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Sati Sadhani
Sati Sadhani
	Modern depiction of queen Sadhani

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Sati Sadhani was a 16th-century legendary queen of the Chutia dynasty. In the Ahom Buranjis, the lead queen of the Chutias in 1524 was called Nang Lung or Bor Konwari. Sati Sadhani as a character might be based upon Nang Lung.

According to the spurious Chutiyar Rajar Vamsavali, first published in Orunodoi in 1850 and reprinted in Deodhai Asam Buranji, she was the daughter of King Dharmadhwajpal, also known as Dhirnarayan. Born in Sadiya, she married Nityapal, alias Nitai. In 1524, the Ahoms took advantage of Nityapal's weak leadership and attacked the kingdom, conquering Sadiya and killing Nityapal. When Sadhani, who played a prominent role in the fight against the Ahoms, was asked to marry Sadiyakhowa Gohain, the Ahom governor of Sadiya, she preferred death to dishonour and sacrificed her life by jumping from the top of Chandragiri hills near Sadiya in 1524.

^[1]

Divas[edit | edit source]

Every year in Assam, 21 April is celebrated as Sati Sadhani divas to honor the sacrifices made by the Sutiya Queen. The Government of Assam marked this day a state holiday.^[2]^[3] ^[4]

Award[edit | edit source]

The Sati Sadhani award was established by the Sutiya Jati Unnayan Parishad. The award is given to someone with outstanding contributions to the field of art, culture and literature. The honoree is selected by a committee formed by the Parishad.^[5]

Film and theatre[edit | edit source]

Her life is depicted by the 20th-century Assamese writer Padmanath Gohain Baruah in the drama Sadhani.

Notes[edit | edit source]

↑ "Often Indic and Assamese heroes were joined by Queen Victoria, the British Empire’s approved model of female domestic virtues. Jaymati also inspired local imitations. For example, Kaibarta publicists in their quest for respectability ‘‘excavated’’ another sati from their own caste history, Santi Radhika. Another local group, the Chutias, found a virtuous princess, Sati Sadhani, for themselves. Assamese Muslims celebrated their own icon, Sati Rahima"(Sharma 2011:228)
↑ "Sati Sadhani Divas observed at North Lakimpur". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
↑ "Sati Sadhani Divas around the world in 2021". Office Holidays. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
↑ "Sati Sadhani Divas 2025 in Assam". Holiday Today.
↑ "Sati Sadhani Award being launched".

References[edit | edit source]

Sharma, Jayeeta (2011). Empire's Garden: Assam and the Making of India (PDF). Duke University Press.
Prakash, Col. Ved (2007). Encyclopedia of North East India.Vol.2. Atlantic Publishers & Dist.

[1] "Often Indic and Assamese heroes were joined by Queen Victoria, the British Empire’s approved model of female domestic virtues. Jaymati also inspired local imitations. For example, Kaibarta publicists in their quest for respectability ‘‘excavated’’ another sati from their own caste history, Santi Radhika. Another local group, the Chutias, found a virtuous princess, Sati Sadhani, for themselves. Assamese Muslims celebrated their own icon, Sati Rahima"(Sharma 2011:228)

[2] "Sati Sadhani Divas observed at North Lakimpur". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.

[3] "Sati Sadhani Divas around the world in 2021". Office Holidays. Retrieved 19 June 2021.

[4] "Sati Sadhani Divas 2025 in Assam". Holiday Today.

[5] "Sati Sadhani Award being launched".

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[2]

[3]

[4]

