Ali Mech
Ali Mech | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13th century Kamatapur Kingdom |
| Occupation | Tribal chief |
| Era | early 13th century |
| Known for | Tibet campaign |
Ali Mech was a tribal chief in the 13th century CE, in the region of present-day Assam belonging to Boro-Kachari sub tribe called Mech.
Biography[]
Ali Mech is considered the first Muslim convert in Assam.[1][2] In the wake of Ali Mech's conversion to Islam, some Mech and Koch tribes also adopted the faith.[3][4] The modern descendents of these converts are the Desi Muslims of Assam.[3]
As a tribal chief in the foothills of Kamrup,[5] he aided Bakhtiyar Khilji in his failed invasion of Tibet in 1206 by acting as a guide.[6]
E. A. Gait mentions the following in his famous book A History of Assam:
"Guided by a Mech Chief, Muhammad Bakhtyar marched northwards along the right bank of this river (Karatoya, presently in Bangladesh) for ten days, through a country inhabited by the Koch, Mech and Tharu (Terai) tribes."
Ali Mech supposedly bears a Muslim first name because he was fond of Islam and embraced it. Soon hundreds of Mech inhabitants converted to Islam due to growing oppression in the hands of Hindu lords and its caste, customs and traditions.[7]
References[]
- ^ Saikia, Arunabh. "'We don't want to be identified on the basis of our religion,' say Assam's indigenous Desi Muslims". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Nath, Monoj Kumar (29 March 2021). The Muslim Question in Assam and Northeast India. Taylor & Francis. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-000-37027-0.
- ^ a b Nath, Monoj Kumar (2021). The Muslim Question in Assam and Northeast India. Taylor & Francis. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-000-37027-0.
- ^ Ahmed, Haamim K.J. (12 September 2018). "The Ethnicity of Assamese Muslims". The Hills Times. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Siddiq, Mohammad Yusuf (2015). Epigraphy and Islamic Culture: Inscriptions of the Early Muslim Rulers of Bengal (1205–1494). Routledge. p. 36. ISBN 9781317587460.
- ^ Nadwi, Abu Bakr Amir-uddin (2004). Tibet and Tibetan Muslims. Translated by Sharma, Parmananda. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. pp. 43–44. ISBN 9788186470350.
- ^ Gait, Edward (1906). A History of Assam. Thacker, Spink & Company. ISBN 978-0-404-16819-3.
- 13th-century rulers in Asia
- Islam in Assam
- 12th-century births
- 13th-century Muslims
- 13th-century deaths
- Converts to Islam
- Indian Muslims
- Assam stubs