SENGYA DHEMALU KEMPRAI (1215--1255)

SENGYA DHEMALU KEMPRAI (1215--1255)

HISTORY OF SENGHYA DHEMALU KEMPRAI:-

Sengyah Dehmalu Kemprai was born on Saturday 15th August,1215 AD at a place in a capital Dimapur during the reign of Raja Makardhwaj Narayan Thaosen of Hirimba Kingdom. His father's name is Dechangdao Kemprai and mother's name is Rhibangdi Thaosen as father side clan. The earthquake took place along with his birth and then Dimaraja became surprised of it and He (Raja) went to see one child (Dehmalu) born.

During the Dimasa King reign there were four Daogah i.e. Sengyung daogah, Phonglo Daogah, Kemprai Daogah and Langtha Daogah. Daogah a Dimasa word meant a administrator which was finally became a designation of next to the king. Sengyah Dehmalu Kemprai was one of the daogah during Dimasa King.
His parent was devotee of Lord Shiva or Brai Shibrai. In his early childhood, he became an orphan and was brought up by his grandmother till he was seven years old. Later on, he was engaged in a appointment of the Kitchen room of Sengyah Rangadao, Dehgadao Daolaguphu of two state commanders of King Makardhwaj Narayan Thaosen.

Another anecdote was thrown like that when he was born gradually became young at that time he happened to killed two fierce tigers at one time without any arms. From that time onwards he came to be known as the Veer or Sengyah. In his early childhood, when he was busy in washing the Kitchen's materials and utensils came to a melting point with taste that he got another fame and came to be known as Veer.

Sengyah Dehmalu Kemprai was a devotee of the Lord Shiva or Brai Sibrai from his early childhood. He was said to be sober in food and drink and used to lead a disciplined life with prayer and yoga practices and later caused disfavor amongst the obstinate Dimasa people in general and the rulling houses in particular.
One day, pleased with his devotion Lord Shiva appeared before him in his dream and appeared out his palm asking Dehmalu to catch hold of any one finger and he would grant him boon accordingly. But Dehmalu insolently caught hold of the whole palm, demanding total boon where upon, as the legend goes, Lord Shiva got displeased with his vain and part nature. He told him however, that while he would be unconquerable in open encounter, he would be die a miserable death without a chance to fight against it.

Numberous palatial buildings, capital gateways, ramparts, pillars and temples were erected in Dimapur area during his period and later on. Few monuments were visible and unvisible owing to raid over the Dimasa kingdom by Ahom rulers before and in 1536 AD. The decorative art of architectural, geometric and floral ornamentation found in these relics and remains is simple marvelous. Even it was found at Kachomari pathar on the bank of Doyang river in present Golaghat district of Assam.

Sengyah Rangadao, Dehgadao were literally the strongest men of the Dimasa princedom. For in those days, sheer physical strength and supernatural powers for feat and fighting used to be determining qualification for command of the state forces. Bodily strength used to be supreme criteria for appointment as Commanders.

A challenge of wrestling bout was put forth by those visiting wrestlers and in the wrestling bout those two strongest men of the kingdom, Rangadao and Dehgadao who had come of age for fighting were defeated in succession by those visiting wrestlers. The honor and glory of the Dimasa domain were thus caused to be at stake. Courtiers were gloomy, downcast and desperate were the Dimasa people of the capital. The King was furious as the humiliation as a Dimasa ruler and his nation seemed irretrievable.

At this juncture, Sengyah Dehmalu, who saw everything in suspense, came forward, jumped into the arena and took up the gaunlet and with spirit burning within himself to uphold the glory of Dimapur kingdom, inflamed with range at having had to suffer national disgrace in the hands of the commoners from outside, he sent those two visiting wrestlers down one by one amidst loud brusts of applause with desperate determination to reinstate national honor. That Hercules of the Dimasa nation had thus rescued the prestige and dignity of Dimapur capital and Kingdom. He was consequently acknowledged to be strongest man of the nation and later on the command of the state forces was entrusted to him by the rulers.

