SEBA Class 9 Elective History Chapter 6 Socio-Political Uprising of The North-East India 

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SEBA Class 9 Elective History Chapter 6 Socio-Political Uprising of The North-East India

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Socio-Political Uprising of The North-East India

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

[I] MOAMARIYA REBELLION:

[A] VERY SHORT TYPE QUESTIONS:

1. Who was the religious instructor of Lakshmi Singha? 

Ans. Ramananda Acharyya.

2. What was constructed in Malou field?

Ans. A neoclassical castle named Chateau Malou.

3. To which community did the majority of the Moamariyas belong?

Ans. The majority of the Moamariyas belonged to the Moran community.

4. What punishment was given to Nahar Khowa Saikia? 

Ans. The annual tribute brought by him was not accepted by Kirti Chandra Barbaruah. He was severely punished for supplying defective elephants.

5. Who among the Ahom dynasty was brought under the control of the Moamariyas? 

Ans. The Ahom king Lakshmi Singha was brought under the control of the Moamariyas. 

6. Who was the founder of Mayamara Satra?

Ans. The Mayamara satra was founded by Aniruddha Deva. 

7. During the reign of which Swargadeo, Sankardeva and Madhavadeva left Ahom state and went to Koch Bihar?

Ans. (Please consult teacher).

8. Which Swargadeo called Krishna Bhattacharya?

Ans. Swargadeo Sibasingha called Krishna Bhattacharya from Bengal to Assam.

9. Who was ‘Bar Raja’?

Ans. Queen Phuleswari, (the wife of King Siva Singha), was known as ‘Bar Raja’ which means ‘real king.’ 

10. Who established ‘Ding Satrap’?

Ans. (Please consult teacher).

[B] WRITE SHORT NOTES ON:

1. Purnananda Burhagohain: Larhi Burhagohain (popularly known as Purananda) became the Burhagohain or the Prime Minister of the Ahom Kingdom during the reign of Gaurinath Singha. He was the Rajmantry or Burhagohain from 1782 to 1817, i.e. a period of nearly 35 years. Since Gaurinath was an inefficient and weak ruler, the new Burhagohain captured most of the royal authority and eventually took complete control of the Ahom administration. One of his great achievements was that he was able to unite the Ahom forces and put up a strong resistance against the advances of the Moamariyas who started the second phase of the Moamariya revolution in 1782. Because of the strong resistance put up by him, the Moamariyas could not make much progress. After the arrival of the British Purnananda joined them in the fight against the Moamariyas.

2. Moamariya Mahanta: The Vaishnava movement in Assam was started by Sankardeva and his disciple Madhavadeva. As a result of their efforts, many Vaishnava Satras were established. The most famous and the most important among them was the Moamariya Satra which was established by Aniruddha Deva. This Satra eventually became very rich and powerful. Subsequently, the Mahanta or the Satradhikar of Moamariya Satra became almost like a mini-king wielding a great deal of power. This led to a clash between the Moamariya Mahanta and the Ahom rulers. With their power and position, the Moamariya Mahanta tried to control the affairs of the state and started to dictate terms to the Ahom rulers. The Ahom rulers opposed their clout and power and wanted them to be in a subordinate position to the king. This clash between the Moamoriya chief and the Ahom ruler was partially responsible for the outbreak of Moamariya rebellion in 1769.

3. Kirti Chandra Barbaruah: Kirti Chandra Barbaruah was one of the leading Ahom officials who contributed much for the outbreak of Moamoriya rebellion in 1769. He served as the Barbaruah of Ahom kingdom from 1714 to 1769, i.e. a period of 55 years. He was the son of Rup Chandra. He helped king Siva Singha and Queen Phuleswari in oppressing and destroying the Satras and the Vaishnava sect. Under the influence of the Queen, he promoted the cause of Sakti cult in Assam with all royal might. He continued the persecution of the Vaishnavas particularly the disciples of the Moamariya Satra during the time of Rudra Singha, Rajeswar Singha and Lakshmi Singha. Kirti Chandra was also responsible for the accession of Rajeswar Singha in 1751 and Lakshmi Singha in 1769. His actions thus alienated not only the Moamariyas but also the Ahom nobility who wanted the continuation of Ahom practices and traditions.

4. Matak Kingdom: One of the direct consequences of the Moamariya rebellion was the establishment of Matak Kingdom.

After the death of Bharath Singha, the Moamariyas of Bengmara (Tinsukia) region rose in rebellion under the leadership of certain Sarbananda. They invited the Burmese twice to Assam causing a great deal of anxiety to Purnananda, the Ahom Prime Minister. Each time Purnananda Burhagohain returned them by offering bribes. Realizing the importance of keeping the Burmese away from Assam, Purnananda, thought of making Sarbananda a feudal chief. Therefore he allowed Sarbananda to carve out a territory of his own where the Moran population mostly lived. This new kingdom came to be known as Matak kingdom. The area of the new kingdom consisted of the region lying between the Brahmaputra and the Dihing River with Bengmara as its centre. Thereafter, Purnananda signed an agreement with Sarbananda in 1805 allowing him to rule the region independently, i.e. without interference of the Ahoms. Sarbananda on his part agreed to pay the annual tax or tribute to the Ahom ruler. In this manner, the Matak kingdom was established.

5. Paik System: It was a traditional custom by which all the male persons of the Ahom kingdom were obliged to render some physical service to the king for three to four months in a year. All the paiks were organised into gots or units which consisted of three or four paiks. One khel consisted of few gots. The first member of the paik-got was called ‘mul’ while the second and third were called ‘dewal’ and ‘tewal’ respectively. Over the years, the Ahom rulers started exploiting the paik system. They granted exemption from such service to bureaucrats, priests, Brahmins, religious saints, bhakats, etc. One could get exemption from paik service by offering certain amount of money. As a result, the burden of paik service of the ordinary masses increased which created a lot of ill-feeling and public anger against the monarchy. The extension of paik service to longer duration and the exploitation of the paik system were some of the important causes for the outbreak of Moamariya rebellion. Most of the disciples of Moamariya satra consisted of the Moran community. Hence, they suffered most due to the exploitation of the paik service. The Moamariyas therefore reacted by rebelling against the existing Ahom administrative system.

6. The Moamariyas: The Vaishnava movement in Assam was initiated by Sri Sankardeva and his disciple Madhavadeva. Later due to persecution they fled to Koch kingdom. Some of their disciples set up Vaishnava Satras in different parts of Assam during the later periods. The most important Vaishnava Satra among them was the Moamariya satra which was started by Aniruddha Deva. The disciples and followers of this satra came to be known as Moamariyas. They belonged to different tribes such as Kacharies, Chutias, Borahis, Kaivartas and many  Hindu groups such as Brahamanas, Kayasthas and Kalitas. However, the majority of the Moamariyas consisted of members from the Moran community. The Morans were quite active in the political, military and in the socio-economic life of Assam. Therefore their presence in this sect made the Moamariya satra famous and one of the most wanted satras of Assam. Within a short period of time, the Moamariya satra became very rich and started wielding a great deal of economic and political power in the state.

