NorthEast strife...rooted in history - Part 1

The NorthEast is the easternmost region connected to east India via a narrow corridor squeezed between Nepal and Bangladesh. It consists of the contiguous Seven Sister states—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura—and the Himalayan state of Sikkim.

These states are grouped under the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region (MDONER) of the Government of India. Except for the Goalpara region of Assam, the rest were late entrants to political India—the Brahmaputra valley of Assam became a part of British India in 1824, and the hilly regions even later. Due to cultural and historical reasons, parts of North Bengal in West Bengal (districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Koch Bihar) are often included in North-East India. Sikkim was recognized as a part of the North-Eastern states in the 1990s.

When India became an Independent nation, North East Frontier Agency commonly known as NEFA became an integral part of the Union of India. It was administered by the Ministry of External Affairs with the Governor of Assam acting as agent to the President of India. The administrative head was the advisor to the governor.

The states are officially recognised under the North Eastern Council (NEC), constituted in 1971 as the acting agency for the development of the eight states.

Several questions arise over the decision to include the region under the External Affairs Ministry initially. Before one gets into the peculiar nature of the region and its present conditions, one should understand its past to probe the roots of the ethnic problem of the NorthEast. We need to know about the Ahom Kingdom to fathom the problem of NorthEast.

Sukaphaa, is credited with having established the Ahom Kingdom. He was a Tai prince from Mong Mao. It started with being a Mong in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra river, with its base in a wet rice cultivation area. In 1228 the kingdom of Ahom got established with the coming of Chao Lung Siu-Ka-Pha, the 1st Ahom king, from Mong Mao (now part of People’s Republic of

China), who traversed the Patkai mountain range and reached the valley of Brahmaputra. He took under his occupation the area on the river’s south bank, the Patkai mountains in the east, the Dikhau river in the south and the Burhi Dihing river in the north. He set up his capital in Charaideo and set up offices of the Dangaria (head of administration)— Borgohain and Burhagohain (counsellors).

Persons ready to fit in with the Ahom polity and lifestyle were welcomed into the fold and this process is referred to as Ahomization. The Ahom government adopted a policy of conciliation, as well as a policy of force towards various tribes of the north east.

The Ahoms did not interfere too much in the affairs of the hills. Rather, they conciliated with the tribes by providing them many types of facilities and privileges. The Ahoms also applied force against the tribes, whenever the situation demanded. With rapid expansion and addition of large territories to the kingdom, the pace at which Ahomization was occurring was not good enough and in their own kingdom, the Ahoms had become a minority. This caused the kingdom’s character to change. It became inclusive and multi-ethnic. Can we call this the beginning of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society?

The Moamoria rebellion occurred from 1769 to 1806. It was the conflict that occurred in the 18th century between the Ahom kings and Morans who were the adherents of the Moamara Sattra. The rebellion destroyed approximately a half of the population and played havoc with the economy of the kingdom. Thus weakened, the Ahom kingdom became an easy target for invasion and the Burmese invasion followed.

Crisis had been brewing in the Ahom Kingdom as the basis of the state, the Paik system was not flexible enough to change and adapt to the changes in society and economy. The Moamaria Rebellion occurred in two phases. The decline of the Ahom Kingdom started with the rule of Gaurinath Singha (1780-95). When he was attacked and Rangpur was taken over Gaurinath Singha along with his entire family sailed off to Nagaon, then further to Gauhati. Gaurinath Singha sought help from the East India Company through Raush, a salt merchant and Dauglas, Commissioner of Koch Bihar for both materials and troops. The Governor General, Lord Cornwallis, responded by sending Captain Thomas Welsh with a troop of trained and armed sepoys.

Here onwards the East India Company as well the British later sought to control NorthEast India having brought the entire Indian under their rule.

Remember, The North Eastern states were always a part of India, geographically, culturally and politically. The longest ruling dynasties were established in North East states of India. The state of Assam was ruled by Ahoms for almost six centuries. In Manipur, the ruling dynasty lasted for over nineteen centuries. The long dynastic rule in North East India played a significant role in keeping the British away from the region for a long time.

During the early years of British rule, the Nagas, Mizos and other tribes raided and conquered the plains and hills of Brahmaputra and Surema valleys. The long lasting dynasties further added to the existence of powerful empires with effective control. The Cachari and Jaintia dynasties had the plains as well as the hills under control. The Mughals as well as the Delhi Sultans were never able to conquer the North Eastern states. Thus, the region of North East got partially isolated from the rest of the country. This is when Burma invaded Manipur and Assam and the British feared the loss of territory.