Massacres Perpetrated By the Kukis During the British Rule in India (P-II)

THE RAIDS carried out by the Kukis during the British rule in India were driven by multiple reasons which includes inter-alia, expansion of territories by subjugating neighbouring and weaker tribes, securing slaves to acquire wealth and resources, hunting of human heads for burial functions of dead Kuki chiefs or purely blood-thirstiness.

According to Carey and Tuck, “Slaves taken in raids were usually hobbled and at once set to work in the fields or on household duties and, to give the savage his due, he did not as a rule maltreat his captives, provided that they did not attempt to escape. They had to work hard and in return they got their food. If they refused to work or worked slowly they were beaten or starved and, if they attempted to escape and were retaken, their heads were usually cut off and placed on a post. Of course a man’s slave was as much his property as his gun or his blanket and he could do what he liked with him.” [Carey & Tuck 1896: pp.230].

Notably, to punish and subjugate the Lushais for their barbaric raids on British subjects and to rescue captives, the British Government launched an Expedition in November 1871 using two columns of army viz., the Left or Cachar Column under Brigadier-General G. Bourchier, accompanied by Captain Lewin as civil officer and the Right or Chittagong Column under Brigadier-General C. Brownlow, accompanied by Mr. Edgar as civil officer [Mackenzie 1844: Page 312].The strength of each column of the Expedition was fixed at half a battery of Mountain Artillery (with rockets), one company of Sappers and Miners and three regiments of Native Infantry [Reid1893: pp.13]. The Maharaja of Manipur assisted the Expedition, later named as the Lushai Expedition, 1871-72, by supplying a force of 3833 personals including 2084 combatants under the command of Major-General Nuthall, the then Officiating Political Agent of Manipur [LokendraSingh 2020]. The expedition was concluded successfully in February 1872.

Also Read: Massacres Perpetrated By the Kukis During the British Rule in India – I

The British Government was compelled again to execute another Expedition in January 1889, later named as the Lushai Expedition, 1889, in response to violent escalation of cross-border tribal raids and attacks on British colonial outposts. The Expedition was carried out under the command of Colonel F. V. W. Tregear of the 9th Bengal Infantry with Mr. Lyall, the Commissioner, as Civil Political Officer and Messrs. C. A. S. Bedford and C. S. Murray as Assistant Political Officers.

Captain J. Shakespear was employed as Intelligence Officer. About 1,150 men were engaged, including 200 men of the 2^ndMadras Pioneers, 250 men of the 2nd Bengal Infantry, 400 men of the 2/2nd Gurkha Rifles, and the 250 men of the 9^th Bengal Infantry, who were already in the country; together with two mountain guns [Reid 1942:7]. The expedition turned out to be a successful British military punitive campaign. It paved the way for annexation of the Lushai Hills in March 1890.

In the context of Manipur, a protectorate native State of British India, the British Government launched a military operation called “Kuki Punitive Measures” in 1918-19 to punish and subjugate the Kuki marauders who massacred hundreds of innocent villagers in the name of waging war against the Manipur Maharaja during the so-called Khongjai-Lan or Kuki Rebellion (1917-1919). In this military operation, a total of 6234 combatants of which 3011 being drawn from 17 battalions of Burma troops under Lieutenant-General Sir H.D.’U. Henry Keary and 3,223 drawn from eight battalions of Assam Troops under Brigadier-General C.E. Macquoid, 696 non-combatants and 7,650 carriers were deployed. Lieutenant-General Sir Keary was the overall controlling officer [File No. 4895 Field Operations]. The military operation ended successfully with the capture or elimination  of 14 Kuki chiefs included in the ‘Special List,’ guilty of notorious crimes and confiscation of 1158 guns from the Kukis [Haokip et al.2005: pp.22].

Also Read: The Abduction and Murder of 6 Naga Civilians

It is unfortunate that many contemporary Kuki writers and historians have been attempting to concoct and distort the historical facts by misinterpreting the massacres perpetrated by the Kukis as being done for the defence of their ancestral territories against incursion by the British. There are ample historical facts and records to prove that the Kukis inhabiting in India and Bangladesh are all recent immigrants from the erstwhile Chin-Lushai Hills.

(The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ukhrul Times. Ukhrul Times values and encourages diverse perspectives. The author is former Acting Vice Chancellor, Manipur University. The author can be reached at yugindro361@gmail.com)

REFERENCES:

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Webster 1918 means:The Extract of the Demi-Official Letter No. 596-W, dated the 1^st June 1918, from J.E. Webster, Chief Secretary, Assam to S.R. Hignell, Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.