowas. The paiks had the right to reject a Bora or a Saikia and request another officer of their choice.
Kanri paiks could rise to become chamua paiks and then to higher paik officials. Appointments were made irrespective of the paiks religion or ethnicity.
a resilience in the face of a long protracted war against the Mughals
. But soon it met challenges.
Over time, the nobles began to appropriate the services of kanri paik, who as a likchou began to work for these high officials instead of the king. After the end of Ahom-Mughal conflicts
, the Ahom kingdom
extended the Paik system to the regions earlier held by the Mughals
but where the royal service was now payable in cash, following the pargana
system that was left behind. The increased production of paiks and the growth of an internal market over time in the entire kingdom demanded a monetization of the economy, which the Paik system was unable to handle. This gave rise to the apaikan chamua a class of paiks who were released from their khels and who paid a cash tax in lieu of the service to the king. The satras too attracted paiks who wanted to escape the compulsory service. The satras, in addition, came into competition with the Ahom kingdom
by expanding into new social groups that the Ahom kingdom
would have expanded into otherwise and providing an alternative economic production process. This conflict with the satras led to the Moamoria rebellion
which further weakened the Ahom kingdom
.
Corvée
Corvée is unfree labour, often unpaid, that is required of people of lower social standing and imposed on them by the state or a superior . The corvée was the earliest and most widespread form of taxation, which can be traced back to the beginning of civilization...
labor system on which the Ahom kingdom
Ahom kingdom
The Ahom Kingdom was a medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India...
of medieval Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
was based. The origin of the word paik is unknown and it is believed that the system is based on the South-East Asian legacy the Ahoms brought with them in 1228. The mature structure was designed by Momai Tamuli Borbarua
Momai Tamuli Borbarua
Momai Tamuli was the Governor of upper Assam as also commander-in-chief of the army in the Ahom kingdom. He was the first Borbarua, a new office created during the rule of the Ahom king Prataap Singha. He rose from a humble position as a bondsman to the office of the Borbarua, which was a combined...
in 1609. The system continued to evolve over time to meet the needs of the Ahom state and in time began to accumulate contradictions. Scholars believe that a major reason for the collapse of the Ahom kingdom was that the Paik system had outlived itself by the 18th century.
Every male in the Ahom kingdom between the ages of fifteen and fifty who was not a noble, a priest, a high caste or a slave was a paik. According to Guha (1991), about 90% of the population belonged to this class at the time of Rudra Singha, around 1714. The top landed aristocracy was about 1% and the rest constituted the servile class.
Land holdings
The duty of a paik was to render service to the Ahom state in lieu of which he was granted 2 puras (2.66 acres) of cultivable land (gaa mati), which was neither hereditary nor transferable. In addition he could maintain his tax-free ancestral homestead and garden (basti and bari respectively). The nobility maintained personal estates called khats.Cultivable land called roopeet was held communally that was distributed among the paiks (called gaa mati). Wastelands reclaimed by paiks or non-paiks not covered by a royal grant are subject to inclusion in the roopeet category to be distributed as gaa mati in the next paik survey. Surplus cultivable land was distributed as ubar mati among the paiks.
Royal service
The royal services that the paiks tended to were defense (the Ahom kingdom did not have a standing army till the beginning of 19th century and its army consisted of the militiaMilitia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
formed of paiks), civil construction (embankments, roads, bridges, tanks etc), military production (boats, arrows, muskets) etc. There were two major divisions of paiks: (1) kanri paik (archer) who rendered his service as a soldier or as a laborer, and (2) chamua paik who rendered non-manual service.
After the first major survey recorded in the Buranji
Buranji
Buranjis are a class of historical chronicles written in the Ahom and Assamese languages. The first such Buranji was written on the instructions of the first Ahom king Sukaphaa who established the Ahom kingdom in 1228...
s which was taken in 1510 under Suhungmung
Suhungmung
Suhungmung , was one of the most important Ahom kings, who ruled at the cusp of Assam's medieval history. His reign broke from the early Ahom rule and established a multi-ethnic polity in his kingdom. Under him the Ahom Kingdom expanded greatly for the first time since Sukaphaa, at the cost of...
, the paiks were organized according to families and lineage called phoids and resettled according to their skills. The number of paiks rendering royal service at any time followed the principle ghar muri e-powa or one-fourth the number of paiks in a household. The paik rendering service was rotated and the other paiks in his household tended to his gaa mati during his absence.
In the 1609 restructuring by Momai Tamuli Borbarua
Momai Tamuli Borbarua
Momai Tamuli was the Governor of upper Assam as also commander-in-chief of the army in the Ahom kingdom. He was the first Borbarua, a new office created during the rule of the Ahom king Prataap Singha. He rose from a humble position as a bondsman to the office of the Borbarua, which was a combined...
the phoid organization was replaced by the got. A got consisted of four paiks who lived close together. The paiks in a got were numbered mul (first), duwal (second), tewal (third) etc. In times of peace, generally one of the paiks in a got rendered royal service at any given time. In times of war, a second or even a third paik from a got could be asked to render service simultaneously. As before, the gaa mati was tended to by the remaining paiks of the got. This ensured that economic production did not suffer when a large section of the population was not involved in it and contributed to the resilience of the Ahom kingdom in the 16th to 18th century.
