Consider the following statements regarding the 'Posa' system practiced during the medieval Ahom rule in relation to the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh: 1. Posa was an agreement whereby hill tribes received customary annual allowances of essential commodities from the plains administration. 2. The system was designed solely as an aggressive military tribute extracted by Ahom kings from defeated hill populations. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Statement 1 is correct because Posa operated as a customary diplomatic arrangement ensuring peaceful coexistence and regulated trade between the Ahom state and the hill tribes, who received stipulated shares of rice, salt, and other goods. Statement 2 is incorrect because Posa was not a punitive military extraction imposed on defeated subjects; rather, it was a negotiated mechanism of mutual appeasement and border management. The failure or modification of Posa payments frequently led to border raids by the hill communities.