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Legendary queen of the Chutia dynasty}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}}
 {{Use Indian English|date=June 2021}}
 {{Infobox royalty
-| name = Sati Sadhani
 | full name =
 | image = Portrait of Queen Sadhani.jpg
 | caption = Modern depiction of queen Sadhani
-| status = legendary
+| name = Sati Sadhani
 }}
+'''Sati Sadhani''' was a 16th-century legendary queen of the [[Chutiya Kingdom|Chutia dynasty]]. In the Ahom Buranjis, the lead queen of the Chutias in 1524 was called Nang Lung or Bor Konwari. Sati Sadhani as a character might be based upon Nang Lung.
-'''Sati Sadhani''' was a legendary 15th/16th-century queen of the [[Chutiya Kingdom|Chutia dynasty]].
-According to tradition, she was the daughter of King Dharmadhwajpal, also known as Dhirnarayan. Born in Sadiya, she married Nityapal, alias Nitai. In 1524, the [[Ahom people|Ahoms]] took advantage  of Nityapal's weak leadership and attacked the kingdom, conquering Sadiya and killing Nityapal. When Sadhani, who played a prominent role in the fight against the Ahoms, was asked to marry Sadiyakhowa Gohain, the Ahom governor of [[Sadiya]], she preferred death to dishonour and sacrificed her life by jumping from the top of Chandragiri hills near Sadiya in 1524.
-==Version of the Legend==
-===Queen of Shutia ===
-Sadhani was born around 1493  to king Dhirnarayan. In 1512, she married at age 19, and was crowned Queen in 1522. after Chutia King Dhirnarayan won the battle of Mungkhrang fort (1520). Unable to find a suitable groom for Sadhani, the king organised a meeting. The king promised to marry Sadhani to anyone who could shoot down a running squirrel on the top of a ''Mori-xali'' (cemetery) with an arrow. To everyone's surprise, a cowherd named Nitai (from the Chakusara clan) killed the squirrel. The king kept his promise and married the princess to Nitai who was then given the name Nitipal. The king retired to the hills leaving the throne to Nitipal and Sadhani.
+According to the spurious Chutiyar Rajar Vamsavali, first published in [[Orunodoi]] in 1850 and reprinted in Deodhai Asam Buranji, she was the daughter of King Dharmadhwajpal, also known as Dhirnarayan. Born in Sadiya, she married Nityapal, alias Nitai. In 1524, the [[Ahom people|Ahoms]] took advantage of Nityapal's weak leadership and attacked the kingdom, conquering Sadiya and killing Nityapal. When Sadhani, who played a prominent role in the fight against the Ahoms, was asked to marry Sadiyakhowa Gohain, the Ahom governor of [[Sadiya]], she preferred death to dishonour and sacrificed her life by jumping from the top of Chandragiri hills near Sadiya in 1524.
-===Nitipal's rule===
+<ref>"Often Indic and Assamese heroes were joined by Queen Victoria, the British Empire’s approved model of female domestic virtues. Jaymati also inspired local imitations. For example, Kaibarta
+publicists in their quest for respectability ‘‘excavated’’ another sati from their own caste history, Santi Radhika. Another local group, the Chutias, found a virtuous princess, Sati Sadhani, for themselves. Assamese Muslims celebrated their own icon, Sati Rahima"{{harvcol|Sharma|2011|p=228}}</ref>
-A cowherd before becoming king, Nitipal was inefficient in the role. He had no idea how to rule a kingdom, so Sadhani took charge. Nitipal dismissed the experienced ministers and instead recruited his own friends from his village. The old ministers rebelled, led by Surdhwajpal, the brother of the former king. The rebellion was soon crushed. Chaos spread in the kingdom, and the Chutia chiefs of other areas became independent. Nitipal was popularly known as ''A-nitipal'' because of this inefficiency and recklessness. Sadiya was solitary and had no contact with Chutia chiefs of the other parts of the kingdom.<ref>Bhuyan, S.K. ''Deodhai Assam Buranji''. D.H.A.S, 1932, p.195-199.</ref>
-===Prior royal mandate===
-As per the Darrang buranji, one of the Chutia princesses was married to an Ahom prince (probably Suhunmung) in the years before the [[annexation]]. This princess helped him get one of the royal Golden Cat idols that were the heirlooms of the Chutia kings. Although it was not the original one, it later gave Suhungmung royal mandate to annex and later rule over the Chutia kingdom.
-===The first day of the attack===
