"Men professing Islam had symbolic presence in lower Assam from the early 13th century to the end of the 15th century. The Ahom– Mughal relation entered a critical phase in the 17th century. There was no record of any Muslim settlement in the 16th century. After suffer- ing a serious setback, the Ahom king recovered western Assam from the Mughals in 1682. A fair chunk of Mughal soldiers and their camp followers preferred to stay back in the settled condition of life where they came as aggressors in batches. Obviously, they made a choice. This, I would like to argue, has to be understood in the backdrop of the agrarian crisis of the Mughal state and the civil war in the second half of the 17th century. They lost their faith in the invincibility of the Mughal power and resolved to try their luck elsewhere. Soon, they endeared themselves to the Ahom-ruling class by their expertise in various professions. Since then, they have been an integral part of the Assamese nationality."