During the time of Rajeswar Singha (1752–1789) as the pressure on the Paik system increased, the number of paiks in each got was decreased from four to three.
Organization of the
paiks The paiks in their phoids were organized under khels according to the locality in which they belonged. Momai Tamuli Borbarua reorganized many such khels functionally according to the specific service the paiks in the khel rendered. Some of the khels were thus similar to professional or trade guilds. The organization of the khel was extended later by his son Lachit BorphukanLachit Borphukan
Lachit Borphukan was a commander and Borphukan in the Ahom kingdom known for his leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat that thwarted a drawn out attempt by Mughal forces under the command of Ramsingh I to take back Kamrup...
into self contained ones by incorporating paiks of different professions into each khel.
Khels were further organized under a mel or a dagi. A group of such divisions was attached to each of the three great Gohains, which is then called the hatimur of the particular Gohain. A second group of divisions was placed under the khel officers (Phukan, Rajkhowa and Barua) that rendered service to members of the royal family. The third and the largest group of dagis, organized under khel officers, rendered service to the king or the state.
Paik officials The paiks in a khel were organized under a gradation of officials who commanded a set number of them. They were: Bora (20 paiks), Saikia (100) and Hazarika (1000). More important khels were commanded by a Phukan (6000); a Rajkhowa (a governor of a territory) or a Barua (a superintending officer) each of whom could command between 2000 and 3000 paiks.
The Phukans, Rajkhowas, Baruas and Hazarikas were nominated by the king, and appointed in concurrence with the three great Gohains (Burhagohain
Burhagohain
Burhagohain was the first of the two original counsellors in the Ahom kingdom. He was selected by the Ahom king from members of the Ahom nobility , who was not eligible for the position of Ahom kingship. The other original counsellor is the Borgohain. Both the positions existed from the time of...
, Borgohain
Borgohain
Borgohain was the second of the two original counsellors in the Ahom kingdom. He was selected by the Ahom king from members of the Ahom nobility , who was not eligible for the position of Ahom kingship. The other original counsellor is the Burhagohain. Both the positions existed from the time of...
and Borpatrogohain
Borpatrogohain
Borpatrogohain was the third of the three great Gohains in the Ahom kingdom. This position was created by Suhungmung Dihingia Raja specially for an Ahom prince who grew up in a Naga chieftains house. This position was reserved for the descendant of the first Borpatrogohain, Kancheng, who was the...
). The Boras and Saikias were appointed by their respective Phukans and Rajkhowas. The paiks had the right to reject a Bora or a Saikia and request another officer of their choice.
Kanri paiks could rise to become chamua paiks and then to higher paik officials. Appointments were made irrespective of the paiks religion or ethnicity.
Ahom justice
The Ahom justice system was also based on the Paik system. Each Paik official offered justice to the paiks and each appeal was heard by the next higher officer in the khel system. The system of appeals could go right up to the Nyayxodha Phukan.Challenges to the Paik system
The Paik system was a method by which the Ahom king obtained service from the people and also provided service back to the people. By the 17th century it had evolved into a robust system that gave the Ahom kingdomAhom kingdom
The Ahom Kingdom was a medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India...
a resilience in the face of a long protracted war against the Mughals
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
. But soon it met challenges.
Over time, the nobles began to appropriate the services of kanri paik, who as a likchou began to work for these high officials instead of the king. After the end of Ahom-Mughal conflicts
Ahom-Mughal conflicts
Ahom–Mughal conflicts refer to the period between the first Mughal attack on the Ahom kingdom in 1615 and the final Battle of Itakhuli in 1682. The intervening period saw the fluctuating fortunes of both powers and the end of the rule of Koch Hajo...
, the Ahom kingdom
Ahom kingdom
The Ahom Kingdom was a medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India...
extended the Paik system to the regions earlier held by the Mughals
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
but where the royal service was now payable in cash, following the pargana
Pargana
A pargana is a former administrative unit of the Indian subcontinent, used primarily, but not exclusively, by the Muslim kingdoms.Parganas were introduced by the Delhi Sultanate, and the word is of Persian origin. As a revenue unit, a pargana consists of several mouzas, which are the smallest...
system that was left behind. The increased production of paiks and the growth of an internal market over time in the entire kingdom demanded a monetization of the economy, which the Paik system was unable to handle. This gave rise to the apaikan chamua a class of paiks who were released from their khels and who paid a cash tax in lieu of the service to the king. The satras too attracted paiks who wanted to escape the compulsory service. The satras, in addition, came into competition with the Ahom kingdom
Ahom kingdom
The Ahom Kingdom was a medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India...
by expanding into new social groups that the Ahom kingdom
Ahom kingdom
The Ahom Kingdom was a medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India...
would have expanded into otherwise and providing an alternative economic production process. This conflict with the satras led to the Moamoria rebellion
Moamoria rebellion
The Moamoria rebellion was the 18th century conflict between the Morans, adherents of the Moamara Sattra, and the Ahom kings. This led to widespread popular discontent against the Ahom king and the nobles and to two periods in which the Ahom king lost control of the capital...
which further weakened the Ahom kingdom
Ahom kingdom
The Ahom Kingdom was a medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India...
.