7. Raghab Neog: Raghab Neog was an important Moamariya leader who played a significant role in the first phase of the Moamariya rebellion which began in 1769 during the time of Lakshmi Singha. He belonged to the Moran community. One of the reasons for the starting of the rebellion in 1769 was the insulted heaped upon Naharkhowa Saikia and Raghab Neog who had gone to the palace of Lakshmi Singha to submit their annual tribute which consisted of few elephants. Kirti Chandra refused to accept their tribute on the pretext that the elephants were defective. The action of Kirti Chandra was an insult on the Moamariya Satra and this was one of the factors that precipitated the crisis in 1769. After the capture of Rangpur by the Moamariyas, they appointed Ramananda or Ramakanta as the new king and made Raghab Neog, the Barbaruah. Soon the Moamariya, rebels managed to capture Lakshmi Singha and Kuranganayani, the mother of Lakshmi Singha. The lady was forcibly taken as wife by Raghab Neog. But unfortunately, he was killed by the royalists in 1770 during a Huchari party.

8. Rajakheda Nagoeia: (People of Nagaon who forced the king to leave) During the third phase of the Moamariya rebellion the rebels had raised up Bharath Singha as their new king forcing the Ahom king Gaurinath Singha to flee from Rangpur to Nagaon. However, the king couldn’t stay long in Nagaon as the people of the area didn’t want the presence of the king in their area due to the oppressive rule of the Ahom officials. Secondly the fear of Moamariya attack over the area made the people turn against the king and so they compelled the king to flee from Nagaon to Guwahati. This is why the people of Nagaon came to be known as ‘Raja-kheda Nagoeia’.

S.L No.	CONTENTS
Chapter -1	American War Of Independence
Chapter -2	French Revolution
Chapter -3	Industrial Revolution
Chapter -4	Russian Revolution
Chapter -5	The Revolt Of 1857
Chapter -6	Socio-Political Uprising Of The North-East India

[C] ESSAY TYPE QUESTIONS:

1. How did Hindu religion influence the Ahom royal family? 

Ans. Many historians are of the opinion that one of the primary causes for the outbreak of the Moamariya rebellion in Assam was the change of religion and the persecution started by the Ahom rulers. Over the years, the Ahom rulers had accepted Hinduism. Towards the middle of the 18th century, they started bringing the Hindu teachers from Bengal which initiated Brahmanical sect of Hinduism. Saktism was a part of this development and many of the Ahom rulers eventually became strong supporters and promoters of the Sakti movement in Assam. In the fifteenth century, Vaishnava movement had risen and spread in different parts of India. Under the leadership of Sri Sankardeva and Sri Madhavadeva Vaishnavism began to spread very fast in Assam. But the Ahom rulers remained steadfast in their Brahmanical ideology. As a result, there occurred a clash of beliefs between the two. Under the influence of the Brahmanical gurus, the Ahoms started persecuting the Vaishnava satras which had become highly influential-politically, socially, economically and religiously. The Ahom rulers such as Gadadhar Singha, Siva Singha and his queen Phuleswari, Rajeswar Singha, Lakshmi Singha, Gaurinath Singha, etc. were noted for the persecution of Vaishnavas in Assam.

Neo-vaishnavites preached a classless and casteless society. The Moamariya Satra started by Aniruddha Deva was one of the firm believers of this Vaishnava ideology. But the Ahoms did their best in blocking the spread of this new ideology. In fact, Sri Sankardeva and Sri Madhavadeva were forced to flee from Assam to the Koch kingdom of king Narayana. After the death of Sri Sankardeva, his disciples came back to Ahom kingdom and established Vaishnava centres. Within a short time the movement became very popular and thousands of Assamese population particularly the people of Moran community joined the movement. The Ahom rulers, however, gave a lot of support to Vaishnava satras such as Auniati satra, Dakshinpat satra, Garhmur satra, Kuruabahi satra, etc. which basically belonged to Brahma Sanghati. As a result of the royal support these satras became very rich and eventually started challenging the might of independent Moamariya satra forcing the Moamariyas to fight for their existence and rights. Thus the outbreak of Moamariya rebellion was one of the results of the change of religion on the part of the Ahom rulers.

2. What was the condition of the Paik’s during the reign of the Ahoms?

Ans. The outbreak of Moamoria rebellion in 1769 is reckoned as a landmark event in the history of medieval Assam. One of the major factors that contributed for the outbreak of Moamoria rebellion was the exploitation of paik system. Paik labour was a sort of obligatory state service to be rendered by every person for the welfare of the state. But unfortunately the burden of paik service increased on the ordinary people as years went by. This created a great deal of social discontent and public anger against the Ahom administration. There were several reasons for the increase of the burden of paik service on the masses.

(i) Increase in the duration of paik service: During the Rajeswar Singha’s time, the number of paiks available for state service had come down considerably. Although the population of Assam was over three lakhs, the number of paiks available for state service during the time of Rajeswar Singha was around 80,000. Earlier one paik was recruited for obligatory state service in rotation from the ‘got’; or unit of 4 paiks for 3 months in a year. But due to the decreasing number of paiks, king Rajeswar Singha started the system of 3 paiks forming a unit and so each of them had to discharge obligatory service for 4 months. Spending one’s time for 4 months for state service considerably affected family income and food production for the family. This caused a great deal of social unrest and public anger against the administration.

(ii) Exemption from paik service: The misuse of paik service caused ill-feeling and public anger against the monarchy. Over the years many people got exemption from this obligatory service. Those who had money could get exemption from paik service by paying certain amount of money. These exemptions led to increase in the burden of paik service on the ordinary people. They had to bear the additional brunt of the state service. Thus, the peasants who had no money to save themselves from paik service became the main supporters of Moamoria rebellion.

(iii) Exemption granted to the religious bhakats: Traditionally, the priests, Brahmins, religious sages, bhakats etc. were exempted from rendering paik service. Hence many individuals pretended to be religious bhakats and got exemption from the state service. During the 17th and 18th centuries there was a tremendous growth in the number of satra institutions. As the number of satra institutions increased, the number of men available for paik service decreased substantially.

(iv) Bhakats compelled to do paik service: In order to reduce the power of the Satra institutions, the Ahom king Gadadhar Singh ordered all the religious men to do paik service. This royal order was opposed by religious bhakats. However, those who opposed the royal order were severely tortured and many were even forced to run away to safer places. This action of the king was disliked by the people because the religious men were given a higher social status. The oppression and persecution of vaishnava saints created a lot of public anger. 

Thus the increase in the burden of paik service on the general masses created a wave of social unrest and public anger against the Ahom administration. This was one of the major causes for the outbreak of the rebellion. 

