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
Our first acquaintance with the Nagas practically began in 1832, when
Captain Jenkins and Lieutenant Pemberton escorted by Rajah Ghumbeer
Singh's Manipur troops, forced a passage through the hills with a view
to ascertaining if there were a practicable route into Assam. They
came viâ Paptongmai and Samagudting to Mohong Deejood. There is every
reason to believe that the Manipuris in former days did penetrate
into the Naga Hills, and exacted tribute when they felt strong enough
to do so. All the villages have Manipur names in addition to their
own. But during the period of her decadence, just before and during
the Burmese War of 1819-25, any influence Manipur may have possessed
fell into abeyance. At that time it was re-asserted, and Ghumbeer Singh
reduced several villages to submission, including the largest of all,
Kohima, at which place he stood upon a stone and had his footprints
sculptured on it, in token of conquest. This was set up in a prominent
position, together with an upright stone bearing carved figures and
an inscription.
The Nagas greatly respected this stone and cleaned it from time to
time. They opened a large trade with Manipur, and whenever a Manipuri
visited a Naga village he was treated as an honoured guest, at a time
when a British subject could not venture into the interior without
risk of being murdered.
Even up to the Naga Hills campaign of 1879-80, the Nagas regarded
Manipur as the greater power of the two, because her conduct was
consistent; if she threatened, she acted. One British subject after
another might be murdered with impunity, but woe betide the village
that murdered a subject of Manipur. A force of Manipuris was instantly
despatched, the village was attacked, destroyed, and ample compensation
exacted. The system answered well for Manipur; many of the Nagas began
to speak Manipuri, and several villages paid an annual tribute. Still,
up to 1851, we considered that we had some shadowy claim to the hills,
though we never openly asserted it.
I may as well give a short account of the different tribes inhabiting
the Naga Hills district when I took charge. The oldest were--
CACHAREES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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