[1I..1At·U MILITARY
324
THE ORTH-EAST NTI R 1 7-1901
SERIES EDITOR: LEE JOHNSON
THE NORTH-EAST FRONTIER 1837-1901
WRIDEN BY
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MICHAEL PERRY
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Men·at-Arms 67 The Indian MUMy Men·at·Arms 7'l No<1h-Wesl Frontl8f 1837-1947 Men·al·Arms 91 Bengal Cavalry Reg
Victoria's EnemlGS (3) IrtdUl
Men·at-Arms 224 Ouoon VIctoria's Enem~s (4) Asm. AuSfrlllaSla and lhe Amenca$ Men·at-Arms 268 British Troops in 'he IndIan Mutiny 1857-9 Men-at·Arms 275 The Talping RebeIJ.on '851-61)
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Publishers' note
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THE NORTH-EAST FRON IER 1837 1901
'spile thl:' EtC! lhal it was ('\'elll~ on lit' North-We:-I FlIJlllier Ilhic 1I r 'I" 'I niall) a"'l'cI an I 'apli\'Cltl'd Vj 'Ioriall alidit'lll'" I-\rilh.1t India's orth-I~a-"I I-I"olllier saw at leasl :L'o nlileh Illililal'\ anivil\', 'mel lossihly ('veil more - alheit Oil ;1 l-{clH:rall) ~Illaller ,Tale, YI'l il remains a largely forgottell theatr' olollial warbre. There WlTl' llIall\ rea:c ns 1'01' Ihi.: the I nnh-Ea'" FrolllitT was IUll:1 IHIH'niial ~.plf,:way h~ ",hi h Russia mighl ~aill al"{"t':s \0 Illdia: il larke 1;1 \'ig"orou\ tlali\l' ptl\\t'r cOlnl anti I 'to I~l{hanist: n: :lIlfl h)' Vi toriall "1:tnd,lI ds Ihl' I :llilan lribc'snwi of Ill' Nc rth-\I\'·sI Frollli 'I' Iwr' rOl1sid 'I' 'IIIS) IIl1til IH:Il'\. 1)\ whi 'It Lilllt' iL COIIlJ1ll'ITial poll'llIi;d h"d IWCOIlIl' (Ipp:II't'111. OpliIllisti' 'Illr 'I n'lwur" loo\...l'd "POII Ih' jUIII-{It's and rootltilb a~ an in 'xltauslil1l' .llld III '1~lli\(' (lur"(' tilllbt'r. rubb 'r 'mel i\'t ry, Coal and pl'trt.klllll wcrl' alsu
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The Garos were the first Assam se hili-people with whom Ihe British came Into contact, This remarkably accurate depletion of 'a Garrow man in his war dress' is from the report of an e.peditlon earned oul in 1788-9,
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showing the principal places connected with this history r.,o=---..~
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Map 01 Assam during, the late 19th century. (L.W. Shakespear,
Hislory of the Assam Rifles, 1929)
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Ian I for th '.~' COIllI11 rial a 1I\'ltl 'S was ill the hands 01 (IIr Ihrealt'lled by lrit 'it with no alll'~iance tu the Br'ilish, Dllh tI pa.-"ing illlL'r '~I in ag-ti, cllltllrl'. and who:e eCOI1OIIl\' \ aoS based larg-elyon °llw ·-raidillg. Hriti:h allt'lIlpL' III sl.Ippre. s slaving- a ti"ilies llH'aJ1l thai 1l10S1 oj I!lI':>' lrih's W('n: <,ilh 'r • Iready he sti!l' 10 Ill<: Briti:h or h Taow SCI :1: ")on as 11';\
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rubber phllll;tlions and ~;tll1e hunlers encroached Oil lhl'ir l('nilOl , L1ndcr SlI h ir UIllSlan cs chshcs w<:rl.' not onl' illcvilabl' but C'OllIIlHlIlplan"
CHRONOLOGY ("rill;ll [<.'uds. murders and minor raids. as well as aua -k~ Oil anlJ~ :IJld Frontier Poli (. nuli OSlS, were almo~l 'olHinuolls Ihroughoul lhe \'irlorian jleriod, and on the whok the e\'enLS li'lcd h re repn:sClll onl)' Ih~' 11I0re ~lll1biliou' or 'al1guin(:' incidenls, IH:~H
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Ikilish n', 10\'1.' R'~ia Puranclar ingll (IRo ~H) frol11 lh . lIII'( II ' 01 Upp'r Assam al d ann 'x all remaining inckpellrklll A.~Sal1l('Sl' I 'ITilOr', In Dl" I11b I' LI (' British lalln h lh' S' 'on I or l'l1 (' 'Iwdilions 1ll0ll11le l'lg-,1insl Ihe (lga. b"lw(:'~'n IH3,) and IR!)1. Di~amXl 'c\ h, British illsi len e thai they 'hould rree all lheir slaVl'~, lilt' Khallliis of adi ra reI cl:joinccl by lh 'Sing, !tos. lh 'y Illassacn' mallv Brili'h olliciab. rhird ('xjx'ditioll againsl the "gas 0 curs ill.lallllary-Fchl1lary. Brilish lina bccol11e aware of Ih' Lushais. Tag-hi R;Ua. leaeI'r or lhe Kapa hoI' kas. SUITt'II lers alld pl'rslIa les olher \ka I :ader. III aceepl Brili:h pensions, F~)ur1h cxpl'dilion ag-ainsl the agas. winl '1'1841-2. Thl' I'clilainillg kas suhmit, and lh'r are no runh I' ka Lnllll>ll·s until IHH~. Kh:II11li inSUlT clion nds. f( lIowing the submis. i( n of lh'ir lasl il'acler in Decemb'r. ingphos from Burma altack British oillposls, and arc joined b' some SsamCSl' Sing-phos: aftcr llwir ddi:(llmall~' of' Ille laucr quil Briti'h lerritory, Tht'l'l' is a Kllki raid on th ' S~'!h 'l fnl11tier in ",hi h 20 I eopl .In: killed and six clplllr 'cI, I' 'slilling in a punitive Brilish l'xlwdilion in [) '(>'1111 '1'. Firlh exp<:dilion against Lhl' agas t) III the same month. ,'i lh cxpcdilion agaillSl til(' agas, Sev'nlh expedition againsl the a~a', o\'cmbcr I H.J6-:!anuar 1:-; 7. British ('slahlish an OUlPOSl al l
Kapachor Aka chiefs, 1847. Taghi Raja (right) and his sons Mehdi and Chandhi were the main Aka leaders with whom the British had to deal between the 18205 and 1880s. Principal Aka weapons were a bow and a 4ft (1.2m) sword, usually wielded two-handed. Their arrows were poisoned.
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fil1th cxpedition a~pillst the la/{as is launchcd in Ian h. alldlh . ill N()\,~·l1lbcr. wh(,11 E,()() IIICll wilh two :\-pch'~ ;lIld IWO 1l10rt;\l'~ an- '\e111 10 alla'k 1\0hil11a. lillloll'il1~ ,I I~lid Oil Ille Briti~lI (lllll (lSI al Samag'uling-. Brili~h c1~'slro !\.ohima ~ n II Fd1ruary. killill/-( :\()() ,\ng';lllli ;-..Ja~.I.,: Ill'\'~'nhd('sJ', in th' nin~' n olllhl> lolloll'illg' till' Blili,h \\ilhlh:I\\'al in larch Ih 'I'(' an: ~2 lagtl raid~ (lIlo:th' ill nunh (::1( h,lI) ill whi'II 5~ p('opk ;11" "ilkd, It:'n ar wOlllHled :lIld 11:\ are capllIH·d. British OIlLJ OSI at Sall1ag-util1j.{ is orlc'c1 h' I\.halllii irrq~ular~. Brilish outposl 'II Dim:\} ur Oil N.. g-alldol1l'd. Carns lallnch nin\.' I"lids b 'l\\" n lay I 57 and 0 tohl'l I"r,~). In No\'ember lishmi raiders m:u sacrc' 111 a 11, Khamti wonWll and children: Ihe British suhs 'qllentl\, arm Ihe Khallllis IOl III oil OWll prole lion. On J~ o\'('l11lwr thrce.' nllllpanies or Ih ':\·llh Bl'n~;ll Nt, stationed in Chitlagoll~, 1l1llliny and 1l1(\ITh throll~h TriplII'a, Sylhe:t an 1 Ca hal. h 'acting 1'01' lanipllr, R 'pe;llc,cth .1I1(1( k('d 1\ Kllki irrq~lIlar~ and deta hm{,Ill' or Ih 'S\,II\(,t 1,Il'n 1'111111', .tli hUI thre: • or rour aI" killed or caplured. On ~ l.Janwu 'a \'ilh~l' near ibrllgarh i' allarkl'd b\' III<' .\bor~ of 1'11111
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Early sketches of a Dalla warrior, a chief's widow and a chief, by John Butler. (A Sketch of Assam, 1847)
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Kl'bang: 21 \'illa~ers arc killed. A Brilish expedilion 01" 10-1 'sam 1.1 ;111(1 [Wll 1{1Ins Sl'II1 oul ill 'hlrcll I~lils IU wkc Llle slllcbldl' ll'l'l'ndillg" ]\.l'baII g. runs OUl 01 -;upplies and is compelled III witl !lr;lw al"ll'r slll1i.'lin~ 2S IXI' '(,:nl C/lht,'l and lhl' 1('SlruClioll IItITC villa~es. rcfelT't1 LO 'IS Iltt' 'Adulllpur MaSS;llTe'. ( II 17 JlIHiar anollt -I' I' ·bellion hI' ak, out iniailllia. i\ derlal'alioll of am ill'S I . iu AI ril r<:'suIL~ ill s('wral chi 'Is :lIhl11illing. bUl Ih ' la't only SlllTt'lHlers on J )\,('l1lb 'r 1 6g. 1rm~ Tit, Allg':\Ini
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A New Kuki warrior. (John Butler, Travels and Adventures in tho Province of Assam, 1855)
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hllllldH'cl ill Fl" I'llarv i~ abandoll<.:d 'Inl'r 011' orits thr 'e columlls is I'orcl'cl back Iw torrciltial I'ain, IH7() Fin.. I alb raidsil1cl' IH~W, IH71-~ A Sp;\ll' or sig'llilit'al1l l.11shai raids illio ~11;lllipllr, Triplll~1 'Inri S}'IIH'1. ill which a six-)'ear-olcl En!{lish girl Mar)' Will h '~tl'r) is ,~'i.l('cl, nllmil1alt'S in a 17-hollratla 'k ( (lrlifiedl '}t plalltatio1l, dl'l('IHlnl b' aIJoll1 ,'() l'ro1l1i or I oli T III I:q oy'; Ihis l'l'slIh.s in a I"niliw l'XP' [ilioll lastinK rrom Nov<':lllb or IH71 10 Febl'llary IH7~, illl'lllvillg--I.()()() IlldialltroopS. rOllr 1ll001lltaill-glllls al1dlllllr lI10rlars supponed by ~,O()() rVhnipliris, TWl'1l1y Lllshai villagt's ar-' tll'Slt'II'l'd ,lI1d Mary WillchesHT is n'~ ·u(.'d. EastcrIl Lllshai J"('SiSUlll('(' i,~ hrokl'll. alld V'Il'stl'rIl l.11shai hi 'Is sill mil. Th Te arl' no 'lI;~i()r Lushai 1~lids lor th . next decade, IH7~ Sev("nll Dalla I'aids are Ialulc1ll'd againsllhl'ir kinslllcn settled 011 Iltv phlillS. 1I('lllpts to GilT I (lilt ,I cenSllS or thl.' Can>. in IX71 provoke raid.s which lead III Ille rornl'll alln 'x/uioll or !'t'lI1aillillg (;at'll It'lTilol"Y in winlCI IX7~-:t Pca (' pre'~lils llnlil I. HI. IH7:1 I \ Brilish slll'\'l'villg ('xpl'ditiol1 is 01 posnl h tilt' "gas, 1;''1·1 Followillg Ill(' laillll'l' or all At'( l10mic hlock"c!l' (cslallishcd ill lowmhcl' IH7:{) d('~igHt'd lel bring Ihe Danas ll) he 'I. thl' Blilish lallll('11 an ('xpedilion ag-ain~1 III 'm ill NOV('llllwr, Tlll·rt' '11'1' 1111 ('unlll'r Dalla raid... ulllil IHH7, IH7!"> Hrilislt Sill'\'\" pady 200 1ll1'1I, killillg it~ ("(ll11mander alld H() 111 I) and wounding ,II11lliler !) 1: IIH'S(' (,Wilts n'sult in a Brili~h pllllili\'(' l'xpedition in M'uTh. Lhot
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On the other side of the NorthEast Frontier the Singphos were known as Kakhyens or Kachins, This engraving of Burmese Kakhyens was prepared from a sketch drawn during the Delaporte-Garnier expedition of 1868.
