From top, then left to right:
New Tinsukia Junction railway station, Tinkunia pukhri, Night View of GNB Road and Ranghr Complex, Jaymoti Steam Engine at Railway Heritage Museum
Tinsukia (Pron: ˌtɪnˈsʊkiə) is an industrial city. It is situated 480 kilometres (298 mi) north-east of Guwahati and 84 kilometres (52 mi) away from the border with Arunachal Pradesh. Tinsukia serves as the headquarters of the Moran Autonomous Council, which is the governing council of the Morans (an indigenous tribal group found predominantly in the Tinsukia district and neighbouring Arunachal pradesh).
Tinsukia district as one of the many polities of Mong Mao (yellow) in 1360 CE
According to the Brief History of Mengguo Zhanbi, in 1318, Si Kefa after conquering southeast states till Lancang river from the Yuan dynasty appointed his brother Sanlongfa as the general and led an army of 90,000 to attack the king of Mengwei Sari (Upper Assam). In the end, he designed a plan to make Mengwei Sari surrender and pay tribute and Samlongfa returned back to Mongmao.[3]
According to Hsweni state chronicle, the two generals Tao Sen Yen and Tao Sen Hai Khai sent with Samlongpha sent a story to Hso Khan Hpa (Si Kefa) at Mongyang that Samlongpha was conspiring with the king of Mong Wehsali Long to dethrone Hso Khan Hpa, Hso Khan Hpa believed the story and sent poison food to Samlongpha and he died at Mongkawng.[4]
14th century
During the reign of Sudangphaa (1397-1407), the relatively small Ahom kingdom was attacked by Mong Kawng, a Shan state in what is today Upper Burma. A Mong Kwang army sent under General Ta-chin-Pao advanced up to Tipam but was subsequently defeated and pushed back as far as the Kham Jang territory.[5] The generals of the two armies conducted a peace treaty on the shore of the Nong Jake lake and in accordance with the Tai custom dipped their hands in the lake, fixing the boundary of the two kingdoms at Patkai hills.[5]
Tinsukia is the site of Bengmara, which was originally known as Changmai Pathar. It was the capital of the Matak kingdom which was founded by Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha.[6]
Coin issued by Sarbananda Singha
Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha, known as Mezara, was a member of the erstwhile Chutia royal family and rose to become an able administrator.[7] Mezara adopted the name Sarbananda Singha after he became the king. Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha introduced coins in his name and in Saka 1716 and 1717, he inscribed the title Swargadeo in the coins.
According to the 2011 census, Tinsukia had a population of 116,322.[11] It is estimated that the city has a population of 178,000 people in 2024.[12] Males constituted 55% of the population and females 45%. Tinsukia had an average literacy rate of 70.15%, higher than the national average of 64.84%; male literacy was 77.89%, and female literacy 63.54%. 13.29% of the population was under 6 years of age.[13]
^"The Buruk-Chutiyas, according to P. Saikia are the direct descendants of the Chutia royal family. Sarbananda Singha, the rulers of the Mataks is said to be a Buruk-Chutiya by caste."(Dutta 1985:31)
Scott, James George (1967), Hsenwi State Chronicle
Phukan, J. N. (1991). "Relations of the Ahom kings of Assam with those of Mong Mao (in Yunnan, China) and of Mong Kwang (Mogaung in Myanmar)". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 52: 888–893. ISSN2249-1937. JSTOR44142722.
Dutta, Sristidhar (1985), The Mataks and their Kingdom, Allahabad: Chugh Publications