-The Sadiya attack took place on the first Wednesday of Chutia Bisu/Bihu, on 16 April 1524. This day is known for the ''Bor-bali'' (grand sacrifice). It is still practiced in Sadiya. On this day, no other person is allowed to carry weapons besides [[Deori people|Deori]] priests. The siege of Sadiya is referred to as ''Kosu-kota Ran'' in the [[Buranji|Buranjis]], which literally translates to Battle of Yam-cutting, because no resistance was offered by unarmed soldiers.
-===Last battle of Chandangiri===
-The sudden attack at Sadiya forced the king and queen, along with some of the soldiers who survived, to flee to the  hills above Sadiya. The Chutiyas applied guerrilla warfare strategies and used ''Faakdhenu'' (crossbows) and spears to defend themselves. Sadhani formed a female fighting squad of 120 warriors. They assisted the army by rolling boulders onto the enemy below. That day was 21 April (7th Bohag) and was widely considered as Ujha (Drummer's) Bisu. One of the former ministers of the Chutias whom Nitipal had removed sided with the Ahoms and suggested the Ahom commander Phrasengmung Borgohain play the ''[[Dhol]]''. The general ordered captives to climb up Ghila creepers and play the Bisu drum or ''Dhol''. As it was the season of Bihu, the Chutia army took it to be a sign that reinforcements had arrived and that it was a sign of victory, thinking the Ahoms had been chased out. So, thinking the drum beats to be a signal of victory they came down to the lower hills where the enemy forces were hiding. Another former Chutia commander, Gajraj Borua, who had sided with the Ahoms showed the enemy the way to the king's hideout.<ref>Mahanta, Sukumar. ''Assam Buranji''. D.H.A.S., 1945, p. 10.</ref> The king was attacked and killed by an arrow while Sadhani took her own life by jumping from a hill.
 ==Divas==
 Every year in [[Assam]], 21 April is celebrated as Sati Sadhani divas to honor the sacrifices made by the Sutiya Queen. The [[Government of Assam]] marked this day a state holiday.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1467588881.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924203032/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1467588881.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-09-24|title=Sati Sadhani Divas observed at North Lakimpur}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Sati Sadhani Divas around the world in 2021|url=https://www.officeholidays.com/holidays/sati-sadhani-divas|access-date=2021-06-19|website=Office Holidays|language=en}}</ref>
+<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sati Sadhani Divas 2025 in Assam|url= https://holidaytoday.in/en/india/assam/holidays/sati-sadhani-divas|website=Holiday Today|language=en}}</ref>
 ==Award==
 The Sati Sadhani award was established by the Sutiya Jati Unnayan Parishad. The award is given to someone with outstanding contributions to the field of art, culture and literature. The honoree is selected by a committee formed by the Parishad.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sentinelassam.com/state1/story.php?sec=2&subsec=2&id=111994&dtP=2012-04-13&ppr=1|title=Sati Sadhani Award being launched}}</ref>
+==Film and theatre==
+Her life is depicted by the 20th-century Assamese writer [[Padmanath Gohain Baruah]] in the drama ''Sadhani''.
 ==See also==
+* [[Joymoti konwari]]
+* [[Birangana Sati Sadhani Rajyik Vishwavidyalaya]]
 * [[Chutia kingdom]]
 * [[Chutia people]]
+==Notes==
+{{Reflist}}
 ==References==
-{{Reflist}}
+*{{Cite book|last=Sharma|first=Jayeeta|url=https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/b11ba477-73c0-4a92-b158-043a50ef88e5/648153.pdf|title=Empire's Garden: Assam and the Making of India|publisher=Duke University Press|year=2011|language=en}}
 *{{cite book
    | first = Col. Ved
@@ Line 57: / Line 44: @@
    | publisher = Atlantic Publishers & Dist.
      }}
 [[Category:Legendary Indian people]]
-[[Category:Indian female royalty]]
-[[Category:Kingdoms of Assam]]
-[[Category:People from Dhemaji district]]
-[[Category:Indian torture victims]]
-[[Category:16th-century Indian monarchs]]
-[[Category:16th-century Indian women]]
-[[Category:16th-century Indian people]]
-[[Category:1523 deaths]]
-[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
-[[Category:Women from Assam]]
-[[Category:People from Tinsukia district]]
-[[Category:Women in 16th-century warfare]]
 [[Category:Indian women in war]]
 [[Category:Chutiya community]]
 [[Category:Hindu monarchs]]