Padam Abors wearing a type of cloth corselet called a n8mbi, resembling a black woollen rug worn over the head like a poncho, providing protection for the chest and back but open at the sides, Though reportedly proof against a spear-thrust, these must have had minimal defensive value, (E,T. Dalton, Descriptive Ethnology of Bengal, 1872)
arrive'i rrolll Wokha )11 \9 ) 'lOb 'r: agas susl t'nd auac~ 011 ~..J ( wi ('r, wht'll the' ~t'l wincl of lhe approach of a n'lier (i.'IT{' 01" ~,OO() laniluris IInder politi al agelllJamcsJohnslll1l ',The a~a forn's l'\'aporate ()v(-mig-hl Oil 26-27 Uctuber. ah("ld of ,/ohmtull ''s arrival: when a funher 1,000 s Idiers 'Illd Fronlil'r Police arrive uncleI' neral ali )11. a punilivt: ',pl'dilion is IllOUIlIl'd a~ajtlSl KWHJIlla and a dol. 'n olher h ),lik, villages, l{ollDllla holds (Jul un I iI 22 (J\,CI11 b T, when iIS defenders rct rcal ll) a s('('otl(ll(,nilied pnsili )t1 "bo\'(: LIlt' "illag-e: the British Ill' lip" Ilrd 'slro)' 'iix oLlI('r villag('s, IHHO Allgalui rnn al I{OIH ma surrenders on '2.7 I\ar 'h, britl~il1A" the war lO a '10 'l': Llll' Ang-, IKKI-(j hin! BlII"l11tl 'I\'ar, IHHC III Ft'hruary I.ro() , 1l1-{'.II11i" raid illlo Manipllr: thl' Hrili"h s('I\(1 all exp' Ii ion ,lg'lillSl Ih Ill.
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IHHH Oil H .Jail liar" /j()ll I.ushais raid thl' C:1H:'n~ri v,,11 'y, burnin~ ~·I \'illag- .... killillg 101 people and earn-illg orr 91, On: Februan :1 SIlIVl'~ p:II"" is wip '(\ OUI br Chills. who also raid illl I Brilish L'rriton ill (h lOb T. III Ihl' willtl'r 11'\ K-9 a I'll'll' or ~()() Frolllier Poli (' '1I1l'" j\1I ag-a Ll'n-ilCll al'lc'r Ilw A(, havl' rl'qu ·l>t(· I pl'l\lc'rti III flg,liml 1;lga Lrile' living- lev( lid ,Ih' I il..hll River. IH, ~I ,\ 1\ iLi,1I 'xpl'c1ilioll aJ.{aillsl til· ,him is nllllllll(.'d 1 ('Iw('·n .I: III11 :l n '1IIe1 ];1\. alld LIH' chic'I" I' "ponsibl for lit· li,llIr1nnn's of I. HH ,II ' a''''(',led, Tllllll1411 de 'Iar 'd a MH'Cl'S,. Ih' 'xp '([ilion bib 10 pn'\'c'lll (:hill illl'o:td!>: Ihi". alc ng- \ ilh LIll' n:lww:.t1 of LtI"lwi raids, pl'll'I\>I:-. Ih ' Illore signilinllli Chin-LlIshai Exp" diliOIl or IXH~I-9(). which hegills ill ovt:'mbcr and involves 7. lOll mL'11 ill t1IIC('lOhllllIlS, one 01 L' , SOllIe SIH'llIltl \illag't'... 'II" al... o hl'Ollglll llndel' Ikili:-.h olllroi. TIl(' \\<':-.IL'1'I1 I ,u~hai rei L'1 in Sl'plell1hcl hUI are ddt'alec! ill I ('('l'llIh'I', II'N I In Fl'hnlal'\' Lhl' Sollllwrn LlIshais o~j , 'L III IIll' :IITog~lIln' 01 a Brili:1I olTicial an I allacl.. hi" pan\ alltT il Ila... lor lwei local ricl' ~lol't'~: tl1l' IInn'SI i:-. Sllppl'l's"'l'd ill liar 'h, A Ctlllp in .\lallipllr ill Sl'j)Il'l11lwl' IH90 hm;nj{ b('(·11 c'ltgin' 'I"d bv lilt' SI'II (//)(/1 1 (com11l:1I1c1l'r-in-l hid). a Blili. II lorn' of ,)00 Illt'll lIf {Ill: 1~lId aile! I.JIII ;ul'kha L1. llllc!e\' .lallll.'S )uinlon, Chief Conlllli~:ioncr 01 1\.';S 10 I' 'l'slIad(' till.' IIC'IV raja 10 Il'IlIeI ov'l' lhe ,)"'III/JIIli and i:-. kilkd, along wilh I is sClIinl' slal1'. dllrillg' lIegolialiolls. As a I'('suh. a suhSI~1I11ial grilish 'xI' lilillll (4,HOO 1Ilt'1l all I nilll' K"II:-') is d 'spatched ill pril. Manipuri I'l·...ist.1Il 'L' ollapsl's wh '11 thl' Brilish 1'1lLl'r Imphal on '27 ApI iI,
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Lebbey, a H uma Shendu chief. Note his trapezoid shield, of a universal pattem found among all the Chin-Lushal peoples,
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Made of two or thr e layers buffalo hide, Ihese were about 2ft (6Gcm) long, 18in (45cm) wide at the top and 141n (35cm) at the bottom. The upper half was often decorated with four rows of
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brass discs and a row reddyed goat's hair tassels. Some substituted a single large brass disc In tho centm. The colour of such shields ranged from black to very dark brown. (Sketch by S,R. Ticken, pUblished in 1853)
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plllllll\" nip ' 'I '" I 1<1.'1:\ \llIlil I.In h IH~I:t TIl(' .. o"lc.··.. "n' in I' 'Iwllioll IIl1lil I. !l:\, 1'1I"i raicln.' Ill":.:." l l ' :WO I a I'as in i\1 spirit(· I 0PI osilioll "I I alllhll", Briti:.h ':-.pnlilion 01 100 -llIh ClIl'kha Rifh'" -tOO Mililtln Poli .(' ,"ld I\\' ס7-pdlIlllllllllaill-j<{uIlS '('\" 0111 ;ll{aill!'>l Ih(' \(,f1IS on Jallllan, IJlIl .lller i.'a(llllrin~ t\\'o "illaf{i.', il i:. ublig' 'd 10 wilhdr;1\ ,,' i1w elld of Fl'I>rllan' \ (,"11 it... prm'isiollS rlln oUI: tlw Abul's harass Ihi.' I~riti ..h \\'jIlHlr;I\\'al, al d i1w 'XI "dilion sulkr.. Hrilish Io:.s(·.. of -19 kill('d and Ii), ounek-d, pill:' m"ll}' ('uoli"s. Pasi ,\1 01 1t'ITilor\' i.. hi. I( ka kd 111('1' 'aft 'I' tlnlil IH~I(), amI P,\(I~lIl1 I 'rrilon IIllliJ 1900, The CllIlJik:tla ~'isllll1i:., .11:'0 itlll'linllt'd ill alla('''~ Ull the li,-i),. ,In' hlork:t led nlllil 1.97, AboI' raich -t'a:.(' 1IIIIil 1!IO:t Kllki:.
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IX.!!! An Angaml Naga warrior. Round his neck he wears what later writers described as a special collar 'analogous to the military badges of rank of the civilised nations'. This comprised a piece of wood measuring 81n (20cm) by 4in (10cm) covered with rows of red and black hair and white seeds, with a fringe of red-dyed goat's hair and long black hair from the heads of his victims. (John Butler, A Sketch of Assam, 1847)
1900
11
BRITISH FORCES ON THE NORTH-EAST FRONTIER
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,\Ilhollg-h latin' (n(illlll)' r 'g-illwnls or th' Ea!.l India Ctlillpall\ (1':1<:) hael " ' I '~'d ill 'sam luring- th~' Firsl BlIllIla \\'~II 1)1 IH~ I-~j, Ihis clIllpaig-n had showll Ihal thl' l'Xln',nl'~ ( f tlH' Illcal 'Iilll:ll~' Ila" illinlical lllolllSi I,,:, COliS 'QUl'l1tl) Ih(' Nalin:' InEIIlII) w~'r 'lI'ilhch~tWIl in Mal'ch 1,21:{. :11111 1I11' ddi.'II('(' or 11ll' I orlh-E; sl Fronlier I\'a~ 'nll'll',I~'d prinil alII 10 thl'T 10 :tllI t~tisnl ullil~ - 11ll' Rang-pilI' l.ighl Inl;\I1ln. the .\"sam Sf/Jlllld." COI'PS 1 and lhe 'vlh 'I Lig-hl Inl;lI1tn, Th' Ralll-{pllr l.ig-hl Inlallll') ha I bcen ",Iiscel OIl C:hallhia~al!j in (H17 ,ll> 11ll' CUlw'k L 'g-iOll, 1'1, Ils/erreel III R each Ill" HO ml'lI. plus nflicl'fS and I COs (or ~)~11ll('n ill all), FOllr 'olnpanil's 'OlISiM' I It'IJUlldil',I alr('ad,' Ilwinlailll:d in ..~'S(\1I1 h\ thl' previolls nativc adminis ration, two were IH'I )~' raised, alld 111'1) \1'1'1" (r:tnsli.:rl'ed rrum the Rang-pur !.o al B,tltaliun. III March IH:m it \I~IS lllo\'l:c1to Sadi~'a a.~ lhl' \.o;s'lIn S/.fllllldy Corps (Irrq,{lIlar"l. when ill' strenglh "" 1st s~am Sfllllllll)'CoIVs: in IH4.J il be am' the 2nd Assan, Lt. I ilh a theoretical 'tr 'J1gtlt uf' 1.000 l1I('n, Alongside I hill ,vere evcll tllall)' to h . 'onw the I Sf and 2nel 'am Ll I h 'r ' was Illl: S'lllt'l I ,oral Battalioll, Till: Ialler lIad I '('II misl:d a,,, 1Ill' Il1th Lo al Batlalion ill F 'hruar I K2 , I'l' 'I'lliting chiell' a11101lg- local 'liP" lllntr)" 111'11 an I 'Iallipllris, It was n'lIumb 'f'd till' Illh Local B'Illali)Jl in IH211 and its hL>adqll:lI"ll'l's was Irallsrerred lo ,herTal 11lUi in I 2 , \\,hl'l'(' it ""~' to I' 'main lIntil I '6~, \ ht'n il 11\0\'(' I Ltl 'hillollg', DlIl'in T Ih· 'arly Ii 'rio I uf' it.'; CXiSIt'IlCl' it 011\pli"ecl initial'" l:ight ancllall'r 11'11 ('()l1Ipanit's ( 1,0 Illt'lI, pillS oniccrs and COs, hl.'" thr' irr 'gular IIni\.' I l'rl' lran:r'rr 'd to Ihl' Bengal Am1\' ill I Hlli. Tit· 1... 1 "'\s"am 1 I
or
An Angaml Naga. (Sketch by Col, R,G. Woodlhorpe, daled 18751
12
1 Scb.mdy w
a term used 10 descnbe lnl>guJars ul,I."", JOt ""'"'" duhes
l>eral1l(' Ille -I()l h ( lI~lIsl-Onol 'I' IH6 I) and lh '11 111(' 4:lnd Ikngal :lIi\'l' Inl;1I1I1 .: Ill(: lIoi/( . l\ 0 drullIllH'rs and 75 privates (or ()OO m n, ,IllS onicers ;nlCl NCO.). All lhree reg-illlcn~ nnderwent lhe lir. t of ever'll nallle hanges: the -1·2nd and I. HI added '( SSn of lheir men frOIll among Ihe I )cal hill-peo) I's, lUI Ih· nTl"lIiulWllI >fCurkhas had 1 '~lIn allcasl as earl. as IR2H and Ikngalis ami Sikhs or nIh 'I" PIII~iabis weI' also tak n on in OIlsirleral Il- nllln!>·'r·. Though Ihe cnlislnwnl of Bengalis ha I hailed b I I 'RO, b~,tlwn th· ~ncl had onl ahoul 100 ASS;1I11eSe in ils ranks: the rcst \v(:l"e B ng'dis and Sikhs. As 11 an\! as half of th ' S Ihet 1.I were (;urkhas b\' I H54. and hy IHWI till' rC!~jll1el1t \ as l'l1lirel' ;urkha ill composilion. In l~H(). \ Iten all three reg-ill1enL~ had an establishment of BOO men. plus ollicers and ICOS (91 ~ l1ll'n ill all), 0111 ' lhe -I ~nl rClnai ned largely AssaIII ese , hill o t'r the ne, I live ears Gurkha. b gan to predornil all' in the -12nd 'Int! ·I~~rcl as wl'll as Ih· 41h. Con. Clucnll', in l~H() lht·y Wt'lT l'l'nal11l' I the -12nd, l~rd and -'llh ~urkha I 1 I' g-ill1 'nL~, anrl 1I1l')' I ('came Gurkha (Rille) Rl'g'in1l'nts ill IH91. II thrl'(' sl'rwd ex 'hlsivel)' within ssalll and ~-~~ neij.{ltbo\lring Burma \Inlil almost Iht, >nrl >1' Ihe \ iClorian l'l~l. onl' serving clsl'\vhere in India for 11ll' Ilrsl time in 1899, Two baualions \ ere ClISIllmarily based ill Shillong ''1nd Ihe Ihird OIL Dibrllgarh. th0ugh they changed places periodically. TIl{: f'ormer I rovidecl Olltposts along t\.~S·IIll·S IHll'lh-t"ISI frolllier anrl in th' aga. KIHl.sia an I Gam hilLs. \ hit Ih· laller was responsible pret!ominalllly for Ih "1)'lIla, liri and 1islnni fronlins and ollter points along' the I)rovincl"s nol'l h-wl"sll'rIl l'l"onlil.... Duri ng lite I H70s a fOllrl h Bl'llgal I I rel-{i Illl'llt was generally based ;\1 Silrhar. bm il was willtdra\· n followin~ rcor/{;tniSillion of IIll' pI'llVilH.'C·S ddt'nees in IRS I, when the Fronlier Police Wt're mark n'~f)()nsiblc for all fron lie r lI111pOstS. TIll' natllf(' of lite ternlin \lleanl lhat no n'I-{\Ilar ca\'all" and arlillny Wt'rl' ordinarily .slationed in Assam. lhl' 10 al lelachmenls 1l10Ul1laill-al'lil!t'r' la'ing- reinrnrccd from fkng,d III' Hlmn;! whell neCl·ssal"y. How('\'er, two r I dr Illollniain-gulis. transported b\' ·lcphants. were anaclH'd 10 lit· S"lhl'l LI a' carly as 1827, 'mel il COlllillller\ 10 mllstcr ils 0\ n arlillt·'" Sl'Clion Iherearter. The l:llld 'Ind :kd were pro ided \ itlt gUllS considerably laler. in I ,'Hf). The ilniller' Ilf' all IhnT ullil: was 11'\l1d·d OWl' 10 the loed lililar 'I oli '(' ballaliOlls in 190:\.