3. To what extent was Kirtichandra Barbara responsible for the Moamoriya Rebellion?

Ans. Moamariya rebellion is one of the most significant episode in the history of Assam. It had a great impact on the social, economic, religious and political fabric of Assam. The rebellion came about as a result of several causes. One of the major factors that contributed for the outbreak of this great uprising was the role played by Kirti Chandra Barbaruah. 

He contributed for the outbreak of this revolution in two ways:

(i) Alienated the Ahom nobles: Kirti Chandra was the son of Rup Chandra who was the Barbaruah during the time of Siva Singha. On the death of Rup Chandra in 1714, king Siva Singha appointed his son, Kirti Chandra, to the post of Barbaruah. Soon after becoming the Barbaruah he became very powerful and captured most of the royal power. Therefore when Rudra Singha died in 1751 Kirti Chandra installed Rajeswar Singha on the throne instead of Mohanmala Deo, the eldest son of Rudra Singha (1744-1751). After the death of Rajeswar Singha in 1769 he made Lakshmi Singha, the son of Rajeswar Singha the king. This was opposed by majority of Ahom nobles. Thus by his various actions he alienated the higher officials of the Ahom kingdom. The antagonised Ahom nobles waited for an opportunity to hit Kirtichandra back.

(ii) Oppression of Vaishnavas: Another factor that contributed much for the outbreak of the uprising in 1769 was the oppression of the Vaishnava satra and its disciples. The reign of king Siva Singha was noted for severe persecution of the vaishnavas. The king, Queen Phuleswari and Kirti Chandra were firm believers of sakti cult and hence began to persecute the Vaishnavas. The task of persecution was mainly undertaken by Kirti Chandra. The Queen and Kirti Chandra forced the Vaishnava Satradhikars, Mahantas and Bhakats (including the Moamariya Satra) to participate in certain Sakti religious rites. When Lakshmi Singha became the king in 1769, the persecution of Vaishnavas particularly those belonging to the Moamariya satra had reached a peak. Kirti Chandra was determined to wipe out the Moamariya Vaishnavas as they were the strongest pillars of the Vaishnava movement in Assam. When the oppression became unbearable, the Moamariyas took up arms to fight for their existence. The result was the outbreak of Moamariya rebellion.

Thus, there is no denying fact that the factor that Kirtichandra Barbaruah contributed most for the outbreak of Moamariya rebellion. During the period of 55 years as Barbaruah, he alienated the Ahom nobility and the general masses leading to a public outburst in April, 1769.

4. What was the religious cause of the Moamoriya revolt?

Ans. The outbreak of Moamoriya rebellion in 1769 is a turning point in the history of medieval Assam. It is considered to be a significant event as it had far-reaching consequences and impact on Assam. It marks the beginning of a new era in Assam. The religious causes of the revolt are:

(i) Murder of Nitayanandadev: The seeds of the rebellion were sown about a century earlier-during the period of king Surampha Bhaga Raja (1641-1644). The murder of Nityanandadev, the Satradhikar or the head priest of Mayamara satra by Bezdaloi Bhandari Baruah with the consent of then reigning king Surampha Bhaga Raja created a wave of shock in the whole country. This was because the Mayamara satra was an epic centre of Vaishnava cult and learning. This unholy murder created a lot of ill-feeling among the masses.

(ii) Destruction of Satra institutions: The most important factor that prepared the ground and brought numerous people to support the agitation was the oppression and destruction of Satra institutes. Over the years, Satra Institutes became very rich and yielded a great deal of power influencing the political affairs of the state.

The suppression of the religious institutes hurt public feelings and those who were connected with these institutions willingly joined the rebels.

(iii) Religious persons forced to do paik service: Traditionally the priest, Brahmins, religious saints, bhakats etc, were exempted from rendering paik service. But during the time of Gadadhar Singha, he ordered everyone in the state including all religious persons to render paik service. This action also created widespread discontentment among the people.

(iv) Oppression of Vaishnavas: Another factor that added fuel to the already burning fire was the oppression of Vaishnava Bhakats. King Gadadhar Singha with the help of Kirti Chandra made sure that the vaishanava saints were persecuted and sent them away from their Satra institutions. In fact, by destroying the satra institutions and taking away their wealth, it became impossible for them to live in such institutions. Their action was intensified during the time of Siva Singha. He and his queen Phuleswari were devotees of Sakta cult and so they opposed Vaishanava practices. They too took a number of oppressive measures against them. All these led to resentment not only among the Vaishnavas but also in the society as a whole.

5. What was the political outcome of the Moamoriya revolt? 

Ans. The outbreak of Moamoriya rebellion in Assam in 1769 is one of the most significant events of Assam history. The event had far-reaching impact on the social, economic, religious and political life of Assam.

The main political outcome of Moamoria rebellion were the following:

(i) British occupation of Assam: The most important political result of Moamoria rebellion was the arrival of a British military expedition to Assam. Moamoria rebellion broke out afresh during the time of Gaurinath Singha in 1782 forcing him to seek British help. The British who were waiting for an opportunity to enter Assam first sent a military expedition under Captain Thomas Welsh. The military expedition remained in Assam from November 1792 to July, 1794. Captain Welsh sent a secret report to the British government in Bengal suggesting continuation of the military presence in Assam. The British occupation of Assam in 1826 after the treaty of Yandaboo can be considered as an indirect result of Moamoriya rebellion.

(ii) Ahom independence comes to an end: The second beginning of Moamoriya rebellion in 1782 resulted in the fleeing of the Ahom king from the capital. This event marked the end of Ahom independence. Thereafter the Ahom king remained as a ruler only in name. Various local rebellions destroyed all royal authority in no time. The arrival of the British military expedition in 1792 marks the end of Ahom Independence. The British soon became the masters and the Ahom king had to run the administration according to their whim and fancy. Thus with the passage of time, the Ahom rulers lost their independence.

(iii) Political chaos: One of the inevitable results of the rebellion was that it resulted in the destruction of Ahom power and authority. During the period from 1769 to 1805, all civil administration and Ahom military arrangement were completely destroyed Local chieftains enjoyed the status similar to that of local kings and even started to control the affairs of their region. Many local chieftains were declared independence. Thus there was political choos and confusion in the country encouraging the foreigners to come to Assam and conquer it.

(v) Rise of Purnananda: The rise of Purnananda as the main authority in Assam from 1782 to 1817 was the inevitable result of Moamoria rebellion. The Ahom rulers were inefficient and so the Burhagohain the Rajamantry became very powerful. In order to suppress the Moamoria rebellion, Purnananda had to take extreme measures which further alienated the people. Moreover, the autocracy of Purananda was the main cause for the arrival of Burmese military expedition in 1817 and the subsequent military invasion of Assam in 1819.

