His name became particularly famous when Lachit Bhorphukan recovered Gauhati, the largest city of Assam and Northeastern India, from the Mughals in 1667 and was presented with the Hengdang, a single edged gold (silver or wood) plated sword
In the mid-1600s, the Mughal Empire was at the peak of its glory and extended over large parts of the Indian subcontinent and Afghanistan; it was the second largest to have existed in the Indian subcontinent, covering an impressive area of4 million square kilometers, after the Maurya Empire, which spanned 5 million square kilometers.
A great military leader of medieval India and son of commander-in-Chief of Ahom forces, Lachit was educated in Hindu, Indian scripture, military skills and other disciplines necessary for him as a nobleman.
From his father, Lachit had inherited involvement, a sense of duty, and loyalty. He was now occupied with the preparations for the war.
The Mughals’ force and pacification dominated over a large part of India and in consequence, the country began to experience a series of revolutions and uprisings.
Lachit Borphukan leading the advance on the Brahmaputra River.
Now it was time to liberate Guwahati from Mughal-occupation. Lachit Bhorphukan was selected to lead the forces of the Kingdom of Ahom to liberate Guwahati from Mughal occupation.
He raised the army and preparations were completed by the summer of 1667. He knew the enemy and he knew that his army had no chance to fight on the plains. He chose the forested and hilly terrain just outside Guwahati, as his battlefield, where his men had an advantage over the Mughals.
It was still time to made strategic preparations for the battle that took place on Brahmaputra River, near Saraighat, Guwahati. At the crucial moment in this decisive battle, the Mughals’ army was about to land at Andharubali, where Lachit had his headquarters.