r,w
Another picture of an Angami by Woodthorpe, utilising exactly the same pose as the last, but dated April 1874. It is 01 particular interest tor the shield, covered in scarlet cloth and decorated with pieces of bearskin cut in the shape of human heads. These represented the number of heads a warrior had taken,
or
13
Sketch of a Hat1lgoria or Ao Naga by Woodthorpe. published in 1875,
•
1,/
14
/I
Frontier Police and Military Police 1\lIIIOlIg-h ann) lInit, wcr' al\l'a\~ on hane!. and were l'lllplo\'('d in Illost Ill.~jor 'alllpli\"Ilt'd 1>1' l'COIHIIIlit' 'C1Il~idl'l'ali()ns mOlT lll'ln anylllillj.{, ~inct' (\ poli e (onslabll' coSl till' gOI'lTnnlc'l1I only R~, I ~O per ann L1Ill, CO III pa red to R.s,:~~:\ I'llI' a Sl'po\', he Frol1lier I olin' (FP) IIad IIwir origills in \~ll ions ilTl'gular ('orps, known ,LS 'Ll'\'i 's', raised during-the ~e nnd quaner 01 lilt, I!ltll cc'nllllY The 'adi<:sl aplwars lO ha\'(' been the liO )..slrong Shan I.l'\ " I~list'd in IX~:) among Shan Iril c:llle,:n who had prl."\'ioll,1I ~ 'r\'ed wilh II\(' IJLlI"III("t', Illilially, a 'ILIaI'I 'I'llI' them W 'rl' f('qllirl'c\ III' 'I'\'(' ;11 a lin1(·. L1ndl."r Iheir OWIl kadel'S. bill Ihl."ir ~el'\'i e 'Irenglh aClllalh flllClllah,d rmlll 120111 'n Ie as man as -tOo, III I, :{I tl\(' orp~ was plan'dlllid 'I' IIll' cOllllllalld of a suballerJ1 or Ihc' Sl'lhl,t U. (;urkhas alld (:a('lIari~ wtTl' slIbsequenll) rt' ruilC:d as lK'ing I L'ller nll'll ti)l' hill alld jtlllgk work, Ikl\\'l'l'll IR·ll) alld IH!'i~ Illost ofils, hall:-were 'rl'lin'cl', ,lIld Iw Ihis lillie lll· 'orp: had api art'lltly becomc kill \\'n a:- lhl." Cadwr I.c\,\" It h'lll nll'(\llwhilt' illnwpor.-L1L'c1 another han mililia, II\(' .lorh'lI I.c'l' ~OO III 'n), which hael bel'n r.-lised ill Il-l:\ . III abolll IH.'i~ Ihl." CachaI' LA'w wa' splil illiO IWO. Onl' part \\',I~ b;L~l'd al I o\\'~()n/{ '1I1d lit' othl."I' al Sikhar ill onlt Cachal. hell, whell the i\.'saml'sc' Ic'\'ie, \wrc of1iciall)' aholi.lwo in IHC I. Ihest' lWU hall-corps II' 'rc' consid 'I~ll II slrellglhened (11'Om l'Oug-llI\' IOIl-ICO 111'11 to al OUI IlO()-:i~O each to becol11e I' '. pl'Cli\'l'ly till' (),,'!{on~ Fronlic'r I'olicl' Haltalion ,III Ilhe lortlt Ca Itar Ilill.s Fronlin Policl'lbu;lIioll ..\ IOO-stl'Oll/{ J.akltinllllr Poli (' lilida hadlllc'allwltile b('Clll'slahlislll'd ill aholll IK,I:~ by IItC r' 'nlisll11elll or IIICII from Ilw disbanded 'PileI' I\.~sam Sdl/ll/tI.l' Corp:-. and lhis W,lS now I' inrorcl'd in line Wilh lit· lWo Cadlar I,t'\ ' corp:- 10 en'a ll' a LI kh illl pu I' Fron lil'r Pol i l' h'1l1aliol1. Tltl' I 'owgollg llnil hc/{an 10 b ' 1111 )rTi 'iall), I' ,relT 'c\ 10 a:- lhl'. aga Hill:- Fl (llltic'l Poli e Halt'diclIl in lhe Illid-I 60s. 'mel lhi:. I 'OlnH: il~ om 'ia! tille ill IH7~, hlnlter n'org-ani 'alion LOok pia e in I 7H. bl which lillie Fl' :-Irl'n~lh slood al ('ig-llt in~pel'lors, :~O sllh-inspcctors, I !lrl Iwad cOllslahl('~, alld 1.. )·11 cunstables, These wen' nrgalli, eel iliiO lhree bawdiclI\s h;lsed ill t\s~am (till' I.akhimpllr. owgon/{ an I Sibsagar batialions . rC"IHlIl,sihll' 1'01' :{fJ OUlP"~IS spread o\'er len disl ricl.s. a lid Ol\l' ha lIa! iOIl ill 1I('ighI)l)llrilll{ Chillaj:{ong-, raisl'd ill IH71. Ollq OSlS ""rit'd greaily ill Sil.l' alld mig-hi 1)(' mallil 'd by an)'lhillg lell t'n Il'll and 100 IlH'n, al cwdillg to irclllllstall ('s, Anolher Illiliti". lh· KLlki I 'I'Y' was rais' I al Sil hal' in ,/IIIIl' IH!'i(), ompri:.in~ ~OO Kuki~ and Cacharis. Opinion, rqf.tnling' il~ elll'c lil'C'IIl':S ,eem to dil'li:r, lis III 'II w 'I" illl 'lIdedlO I)t' IIM'd prilllaril) a, 'COllh, bill. :t~ ,III l."arly Olllmenialor ob:-cr\'ed, aner Ihe)' had hn'll placed tillder 111C' 'ol11ll1and orlhe CachaI' FP Ihllalioll ill IH(iO. 'in Iht' 'II It'molll 10 make lhem wdl (hilkd soldi 'rs' lhel' I()~l tl1l'it' 'special (1'I
01:-. proper lililOll' I'oli '(M!') hau.tlinmi, Illl1ilH om 'r~ 01 1111' III li.ut rill) were .'l'('ondnllo till' 111'\1' 1111 p~ {Ol Iei'll!" of' lip 10 fiw V '<\I:;, TI1l' ne\\' \lilil<1r\' Polin' \\'1'\ 'illitiallv org-aII i'l'd ~ ['ulir ballalioll:-', oI11pri,il1l-{ III" N,'g:1 Ilill~ 1 awtlloll heac! Jlrlll 'rs Ke hilii'll. Ih' I.akhln'llli Ballalioll (h 'acljllaners Dilt'lItfdrh). Ih" (.'1 'hal I allalion (h 'aclqllaner:-. ilehar), and the umla \',llIe\ and ;aro Ilill:- Ihllalioll (headquaners 1..-1). III I .'~ the "II' '1Ig"lh of the 'aw.l flill" Ballalioll wa" ~ men. which lalcr increasl'd to 700. 'he Lll..himpllr Ballalioll II~lS abo nlis,d II) iOO n1(:11 in I. H:~, bill Ihl' Gam Ililb and C" hal' haltalie lIS 'If P 'l'd 111 IHH9 to guard Ih> Chill fnll II i\:I': this IlIlil w;as kllOlI'1I ;a.~ Ihe Chill I,t'v\'. 'II' battalions were also establish 'c1 in 1l('ig-hbolll'il1g Burma in IH f. '11lc! Ih 'Sl' , :lW SIT\'ic ' ill SOl111" cam paigl1s UII Ihl' 'or1h-East 'wnli'r. By l',lrll IHHH overall 1]1 strl'nglh ill !\lInl1;a ~ll (/ I .11 I :~,;m(llll' which SOllJl' , .000 w'n' ill Ilrp:-. '01111'1 1111 11 II liS I\illl lht, 1.1I:-.1t"i anc! (:hill Hills, lalliplll, thl' Nag_I Ililb alld SillJ.{pllll 1l'lrilOl'\ ill lh> ('Xlr('I11 ' Illlilh. III IH, Ii lht,." on~i'll'd plin('ipall~ of' Iht' Kt'nd:tl 'III \ 10ll\w" hall.dillll~ ill III ' ~Illlih (1IIl'a'afhor amalgam:Il'd illto a :-.illgl Chinc!\I)1I haltalion) anc! ill Ih' IHH1.h lhl' l\IOg-OIIIll{ l.C\'y. 1\ hich II,IS rl'plau'c1 h\ Ihe l\hilkll\illa Ihllalioll ill IH90. Thl' 1111'11 III Bllnlll'''l' illP ulli,",- wl'r' Illosll~' frolll nonhern Illelia. I III each I allaliol1 g'I'nl'rallY ill 'hlCkcllwo ur lhn'(' c lllpani's of' Cllrkhas, alld Ih' ilhi,kll\illa Battalioll was c'l1lird' :urkha,
an
A Chullknta MIshml wearing a cane helmet with a bearskin crast and a takln-skln Jacket, The lattor was 9 nerally reddish brown, (E.T, Dalton, Descriptive Ethnology of Bengsl, 1872)
HILL-TRIBES Thl' lribe,' li\'illg alllllg Il1dia\ 10rlh-Ea:-'1 hOlllkr I\'CII' slIllicil'IIl!\' hoslile. all Ilheir Il.Trilon :ullicil'llll\ illll)enell~ll>lc. Ihal lhl' Brili~h Wl'rt' happy 10 Il'al'l' Ih 'III :alOlI" a,." IIl1ld I ,IS possihlt.-, COIISI'qlll'lIlly. ,"Tl'pll'c! PI~ICli t' prior lIJ Ihe mid-I. CO~ W,IS hI ~ill1ply 1I'1>p:uch pUllilin- I'XIWdiliolls illl I lite hills whell Ill' 'I' '~al allel hI '''lal>lish OlllPIlSl1> 10 gilaI'd parti 'ubrly Ihrl'aH'IIl'(\ art''''', It \I';L~ 0111\ till' gro\llh III IIII' lea imhl",-u ' :IIHI lllher '011111l 'rci:al int 'rl'~:-' ill , S"1111 lhal pnllllpll't1 IIII' •• dupliol! 01 a mol" acqlli~ili\" I Ilil Y. I 'a lillg ill lilll(" 10 lilt, all Ill'. .llioll III Nag'l. L.llshai 'Illd (:hill 1('1'1 itlll) ill I "ni ,,11:11: '1'\'I'llllI'll'~, slIch Wl're Ih' Illj{islil'al difril'uhit:.~ 01' illlp,,:illK BI-ili~h l{O\l'l'llIllelll 011 1Ill' rq~il 11 lhal l1Iall\ an',L' n'mailll." I 'lIl1a 111 illi:-.lt'rl.' r t'\I'lI :lltllt'l'I\c!lIrVilluria':- I' ·igll. \.~ wl'11 'l~ 1 cing ill\'L'I('l'lIll' raiclt'r:-. Ihe majorit\ IIf 1111' hill-(1l:ClI k~ 01 .\:-,s
15
The Abors The I ,lI1ll' lor: ("I ad arian, ' or 'ul1fJien lIics' I as g-ivcn to this P 'ople bv IIll' t\ssalll('S', Clos 'I~' I' 'Iat 'd LO th 'Akas, Danas and liri~, lheir Inritor\ lay al laIR Ih ' Dihang- Riv 'I' 'In I straddled Iht' rrnlllilT willI' ihl'l. Iwir principal ~ul lrit S I tnl ris' I thl.' Padal11 (or Bor bor.-) , ra~i. Mim< Ilg and ;;11 ng, E'\ h ('onsi~ll'd of IlUIll 'rou~ iII(kl l'nell'llt vi l!agc' though t 10 be ("'I)'1hle or fielding I O,O()()-I :),000 warriors in the I, 70s, Howt'l'cr, inter-trihal ri\'alril'~ pre\'cnted them fn 11 el' 'I' pUllillg' thcsl' nllllllwr" 10 g< !lei l'('fecl. Thel' had a r'llllalioll a" 'Ihe IllIlSt Jill'l11idahll' 11Ilnhl'I'I1 rrontier tril1(.", Firsl Brili. h COlll ..\( t Ililh Ihl' lor, occurrc t in I 26, and lhl')' rt'l11ailleclon rri 11 II)' tCl'Im ulltillhe I ' in Il'l I 1,<1 lO a d 'It'rioration in r('lali< liS with the British. 'til I in I 91-4 it Sl alc or bo raids prompt(' I a Brilish expedition, whi h \lias 0111' I artiall ~ucc 's~llIl. A hI I \..ade was th 'n iI1lpos,'d Oil l hl' Ahor I'r0l11 ier a n
The Akas small Irilw, nUl1lh 'ring' !'car l'Iy 1,200, \\lOll ror iL~('I/'a disl roponionat 'Ir gr 'at n'pllt,ttioll for '\'ioll'nc 'ancl allclncilv', to sum' extent as a r·sult ils own I' 'I'llcil', I ul Inore I e aus or lhe influence il exerted ovcr its Elr Illore I1l1l11erllUS qji l1('ighl ours and allies, 'whose countlc"l> ho u, lhe\' WI II tid h(' "hi, wilhollt IllllCh c1il'riculll to lead all\' cia' against allY roc', he lUis ould mll.lcr abolll f),OOO 1l1l"11. The Akas lived easl 01 Bhulan, :allil1g'thel1l...(')ves H nl"so (I hei I' Assan Il'~l' na111e or 'Akas' n1('a II 1 'paint 'd', ill alltl~ioll til Ih ' tallooed 1~1 t'S or llwir \1'0111 'n , Ilwy ('o111pri, ed 111'0 lans known
Thi.~
or
16
IIll' I Ja/arikllowa (' 'al 'rs of a ,I (1l1Sall I hearth.' ,lIld IIll' I~q ;ldltll'S The \hom r\lllTS or ssam had penni I1l'd Ih 'Ill In (' .;\( ;Ill ;l1l11l1al /1/1,\(( or pi!!;s, 11,,,1 an I ~ilk I( tl rrr)111 II ('ir lo\\'l"n I !wighholll", all I Ilw Brilish illilially adop 'I th s;lll1(;' pnli ~', Howl'\' 'r, ,iIlCl' Ih('ir trihllt(· 11k 'ling- reml\'" ill\~\I;ahl\' d 'gl'1I ·1~H·r! inlO hillod~' 1~lid:, the Brilish (!l:cid 'd ill 1~35 \0 Sllh~tillll(' a "Ish ~1l1 sid~, Ihereb)' pro\'oking a (ollliiserl ollf1i I which la~ll'd III1Iil I,..J I. BJ;lish illlnl'il)1l illto Aka "llIrl~ to Lap ruober led 10 rnrLher fricLion an I horder di:pUL ':-. which hrieJ1y rt'~lIlled ill hoqiliLi(" ill l Cl\'ember 1X 3. Thl' onl\' sig-lliliranl allen, lioll 10 0 III' I!WI'I..,,,rH'r lOok I la e in H no, :I~
('~Il'akrs II ('011(111').