(vi) Establishment of independent kingdom: As a result of the rebellion, many regions of Assam such as Bengmara, Majuli, Nagaon, Kamrup, etc. started functioning independently. The most prominent among these was the kingdom of Matak formed by Sarbananda in the Bengmara region of upper Assam.

(vii) Decline of Ahom administrative system: The rebellion led to the decline of Ahom administrative system. The Ahoms had a well-established administrative system with clear-cut tasks for each category of ministers and various officials of the state. Even the power of the king was well-defined. But Ahom officials such as Kirti Chandra Barbaruah and Purnananda Burhagohain completely changed this existing system to suit their whims and fancy. This was one of the causes for the fast decline of the Ahom empire.

[II] THE KHASI REBELLION:

[A] VERY SHORT TYPE QUESTIONS:

1. Under the leadership of which Syiem of Nongkhlow, anti- British revolt arose in Khaki Hills?

Ans. Under the leadership of Tirat Singh, anti-British rebellion arose in Khasi Hills.

2. When did Khasi revolt occur? 

Ans. The Khasi revolt against the British occurred in 1829.

3. Mention the names of the hills which constitute the state of Meghalaya.

Ans. The state of Meghalaya consists of three hills: 

(i) Khasi hills.

(ii) Jaintia Hills.

(iii) Garo hills.

4. How many total states were present in Khasi state? 

Ans. The Khasi state consisted of 25 small kingdoms.

5. By what name is the chief/head of the Khasi state known? 

Ans. The chief/head of the Khasi state was known by the names such as Syiem, Lyngdoh, Sadar, Ohadar, etc.

6. What was the basic aim of the construction of Srihatta-Guwahati road?

Ans. The basic aim of the construction of Srihatta-Guwahati Road was to make the movement of the British army easy and fast which would enable the British to keep the entire region under their control.

7. Through which Khasi states Srihatta-Guwahati road was planned to be constructed?

Ans. David Scott, the British political agent planned to construct a road between Srihatta (Bangladesh) and Guwahati for the easy movement of British army. This road was expected to pass through the kingdom of Cherri and Nongkhlow and the remaining half would pass through the state of Mylliem and the kingdom of Khyrim.

8. Which British official planned to construct the Srihatta- Guwahati road?

Ans. David Scott, planned to construct the Srihatta-Guwahati road. 

9. Who was made syiem of Nongkhlow by David Scott? 

Ans. Tirat Singh was made syiem of Nongkhlow by David Scott.

10. Name one British official who was given the responsibility of supervising the construction of Nongkhlow’s health resort and bungalow.

Ans. Lieutenant Bedding Field, was given the responsibility of supervising the construction of Nongklow’s health resort and bungalow.

11. Who enjoyed the legal claim to ‘Now-Duar’ since the days of Ahom? 

Ans. The sylem of Nongkhlow enjoyed the legal claim over ‘Now- Duar region since the days of the Ahoms.

12. Who was allowed to enjoy the authority of ‘Dimoruwa’ or ‘Desh-Dimoria’ by the East India Company?

Ans. Tirat Singh was allowed to enjoy the authority of ‘Dimoruwa’ or ‘Desh-Dimoria’ by the East India Company.

13. Who threatened Tirat Singh of invasion? 

Ans. Balaram Singh (the king of ‘Deshrani’) threatened Tirat Singh of invasion.

14. What was the rumor that was spread by Bengali chaprasis?

Ans. Some Bengali Chaprasis spread the rumour that very soon British would impose tax on the entire Khaki hills and that they would also bring the region under their control.

15. Which rebel leader took the responsibility of resisting the entry of British army from Guwahati? 

Ans. Barmanik, the syiem of Mylliem, took the responsibility of resisting the entry of British army from Guwahati.

16. Who resisted the British army coming from Srihatta? 

Ans. Tirat Singh, the syiem of Nongkhlow and Mukunda Singh resisted the entry of British army from Srihatta.

17. Mention the date and year in which the Khasi rebels invaded the health resort at Nongkhlow. 

Ans. On 8th April, 1829 the Khasi rebels invaded the British health resort and bungalow at Nongkhlow.

18. Name the British official who was killed by the rebels at Nongkhlow. 

Ans. Lieutenant Bedding Field and Lieutenant Berlington were killed by the Khasi rebels during their attack on the British bungalow at Nongkhlow.

9. Why was David Scott saved from the attacks of the rebels?

Ans. David Scott was saved from the attacks of the rebels since he had gone to Cherrapunji about 3 days prior to rebels’ attack of the British bungalow at Nongkhlow.

20. Who snatched away the collected revenue from the hands of the British employees? 

Ans. Barmanik, the syiem of Mylliem, snatched away the collected revenue from the hands of the British employees.

21. What amount of money was announced as reward for catching Tirat Singh?

Ans. The East India Company announced a cash reward of one thousand rupees to the person who would catch Tirat Singh

22. What amount of monthly pension was paid to Tirat Singh? 

Ans. After the surrender of Tirat Singh to the British, he was given life imprisonment with a monthly pension of rupees sixty-three.

23. To which jail was Tirat Singh imprisoned? 

Ans. Trait Singh was imprisoned in the Dhaka Jail.

24. Where and when did Tirat Singh die? 

Ans. Tirat Singh died in March, 1834 while he was undergoing life imprisonment in Dhaka Jail.

25. What was the main reason behind the failure of the Khasi rebellion?

Ans. The main reason behind the failure of Khasi rebellion was the superior weapons and better military strategy followed by the British.

[B] ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BRIEFLY:

1. Name the hills which are taken together to constitute the state of Meghalaya.

Ans. The state of Meghalaya consists of the following three hills:

(1) The Khasi Hills.

(ii) The Jaintia Hills.

(iii) The Garo Hills.

2. What do you mean by Khasi Darbar? 

Ans. By ‘Khasi Darbar, we mean the council of elders who assisted the syiems of various kingdom in administering their kingdom. This council took major decisions on matters regarding their culture, customs, festivals and local administration. It was the highest authority in the state of Meghalaya. The members of this council consisted of elders, noted men and princes of the ruling class.

3. Write down two conditions laid down during the understanding between Tirat Singh and East India Company.

Ans. Tirat Singh, the ruler of Nongkhlow signed a friendship treaty with David Scott on 30th Nov, 1826. 

The two conditions of this treaty were the following:

(i) Tirat Singh accepted the British domination and in return David Scott promised to protect Tirat Singh from all enemy invasions.

(ii) On his turn, Tirat Singh allowed free movement of British soldiers in his kingdom.

4. What was the cause of dispute between Barmanik and the Company?

Ans. Barmanik, the syiem of Mylliem, was given the right to collect revenue in the border areas named ‘Desh-Dimoria or ‘Dimoruwa’ region on behalf of Tirat Singh, the syiem of Nongkhlow. When company agents collected revenue from this area, Barmanik objected. He considered it as an act of interference on his independent authority. Therefore the entire revenue collected from Khasi people by the company agents were forcefully taken away by Barmanik. This was opposed by the British official, David Scott which led to dispute between Barmanik and the company.

