Impact of 1857 Revolt in North-east India
Impact of 1857 Revolt in North-east India
Gautam Sarmah
Arrival of the British to India had brought a new era to the history of India.
After the battle of Plassey (23 June, 1757), for the last 100 years the East India Company had been conquering the country bit by bit and then plundered and exploited it, till it was milked dry.
The impact of British rule was felt on all spheres of Indian life whether polity, economy, administration, culture and religion; and had adversely affected the position of all including rulers of Indian states, sepoys, landlords, peasants, traders, pundits, maulvis and others.
The only exception was offered against colonial rule at various times from the mid 18th to the mid 19th century. But the Revolt of 1857, also termed as the first war of Independence, posed the most serious challenge to British supremacy in India and shook the empire to its very foundations. Like central and northern India the revolt of 1857 had also touched the North-eastern part of the country.
The historians and scholars of north-east India have studied about the impact of the 1857 revolt of North-east India. Especially in Assam many scholars have done some important works on this subject.
But so far no scholars have studied any good and reliable work of the impact of the 1857 revolt in the other provinces of north-east India like Jaintia hill, Chittagong, Cachar, Manipur etc., where the revolt of 1857 both directly and indirectly was able to touch the people. Therefore, through this paper we try to make a study on the relationship of the 1857 revolt in north-east India.
A good number of books on the history of North-east India have been written by a handful of Scholars of this area and abroad in different courses of time. But very little discussion on the impact of the 1857 revolt in North-east India is made in their writings. After careful review of the available literature, it is well understood that there is an extensive field to study.
In that previous literature we have seen K.N. Dutta in his book entitled Landmarks of the Freedom Struggle In Assam gives an important description on 1857 revolt and its impact in Assam along with its natures. S.K. Chaube in his edited book entitled Freedom Struggle in North-east India added an important chapter about the 1857 revolt of India and her North-east.
The book mentioned how Maniram Dewan became a danger to the colonial government and tried to take the leadership of the revolt. Author Benudhar Sharma by his book The Rebellion of 1857 vis-a-vis Assam had also mentioned about the brave martyr Maniram Dewan and Piyali Baruah with their notable activities. Sir Edward Gait in his book entitled A History of Assam writes on recovery efforts of the native rulers of north east by the help of the advantages of revolt.
David R. Syienlich by his work Historiography of Literature and Sources on the uprising of 1857 in North-east India also mentioned on the recovery efforts of Jaintia ruler, Rajendra singh and his intrigues with the Cherra syam etc. Dr. Shobham N. Lamare in his Resistance Movements in North-east India writes about the offer to assist the company to subdue the sepoys in revolt by the ex-jaintia Raja and Rejendra Singh on 15 September, 1857.
J.B. Bhattacharjee in his Cachar under British rule in North-east India mentions the revolt of sepoys under the 34th Native Infantry soldiers, which had revolted at Chittagong and entered Cachar with the intention to push on into Manipur.
He also mentions the battle of Latu between Native Infantry and British troops.
L.N. Singh in his unpublished PhD thesis entitled Nature of 1857 revolt in North-east India: A fresh look tries to give a detailed description on the nature of 1857 revolt in North-east India. Through his work he also tries to highlight the efforts of native rulers of the North-east to regain and reinstall their kingdoms.
Besides, H.K. Barpujari in his work Assam in the days of Company also mentions the mutiny of Chittagong. The Chronicle of Manipur Cheitharol Kumbaba describes the importance of the 1857 revolt in Manipur. Even some other outsider writers like Alexander Mackenzie in his The North-east Frontier of India and Robert Brown in his Statistical Account of Manipur also mentioned about the 1857 revolt and its connections in North-east India.
Assam and the revolt of 1857
As a result of the first Anglo-Burmese war through the treaty of Yandabo (24 February, 1826) the British established their control over Assam. After the treaty the Ahoms state ceased to exist. The British refused to sit Ahom princes to the throne again. By giving a small amount as pension the company government removed the Ahom Prince Chandra Kanta Singha to Kaliabor.