The Chins Li,'ing ill Lht' Chill HiIL~, .'OIlLh or 1\lanipllr, Ihese were (llle 0 'cn) the' 'all '(1 Illclllsc!\'es Yo, Lai or, 'hll, and (' IlIpris('d a 1IIII1Iber Lrib 'S or ",hid Ihe 11Illsl ~ig'lliriC
or
LEFT ABOVE Kuki chief wearing one of the decorated turbans by which they could be distinguished from other tribesmen. (E,T, Dalton,
Descriptive Ethnology of Bengal, 1872) LEFT BELOW Solbang Vangam, an Eastern Naga chief, (Sketch by Woodthorpe, published in 1875)
B&OW Tankhul Nagas. Note the distinctive way in which the sides of the head were shaved to leave a ridge of hair on the scalp, In 1891 Ethel Grimwood described this as giving them 'the appearance o·f cockatoos', The Tankhuls were the ",outhem division of the Luhupa tribe, who were found in North-East Manipur, (John Buller, A Skefch of Assam, 1847)
or
The Daflas l.i,'illg- IWlwl'~'n lite Akas and II e hllrs, the Dallas clll('d Ih 'llIs",I\"~ lite Ballg'ni ur 1·1l1~. The)' \\ere described in IH!H as 'nol so Illuch a sill~1L' Iribe as a ('olle lion ur (1('11)' r1all.~'. hili b~' lite I '70s Ih'r were Cllnsi I 'r~d 10 (,\)llIpds' 111'( prin 'ipal grOllp~, cOllsi.lillg of Ihe I'
17
Dall ... r or lHltpo"IS ;dong 1111' Dal1;1 fnllllier, No fllrther lrouble occurred ulllil Ilw IH7Ck 11,1I ,wi II~ seve I~d raids on \ i lIa!{l'~ ill Iki Iish It'fTi 101 \' alld the railure 01 all 'COflOllli hi, ckack, ;1 pUlliti\'l' expee!iliclIl \\'a~ d"~1 :lIch('cl a~;lill"l Ihelll ill 11ll' winler of IH71-fi. t\lillOI raid~ I IlIH'tU.\)00 warrior, al1d h;1 I a lle~l'n'l'c1 rl'j>lII;lIioll lell' head-hllnlillg and ~hl\,t'-r;tidiIIK (a~ IIIIIC h a~ -10 p 'I' n:nl 01 Ih" I olulalion l(\lI"i~lcrl of slaws). TIH'v I l'l'l' I' 'sl onsil Ie I'llI' 11I11lH'I'l I " cI "I n 11'1 il'l' 1~lids inlo Brili~h ll'l'riton IllI'< II~IH III lh(' IH·IO, al1d I Hfi(h. lallll hinK ;L~ man\' as 't'\' 'n 1~Ii(b ill I ':')2 "lol1e, his ('\'l:nluall\, r(':-ulll'd in thl' Brilish imposing Ihl'irjllri:-di lion Oil 'Ibolll 100 Cam \'illag"e~ hCI\\'I.'t'1l \X()(j and IH71. Ihough aboul ()() 1110re mainiailll'clih 'ir inclepclldl'lH'C ulllil IH72. Follm ing scvcral , III II I'd 'roilS raids' that ye,lr, lhrel' tIl'lac IlltH'lIlS or Fn Illil'r I oli l' W('I"(' ~enl inlo th hilk The (;"I'O~ \\,('1"(' ddt'al('d, (lild llwir lerrilory \l'a.' annl'xl'c!. :allin~
Galong (or Doba) Abor. He wears the usual 'war-coat', and his cane helmet is decorated with boar's tusks, (E,T, Dalton, Descr/p!/ve Elhnology of Bengal, 1872)
18
The Jaintias and Khasias Thl' Kha~ia:- rl'lcrrl'dlO lIH'irJainlia cousins a... Sinl '11K', hilI Ihl' Hrili~h rrl'fll1l'llll\' rdl'rrl' I to b lIh pC'( pies a" K.ha~ia.' 01 Kh'lsi,. Thn Ind ':.1.<11 lishl'd IlUIl1l:rous p 'Il)' "lat s ill what \\l'I'(: kn()\\ n a' the Kha,ia and ,hinlia I (ilk Thl'ir chier... \\,er(' , riginally pl'rnlilled iI large IIll';"~lIrl' 01 'ILILOnOIl1V, but lhl' lancb of thl' Khasi,L~ prnpn Wl'r' oln'! icd 1'0110\ ing an IIprising in IH29-:t~, alld the I OWl'l'S 01 their rhid~ were whittled al ay. Jailllia was the musl siKnili anI Khasi:-, sl;\lC, Iwing a cOnll'dl'l'alioll (II al 0111 25 ~ll1aller hieftainship. lInder a p:-u~lm()UIlI chil'!'. gl'n 'r;dly rercrre
h ill 111(' IX: 0:-. 1101\' '\'(·r. .Iailltia COllld probal h rail>' olll\' "bOIIl 1.000,
(':11
The Khamtis
I Ill" Khallli i~ 'ollsi~l~'cl (If a (I'" Ihollsall I Sh:IIIS li\ il g ill til(' Sacli ,I disIri'1. 'I h~' Brili:-h ClJIIsi 1 'r 'ossibl\' wi Ih c1:\IHksl i11(' I~II nil ·s(' SIIPI on. hili Ihl'n' IV '1'(' 110 I'll rl hl'l lu)slilili(,s Ih('II':IIII'I'. The Kukis ,\, a rt'~lIh ell illillg j>CJpllbtioll' and inter-Irihal hustiliti .~. the Kllkis, 1.1Isltai" :him alld olher I' ·lalc I lI'ibl':- \\lTe h'radll:llh dl iI'l'lI 11m'" during' lhl' IHlh al1d 191h n:lllllri 'S. The l1aln' Kliki lirsl nc 1I1'~ in I1ri ti. h SOli J'C " in 1792, IhOIlg'h priell lo I H71-~ (whell 'LlIshai' hegan lo h . ~lIb~litlll~'d) 11",\' lIs('d it as a ~<..'nel;c lerlll lo clt-sedh 'all hill-lIwll whn dl'sn'l\ded Oil lhe rr
A group of Miju Mishmls photograph d in the 1870s.
19
illiO Cal hal' all I ~Ianirur ill '1I1sid 'ra!>1 '1llImh('1 dilrilllo{ 1111' J.ll(' fHtll n'lllUI ,alld hy lilt' \'ietoriall period thl'rewI:rl' I roh;"," :,h 1111 f,OnO ill (:achar alld 11,000 ill lalli, ur, li\ided illto Illon' Ih;1I1 dO/l'lI llam, which lh 'most Sij.,'llilicalll 1\' 'I" lit' Ikt 'and Klwllll.l ill CJrhar, allClthe rom in i\lanipur, Th l' el\' Kukis ('()l1stillil 'd" M'{ond wal'l' 01 ill\'adl'l~ who ill tl1(' IH4()s and IH50, II'l'H.' dri\'l'1I 1I0l'lh Oil till' IIITIs 01 the Old Kuki:- hy the LII'hais. Soktcs alld Pois to theil' ITar. COll:-l'qul'ntly I1H'Y wen' Orlt'll :11 W'lr will Illl: Old KlIki 'Ialls who slol.d ill tlwir w:'y, I al'liruJarly lh ' KOIll,' hUl the Brilish 11l.'1'l.'l'Ilwkss Iwnnilll'd Illl'lll to st'll'" ill CachaI', ThlTl' wcrl' li'llr I rin 'il al l'1I Kuki dalls, 01 whkh 111l' rh:ldcl wt'r' h~ lar lhl" 1Il0Sl imp0rlanl. Their IOlal po(>ulalioll 1\", prnhahl) ,!i.OOO-IO.lH ) durillg- till' dosing d ' 'a It's 01 Ill.TII "in Iria's n'ig-II: Ihl'l' I"Tl' rOlllld Illostl\' ill hlnil'ur hill Wl'n' also M';llll'rl'd t1lroll!-{h • 011h Cal hal' allclth, laga I(ilb, r1w Kul..i:- raidl'd the CachaI', Tripllra alld :hitl
a
An Easlern Naga In typical cane helmet and lighl cane girdle, One report descrlb s how they 'took a special pride In reducing Ihe waist 10 an mazingly small size by pulling the cane as light as was endurable'. IE.T. Dallon, Oeseriptille Ethnology 01 Bengal, 1872)
The Lushais lo\'illg' ~ll'adil\' nonlt alld dri\ill!-{ Iltl' Kllkis lefill'(:' IItl'lll , I'rom thl' Illid-1911t '('111111'\ Ihe I.ushais 0('('11( it'd IIH' l'lHire r{'gion IWII 'l'11 ("\char ill th . nOl'lh. Tlipllra and CltiUilg'Ollg in tltl' 1I'l.'st ;andlhe lerrilory Ollh(' .'ol..tl-, ,II1el I'oi~ in th' l'" Tltl' clall~ nil 'c1 h' Ih ' c!esc 'ndallts of his SOliS !\hllia and i\lh I I1gpir;'1 w'n: r 'r orr I 10 I' 'Sl)(' 'til' 'Iy;~ Ih(' EaSll'l'l1 ,lIld \'''l' 'tCrll LlIsl ... is. Thl' 1-(01 long-:>, willa wholll Ih ' Syloos I 'rl' rrefJlIl'lllly at )(1 I., ruled nluch 0(' Ihl' sOllthern L.ushai Ilills, whilc:' hang-Iuah Il'rriton ac!joill 'd Ih' :hillll!?"OIlg'llill mCl:>, Though thl' Tlnng-Iuahs submit led to till' Ikilish at Ihe Icg-inninglhe IX()()s (only I J bl.' d '''11'0 Pl'd by lhl' 'hClldlis a decad l ' lall.'r). I Ill: oilll.'r 'Ians raid I hanillll', Tripura and Syilwi ('OllliIlUHII' I'rom th ' mid-I~llh Cl'lltury, allcl il was Illl' illlt:llsilicali III III' Ihes(' rai I, ill H\70-1 llaal n'sulll'd ill
or
20
or
Ihl' I~I ilish e"ledilioll againsl Ih'm in IH71-~. IIIIII\(T Brili;;h I':-Op '
Sl'wl~1I
The Mikirs rh\' i\li\...ir, caliI' Ilhl'l1l~ 'h'es 11t('l\r..1'Ilg ('Ill 11'), Tltl'\ \1'('/'1'/11111111 ill NOllh Ca 'har. lhl'.I'lil1lia I fills and lit' likir Hilb, Bnond 1I casiollal ftunilv IIr \'illage \' 'Ilelt'llas alllollg 1h(,111seln:;;, Ihe\' \l'ere cClII,idl,!'t'd 'ill' 1110,. peaceI'II I and indusllioll, IIt I' hill Irihl'", "nd cons('qll 'nll~ Ih 'Y sltlfered 'I'wre!\' al 11ll' hand~ of lh 'ir \Ilgami Naga III'ighlllllll", Thl'} -allll' IInrkr Brili;;h jllli,di 'Iioll ill (. :-\•. ,lI1e1on 011'" OIl(' 0 'a:illl Ih 'n'anl'r \\a, il 11l'(I',~an lor ,Ill I'Xlll'dilion III FlOllli 'I' Police II h 'M'II1 a~ail1~1 Ih 'l1l.liJllo",ing all allac\... Oil a ri\'al i\li\...ir \'illag(' ill i\la\' IH6:t hey art' 1'~limal 'd to 11:11'1" 1lIIIIIIwred :11)0111 (iO,OOO ill lht' IH7()s alld ahOlIl 90,000 b~ thl' enel of Iht' celllur . Their drl'~ \\,1.. ,imilar 10 Ihe Kha i'l~, and li\...c: th' Kha,i:l~ 1111'\ In'qm'nll\ ~I'r\'t'd a: porll'r, IUlill/{ Ikili,h I'Xp ,c1iliol1: illlO Ih ' hill
or
The Miris w;" lIIl' '\,"1111(',(' tWlllI' III a sl'llli-1I0madi j>l'opll' \I hll ',dkd 111l'11l~ '\n:s j\li,hilll-\"' alld werl' loulld SI:lIII'I('
Tlli~