5. How did the East India Company betray Tirat Singh? 

Ans. David Scott, the British official had signed a friendship treaty with Tirat Singh on 30th Nov. 1826 promising British help if enemies attacked his kingdom. In the last part of 1828, Balaram Singh, the king of ‘Deshrani’ threatened to attack Tirat Singh. Therefore Tirat Singh sought military help from the British against his enemy Balaram. But the British did not come to his help. Instead they tried to help his enemy. In this manner, the East India Company betrayed Tirat Singh.

6. Who joined Tirat Singh in the struggle against the British?

Ans. When the East India Company refused to help Tirat Singh against his, Balaram Singh, the king of Deshrani, Tirat Singh raised a banner of revolt against the Company. Soon Barmanik, the syiem of Mylliem joined Tirat Singh as he had some grievances against the British. Following Barmanik, the other sylems such as Mukunda Singh, Mankar Singh, Yuda Singh, etc. also joined Tirat Singh in the strugle against the British.

7. Explain the Khasi Rebellion plan briefly. 

Ans. When East India Company refused to help Tirat Singh against his enemy, Tirat Singh realized that the British were treacherous people. Therefore he raised a banner of revolt against the British. Soon other Khasi syiems and chieftains joined him as most of them had some kind of grievances against the British. Within a short time, Tirat Singh prepared a plan of rebellion. The main plan was to resist the entry of the British army and their food stuffs into the Khasi state. Accordingly.the rebels wanted to block the entry of British soldiers from Srihatta (Bangladesh) and Guwahati. The rebels distributed the responsibilities among themselves. Barmanik took the responsibility of keeping a watch over the British army coming from Guwahati. Tirat Singh and Mukunda Singh took the responsibility of resisting the entry of British army coming from Srihatta. Once the entry points to the Khasi Hills were sealed, the rebels planned to attack British army camp located at Cherra and Nongkhlow.

8. Write briefly about the Khasi rebels’ invasion on the health resort at Nongkhlow.

Ans. After having made sufficient preparation and blocked the entry of British soldiers at Guwahati and Srihatta, the Khasi rebels suddenly attacked the British health resort and bungalow at Nongkhlow on 8th April, 1829. The rebels arrested and killed the Assamese Tehsiladar along with his 60 soldiers. Lieutenant Bedding Field and Lieutenant Berlington, were also brutally killed. However, David Scott escaped the attack as he had gone to Cherrapunji for some official work.

9. How did the British involve in the counter-attack?

Ans. The British were surprised at the sudden attack by the Khasi rebels under the leadership of Tirat Singh and others. Their contact with East India Company had been cut off for several days. When the East India Company came to know about the attack, the company sent two platoons under Captain Frederick Lister to suppress the rebellion. The result was that the Khasi rebels having simple weapons like axe and arrows could not continue their struggle in face of modern military skill and better weapons. Captain Frederick Lister was able to quell the rebellion within a short period of time. Kuldip Singh, a close associate of Tirat Singh, was defeated and imprisoned by the British army. Barmanik, the syiem Mylliem, was caught and he ultimately accepted British subjugation. Only Tirat Singh remained outside and his he spent his days hiding and keeping away from the British. Finally he too was forced to surrender.

10. What punishment was awarded to Tirat Singh by the Special Court?

Ans. A Special Court was set up to try the case of Tirat Singh who had surrendered to the British as he was promised a non-death punishment. The court punished him by giving lifetime imprisonment with a monthly pension of rupees sixty three and confined him to Dhaka jail. However, Tirat Singh did not live long and died in March, 1834 in the prison. With his death, the Khasi struggle for independence came to an end and soon the entire region came under the suzerainty of the British.

[C] ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1. Bring out an introduction of the state of Meghalaya. 

Ans. Formerly the state of Meghalaya was part of Assam. It mainly consisted of three hills named the Khaki Hills, the Jaintia Hills and the Garo Hills. These hills were occupied by three tribal groups named the Khasis, the Jaintias and the Garos. Foremost among these groups is the Khasi tribal group. They constituted the largest ethnic group as well as inhabited the Khasi Hills regions which formed the central core of the state. The Khasis were the first group to resist the attempt of the British to subjugate their land. Their kingdoms was surrounded by Kamrup (Assam) in the north, Srihatta (Bangladesh) in the south, Jaintia Hills in the east and Garo Hills in the west. The head/chief of these states were known by the names such as Syiem, Lyngdoh, Sardar, Ohadar, etc. One of the notable features of Khasi rule was the significant role played by Khasi Darbar. It took the major decisions regarding the culture and the general administration of the areas. It was the highest political and cultural authority in the state.

2. Write an essay on East India Company’s policy plan regarding the Khasi state. 

Ans. After the conclusion of first Indo-Burmese war in 1826 the British came to control lower Assam. Assam then consisted of the various hills that surrounded the Assam plains. It was during this period that British came into contact with the Khasis of Meghalaya. The first Burmese war came to an end with treaty of Yandaboo which was signed on 24th Feb. 1826. This treaty was signed between East Indian Company and the Burmese emperor. As a result of this treaty the Burmese abandoned their claim over Assam, Kachar, Manipur and other states adjoining Assam. It was in this context that the British came to control lower Assam. However, the British established only a military control over the area and the local rulers were allowed to rule on the direction of the British. For the easy movement of troops in Assam, it was necessary to establish a road link between Guwahati and Bangladesh. This would not only facilitate better trade but also the British could easily bring their forces through the ports of Bangladesh rather than bringing them through the state of West Bengal. With this in view, David Scott, came to an understanding with Sattar Singh, the syiem of Nongkhlow. He wanted to construct a road between Guwahati and Srihatta via the Khasi state. The first half of the road had to be constructed through Cherri kingdom and Nongkhlow and the remaining half would have to pass through Mylliem state. Although Sattar Singh, agreed, yet the syiems of Mylliem and Khyrim opposed to the British move. Therefore the British plan could not be implemented as planned.

Meanwhile, Sattar Singh died in 1826. The British viewed it as the golden opportunity to place their candidate on the throne. Soon there emerged a tussle for the throne between the two contestants – Tirat Singh and Rajen Singh. David Scott intervened in the issue and supported the cause of Tirat Singh. The result was that Tirat Singh became the new syiem of Nongkhlow state. In gratitude, Tirat Singh signed a treaty of friendship with David Scott on 30th Nov, 1826. With this treaty, Tirat Singh accepted the British control over the kingdom. In return, David Scott promised to protect Tirat Singh from enemies’ attack. Tirat Singh, in turn, granted free movement of British solders through his kingdom. He also agreed to allow the British to construct Guwahati-Srihatta road through his state. Moreover, Tirat Singh allowed David Scott to construct a bungalow and health resort at Nongkhlow for the British officials and officers.

