Bonnie Konyak
Mon | July 25
The historic visit of the Tai Ahom delegates to Mon for cultural interaction gained significance with the resolution of a long drawn dispute between two Konyak villages over the citizenship of Queen Watlong, wife of Ahom king Godhadur. Two Konyak villages namely Wanching and Tanhai, had long been in dispute on the issue of Watlong Anghya (queen), with each of the villages claiming that she had belonged to their village.
However during interaction in Mon, the Wakching Palang Morung, with whose descendents, the Ahom king Godhadur had lived during his exile, testified before the Tai Ahom delegates that Godhadur had fallen in love with Watlong of Wanching village’s royal family. In this connection, the Angh of Wanching village, Kemang Konyak, Sangkem Konyak, Village Council Chairman, Nyoiwang and former VC chairman, Teihwang, have expressed gratitude to the Wakching Palang Angh for settling the long pending dispute and clarifying history once and for all.
This history of Ahom and Konyak relationship began when the Ahom king Godhadur sought refuse in the Naga Hills on being exiled from his kingdom. It is said that after wandering for a long time, he reached Wakching village but each time he settled in a Morung (clan) the lightning struck, until he reached the Palang Morung of Wakching village. There the Ahom king lived in the house of the Palang Angh of Wakching and was given the Konyak name Bongyong Teakshai. While he lived as a family member of the Wakching Palang Angh, Godhadur fell in love with Watlong, daughter of Pongjei Angh and Naklieh, of the royal family of a neighbouring village, now confirmed to be from Wanching village.
After several years, Godhadar was called back to reign over his kingdom. His wife has died during his exile and so he expressed his desire to marry the Konyak princess. After a lot of opposition, the king finally married Watlong and made her his queen. Watlong’s sister Sheanglih is said to have accompanied her to Assam and cried all the way back home after leaving Watlong. Sheanglih is said to have died from heartbreak at Naginimora during her return journey and it was in her memory that Naginimora was so named. The actual burial grounds of queen Watlong is said to be somewhere near Gileke and not at Naginimora as popularly believed.
This historic relationship between the Ahoms and Konyaks, along with all its implication was once again renewed by the cultural exchanged program at Mon on July 24. The tribe leaders expressed satisfaction with the new development and said that this new development would lead to the solution of many problems arising out of ignorance of each other’s way of life.
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