On the other hand, Prince Purandar Singha was not provided any pension by the government. Later, due to the revolt of Gomadhar Konwar and others in 1833, Upper Assam was returned to Purandar Singha for a few years. But finally, due to the misrule of the king the company government discontinued his rule, and included Assam to the company government.
Since this time the aristocracy and middle Assamese class became very dissatisfied. Which dissatisfaction was exposed in the time revolt of 1857.
To expand the revolt of 1857 in Assam, A man from Assam played an important role. He was Maniram Barbhandar Baruah, popularly known as Maniram Dewan. When the British removed Purandar singha from his throne in 1838 then Maniram was a Dewan of Assam tea company at Nazira. But gradually due to the dissatisfaction of Company’s officers towards him he left his job.
Afterwards, he started two tea estates at Jorhat independently. But by the 1850s, Maniram had become hostile to the British. He had faced numerous administrative obstacles in establishing private tea plantations, due to opposition from the competing European tea planters. In 1851, captain Charles Holroyd, the chief officer of Sibsagar seized all the facilities provided to him due to a tea garden dispute.
Maniram, whose family consisted of 185 people, had to face economic hardship. From this incident he felt that there would be no good future for Assamese people under British colonial rule. So he soon met Ahom prince Kandarpeswar Singha and tried to reinstall him to the throne of Ahom kingdom.
In 1853 when A.J. Moffat Mill visited Assam, Maniram presented a petition to A.G. Moffat Mills, the judge of the Sadar Court, Calcutta By this petition he requested Mill to reinstall Kandarpeswar Singha to the throne. Although Mill refused his request, Maniram didn’t lose his hope. Then he tried to visit Sir John Campbell, who was Lieutenant governor of Bengal to request to reinstall the Ahom kingdom in Assam.
To achieve this goal in 1856 he went to Calcutta, where he met two Bengali businessmen Asotush Deva and Promud Nath Deva. In Calcutta he also met some Bengali intellectual persons like Raja Guru Das, Kunja Bihari Mallik, Rajendra Dutta etc.
When Maniram was staying in Calcutta he heard about a revolt at Meerut, Delhi, Lucknow and Kanpur in 1857. Where the mutinies of revolt tried to reinstall the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah II in the throne and make him the king of Hindustan.
By getting this inspiration from Calcutta Maniram planned to reinstall prince Kandarpeswar Singha to the throne of Ahom kingdom in Assam.
When Maniram planned then there were two regiments of soldiers in Assam. One was at Guwahati, another was at Dibrugarh. The Dibrugarh regiment’s or the Fast Assam Light Infantry’s maximum soldiers belonged to west Bihar. Maniram knew that they were ready to revolt against the Company government.
So, to make circumstance of revolt in Assam he secretly sent some letters to some aristocracy and middle classes people of Assam like Madhu Mallik, Urbidhar Baruah, Mayaram Barbaruah, Chitrasen Barbaruah, Kamala Charingia Baruah, Muhidhar Sarmah, Luki Sarmah Baruah, Ugrasen Marangi Khowa Gohain, Dewram Dihingia Baruah, DutiramBaruah, Piyali Baruah, Bahadur Gaon Buha, Sheikh Formud Ali, Madhuram Koch.
Through this secret plan a group of people from Assam had been mobilized against the foreigner. But before the coming of Maniram from Calcutta to Assam to lead the revolt, some secret letters of him had found by chief assistant captain Charles Holroid at Sibsagar by the help of Company’s faithfully one Assamese Daroga (inspector) Haranath Parbatiya Baruah.
By getting this information Holroid with his troops reached Jorhat at once and arrested Prince Kandarpeswar Singha and sent to Alipur jail.
Maniram was also arrested at Calcutta and sent to Assam for trial. After an immediate trial Maniram was hanged with Piyali Baruah at Jorhat on 26 February, 1858. The other companions of Maniram’s was also arrested and trial.
The leaders Bahadur Gaonbuha, Formud Ali had been sent to Andaman’s jail and captured their lands, properties by the government.
A large number of soldiers from the Dibrugarh regiment were also forced to emigrate.
Thus before the revolt of 1857 in Assam far and wide the government crushed it. In Spite of its failure the wind of 1857 revolt could touch a class of people in Assam.