3. Why did Tirat Singh blame East India Company for breaking the treaty?

Ans. With the British plan of expansion, David Scott and Tirat Singh, had signed an agreement on 30th Nov, 1826: According to his treaty, Tirat Singh accepted British suzerainty and in return the British promised to protect him from all external enemy attack. However, when Balaram Singh, the king of ‘Deshrani’ threatened to attack Tirat Singh, the latter sought the military intervention of the British as agreed upon by the treaty. But the British refused to help him and instead went forward to help his enemy. This was absolute treachery on the part of the British. Under these circumstances Tirat Singh raised the banner of revolt against the British. Thus breaking of the treaty of 1826 by the British was one of the major causes for the Khasi rebellion of 1829 against the British.

4. Give an account of the policy of Khasi rebellion. 

Ans. With a view to bring the hill regions surrounding the Assam plains under their control, the British made a peace treaty with Tirat Singh, the ruler of Nongkhlow state. According to this treaty the British promised to protect him from his enemies. However, when Balaram, the king of ‘Deshrani’ threatened to attack Tirat Singh, the latter sought military support from the British. However, the British did not come to his help. Instead they helped his enemy. Tirat Singh was deeply hurt by this betrayal. Under these circumstances, Tirat Singh took the banner of revolt against the British. Soon he gathered support of other syiems and other local chieftains of the region around him. Many of them had some grievances against the British. Hence they too willingly joined Tirat Singh in the revolt. Moreover, during this time some Bengali chaprasis spread the rumour that British would soon take over the entire Khasi region and would tax them heavily. This rumour helped in the spread of anti-British feeling among the Khasi peasants.

Meanwhile Tirat Singh sought the help of other syiems in revolting against the British. Barmanik, the syiem of Mylliem who was dissatisfied with the British joined Tirat Singh. Within a short time all other syiems and chieftains of the various Khasi kingdoms joined Tirat Singh to fight against the British. It included Mukunda Singh, Mankar Singh, Yuda Singh, etc. The rebel leaders headed by Tirat Singh prepared a well-organized plan for their revolt. It was more extensive than the British. The leaders had public support. The ordinary people and the peasants supported their king. Under Tirat Singh, the leadership of a strategy was worked out to fight the British. Their main plan was to resist the entry of British army and their food stuff into the Khasi state. via the two entry points namely, Guwahati and Bangladesh border. The rebels distributed the responsibilities among themselves. 

Barmanik took the responsibility of blocking British entry from Guwahati while Tirat Singh and Mukunda Singh took the responsibility of blocking British arrival from the Bangladesh border. Thereafter they planned to attack the camp of David Scott at Cherra. On 8th April, 1829 the rebels along with 600 Khasi peasants suddenly attacked he British health resort at Nongkhlow. The rebels arrested and killed an Assamese Tehsildar along with 60 soldiers. Lieutenant Beading Field and Lieutenant Berlington were also killed. However David Scott escaped death as he had gone to Cherrapunji a few days ago.

Tirat Singh was a good organiser. He along with Monbhat and Man Singh went from one hill to another and organized the Khasi peasants while Barmanik and Mukunda Singh occupied many villages under the British. This sudden attack of the local population surprised the British and they took some time to organize a counter-attack.

5. Discuss the role of Tirat Singh in Khasi rebellion. 

Ans. The Khasi rebellion against the British took place in the year 1829. The primary cause for it was the treachery shown by the British towards Tirat Singh. By the treaty of 1826 the British had agreed to protect Tirat Singh in the event of some foreign attack. However, when Balaram Singh, threatened him with an attack, the British did not come to his help. Under these circumstances, Tirat Singh was forced to revolt against this treachery of the British. He was a capable mass leader. He incited the Khasi peasants about the great harm that would come if they allowed the British to enter their kingdom. In fact, Tirat Singh along with Monbhat and Man Singh moved from one hill to another exhorting the peasants to fight against the British.

Tirat Singh got the support of other local leaders against the British. Most of them were unhappy with the way the British treated them. Tirat Singh took the opportunity to turn their anger into a combined rebellion against the British. The result was that Barmanik, the syiem of Mylliem and the sylems of other states such as Mukunda Singh, Mankar Singh, Yuda Singh, etc, also joined Tirat Singh.

Tirat Singh appeared to be the chief coordinator of the rebellion. He laid out a well-prepared plan for the rebellion. He wanted to block the entry of the British at the two entry points to the Khasi state, namely, at Guwahati and Bangladesh border. Once the entry points were sealed, they planned to attack the British camp at Cherri and Nongkhlow. The rebellion started as planned and the Khasi peasants under his leadership attacked the British camp at Nongkhlow and destroyed it. Two British officers were also killed. Therefore all credit of organizing and leading the Khasi rebellion goes to Tirat Singh.

3. Explain the nature of counterattack by the British against the Khasi rebels. Was their attack justified? 

Ans. The Khasi rebellion against the British took place in April, 1829. After having sealed the two entry points to the Khasi state, the Khasi rebels attacked the British camp at Nongkhlow. During this attack, they were able to kill a good number of British Indian soldiers and their British officers. The British didn’t expect such a sudden attack. However, the British authorities soon recovered from their shock and sent two platoons of army to suppress the rebellion. The Khasi rebels having simple weapons like axes and arrows could not continue their struggle for long. The result was that the British army under Captain Frederick Lister was able to bring the entire region under their control. Kuldip Singh, a close associate of Tirat Singh was defeated and imprisoned by the British. Another Khasi rebel leader, Barmanik was defeated and forced to accept British suzerainty. Only Tirat Singh remained free outside. He refused to surrender to the British. 

But finally when the British promised not to kill him on surrender, he surrendered. However, he was treated badly. Tirat Singh was imprisoned in Dhaka Jail where he died in 1834. If we analyse the nature of counter-attack organized by the British, it can be said that the rebellion was treated as purely a military affair. The British tried to put down the rebellion forcefully. They caught the leaders of the rebellion and punished them. The British considered the rebellion as the out come of few disgruntled local leaders. But the truth is that it was much more than a mere revolt of few local leaders. In other words, the British failed to recognize the true nature of Khasi rebellion. A good number of Khasi peasants and local leaders joined the revolt against the British interference and domination. The British however failed to see this aspect of the revolt.

The strong military solution undertaken by the British was uncalled because hundreds of local people lost their lives. The entire Khasi hills were ravaged by the British. The hostility between the people of Khasi Hills and the British which climaxed with the rebellion of April, 1829 continued for many more years to come.

