What is "suremphaa"

Suremphaa (reign 1751–1769), or Swargadeo Rajeswar Singha ( Assamese: স্বৰ্গদেউ ৰাজেশ্বৰ সিংহ), the fourth son of Rudra Singha, became the king of the Ahom kingdom after the death of his brother King Pramatta Singha. Rudra Singha's third son, Mohanmala Gohain, was considered ineligible for kingship as his face was pitted with smallpox marks. According to the norm established after Sulikphaa Lora Roja, an Ahom prince had to be free from any physical disability, defects or deformities to become a king.

The new king was installed with the usual ceremonies. His first act was to exile his brother Mohanmala Gohain as the Raja of Namrup. During his installation as king there was conflict of opinion about the location of the capital between the Deodhais (Ahom priests) and the Hindu astrologers, the former recommended Taimung and the latter Rangpur. The king took the advice of the Hindu astrologers and built his palace at Rangpur, but afterwards he built another palace at Taimung. Both the buildings were of considerable size and were made of bricks.

Rajeswar Singha was a devout Hindu. He erected many temples and gifted much land to the Brahmins. Soon after his accession he paid a long visit to Gauhati to worship at the Kamakhya and other temples. He took sharan (meaning initiation in Assamese) from Nati Gosain, the relative of Parbatiya Gosain, the head priest of Kamakhya Temple. He gave Nati Gosain a temple at Pandunath. In 1759, Rajeshwar Singha gifted 64 Bighas of land to the Basudeb temple near Nalbari, where Doul Jatra and Janmasthami is celebrated annually, which was built by Siba Singha.

Rajeswar Singha also promoted cause of the Saiva cult by constructing the Manikarnesvaar Temple (1755), making financial provision for the Sukreswar Temple (1759), and by constructing the Siddhesvara Temple at Sualkuchi (1764). Rajeswar Singha got the Navagraha temple built upon the Citrasala hill in Guwahati. Two doors of Kedera Shiva temple of Hajo were also constructed at the instance of king Rajeswar Singha.

He was a great patron of learned men and encouraged them with gifts.

Rajeswar Singha died in 1769 after being seriously ill for twenty days.