1857 Revolt in Jaintia Hill
Before the annexation of Jaintia hill by the British, the Syiem was the nominal head of the state which, in reality, was a union (confederation) of twelve Doloiships which were autonomous circles. A Doloi was elected from among the clan or groups by the people and exercised his judicial and administrative power with the help of village councils. Tradition states that at particular times, the Dolois used to fight among themselves but they remained loyal to the Syiem.
In spite of a loose confederation, strong usages were observed to keep intact the unity of the kingdom and in the event of dangers from foreign aggressions, the Dolois and their people united against a common enemy. Which was apparently reflected in the revolt of 1857 in the Jaintia hill in later period.
It is notable that in the question of human sacrifice, the Jaintia was annexed by the company on 15 March, 1835. But this annexation was unjust to the king and his kingdom. The Raja Rajendra Singh was very disappointed by the treatment of the British government.
So, Raja Rajendra Singh was waiting for an opportunity to regain his lost prestige. So, when the 1857 revolt was outbroke, when he heard the failure of the British empire then Raja Rajendra Singh made a conspiracy with Cherra Raja and his Dolois. In this juncture the most important leader Okut Koer (brother-in-law of Raja Rajendra Singh) played a vital role in the conspiracy.
Consequently, by the getting of this news by the company government took the decision to crush the whole conspiracy.
By getting this information of conspiracy the company government reported to the commissioner to take immediate action against Raja and his companions.
But the commissioner Mr. Alen understood that suddenly arresting and sending the Raja to the presidency will bring a terrible problem to the government in future.
So, he thought that whenever it may become necessary the Raja will be sent to the presidency. Finally, Mr. Alen, by issuing an order, said that the ex- Raja, as well as his brother-in-law, Ookut Kooer, who for the reasons specified is also mixed up in his intrigues, to reside at Sylhet and requested the magistrate of that district to keep his eye upon them.
Thus in the time of the 1857 revolt, the Jaintia Raja Rajendra Singh and his companion’s conspiracy had failed. The king was detained in Sylhet under the strict supervision of the company government.
Causes to Failure of Raja :
(a) The response of Cherra Raja (king of Cherrapunjee) to Raja Rajendra Singh was not dependable in the time of revolt.
(b) Apparently, the Dolois were not serious about taking the Raja’s problem. Some Dolois had no good terms with Raja. For example, the doloi of Nartung.
(c) After the annexation of Jaintia hill by the government, they never interfered with the affairs of the Dolois in the Jaintia hill. So they enjoyed maximum autonomy. Thus there was a high probability of his hesitation towards the design of their own Raja.
(d) Finally, due to the taking of serious steps by the British government against the Jaintias.
Chittagong Mutiny and the battle of Latu
There were stationed three companies of the 34th Native Infantry regiment at Chittagong. Before the outbreak of the 1857 revolt, the sepoys of these regiments were loyal to the company government. But, when they heard the news of the spread of revolt towards eastern India reaching at Jagdishpur of Bihar then the sepoys of Chittagong became restless. By getting this opportunity at once they became unloyal to the British and started to revolt on 18 November, 1857.
On this day they broke into a prison at Chittagong and looted the treasury and arms. After forming Chittagong they marched towards Manipur.
When the sepoys reached Manipur then they were confronted by the soldiers of the company government led by Major Byng at Latu (Now at Karimganj, Assam).
This confrontation between sepoys and company troops is known as the battle of Latu in history. In this battle 5 company’s soldiers including the leader Major Byng were killed.
This Battle of Latu was the greatest event of the Revolt of 1857 in North-east India. It was historic because the mutineers hesitated to fire towards their fellow Indian sepoys of the Sylhet Light Infantry.
Their intention was not to shed blood among Indian brothers but to popularize the idea of unity among Indian sepoys (who represent every section of Indians) and expel the British from the soil of India.
The mutineers’ target was only the British Officers. That was why Major R.P.V, Byng was one of the very few killed at this historic battle. The epoch making war time cry- “Now we have killed the Sahib come and join us” unfurls an idea of brotherhood among the Indians without the slightest tinge of caste, creed and religion.