The Mishmis TIt(, j\li,lnl1i, 1I('("llpit·(\ Ihe I'XlrI'IlH: 11Ollh- ';L~l corm:r 01 llll' NUllh-E;ISI Frolllil'r, bl'\olld Iltt' I ihang Riwr, wl'df.{l'd in un Ihrl'l' side, hv rill'l. Chil a al1d BIIIIWI and having IIH' Ahors ror nl'ighhollt. 10 Ihl' \l'I'SI. Tltl'ir fOllr main Irilws wert' Ihl' Ikb<-:jia, Chlllikolla, Dig-,ll'll alld rV(!jll, Thl' Chnli\...al;l, or 'crop-hairl'd j\li~hlnis', \I' -rl' rl'J ll!l,(II" 11ll' III II" \\'arli\..I'.lwing cI(" rilwd ill IllI' I. 7(J~ as 'allllllalh earning lilT alld ;;\\'orcl inlo Ihl' 1I1Illln 01 \hl'ir Ill'i/{hb llll , 111l' I iganl and t\lijll ~li;;lnlli" 1\ \lhOin Ilt l'\ ,II' ,loth l<'an'(\ an I r1l'II';;!l'(\'. H )\\,(,\'l'l. ,lIllh 'l\lbhmi I,"illl" \11'1\' Jail h' Illililanl, alld as l'arh a, IH-I7 lhn ,In: I' 'cordl'c! 10 h;ne \)ITn '('on~I.1Il11\' I'ngagl'c! in Pl'tt\ \1'01 r, ;lInong Illl'll1.'\l'h'l's and Ihei I' lI'ighbllllr" th' AI lit . and Sin/{I Itll", TI1l' Ahor:- im'adcd \l'I'SIl'1 n i\li,hllli I 'nilUl" in IHHI, forcing Ih' Ikili,h LO establish all IIlllpml 01 :mo Fllllllil'l Polit(' al illllllgiml. Ikili,h ho~tililie.•Igaimt IIwl11 bq!,<1I1 wilh a pllnili\'l' I'xp('(lililln 1111lowill/{ 111l' Illllrder II/ 1\1'0 Frt'll h mis. ion'Hit's rl'llll11illg lrom Til 1'1 ill I ::1. R,lid, iIHTC
Luhupa Hagas from Manlpur. The lert-hand figure wears a military jaCket, possibly Indicating he Is a Manipurl regular soldier. The Luhupas wore distinctive c ne helmets, which Invariably had a larg brass cymbal in front (/uhup is the Manlpurl word for helmet), The one depicted here also has red-dyed plumes at each side and a bearskin chinstrap. (Ethel Grimwood, My Three Years In Man/pur, 1891)
21
Sl'lI li<:d arms 10 lilt' local Kllallltis to c\clellrl thelllseives a~aillst Ille Mishmis. This prol'l'd so SllcCCSo.,flll Ihal IIll'rl' \\'(lS lillie furthel' II'(llllllc' hevoll Illlillor raids ill IX7,' 7~1, IH!J:l alld I '\)\1. The Nagas R 'garded I y ~onH' \'i(-Ioriall ('()nlllll'III~II(\I: as ()lIstillllil1~ 'Ihe wildest alld IllllSI III rhll II' II I Irihl's 'Idja ('11110 all)' 1<11'1 orollr Indian dlllllillinm;'. Ill(: ag-as illlla!>iled Ihl' hilb Ihal sl'parall'd Assam I'roll) I lln!J-\"l'SI I IInna, TIl(' 11l0~t illlportani or their cjO 01' so trihe's Il'('rl' Ihe t\nga1l1is, Aos, I"'C!J,LS, Lhell tribes ;q itlllilted glad I\'. loo\"illg I ) the Brili 'h 10 prot 'et lhelll I'rom Ih ' raids or III H'e aggr·s·iv' Il<,·ij.{hbours. bUI others (Ilot"bh' Ihe r\ngamis and Lhulas resisted li:ro iOllslv. Th- conflict r 'ached iLo; c:limilx in IH79-XO, with the llgallli siege of I ohima and the r 'wlialor)' Brilish siege or KOIlOllltl. which broke the hack or (though it did 11\)1. end) ngallli 1'('SiSlalll'('. Sporadic agoa raid, I Illinu d IV II illto lhe ~()Ih ('1.:111111')'.
or
This photograph of Eastern Naga artefacts, published in 1898 but probably taken In the 18805, includes two helmets. a chief's ceremonial hair extension (right), and a hide corselet. Armour was rarO among the Nagas. This example Is basically the same as the Kuki corselet portrayed in Plate E.
or
rc.
22
The Pols Til ' 11<11lW Poi .e('IllS to hal" he 'f adopted as a nlk 'liV(' Il'l'lll to tI 'scribc' 1111111 I'llllS small tril cs, also rcf'-rr\' I til as CllilJcJIIgs, wllo w 'rc'
SKETCH Cl'l
~.\l
~
HILL FORT KONOMAH ~t1
ANGAHMEI1 NAGAH
LS
~--,-~
T.ken by TI'OC!l' 'r.:I..... ~ (Or '/I'r & i"""J,IJ~""" l"r(/t1ti:J.local~r()~/fh & MJ'ltl.d.
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A contemporary sketch-map of the sophisticated Angaml fortlllcations encountered by the British at Konoma In December 1850. INSET Bamboo spikes, or panjis, were widely used in the defence of villages and fortified sites throughout the North-East Frontier. This is a Frontier Police post at Mongsemdi In the Naga Hills. (L,W. Shakespear, History of the Assam Rifles, 1929)
Ir~""""
P,\fi'!;'o}#
.,tf\;.l l' ""
ilppareJ1lly dos 'I)' relaled to til(' Chill", Tht,)' li\l('c1l'~I.~1 alld sOllth Or Ill(' HO\\llong LlIshais, to till" e'l.q of til(' KobclYl1l' Riv(' 1'. Their C111l1\t1ali\'e' mililary pOll'lltial was rlll1l(lIlr·d 10 he si/.eahlt·, and was (LTtaillh· sulficiei11 I'l>l' th(,1ll II> h' e, l'rlillg 'onsid('I~lblt' pI' "~Slll'{' Oil Ih ' LII:hai,~ hy alolll tKO, Howewr, Ihl'\' StTI11 10 h:I\'(' sulltTL'c1 (,oI1Linllall)' al Ihl' hands orlhl'ir. okl ~ kil1smL'l1, perlnps Iw 'HIISt' 1)\ IK7fll\\rtl-lhirds lhe lauer w '1'(- rt'plltt'dl' ann -d with 1l11ls\..e!s.
or
The Shendus The _'hl'ndus dweh ;lIollg lhe Kuladym' Rivcr on lhe bonkrs uf Arr\, il11l ossihl' 10 g'iVL' ;111 i le;I,' Tht" \\Inc rL'spon'ille fill' drivil1g' Ihe LIL~hais north ;\lld \l'L'~1 t1l1rillg' 'ilL' rir~1 hall' or lilt" 19th TIllII'')'. an 1 Ilin' raidt'd r('pt',lll' II} illlU Chillagong IImil 1111' IH9tb, They on,inm'd 10 pnst'ClIle i11l' Ltlsh;til. in lht, lH70s 'IIHI IRHOs, IHtnly deslrcJ\'ing lltt' hangiliah 'hl1 in :11111111 IHT~, ThL'l" an' 110 worthwhile 0111 'lllj>tWII 'Caklllalilll1~ or lht'ir nllln('rical Slretlg'lh, I III it lllllSI have I cen considerabJt', .'0111(' 'h ~ndl.l L'n illll)' came illiO Hrilish II;IIHls as a rc.:sllh or the
or
23
Cllill-l.lI),II;li ('xpl'diliOll
A stone wall at Jotsoma, typical of those which subdivided Naga villages to protect Individual clans from one another, Such defences could be several metres thick.
Abor example of a favourite defensive device among Assamese hill-peoples, the 'stone shoot'. It consisted of a bamboo platform piled with stones, erected on the hillside above a path along which it was anticipated the enemy would come, The platform would be released by a trip-line, or the ropes would be cut with a dao, tipping an avalanche of boulders on to the heads of the enemy, Despite the fact that the underbrush was generally cleared to give the descending stones a clear run, 'stone shoots' were apparently not easy to see from below. However, the British became accustomed to
24
despatching flanking parties specifically to seek them out. (Sachin Roy, Abor Weapons of War and Chase, 1956)
The Singphos )111'11 (alk I 'Chillgpaws' 1\ IIll' Briti,h. lite Sing-pill S n'lal\'(( to 1IIl' WI'Il' Kllanlli" TIIt,\ appeal' III 11 a \ l' 'Pllt Pl'isNI a ho III it dC'/('lI 1Il,Iill lrilws \l'lIiclt had 1'~lahli),It<'e1 Ihl'lllsclws pn hOi h sick'S 01' IIII' Pal klli r;lIlg"<' s('j>araling' lfppn Bllnlla frolll r\J;salll following" Iltl' 1~lInll\'SI' ill\'asillil oJ' I ~ I H, rltl'V WlTl' ae IIs«1 01' ([(01 opliialillg l'nlin' districts hy Iheir .,law-raic"- I>lIrillg- till' Fir" BlInna \I\'ar tit '\' rOllg-hl ror Iltl' Bllnlll'S(', hili I (i of llwir ~H chids ,~lll>lllilll'e1 10 Ihl' Brilish in I, ~(i, I I OWI'\'l' 1', I'ai I, "llIlIl'n'e1 Oil, alld in IX-l, Itoslililil'), 1'1 lIplc'd Oil a grallli seak, prolllpl('(( 1>\ 111(' 1;\('1 Iltat thl' Bl ili),1t Itad 101 hidd 'n Ihl' ,'illg"phos 10 P\\Ill ),h"",. Illll~ II'avillg- 1111'111 Illlable 11I1'1IIli\~lIe llteir lalld)" TIll', 'illgpho), OWl \\hdllled IIll' OlllpO~1 al l3i),a. hilt all,l
1. Angam, Naga warrior
2. Easlern Naga warrior 3. Lhola Naga warrior
)
)
••
,
11
A
1. Abor warrior 2. Abor warrior 3. Abor chieftain
B
1. Khamli warrior 2. Garo warrior 3. Khasia warrior
c
,. Dalla warrior
2. Singpho warrior 3. Mishmi gam
D
3
,. Kuki warrior
2. lushai warrior 3. Chin warrior /'
E
3
1. Kuki or Lushai chief
2. Shendu warrior 3. Manipuri sepoy
F
I ( I
3
l~
1. sylhet Light Infantry. 1837 2. 44th Bengal Native Infantry. 1875
3. Serna Naga in British service
G
1. Frontier Police. c. 1848-68 2. Frontier Police. 1868-85 3. Military Police, 1885-1901
H
The Soktes Tlwse \\'cre also rcklTed In a~ :()t)liC')o" P',ilt'~ or p~ !tHIS). 1';,lIi'ln, and I\..,mho\l':, \'icI( ri~n ,;ollr"s varioll;o;l~ I:L,sif) Illl'lIl ;1)0, II 'ill!!. :hill or I.ushai P '01 k. and while h('\ \\"1" I ruhahl>' rc]aH'cl 10 1>olh. Ih,\, api 'ar I hav' ha I " :Iron fl" olllWC!ioll wilh th, lonn'r LInn Ihe Iau(·r. hey ollid Ii'l I ~.OOO \\~,rriors in Ih(' I H Os, Th('ir I 'rritor\, slra I lie: I Lilt' ~Ianil IIri-Bllrllll·.. · be rd -r, 1 III Ihcy \\,('1"' I 'illg- sll':,clily driven nOrLh-\\'cst I )' Ihl' • hell IllS. <111 I were ill tllrn c1ri\'illf{ Ih . Lu...hais and Poi bcl"o.- thelll. They nided intu 1\lanipur lrom Ihe I HilOs lImil al !ea'lth ' end or lhe I ,"lIi', lallllchiug Iliul'. iz('"hl ' ('ora\,)0, IIll'rt' lWI\\'ITIl IH57 and I 71 and prolllptin r('lalial )1')' /\Ianipllri expedil;oIlS. Ilomhh' in I 57 an I 1,'7fl. he)' 'Ilso I.. .,ided ill Blinna in IH7H, allcllhe Bllfllll'S' ITsl oncled wilh an 'xp'dilioll 0(' ~,O( (Illell. nc'r aholll IHHO mall ' began 10, ellll' ,LS agl-icultII ri'lt: in hnil'ur.