Those vanquished wrestlers from the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (i.e. Kashi and Goya) were said to be Sadhus on their way to pilgrimage of Parashuram Kunda situated on the North Eastern recess of inaccessible hilly region of Arunachal Pradesh. They were pleased with the feat of Sengyah Dehmalu and taught him secret of some "Yoga Cult" that enhanced the power of endurance, a teaching which Sengyah Dehmalu followed faithfully. The stalwart with accumulated force gathered by virtue of his sobriety and yoga practice could not remain a soul mate in the capital. He became restless to find out ways and means for an outlet of his power and ability.

He came into wedlock with a young, nice girl named Khaihamdi Bodosa as father side clan. His two sons named Deham Kemprai and Maiham Kemprai died while they were seven and four years age under the pressure of several punishments by the king.
No less did king Makardhwaj, who wished his rule to be hailed by the other potentates, inspired him. He sent words, therefore to all neighboring rulers and chieftains that they were to choose between two things, either to acknowledge suzerainty of the Dimasa ruler by sending annual tribute or also to be overrun by forces of Sengyah Dehmalu.

Most of these principalities, then existing outside Dimasa territory, preferred to choose the former to being molested by the conquests of Sengyah Dehmalu. Because, most of them heard about that Hercules of the Dimasa kingdom, who magnified sigma role spread far and wide and most of them, therefore acknowledged the Dimapur monarch with offer of tribute.

King Makardhwaj Thaosen directed Sengyah Dehmalu to lead his campaign towards the east, as most of the rulers north and west of Dimasa domain had already offered submission.
Arrangements were set a foot and ten thousand men were marshaled for the expedition, many of them volunteering to share the glory of the conquests with him. Large number of elephants were procured to surmount the hilly tract and to carry armory through the difficult terrain.

Their first thrust was to Manipur through the Naga hills owed by the mighty strength of Sengyah Dehmalu, Naga chieftains enrooted avowed their allegiance to the Dimapur monarchs the ruler of Manipur was said to have set up a strong resistance. But they were no match for the formidable conqueror. Manipur prince Atom Yoiremba had therefore to seek truce. In order to commemorate his victory, Sengyah Dehmalu was said to have bound them with oaths and terms that (I) No Manipuri would thenceforth construct their dwellings with frontals not wider than twelve cubits. (II) No betel nuts should be grown in Manipuri soil proper overcame by the mighty Dehmalu, the Manipuri had to accede to the terms with solemn avowal that took place in the year of 2510 A.D. is admitted in the annals of Manipur, where in it was featured, that Mayang came from the present Nagaon regions to conquer their land. This story of conquests by Mayang meaning outsider was evidently the conquest of Manipur by Sengyah Dehmalu.

Sengyah Dehmalu marched on with his forces down to Burma from Manipur. Although vigorous fight was said to have been given by the Burmese King Utstsanagyi's army with superior number of fighting men, they were put to rout by the tactical feat of Dehmalu.
Legend still runs that Sengyah Dehmalu had his arms and shield, the armor of cloth provided by his two devoted wives which was magical proof against spear, sword and bullets surely that so called shield of Dehmalu was the wearing apparel ingemously made with thick strong padded cotton and stitched profusely crisscross over it. Instead of coast of mail, he would prefer that sort of tunic which gave him better advantage over his heavily laden opponents, for it rendered him facility of swift leap and lightning dash, legend held that besides his super human strength Dehmalu could leap forward a great distance about 18th feet and vaulted a great height about 18th feet and likewise could leap backward the same length and thus could strike with equal swiftness.

He had the light shield of Rhino hide and his special tunic together with his dexterity in dealing with his sword and spear might have given him to tactical advantage of dashing and striking before whom, it was said all fell like those stricken by the lightning.
The king of Burma had to make peace with him whose people took Sengyah Dehmalu as one of the phantom since no other hero could ever penetrate into their country so triumphantly. They submitted to his terms of truce in solemn obeisance with a view to leave believed an everlasting glory of his conquests, Sengyah Dehmalu bound them down with the following terms - (1) That, thenceforth the Burmese male should use no loin ties in their wear literally. They should put on Lungi as male cloth. (2) That their females should prim and tress their locks of hair on the top of their erect (3) That they should fix bamboo poles upside down.