7. Do you think of Khasi rebellion as a mass rebellion? Give reasons.

Ans. The Khasi rebellion took place in April, 1829. It was organised by the local chieftains of Khasi hills. The main cause for the revolt was the betrayal of the British in protecting the interest of Tirat Singh. According to the peace treaty made with Tirat Singh, the East India Company had promised to protect the kingdom from all external invasions. But when Balaram, the king of ‘Deshrani’ threatened Tirat Singh, the British refused to come to his help. This made Tirat Singh realize that the British could not be trusted. Therefore he organized all syiems and local chieftains against them. Many of them had economic grievances against the British. The local peasants were agitated because they heard the rumour that soon the British would conquer their area and impose heavy tax upon them.

Therefore the people willingly joined local chieftains’ call for rebellion. British high-handiness further aggravated the problem. The plan of Khasi revolt was more perfect and extensive than the anti-British revolt of contemporary Assam. The Khasi revolt was more extensive as it had full support of common people. The revolts organized by Assamese leaders like Dhananjay Piyali of upper Assam had limited public support. In Assam, there was wide chasm between the interests of the general population and Ahom nobles. But this was not the case in Khasi Hills. There hardly existed any major difference between the rulers and the subjects in Meghalaya. Therefore Khasi peasants willingly joined Tirat Singh’s call for revolt. The peasants thought that they would be economically ruined if the British were to rule over them. Therefore it can be said that the Khasi rebellion of 1829 was a mass rebellion.

[III] THE MANIPUR REBELLION:

[A] VERY SHORT TYPE QUESTIONS:

1. When was Tikendrajit born?

Ans. Tikendrajit was born in the year 1859. 

2. Write the name by which Tikendrajit’s father lovingly called him?

Ans. Tikendrajit’s father lovingly called his son’ Koireng’ or ‘Tiger Hunter’.

3. Besides his mother tongue Manipuri, which languages were fluently spoken by Tikendrajit? 

Ans. Besides his mother tongue Manipuri, Tikendrajit could speak fluently Bengali, Hindi and English.

4. When did Chandrakirti Singh die?

Ans. King Chandrakirti Singh died in 1886.

5. Who became the king of Manipur after Chandrakirti Singh died? 

Ans. After the death of Chandrakirti Singh, Prince Surchandra Singh became the king of Manipur.

6. Who was announced as the young prince when Surchandra became the king? 

Ans. When Surchandra became the king, Kulchandra was announced as the young prince or yubaraj.

7. What post was held by Tikendrajit when Surchandra became the king? 

Ans. When Surchandra became the king after death of Chandrakirti Singh, Tikendrajit was holding the post of the commander-in- chief of the Manipur army.

8. By suppressing which revolt Tikendrajit earned fame as the General?

Ans. Tikendrajit earned fame as the general by suppressing the revolt of the Kukis near the Manipur border.

9. Who was appointed as the British political Agent at Manipur?

Ans. Grimwood was appointed as the British political agent in Manipur.

10. Where did Surchandra take refuge when he was unable to control the family dispute? 

Ans. When Surchandra was unable to control the family dispute he took refuge with the British political agent, Grimwood.

11. Where and with what purpose did Surchandra go to pilgrimage? 

Ans. Surchandra wanted to go to Vrindavan in U.P on the pretext of pilgrimage. But his actual plan was to meet the British officials in Kolkata and settle the family dispute in his favour.

12. How many soldiers were present in J.W. Quinton’s army? 

Ans. J.W. Quinton’s army consisted of 600 soldiers, most of whom were of Napalese origin.

13. Why and with whom was Quinton angry on not fining him the Darbar?

Ans. Quinton was angry in not finding Tikendrajit in the Darbar because he had come to Imphal for the very purpose of arresting Tikendrajit.

14. Who ordered the rebels to behead Quinton? 

Ans. Quinton and other British officials were beheaded by the Manipur rebels on the order of Tikendrajit’s close friend General Thengal.

15. Where did the rebels keep the heads of the British officials? 

Ans. The rebels buried the heads of the beheaded British officials on the gateway of the royal palace.

16. How did the residents of the British Bungalow save their lives?

Ans. The residents of the British Bungalow saved themselves by escaping from their bungalow at night before the Manipur rebels attacked.

17. What did the rebels do with the British Bungalow? 

Ans. The rebels burned the British Bungalow to ashes.

18. Who was sent with the military expedition to suppress the Manipur rebellion by the government of India?

Ans. A British general named General Collect with an army of eight thousand men were sent to Manipur to quell the rebellion. 

19. Who resisted the British military expedition? 

Ans. Only the people of Pabna of Khongjom resisted the British military expedition to Manipur.

20. Mention the date and year in which British army occupied Manipur? 

Ans. The British army occupied Imphal, the capital of Manipur, on 27th April, 1891.

21. Who amongst the Manipur royal family put forward argument supporting the preparation for war against the British military invasion? 

Ans. General Thengal and some valiant young Manipur princes argued in favour of preparing for war against the British military invasion.

22. What amount of cash reward was fixed by the British authority against the head of Tikendrajit and Kulchandra?

Ans. The British announced a cash reward of Rs. 5000 against the heads of King Kulchandra and General Tikendrajit. 

23. Who was Thengal?

Ans. Thengal was one of the trusted commanders of General Tikendrajit, the commander-in-chief of Manipur army.

24. What was the main objective of the Special court? 

Ans. The main objective in setting up the Special court was to take revenge on the Manipuri rebels and to establish British supremacy rather than establish justice.

25. Did the special court provide scope to the accused for self-defense? 

Ans. The British after quelling the rebellion of Manipur established a Special court to try the leaders of the rebellion. This court did not provide any scope to the accused for self-defense.

26. Who pleaded in support of Tikendrajit at the court? 

Ans. A barrister named Manmohan Ghosh pleaded in support of Tikendrajit in the court.

27. What punishment did the court pronounce to Tikendrajit and Thengal?

Ans. The Special court set up to the try the leaders of Manipur Rebellion of 1891 ordered Tikendrajit and Thengal to be hanged till death. 

28. Where was Tikendrajit hanged to death?

Ans. Tikendrajit was hanged to death at Polo Grounds, Imphal on 13th Aug, 1891 for organizing the rebellion against the British.

[B] Pick out the correct Answer: 

1. The main hero of the people’s uprising of Manipur was __________.

(a) King Chandrakirti.

(b) King Kulchandra.

(c) General Thengal.

(d) General Tikendrajit.

Ans. (d) General Tikendrajit.

2. The meaning of ‘Koireng’ is __________.

(a) Elephant hunter.

(b) Deer hunter.

(c) Tiger hunter.

(d) Rhino hunter.

Ans. (c) Tiger hunter.

3. Tikendrajit was born in the year __________.

(a) 1895.

(b) 1859.

(c) 1959.

(d) 1860.

Ans. (b) 1859.

4. Who suppressed other rebellion of the Kukis?

(a) Surchandra Singh.

(b) Anjou Sena.

(c) General Tikendrajit.

(d) General Thengal.

Ans. (c) General Tikendrajit.

5. The British political agent appointed at Manipur was __________.

(a) Grimwood.

(b) J.W Quinton.

(c) Capt. Brakenbury.

