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Hazarika was a Paik officer under the administration of the Ahom kingdom and Koch kingdom.[1] The commander over 1,000 (Hazar) paiks was known as a Hazarika. As it was a purely administrative position, the title holder could belong to diverse ethnic groups and religions.
The word Hazarika is a derivative of the Assamese word - Hazar, meaning one thousand - 1000. The original Tai-Ahom name of the position was ru-ring which later was translated as 'Hazarika' in Assamese.
The surname mostly belongs to the Ahom, Chutia and Koch ethnic groups. Apart from the Ahom Hazarikas, there is mention of Chutia Hazarikas in several instances of Buranjis. For example, during the reign of the Ahom king Susenphaa, the Banrukia Hazarika was of Chutia origins.[2] At the start of the Moamoria rebellion, Kirtichandra Barbarua first sent a force led by a Chutia Hazarika to fight the rebels, who was killed in the battle.[3] During the Dafala invasion of 1672 AD, a Chutia Hazarika was involved in the battle with the Dafalas.[4] After the fall of the Chutia kingdom, Hazarikas were appointed among Chutia blacksmiths and other guilds to look after the works.[5]
Hazarika was also an administrative position in the Koch army. There is mention of a Koch Hazarika in wars against the Ahoms.[6]
Previously, the surname was also written by some Sonowal Kacharis, but it was later replaced by the Sonowal surname. The Kaibarta people also use this surname.[7]
^(Sarma 1993:287) Dewanar Atla: "Suhungmung or Swarganarayan, after defeating Dhirnarayana and his minister Kasitora, received a number of Dola, Kali..Hiloi and gunpowder (Kalai-khar). Besides these, he also made a number of blacksmiths (Komar) prisoners, settled them either at Bosa (in present-day Jorhat district) or Ujjoni regions and ordered them to make iron implements and weapons (Dah, Katari, Hiloi, Bortop). A section of them were appointed as Saikias and Hazarikas to look after the works. It was only during the time of Suhungmung that the guild of blacksmiths and its trade started in Assam (Ahom kingdom). There were three thousand blacksmiths during this period."