,I
MANIPUR
A good picture of Abor warriors, demonstrating the diversity of their costumes, The left-hand figure wears a knee· length nambl, while the man in the mIddle wears a perdlng galuk see Plate 8, (L,W. Shakespear, History of the Assam Rines, 19291
Comprising sum' H,()()() sqllart: miles of hill-collllLr~' SIIl'l'OIIlHlillg a cl'lllral "alley whereill hv Ihl' capilal IllIphal. this W:1S tltl' (111)' lIativl' J ower of. n ' :ignilicancl' on IlIl' orl..!J-E'l.'l Fro'lli ... lilllowi'lg Brilisil ann 'xali III of S;o;,Ull;1I I CachaI'. lL~ pO(J,dalioll was ''Itimal('d ;,1 h 'til' en 50,( 00 and 1.0,()()O I -ith is ( lanipllris) 1)IIIS snm' ~(),O()O-llo,()on f'lga. and Kukis, who sl 'nll11l1 h oflh ,ir lilll' ,-tiding each olher. Following Ih' Fir.1 Bllnlla War till' I~rilish had rl'('og-llised Gamhhir ~ il ~h as I,!ja ill IH21i. lie was ~IIC l'('cled ill IH~-I 11\ hi~ illElIlt ~ >n Chandra Kini ingh. who W r('illstall'll lullm inl{ til(' d "nh of' lar 1 d Il' Digl t of Nal"s hmlh ' j ' kh ,\)(Ira, Dis[l\rhaIlC '.' instigated I \' Del '.11 Ira ann his kin'l 1'1 (lulIer' I on 1I111il as lall' a I. I'll, all I from al out IH-+~ [h· '!luntr>' al:(l :lIff 'r,d rrolll nUIll 'r IllS ew KlIki. 'Iga, Lushai and Sokl<:" raids. whicll ('r('qm'lIlIy kn iLs dl'kn e.S in disarrtl\', In ad lilion Ih'r(' wen' occasional hurdl'1' dasll ')0, will, Ihl' Blinn 'Sl'. Chandra Kini rl'igl,C'd ('rolll I H.lO [0 I HHli lind was succ('c'ckd h' h is SOil Sura CIt:I1Ic1ra. IloWI'\' 'I', ill arch I H!)() Sun was dq)o~ 'd I YI,i.~ hall:hrollter "-11(;' CII,IIICII'
n
33
LEFT A romantic picture of Oatla 'scouts' from the Illustrated London News ot 27 March 1875, based on a sketch by John Butler Jr, The tattoos on their cheeks indicate that these are Eastern Datlas, However, there are various aspects ot their costume that the London-based engraver has tailed to understand, not least the arrangement of their hair and the cane hoops round their bodies, RIGHT Elements of the 44th Bengal HI crossing a tributary ot the Brahmaputra during the Oatla expedition of 1874-5. This engraving conveys some Idea ot the terrain encountered on such expeditions, (Illustrated London News, 20 February 1875)
m 'n 10 I' 'mo\" the S/J//(/IJIIli. \\'ho \ ,I:; rq!;,lnlee! a':t Ihreal 10 11ll' J'l'gioll\ :;tabililY, Art 'r failing It I anT, t the Snlt/lmli Llll' Britil-h mi:;~i()Il'~ :l'nior stalrwere all murdered {hiring II 'gOlialiolls wilh thl' raja, Il'adill~ lU Ihe 1\lanipllr \\ar Jf I 91. Manipllr was dechlll'd lill'feil 10 11ll' Brilil-h (TOWI1 following Ih 'c rupalioll or Imphal. altIHHI~h this ordn wa:; re:; illd ,d in 'Itcl1llwr. wh'll aI', ing-h'l- gre;Il-gI'lIld:on Chllra Challd Sillgh \\~l~ inslalled a.' It!j,1. KlIla Chandra aile! tIll' SI'//f/IJIIli had I1wan\\'hi1l' hoth been el( luI' 'd by the British: Ihe I'orllln WiI, Il'Iorlt'd, Ihe lallc'r execut'd. The Manlpuri army radilionally hUlipllr ha I rais' I its antI d forn'~ throllgh a militia lew kllown ;u. Ih' (t/{-lIll, \\'hi'h ,tiled 1 Ir milil<1l I- 'rvic' rrol1l all lllen agl'd 16-liO I( I' I 'n da~'s in l'VC'" .jO ill rotaliol1, HO\\'l'\'l'r, c1llrill~ Ihl' I 20~ a mure ol\\'clltionC\1 rC~lllar arm) had COI1lC into l'xil-IC'1l 'l' rolltJ\\ ing the (rjf to as. ist in dri\ 'Ilg the BllntlCSl' 0111 01 CachaI', In IH2!i Ihi~ all-illraillr' rorce' was ill Teased In 2,000 Illell, plan'cl und 'I' two 13rili:;h ollieers, 'mel h 'tallK' th ' 1 \;llIil III' Lc'\' '. paid and armed b I lhc' British gov 'mill 'nl. Brilish finallcial !illppol"l or IIll' k\'\' was wilhdrawn ill IX:\5, howcver, a.~ wac the British o/liclTs, hili Ih ' EIC COlllilllled to provide is arms and
lau r. ·pl'ili' cI 'tails or IInil Oq.;.lIlisnl.', l'
35
rOI11 pan i('~.
ReginH'nl~
were rom l11andeel by
11l;~iors,
alld coni pall it's by
.w/!f'(/nl'l. There an' imlic;lliolls lhal rq~imel lal strellg-1I1 was h('IW '('n
00
anel H()(} l11ell. bill thl' sil.l' oj' illelivi Ilial ('OIlIP;1I1il'-; i~ 1101 recorded. There was also a sll1;dl ;1111 HIIH or anill '1'1': !
WARFARE ON THE NORTH-EAST FRONTIER
A Frontier Police outpost typical of the masonry variety built in the 18305. This is Dikrang post, near Sadlya, which remained in use until 1900. (L.W. Shakespear, History of the Assam Rifles, 1929)
36
l'r\' rew of' the III 'al hill-peoples e\' 'I' all(:mptt'd 10 l11·el Illl' I~rilish ill Lhl' opl'n field. and or Ihose Ihal did. ven rC'\ er ;111('1111 ll'd In cio s ) again OIKt' lh '~. had ('xp'rienced lhl' d'Slnl Ii\'(' powl'rs 01 Hrilish aniller' and disciplined l11uskl'try. A batlle agaillSt lhl' Angamis ncar Kl'krillia ill IH!i I \ as olle of' Ih ' l'xcc'plions: Ihl' j agas sul'len'd :100 c;L.;uallil's ill ",halboikd down 10 a flow millllil's of'liglllillg. 10SI warf'arl' in the n.'~ioll lhen·rore involved ambushes and Ilighl-<\lla 'ks b\' lhl' hillI)('oplt·s - 'nahling Ihelll lo makl' hl'SI liSt' or Ih . Il'I'I'
110
(11;111(('
01"
r'~lIhlr
trool ~ 'al 'Iling lip with tl1(.'l11. 1111 lIil ",as fu rtlH' I hindl'r'd I" lhe raidL'r.; ';l"wiIlK IIH' palh~ bL'llil I 11H'1l1 with IH/ltji\, ba III I 00 'pikl's 1,11'\ illl-{ , ctw '(.'Jl a lew indll'~ and thrce or «Illr r '<': l in Ielll-{th. \\11 'II hiddcll in 101l~ gora,:.. t1H"'l' \\"('IT dillicliit to ~l'(', all I 111 'n rllnning (In to Ih 'Ill Wl'rt" s('wn'l\ 01 ('\,('n I;lla II I' we Hinde I. •\l11l lI~hl':-' in\'oln:d ;lltacki Il~ rl'l-\,lllar llUOpS on lh ' march, TIH.' hill-peoples wOllld wail . i lel1t II' 1"01' IlOIII'S, cOllccale I ill lilt' r(llia~' ",loll' Ihl' path along- \\'hi h lh' Hriti-;Il 'oilimll lI'oulcllla\,(' 10 p"s~, i\~ it Wl:nl I y. th 'v wOlild lin' on a si nl{ll' v 11ll'1 01" ,IITIlI\' or nlll-;kl'tn bl'forl' ckcampinl{ down th' hillsidl' al SIC 'd, ThL'Il, a ~hon wa" 11Irlhl'!' on, the whole pron'~~ \\'ould 1)(' rl'J {'at('d, .\ Briti-;h rohlilln IrllKl-{ling;1I011g' in ~inKll' lilt- and lImti Il' to ~ 'nd out nankillg clt-wch IU 'illS I l' '(\lI';l' 01" Ihl' Il'n~tin \\"IS 'xlrl'nwlv I'lIlnl'I"hlL' 10 SlIch atl\' nlll('l-; If pI is( n 'd (lITOWS, or ,1\",11:111 h'~ III ';tOll " 11'0111 '-;ton ' "hOOh' IVt:...(· Ihe IIIOSI wi 1 .1 I' ad 01 llll' horrol . that ,Iwail ,<\ 1111\\<11" ,c'sailanL', I Iill-village.; I\'ne.: invari:1I1\ c\ ,r'n(' I. The N"K;L' and 'ingv' I)S. ami rl'Cll11 .tI)out Ihl' mid-I( III c 'utun' lhl' 1'"1Ikis and LlIsll'lis too, 'ollSlrllC'le I
A Gurkha of the Frontier Police. photographed in 1877. Though they wore their full uniform when In barracks, at thIs date the uncomfortable European boots and trousers were often abandoned once men were In the field,
37
stnlllg SIO kad 'S an lind IlIeir village's, SlIlIlC'lillH'S involving sl'\'l'ral lines or /H//I/;', '!" sligoht ddl'l\lTS pmLl' 'lin,l:( ils gall'~, Enlrances l'onsistcd tlfh 'an lillllerdoor~,IISllal" ;H III nd If :I nano\\', slIllkl'n path h('IWl'('1I high ballks toj I 'd I ' langl 'c1 hralllhi 'S. or aI' '('ssil kollly by 111(':111: or" Iadeler or a .,illg"k lIarr l\V plallk OV 'I" a /HII~ji-spikC;'d dilch, On occasion lh' l'ortificatiuns w('n' 1oo1lh.~lalitial en ll!{h to \ ithsland anillcrv lirl': lIlollnlain-gllns had minimal effect on a :iltlllc-Iac('d '\I\gami earthwork al Konolll:J ill I H:iO, lill' illslann', or 011 Ih' lor sl()("kadc at D,lInbllk in IR~)·1. j ,'wrIht'less, L1wir stu kadl's had w('aklH'~scs, Tllql were part icularl}' . lL~CCPlibk 10 .lIla '\..s 1"1'0111 al l"', hut tht, ~iling or IIlllSI Il'nell-rcd 1lll'IIingmm' 'll1l'nlS impossible, whil ' dilcll(", /wl/i;' and Ihe v'ry narrowncs, of Ihe approa I (':- marie esnlad ':- difTicull. Ilsuq)l'i:ingl\', lherd(lI'e, il was in Ihe d ,fell e 01" fonilied silt,~ Ihal hillpeoples weI" ' putenl ia Ily a I I hei I' Ill( ~I d,lIlMt'rous 'wei Ihe would r('solulely Ian 1 10 ,hl'ir dd('11 ('S until Ihe rIl( III 'nl lhal all arsauh \ a~ pn'ssed hom '; Ih n Iht, \ nlld swirllv It-calllp lrolll Ihl' rear, E\'en whert' Ihl' It:l"L-nc!crs surn'sslull\' withstood an a, sault, Ih '}' usual I\' tonk 11ll' npi 01'llIuil' ur darkne 'S to :Iip aWH~ al Ill, 'IHI of Ihl' first dav" fig-Illing. albcil :oml'linll's 01 II\' as liu' as a 'ccund line or eI 'fCIl CS. In afl >n 'Ill\' did nul run, sllch a brash <\' 'au It "~
A sergeant of the Chlttagong Frontier Pollee Battalion In summer uniform, 1882, Though this was nomInally white,
38
the photograph seems to indIcate that It was dyed a pale shade of khaki. He is armed with a Snider rifle and kukri, (Emil Riebeck, The Chittagong Hill-Tribes, 1885)
FURTHER READING Baq l!ia .. i. ILK.
