My Experiences in Manipur and the Naga HillsJohnstone, James, Sir
History
My Experiences in Manipur and the Naga Hills
Johnstone, James, Sir
Manipur (India) -- Description and travel; Naga Hills (India) -- Description and travel
The Chief Commissioner's visit gave the greatest satisfaction to
every one in Manipur. He stayed five days, during which he had several
interviews with the Maharajah, and held a grand Durbar, at which he
invested him with the star and badge of a K.C.S.I. He also attended a
review held by the Rajah, besides seeing all the sights of the place,
including a game of polo by picked players. In fact the visit was a
thorough success, and the Manipuris often spoke of it with pleasure
years afterwards.
Just before we started for the Naga Hills, I received the news of an
attack by the Chussad Kukis on the Tankhool village of Chingsow, to
the north-east of Manipur, forty-five people were said to have been
killed or carried off; and the excitement was all the greater from
the belief entertained that the attack had been instigated by the
Burmese. I determined, after consultation with Sir Steuart Bayley,
to proceed to the spot myself, and investigate the whole affair;
and it was, therefore, decided that, after escorting him to Kohima,
I should return to Manipur and take up the case. We marched to Kohima,
which we reached on March 1st, and on the 2nd, I returned to Mao,
en route to Manipur, where I arrived on March 5th.
Before leaving the subject of the Naga Hills, I ought to say, that,
it is difficult to over-estimate our obligation to the Maharajah,
for his loyal conduct during the insurrection and subsequent
troubles. According to his own belief, we had deprived him of
territory belonging to him, and which he had been allowed to claim as
his own. The Nagas asked him to help them, and promised to become his
feudatories, if only he would not act against them. The temptation must
have been strong, to at least serve us as we deserved, by leaving us
in the lurch to get out of the mess, as best as we could. Instead of
this, Chandra Kirtee Singh loyally and cheerfully placed his resources
at our disposal, and certainly by enabling me to march to its relief,
prevented the fall of Kohima, and the disastrous results which would
have inevitably followed. It is grievous to think that his son, the
then Jubraj Soor Chandra Singh, who served us so well, was allowed to
die in exile, and that Thangal Major died on the scaffold: while many
others who accompanied the expedition, were transported as criminals,
across the dreaded "black water" to the Andamans.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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