"Who Was Purnananda Burhagohain and His Impact as a King?"

Purnananda Burhagohain was the Burhagohain (prime minister) of the Ahom Kingdom from 1782 until his death in 1817. He was appointed as the Burhagohain in April 1782 after the death of his father Rajmantri Ghanashyam Burhagohain. Purnananda had a rivalry with Badan Chandra Borphukan. In 1817 Badanchandra brought the Burmese into Assam. The Burmese army numbered 16,000 troops and arrived in Namrup in early 1817. On hearing of the enemy's advance, the premier sent 7 companies of sepoys to stop them. The two parties entered into an encounter at Ghiladhari, where the enemy overcame the resistance. Burhagohain learned that the enemy was accompanied by Badan Chandra Borphukan. This enraged the Burhagohain so much that he collapsed and died.Purnananda was succeeded by his son Ruchinath. Ruchinath lacked his father's qualities. Meanwhile, the invaders continued their advance, defeating the Assamese army. Ruchinath failed to induce Chandrakanta Singha to retreat and was left alone with his adherents for Guwahati. Badan Chandra reached the capital. He let Chandrakanta Singha remain as the king, but became the de facto ruler with the title of Mantri Phukan. Badan Chandra immediately satisfied his grudge by ruthlessly killing and plundering Purnananda's relatives and supporters.