,1.I,ltll// i/l IIII' J){/)I\ ,?j"lhf COlli/Ifill), IlL6-1858 (I~)h;\) B It I • Johll II ,'/(fII'II OfIlSSf//II (lHO+7) 13 IIk .lohll 'Iim"'''1 fl/lfl AdtwnllllPS i/l II/(' Prot,illff' t!f \.I'SIII/l ( I H. ~) CarC)'. Hcnr:uJI ~. and TlIck, H.N. Thl' Chill I/il/",
(IH~)(i)
Cll'lkral'ul'ly, B. :. /3rilish RdulifillS willi Ihf' I-lil/ Trihl)~
Elwin,
'd A Willi ,\illn' 1,'-8 (19('-1)
errilT 1",li":I'
orlh-FfI.Il Fmlllif'r ill IIII'
I illl'lft'l1lh (;mllll)' (ll/~9)
Elwin. Ver.. i ... 71",
aK".I' ill Ihf' ';lIf)II'f)lIl11 (:mlll/)1
(I~)(m)
I'hllll;,'r alit! ()1I1'1:\1'(/~ /-,'x/Jl'dil;1I1/.I /rom IlId;a Volume'rV-\ (1907) Cait, Edward ,II /lislllI)' 0/ ,h\fllil (1906) 'dim oel, I<:t11 Sl. ChiI' I.\' 'I'lIl'ff' li'(/I:\ in \ lfl/l;/IIII' ( IHl) I) HUllllT,W.W. 'I'I/(' .)101;.1'1;('1/111("1'011111 of. 1,1.)(1111 ( IR79) HlItlOIl,J,11. Till' AI/K"IIII "KfI.1 (1~/2~) Iluxfortl. 11:1. /-hll/ll flfllll' 8111 (;lIrldw Hi/lp.1 1824-1 C 19 (1952) .I oh IISWlll·,.J ames i\/)l 1':x/JC'Iiml"/).1 ;11 i\/f/ /I ;/111 rrlllt! lilt' aKa /-1;1/.5 ( 1896) L.CI ill. Th omits II. 1\ I'~\' 011 Ihf' I\fI/I'1'1 ( 1912)
Men of the Lakhimpur Frontier Pollee Battalion photographed in 1887. Despite Its conversion Into a Military Police unit in 1882-3, this battalion retaIned its old 'Frontier Police' title until 1888. (L.W. Shakespear, History of the Assam Rifles, 1929)
!
(1~)~12)
Parrall. .Jollll and S. . . (Jyt't'l/ 1·:III/Jn'.I.1
/.1
'I'ilr-
oI
f']/flmjil Plillf'l' \/tl/l;/III)': 'I'llI', 11I1!1/}-i\!((lIi/llIl'i (.'fllljlil'l oj 1891 ( 19l)2) Reid. ' ... (.'h;I/-I.II.I//(/i 1,01/11 (I, 9:~) Rol ins( n. V\ ilJialll A /)1'1('li/lli111' AtOll/III 0/. \ 1\((1/1 (IH4I) Shakespear•.J. '1'111' 1,1I.l/u'i I\I/Ili (;/01/1' ( I l/I~) Shak 'S} ear. LV\'. /-lill(//~\'n) ('jJJJI,,..hlf(lII, ('NJI'I UU)'I//O flIld i o,.IIt-F(/.\II'1'II !"rolllil'r ( 1III I) ,hakespl:ar, LW. /-li.llnr)' IJ/ Ih,' r\.I,I((/1/ NiJl,.,1 (ll)29) , Ii'll\!, \ illi:llll 'I'llt' 'I'I/(((lrlll KIlIoi.1 (19~~J) '1 I
an, R.·
oj Iltt'
(t SOli
\siali,·. 'ol'ir'ly
onllcrn Cachar·,.!ol/rJlol IV (I H5.1)
0/ /3l'lIgol X,
\: addcll, L.A. 'Thl' Tribc~ oflh' L~ralll11aplllra \alll' '· . .!ollrl/ol 0/ IIII' ,hiol;r SCII'it'I.1' Id 1J1'1I,f!;01
I.X/X (1,)01) ''''oodl hurpt', R.C. '1'111' 1,lI.I/lfIi 1','.x/mlililJlI (I H7:~) Woocllhorpl', R.C:. 'NOll'~ Oil Ih . 'Niltl Tl'il1l'S Inhabiting til, So-call .c1 Naga I Ii lis Oil Ollr forth-East Frollli'r of Illclh' ..!ol/r/III/IJ/lltt· A II Ihm/JlJlogim/ IlI.\lilllll' .YI (IHH2)
39
THE PLATES Ai. ANGAMI NAGA WARRIOR The universal Naga weapon was the spear, with a bamboo shaft, a long, leaf-shaped iron blade, and a pointed iron ferrule. Overall length could be up to about 8ft (204m). The shaft was either plain or ornamented with red-dyed goat's hair, with a space sometimes left bare for the hand. The Naga customarily carried two spears; a plain, shorter one for throwing. and the longer, decorated one for use at close quarters. Secondary armament consisted of the hatchet-like dao, often described as a P-shaped axe. This had a blade of about 91n (23cm) which was 4in (10cm) wide at the tip, narrowing to an inch (25mm) at the base. It was carried in a wooden block suspended behind the right buttock. Angami shields were 5-7ft (1.5-2.1 m) long and 2-2iSft (6Q-75cm) wide at the top. narrowing to about 18in (45cm) at the bottom. They were made of bamboo matting covered on the outside with elephant, tiger, leopard. deer. buffalo. bear or rhinoceros skin. At their most elaborate they were decorated with a long cane projecting from each upper comer. supporting tuf1s of human and dyed goat's hair; in the centre of the top edge was a tall plume of goal's hair; and at the back edge a row of feather tassels. A2. EASTERN NAGA WARRIOR In Victorian times the Eastern Naga were often known as 'Naked Nagas' because they did not wear loincloths. (It was only under British innuence in the 1870s that loincloths started to be adopted.) They shaved their heads up to the crown, but grew their hair long behind and tied it up in a bun. This man wears the very tight cane or bark waistband popular among some Eastern Naga tribes. drawn so tight that the waist was reduced 'to a very small compass'. Many Eastern Nagas also tattooed themselves quite extensively. Helmets were a characteristic feature of their costume. They were conical. made of plaited cane. and were either plain or had patterns of coloured straw worked over them. Boar's tusks were attached to each side. and a large plume of black or red-dyed hair sometimes traversed the crown from front to back. A single small black feather, or a larger toucan feather, usually stood erect from the top of the crown.
Their ridged, rectangular shields were 3-4ft (0.9-1.2m) long and 1Y,..2ft (45-60cm) wide, made of buffalo hide and painted black. A3. LHOTA NAGA WARRIOR Note the fairly rigid separate cloth apron covering the front of his black loincloth. This was also black. about 14in (35cm) deep by 12in (30cm) wide and profusely decorated with close-set rows of cowrie shells or little White seeds. He also wears a fringed baldric across his chest from the right shoulder, which supports a 'tail' behind the small of his back. This tail was basically an 18in (45cm) extension of the panji quiver often worn by Naga warriors. It was made of wood and decorated with scarlet-dyed goal's hair or long tresses of black hair taken from the bodies of women the Nagas had killed in their raids. The Lhota dao differed somewhat from the more typical variety such as was carried by the Angamis. It usually had a 12in (30cm) blade that was up to 5in (12.5cm) wide at the top and 1Y,in (38mm) wide at the bottom. with both the edge and the back slightly curved. B1 & B2. ABOR WARRIORS Figure B1 wears just a bark-fibre suria (loincloth) supported by a few rings of cane round the waist. The apron hangs down in front In loose strips about 15in (37.5cm) long. sometimes described as looking like 'a white bushy beard'. His only other article of dress is a hal which In wartime doubled as a helmet. This was most often made of tightly woven basketwork, with a stout brim and a crown strengthened by additional strips of cane. In combat it was secured by means of a chin-strap. Note the satchel carried at the hip, which contained a warrior's pipe. tobacco. betel and the like. Provisions and other items of equipment were carried in a rucksack like those of the Dallas on page 34. In addition to a lOincloth, B2 wears a short-sleeved waistcoat and a short, thick, coarse woollen corselet called a perding gaJuk, with a high collar to protect the neck. The most characteristic Abor weapons were bow and arrows and either a short. one-edged dao or a long. straight sword of Tibetan origin. Their arrows - carried in a bamboo quiver which had a lid and an outside 'pocket' - were poisoned with a mixture of aconite and croton berries. Most
LEFT This picture, sketched during the Chln-Lushai expedition, demonstrates the enormous difficulties laced in moving artillery on the NorthEast Frontier. It was transported by elephants as far as possible, but usually ended up being carried by coolies. (Illustrated London News, 1 April 1893)
RIGHT A drawin9 by L. W. Shakespear of the Military Police stockade built at Lung Leh in the Chin Hills in 1889, as a base for three officers and 250 men.
41
men also carried a dagger, and some were armed with a 7-8ft (2.1-2.4m) thrusting spear. Abor shields were usually made of interwoven strips of bamboo and were never decorated In any way. They were about 3ft (91cm) long, 20in (SOcm) wide and very slightly curved. B3. ABOR CHIEFTAIN
Chieftains and wealthy warriors wore short-sleeved woollen coats Imported from TIbet. These were etther sprinkled with small decorative designs, striped. coloured or left plain white (or off-white). Clans appear to have worn their own distinctive patterns - the southern Mlnyongs and Pasis. for instance. wore 'bluish' coats decorated With White. blue and red designs. other Minyongs wore reddish-brown coats decorated with thin blue or yellow stripes and so on. Their helmets were ornately decorated using matenals such as hornbill and crow feathers. boar's tusks, hornbill beaks and pieces of bear. bison or deer-skin dyed red or black. The boar's tusks were normally attached at the front as an additional defence against sword-cuts, the hom bill beak surmounted the crown. and a red-dyed yak tail hung at the back. The Abors possessed very few firearms, even at the end of lhe period covered here. However, a few antiquated Tower muskets could be found 10 the villages nearest 10 the British frontier. and small numbers of Tibetan matchlocks filtered 1010 more northem districts.
C1. KHAMTI WARRIOR Khamtl costume was very Similar to that of the Burmese, consisting of a sheet of chequered cotton cloth folded round the waist and 'looped up' between the legs, a close-fitting cotton or silk jacket, usually dyed blue, and a white turban wrapped round the top-knot into WhIch their long hair was tied. They were typIcally armed With a dao and shield. and some also earned a Chinese matchlock or an antiquated English flintlock that might date back to at least 1780. Their shields were of gilded and lacquered buffalo and rhinoceros hide.
42
C2. GARO WARRIOR The Garos wore then hair in a mixture of styles. Some cropped it close. but the majority seem to have worn it medium length and kept off the face with a bead-decorated headband which pushed the hair up brush-like all round the head. Chieftains often wore a loosely tied silk turban instead. A particularly distinctive feature of a Garo's appearance was the collection of up to a dozen or more large brass earrings ('brass curtain rings'. as one observer described them), the weight of which stretched their ear-lobes almost as far as the shoulder. Typical Garo arms were a spear, sword and shield. The characteristic Garo sword was the distinctively shaped mil'am; usually about 3ft (91cm) long with a straight. twoedged blade aboul 2in (Scm) wide, narrowing towards the hilt. Blade and gnp were made from a single piece of Iron, and the pommel had a sharpened edge enabling it to be stuck in the ground when a warrior halted to rest. (Garo swords were always carried in the hand, and never sheathed In any way.) Bows were not popular. Bamboo crossbows were occasIonally seen. but very few firearms. Shields were about 3ft (91cm) long, 18in (4Scm) wide and
ABOVE A typical group of Sylu Lushals, photographed In the 1880s. Smoking became immen Iy popular among all the hill-tribes In the course of the 19th century, and most contemporary pictures of Lushals show th m sucking on long-stemmed pipes. RIGHT A page from the Illustrated London News of 13 April 1889 depicting scenes sketched during the expedlt on against the Lushals. At the bot1om right Is Oemaglrl, a typical frontier outpost of the period.
roughly rectangular. Three varieties were used, one of bamboo strips, another of 'nal lengths of wood bound together and covered with very thin strips of cane or bamboo' and a third of hide stretched over a wooden frame.
C3. KHASIA WARRIOR The most distinctive item of Khasia dress comprised a sleeveless. loose-fitting. fringed shirt made of thick hemp, cotton cloth or occasionally eria silk. Though this looked like a jacket done up at the front. it actually conSIsted of two pieces 'sewn together like a bag, apertures being left for the head and arms'. These shirts were customanly striped, either red and blue or red and white. Another characteristic item of Khasia dress was the ka tupia shkor, or 'ear cap', which came down over the ears and had a peak at the front: It was most often red or black. Khasias were customarily armed With a sword. bow and circular shield. The sword was a sort of double-hander, with
43
a hilt that was up to 60 per cent as long as the blade. Khasia longbows were 01 bamboo. with a strand of bamboo Ibre for a bowstring. In length they varied between Sft 2in (1.S7m) and the height of a man. A few men might also carry spears. and a handful had firearms. D1. DAFLA WARRIOR
Dalla head-dress typically consisted of a small woven cane cap which had a peak at the back, a serow (deer) horn curving across the crown and a small plume of magpie. pheasant or hornbill feathers. They wore a short. sleeveless shirt of coarse cotton cloth. sometimes striped in blue and red but more often left its natural colour (most often descnbed as 'dirty' or 'sooty' grey). Dozens of cane rings were worn loosely round the lower abdomen, supposedly as a form of body-armour. The hairy-looking rain-cloak. invariably black, was made of bearSkin or, more often, plant fibre which closely resembled bearskin. A basketwork haversack worn underneath it carried the warrior's provisions. pipe and tobacco. Supplies of rice and water were also carried in short lengths of bamboo tied together in threes and slung over the shoulder. Armament comprised a bow, poisoned arrows. a long. straight Tibetan sword. a dagger. and occasionally a rectangular leather shield and a long bamboo spear. The Eastern Daflas tattooed their faces with a transverse band across the cheeks, while the Apa Tanangs had a
A drawing depicting (left to right) a Lushal, a Pol, another Lushal and a Sokte. Pols differed from Lushais in tying their hair above the forehead, while the Soktes wore theirs short and 'standing out like the tresses of Medusa'. (R.G. Woodlhorpe, The Lushai Expedition, 1873)
44
T-shaped tattoo below the mouth which reached the point of the chin. The only other important respects in which Apa Tanangs diHered from their Dalla cousins were the way In which their hair was more intricately plaited and tightly knotted and the fact that they had a red 'tail' - consisting of strands of spliced cane - hanging down from their bells al the back. almost as far as the knee. D2. SIHGPHO WARRIOR Singpho dress usually comprised a short. dark blue or black cotton jacket and a chequered cloth 'kilt'. The cotton or silk headscarl was most often white. but it could also be blue. red or chequered. They frequently wore a broad bamboo ·coolie· hat' over this. This warrior is armed with the traditional Singpho combi· nation of crossbow and dao, the latter carried In a distinctive sheath worn across the chest and under the left arm. Its curved blade was 18-24in (45-60cm) long, and n~·in (38mm) wide at the hilt, increasing to 2Y, in (63mm) at its squared tip. The crossbow was made of hardened bamboo, with a wooden stock, and It fired bamboo bolts which had either fire-hardened points or, less commonly, iron tips. Many substituted a long-barrelled Chinese matchlock, and by about the 1860s some had Tower muskets of c.180a vintage, converted Enfields and even Winchester carbines. all obtained in China's Yunnan province. Rectangular buffalo-hide shields, 4ft (1.2m) long. and hide or bamboo helmets were also sometimes encountered in the early part of this period.