In total, twenty-six of the mutineers sacrificed their lives at Latu though they had miss-fired and killed their five Indian brothers of the Sylhet Light Infantry. Therefore, the Battle of Latu, 1857, was a step forward towards the making of a united struggle of the Indian sepoys either in the British Camp or in the camp of the rebels to expel the British from the soil of India.
Cachar and the 1857 Revolt
When the commercial and diplomatic relations were started between Cachar and the British then Cachar was under the Kachari rulers.
During the time of weak rulers of the Kacharies, princes of Manipur annexed Cachar and removed Kachari king Govindra Chandra to Sylhet and started ruling at South Cachar for 6 years. Thus many Manipuri people had settled in Cachar from this time.
When the British annexed Cachar in 1832 they introduced some new kinds of political and economic systems in Cachar.
For these reasons the Manipuri princes of Cachar became dissatisfied under colonial rule. So taking the advantages of the 1857 revolt, they revolted under the leadership of prince Narendrajit Singh.
At this juncture, the sepoys of the 34th Native Infantry, Chittagong, also mutinied and fought the Battle at Latu, 18th December, 1857, killing Major Byng in the field. After this battle, the Chittagong mutineers entered Cachar on 20th December, 1857, and they were joined by Narendrajit Singh and his party.
But the government didn’t stay silent, instantly 6 Manipuri princes of Cachar like Sangie Thapa, Kunnai Sing, Mypha, Hawkjaw, Khem Singh and Khoirakpa were arrested.
For this work W.J. Allen reported that these princes suspected of hostile designs were arrested in December last by order of the Officiating Superintendent as a precautionary measure when the mutineers of the 34th Native Infantry were marching in the Cachar District towards Munneepore. Narendrajit Singh, being absconded already, could not be arrested. So he remained underground until 19th December, 1857.
1857 Revolt in Manipur
The response of Manipuries to the revolt of 1857 was bifocal in nature. Because, the king of Manipur was in favour of British company rule, and on the other hand, the general people of Manipur was against the British. In the history of Manipur we have seen that under the leadership of Gambhir Singh the kingdom of Manipur was restored after the treaty of Yandabo (1826, 24 February).
There were two chief reasons to restore the Manipur kingdom by company. The British wanted to make Manipur as a watchdog of the Company government against Burma. On the other hand, in Cachar British wanted to stand Manipur against Kukis raids under the policy of giving Tuccavi (Loan). Through these causes the kingdom of Manipur was restored by the Company.
But the Manipuries didn’t like the internal interference of the British in their kingdom. So they got an opportunity by the revolt of 1857 to protest against the British. Except king Chadrakriti Singh and a few numbers of royal people of Manipur, a large number of masses became anti-british during the time of 1857 revolt.
It is notable that due to the march of Chittagong mutineers to the North-east had a deep impact on Manipur. When the 34th Native infantry of Chittagong was passing through Cachar then about this matter Manipuri king Chandrakiti Singh was very concerned. Because, heart and soul, the king was the supporter of the company government. So he decided to help the British.
When the political agent of Manipur Mcculloch got the news about the battle of Latu, he requested the Manipuri king to send the army to Cachar border against mutineers.
The king also responded by sending a force to control and defeat the mutineers. But, although the king of Manipur supported the company government, the people of Manipur were against the British Company rule.
The British thought that Manipuries were a very brave race, so they wanted to establish a Manipuri regiment during the time of 1857. But the people of Manipur didn’t support it. So mostly from Cachar around 300 men joined the rally to recruit the British army. Therefore, since this time the British kept a doubtful eye on Manipuries and their moves.
The people of Manipur heart and soul supported the uprising of Chittagong mutiny under Narendrajit Singh in the time of 1857 revolt. Thus we can say that undoubtedly the 1857 revolt touched the people of Manipur.
From all above discussion, we have found that the revolt of 1857 was mainly related to its political and socio-economic developments under the British colonial government. Like the other parts of India regarding the sentiment of their own soils, the native rulers and people of North-east India tried to fight against the powerful British government. Although they failed like the other parts of the Country, their great courage, efforts and missions will always remain a golden chapter of our history.
(About Author: PhD Scholar, Department of History, Dibrugarh University, Assam.)
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