While a lot is known about the Marathas, and the valour of Shivaji, not much is known about the Ahoms and their spirited resistance to the Mughals. When the Mughal Army attacked the Ahom Kingdom in the Battle of Itakhuli in 1682, it saw a decisive Ahom victory. This resulted in a Mughal retreat. The animosity between the Ahoms and the Mughal empire went long back. One of the primary factors being their alliance with their rival Koch Behar kingdom, and the other was the aggressive Mughal imperialism that sought to expand its territory into the North East, starting with Assam. The Mughals considered the territory east of Barnadi up to Singri as part of their empire, along with the rich natural resources of Assam. The very first foray the Mughals made into Assam, at Kajali in 1615, ended in a disaster, when the Ahoms regrouped after an initial loss, and reoccupied it, sending the Mughals back. While there was a brief lull in hostilities, the conflict again raised its head under Shahjahan’s reign.