D3. MISHMI GAM Mishmi chiefs. or gams. wore Tibetan woollen coats, generally dyed deep red, sometimes 'ornamented with white spots. which are preserved from the action of the dye by tying'. Bow and dao were characteristic arms, though chiefs
frequently substituted a straight Tibetan sword for the latter. Their arrows were poisoned with aconite. Sources of the first half of the 19th century indicate that an 8ft (2.4m) thrusting spear was then considered more important than the bow. Crossbows were also used. and on occasion Tibetan matchlocks are mentioned as being carried by chiefs. Shields. where carried, were oblong and made of buffalo hde. Ordinary Mishmi dress consisted of a brief. dark blue loincloth with a red or yellow stripe running though it and a sleeveless. sack-like jacket made of blue and red (or brown) striped woollen cloth, worn open at the front. Head-dress comprised either a large fur cap or a wicker helmet. Most Mishmis wore their hair long and tied in a top-knot. but the Chulikata, or 'crop-haired Mishmis', earned their name by cropping their hair round the sides of the head 'so as to give them the appearance of wearing a mushroom-shaped hal'.
E1. KUKI WARRIOR Up until about the 1860s the majority of Kukis wore. at most. a loincloth. a white or dark blue cotton sheet wrapped round the body (like that of figure E2) and a pagri. Their hair was worn long and tied in an untidy knot at the back of the head.
Weapons of Chittagong 'rontier hili-tribes, Including a Lushal quiver (left) and powder flask. Shendu swords (top and lower left), quiver (right) and shield, and a Lushai pelletbow. (Emil Rlebeck, The Chlttagong Hili· Tribes, 1885)
Note the circular tattoo, which frequently appeared on the outside of one or both forearms. At the beginning of the Victorian period most Kukis were armed with a bow. dao and shield, and sometimes a spear, but by the second half of the 19th century many carried a musket in place of the bow. The dao had a brass or wooden handle. the latter type being either covered in leather or bound with hair or cane and lacquered. with a tuft of red or white goal's hair attached to the end of the hilt. Bows were made of bamboo. The arrows were kept In a quiver made of a section of bamboo about 22in (56cm) long, with a lid. For protectIon this warrior carries a typical trapezoid hide shield and wears a corselet made of buffalo or rhinoceros hide. However, such body armour was probably relatively uDcommon.
45
E2. LUSHAI WARRIOR lushal dress comprised a small white loincloth and a cotton sheet about 7ft (2.1 m)long and Sft (105m) wide, which came n vanous colours but was usually white (generally described as 'dirty white' or 'greyish white' but sometimes as 'clean and bright'). most often With a single dark blue stripe or a pair of stripes running through it. The best. however. were dark blue With a cnmson or yellow stripe, or 'a species of tartan' which had 'a few stripes of white. yellow or red. or all three interwoven Into it'. Many wore these sheets even in combat. sometimes rolling them down round the walsl. Though the Lushal were well equipped with firearms. the majority 01 these weapons were obsolete flintlock muskets. Some dated back as far as the middle of the 18th century. and Ihe majority seem to have been manufactured In George Ill's reign. Some were re-stocked locally. aping the shape of Ihe European original but with a thinner butt and a pronounced bend. Stocks and butts were invariably decorated with simple patterns of red. black and. to a lesser extent. yellow lacquer. As well as a firearm and dao some men still carried buffalo-hide shields (like that 01 figure E1). E3. CHIN WARRIOR Though some Chins knotted their long hair at the nape of the neck like the Lushais. others wore top-knots tied at the front of he head and wrapped in a headscar!. They customarily wore little clothing beyond a white mantle rolled round the shoulders or tied round the waist. sometimes even going without the loincloth, which was invariably blue. Only the clothes of chiefs were decorated In any way. usually in stripes or tartans. The separate piece of cloth hanging at the back of
Assault on a Lushai village by men of the Cachar Military Pol ce Battalion In 1889. (Illustrated London News, 6 December 1890)
46
his legs from bits of string passing diagonally across his chest was intended to give him 'something warm to sit upon when the ground is cold'. He also wears the nearest Chin eqUivalent to armour, described In a report of 1893 as 'a strip of buffalo hide bent over and about nine II1ches to one foot broad. reaching from the waist in tront to the small of the back behind. It is worn across the lett shoulder like the sash of a military officer. the ends being tied together at the right side with a string'. Though by the 1880s up to 75 per cent of many Chin warparties were armed with flintlock muskets, otten more than a oentury old, this man still carries the traditional bamboo bow. These were 2)/,-4tt (O.75-1.2m) long. The barbed. ironheaded bamboo arrows were not poisoned, but w re re-used without ever being cleaned. which was almost as bad. Described as being about the thickness of a pencil and. at most, only about 18in (45cm) long. they were fletched with bamboo fibre, leaves or feathers. They were carried in a bamboo quiver at the left side. with a bamboo or lacquered canework lid (attached by a string). sometimes decorated with red beads. Other popular Chin weapons comprised the dao. kept in a sheath wom on the back; the spear, which was usually about 511 (1.5m) long and very heavy. since as much as half or even two-thirds of its length was Iron. with only a short section of wood Joining the blade's long socket to an equally long butt-spike; and the dagger, carried in a bone scabbard attached to the right side of the leather breastplate described above. Trapezoid buffalo-hide shields slighlly longer than that of figure E1 were still relatively commonplace In the 1870s but were disappearing from use by the 1890s.
F1. KUKI OR LUSH AI CHIEF Chiefs of the Chln-Lushal peoples dressed very much the same from tribe to tribe. The lwo characteristic aspects of their dress Which distinguished them from ordinary tribesmen
The village o. a Tlantlang Chin chle' named Hausata comes under fire on 20 March 1889. He had been responsible for wiping out a survey party in Chittagong
.-
in February 1888. (/llustrated London News, 11 May 1889)
were that their manlles were coloured or patterned. most often in a broad check pattern. and that they wore a large turban decorated with a plume of downy leathers. ribbons of red-dyed goat's hair. and strings of cowrie shells. They were also invariably armed with a musket.
F2. SHENDU WARRIOR The Shendus knotted their long hair over the lorehead, securing it with a brass hairpin. Other than a narrow white loincloth, his only garment is the usual collon sheet of the Chin-Lushai family, That worn here is the type intended lor everyday use, which was plain white. Chieftains, and warriors attending ceremonial lunctions. substituted dark blue, red or black sheets, decorated with embroidery and one or more white or red stripes, Some were made of cloth imported lrom Burma and were chequered In blue and white or shades 01 brown. Many warriors bore one or more simple talloos on their arms. legs. shoulders and chest usually a circle, a bison head (on the chest) and devices resembling sequences of the letters )( W or M. Armament was most commonly a dao, a shield and a short spear or (after about 1840) a musket. The dao was 1B-22in (45-56cm) Irom Its lip to the end 01 its bamboo handle. It was not usually kept In a sheath, but was simply stuffed into the Waistband of the loincloth behind the back or carried in the usual shoulder-bag. What firearms they had consisted of old Tower f1inllocks 'marked with dates somewhere round 1815'. These had the same red, black and yellow lacquered stocks as those 01 the Lushais.
F3. MANIPURI SEPOY Unllorms were not widespread, and a detachment of Manipuri soldiers seen in 1890 was lalrly typical in having only about three completely unilormed men In its ranks. What constituted a 'complete' unilorm seems to have comprised only a jacket and belt. with the jacket usually either red or white. The soldier depicted here is based on a photograph 01 the Mampuri contingent which relieved Kohima in 1879. He is charactenstlcally barefoot. Britain had supplied the Manipuri army with 750 percussIon muskets tn 1879 to replace some of its flintlocks, and
by 1890 's armament consisted pr dominantly of Tower muskets and EnfIeld, Snider and Martini nfles. t-towever. not all Manipun soldiers had firearms, and many substituted a spear. In addition the majority 01 regular soldiers carned their own swords (significantly it seems they were not issued with bayonets) and some carried sh elds for use In close combat.
01. SYLHET LIGHT INFANTRY, 1837 After wearing a red uniform in 1824-7, by 1835 the Sylhet LI had changed to dark green with black facings. 'bastion loops' and pagri. Native shoes were worn. A Kilmarnock cap was substituted lor the pagn tn 1844, Men were armed With lhe Brown Bess musket until 1872, and a kukn was probably earned from the outset. even though it was not offlclaliy authonsed until 1881. G2. 44TH BENGAL NATIVE INFANTRY, 1875 The uniform remained dark green with black laCings. though headwear now consisted of a dark green Kilmarnock cap or Gurkhas and other hill-peoples, with a 'round black ball or tuft' on the crown (or a red toorie or tassel, In the case of the 42nd) and a silver unit badge on the Iront. After 1866 Punjabl soldiers of Assam regiments substituted a black pagn.
47
Hi. FRONTIER POLICE <:.1848-68 It was only from about 1848 that the Levy or Militia units from which the Frontier Police evolved were first issued with a uniform. It consisted of 'black' (doubtless. in reality. very dark rifle-green) jacket and trousers. black Kilmarnock cap and black leather waist-belt and crossbells. Nallve shoes were worn (if any were worn at all). No haversack was provided. however. and it was customary for police units to carry their spare kit and provisions rolled in a sheet tied round the torso. As late as the 1880s an officer observed of the typical Frontier Policeman: 'On his back he carried all his belongings and food for several days. wrapped in a large cloth the ends of which were tied across his chest and which served him as a blanket at night. Hanging round him by strings would be his ghi chunga and an odd parcel or two, and, as likely as not, he would carry an aged. corpulent gamp as well as his rifle.' He was armed with a Brown Bess musket and bayonet. and a short sword, which was replaced by a kukri in the 1860s. At this date the majority of Frontier Pollee constables were Cacharis, Gurkhas and Shans. The Cacharis among them often wore a black pagrl in place of the Kilmarnock cap.
Though this photograph was taken early In the 20th century, the costume of these Abor chiefs is Identical to that of their 19th-century counterparts.
Trousers were of the baggy 'zouave' variety, worn with black puttees and black boots. Equipment was black leather. The Enfield had replaced the Brown Bess In 1872, and the Snider was Introduced in 1874. G3. SEMA NAGA IN BRITISH SERVICE Nagas participated In several British expeditions, technically in the role of coolies, though they took their weapons with them in the hope of taking a few heads. The Sema wore their hair very short except for a basin-shaped patch on the crown, and they tallooed their faces. Those in British service were distinguished only by a rag with a unit number painted on it tied round their head. Typically they were armed with a spear. dao and shield. The shield was about 4ft (1.2m) long, made of interwoven bamboo matting bound with cane. The dao was sheathed behind the back in a wooden block 8in (20cm) long by 2Yln (6.3cm) wide, 'pierced from top to bottom by a slit about six Inches long and broad enough to admit the blade. bul too narrow to let the handle slip through'.
48
H2. FRONTIER POLICE 1868-85 From 1868 most units on the North-East Frontier wore dark blue uniforms with white metal buttons and white piping round the cuffs and collar and down the trouser seam. The Chittagong Frontier Police, however, continued to wear riflegreen until 1891. Officially the dark blue Kilmarnock cap then worn was supposed to have had a silver bugle badge on the fronl. but the photograph from which this figure comes shows a badge with the letters 'FP' instead. Equipment was still of black leather. Black puttees or stiff brown canvas gaiters were also issued, plus European-style black boots. However. the latter seem to have been worn rarely on campaign. 'After his first march his boots were generally carried on his pack.' wrote a British officer in 1884. 'being slung round his neck by the laces.' The Enfield rifle replaced the Brown Bess at some point during this period, probably around 1871, and this was replaced in turn by the Snider in 1881. The short sword previously carried was replaced by a kukri by (or in) 1868: it was usually carried at the back of the belt. H3. MILITARY POLICE 1885-1901 The Military Police battalions into which the Frontier Police battalions had been reorganised in 1882-3 at first continued to wear the uniform of figure H2: il survived in use in some areas until around 1887, even though khaki uniforms were introduced in 1885. The bugle cap-badge was changed to two crossed kukris in 1885. even though lhe source for this figure still shows a bugle cap-badge being wom. In 1887 narrow scarlet piping was added to the collar. cuffs and trouser seams. Equipment was brown leather. Though bandoliers were used for some years. they were eventually abandoned as impractical for use in the jungle. where they constantly snagged on branches. The Snider rifle remained in use until as late as 1901, when it was linally replaced by the Martini-Henry.
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