A Study On The Social Life Of The Ahom Priestly Class

The Ahoms were originally a group of Tai Shans. They brought a distinct culture to Assam peculiar to the Tai culture. Although the Ahoms had their own religious customs and rituals but they did not impose their religion to other tribes and distinctly amalgamated with the culture of the local people. In the time being the Ahoms accepted Hinduism and with the advent of the neo-vaisnavism they almost lost their culture. However the Mohan Deodhai and the Bailungs, the three priestly clans of the Ahoms did not accept Hinduism and maintained their own culture and habits to a great extent. The Ahoms possesses a distinct character regarding the social life. The Ahom priestly classes who were neglected for their denial of acceptance of Hinduism in later part of the Ahom rule, became secluded from the other part of the society. The Mohan, Deodhais and the Bailungs maintained their traditional beliefs and customs in the long period of the Ahom rule and they are still preserving their tradition. So, it is necessary to look at the condition of the Ahom priestly class that how and what extent they could maintain their own culture.