Sengyah Dehmalu was willing to proceed further up to Thailand but his aim had been cut short on portent danger. He was recalled by the Dimapur ruler due to a fresh immigrants from the Shan group of tribes had been hovering over the North-East border who were able to land over the Patkai hills in 13th century.

Apprehensive of future danger, King Makardhwaj had to send couriers to recall Sengyah Dehmalu at home. The ruler of Burma was said to have presented Sengyah Dehmalu with a white elephant and a dazzling dimond as a taken of his appreciation of Dehmalu's merit. This elephant was led down to Dimapur, the Hirimba capital. The courtiers wished him to preserved the white elephant to the ruler. But Dehmalu prized the trophy so much so that he declined to part with it. Because he considered the trophy as symbol as his hard won glory and preferred this unique souvenir to retain himself.

The two dazzling diamonds which has been prized to Sengyah Dehmalu by the king Burma, was put on the two hole in front of the capital gate way of Dimapur is giving the provement was taken away its by Ahom king after their raid over to the capital complex of Dimapur of Hirimba kingdom in 1536 AD.

King Makardwaj Thaosen welcomed Dehmalu Kemprai in front of Dimapur Rajbari gate with pomp and glory by cultural performance named Bai-maijai ( Bai-maijai then stone plate sieve) with his subjects after triumphant victory over Burma and Manipur in 1251 AD.

The cultural performance of Bai-maijai, which show now-a-day was first performed to welcome Sengyah Dehmalu Kemprai.
This resulted into a deplorable tragedy in the history of the Dimasa rulers. The court ministers already zealous and fearful of Dehmalu's glory and prowess got themselves apprehensive and they entered into a secret conspiracy against him. They had the rulling king an ministered a vicious counsel. They convinced him that Sengyah Dehmalu had already grawn vain and defiant of the paramount ruler as testified by his unyielding retention of the white elephant himself. That the ruling house might be overthrown and the powerful general might be ruler ship of the Dimapur kingdom.
The ruling monarch though not without any streak of jealousy was however reluctant to join with the intriguing courtiers. But the prince joined with those vicious circle and aimed at doing away with that protent and ominous person, where as open a frontery was simply on impossible proposition in case of a person like Sengyah Dehmalu, they hit upon a secret plan for destruction.
One hot summer night, when the full moon shone lingering in the blue horizon over head, that giant of a hero was lying asleep in open meadow of his residential premises when a giant elephant was let loose to trample him down to death. But, Dehmalu survived by turning his body, so that the elephant toppled down somersault by his side. That unsuccessful attempt on his life set the traitor in dismay and anxiety. Ultimately however they could win over his jealous step mother and learnt the secret for his death, who was also provided upon to do the job. A hot molten lead was poured into the ear and even the whole body of the Sengyah Dehmalu sleeping by that courtiers and caused his instantaneous death.
The hero and conqueror of the Dimasa nation had thus ended his life as victim of vicious intrigue and jealousy of the state nobles. Legend runs that intuitively knowing that he is nearing his end, subsequent of attempt at his life in the first phase, he left behind a curse upon the Dimasa people where as treachery and jealousy drowned their thoughts for other consideration of national interests and exhibited the narrowest tendency in them, there should no longer be a hero amongst the Dimasa nation and that the sun of Hirimba or Dimasa glory would set down therein after and that the capital city of Dimapur would soon be hunted by ghosts and beasts.
Sengyah Dehmalu Kemprai's death occurred on Saturday 9th January, 1255 AD and within less than three hundred years, Dimapur Kingdom come to an end. (EOM).

(Excerpts from Mukteswar Kemprai's Sengyah Dehmalu Kemprai:
A short life history of ever the great Veer in Hirimba Kingdom)