(d) Capt. Lugar.

Ans. (a) Grimwood.

6. The Manipur rebellion was suppressed under the leadership of __________.

(a) General Collect.

(b) J.W. Quinton.

(c) Simpson.

(d) Casinov.

Ans. (a) General Collect.

7. Mr. Quinton started his journey towards Manipur on __________.

(a) 7th March, 1981.

(b). 7th March, 1891.

(c) 7th March, 1892.

(d) 7th March, 1890.

Ans. (b) 7th March 1891.

8. ‘Very soon, a huge tiger will be trapped in Manipur’- who heard this news?

(a) Angou Sena.

(b) King Kulchandra.

(c) Tikendrajit.

(d) General Thengal.

Ans. (c) Tikendrajit.

9. The cash reward announced by the British against Tikendrajit was __________.

(a) Rs. 500.

(b) Rs. 5000.

(c) Rs. 50,000.

(d) Rs. 5, 00,000.

Ans. (b) Rs. 5000.

10. Who was identified to be prime accused in the Manipuri peoples’ uprising by the Special Court? 

(a) Angou Sena.

(b) General Thengal.

(c) Tikendrajit.

(d) Kulchandra.

Ans. (c) Tikendrajit.

[C] Answer the following questions:

1. Briefly write about Tikendrajit’s youth.

Ans. Manipuris organized a rebellion against British domination under the leadership of Vir Senapati Tikendrajit in the year 1891. He was the son of King Chandrakirti Singh of Manipur. 

Tikendrajit was born in 1859. Since his childhood he was fond of dealing with various types of arms and weapons. He was famous for his outstanding hunting skills. His father used to lovingly call him ‘Koireng’ which means ‘Tiger hunter’. Tikendrajit possessed great physical strength and exemplary intelligence. Besides his mother tongue Manipuri, he could speak Bengali, Hindi and English. He was eminent for skills in sports, games and horse-riding. After the death of his father in 1886, he became the commander-in-chief of the Manipur army. 

2. What was the reason behind the dispute of the royal family of Manipur? 

Ans. King Chandrakirti Singh died in the year 1886. After his death, there emerged a war of succession among his sons. Subsequently, Surchandra ascended the throne of Manipur. At the same time Kulchandra and Tikendrajit were appointed Yubaraja and general respectively. Tikendrajit was most popular among the royal princes. He had suppressed several revolts within the kingdom. It appeared that the people as well as some members of the royal family were not happy with Surchandra becoming the king. This resulted in a royal dispute over the throne of Manipur.

3. What kind of relationship did exist between Grimwood and Tikendrajit?

Ans. Grimwood was the British political agent placed in Manipur by the British Govt. in India. Over the years, he became very friendly with Tikendrajit. One of the factors that led Grimwood to become friendly with the former was his mastery over Manipuri, Bengali, Hindi and English. Besides, Grimwood was much impressed by Tikendrajit’s skills in games, sports and horse riding.

4. What prayer did Surchandra place to the British authority on his arrival at Kolkata? 

Ans. When Surchandra, came to Kolkata, he requested the British to enthrone him as the king of Manipur. Soon after the death of king Chandrakirti Singh in 1886, there occurred a royal dispute regarding the throne of Manipur. Although Surchandra became the king, some royal family members were not too contended with Surchandra becoming the king. This led to a royal dispute in Manipur forcing Surchandra to seek the help of the British in this matter.

5. What did the government of India decide against the request of Surchandra? 

Ans. When Surchandra reached Kolkata and requested the British to help him to get back the throne of Manipur, they refused to help him. Instead they planned to install Kulchandra as the king of Manipur and to exile Tikendrajit as he was presumed to be the main leader of royal revolt. 

6. Why did Grimwood disagree to the proposal of Indian government?

Ans. When Surchandra requested the British to help in getting back the throne, the British refused to help him. Instead they proposed to make Kulchandra the king and exile Tikrendrajit for his role in organizing the royal dispute. But Grimwood, the British political agent stationed in Imphal, was a good a friend of Tikendrajit and therefore opposed the arrest and deportation of Tikendrajit.

7. What kind of treatment was provided to the members of the royal family at Durbar?

Ans. In order to quell the royal revolt in Manipur which was organised under the leadership of Tikendrajit, J.W. Quinton, the chief commissioner of Assam came to Imphal with 600 soldiers. After reaching Imphal, he ordered the presence of all the royal family members in a Darbar. The royal family members were made to wait for two hours and then allowed to enter into the Darbar hall. This was a great insult to the royal family of Manipur.

8. What kind of doubts filled the mind of Tikendrajit regarding the Darbar held by the British? 

Ans.Soon after the arrival of J.W. Quinton, he ordered the presence of all royal family members in a darbar. But Tikendrajit felt that this was a trick to get him arrested. Therefore he did not attend the Darbar. He knew that British very cunning and could not be trusted.

9. What did Kulchandra inform on getting the advice of arresting Tikendrajit?

Ans. When the British authorities proposed to make Kulchandra the king and exile Tikendrajit, Kulchandra informed them that Tikendrajit was suffering from some kind of disease and therefore he could not be presented.

10. Why did British army fail to arrest Tikendrajit? 

Ans. Tikendrajit was a popular leader and so could not be easily arrested in public. He did not attend the Darbar called by J.W. Quinton as he knew that he might be arrested there. Moreover, he kept himself hiding so that the British could not arrest him.

11. What did Tikendrajit repeatedly emphasis upon during the discussion?

Ans. When the British failed to arrest Tikendrajit due to fear of public reaction, they called him for discusssion to find an amicable solution to the problem. During the discussion with the British, Tikendrajit repeatedly emphasized that British had no right to interfere in the internal matters of Manipur royal family. In this manner he reiterated the struggle of independence of Manipur.

12. What were the charges with which the Special court accused Tikendrajit?

Ans. A Special court was set up soon after the end of Manipur rebellion of 1891 to try the leaders of rebellion. 

This court charged Tikendrajit with the following crimes: 

(i) Declaring war against the Queen.

(ii) Instigated people to murder British officials.

(iii) Carried out murder and killings.

13. What were the arguments put forward by Barrister Manmohan Ghosh in support of Tikendrajit?

Ans. A Special court was set up soon after the end of Manipur rebellion of 1891 to try the leaders of the rebellion. During this trial, Barrister Manmohan Ghosh argued in favour of Tikendrajit. The barrister stated that the British authorities had no right to hold a trial against Tikendrajit and Kulchandra as they were not subjects of British administered territory. Secondly, he argued that the accused were given no opportunity for self- defence which went against the law of justice.

14. Mention the names of the rebels who were punished with death-sentence by the Special court. 

Ans. The Special court set up to try the leaders of Manipur rebellion of 1891, charged Tikendrajit and Thengal with death penalty.

They were ordered to be hanged till death. Both Tikendrajit and Thengal were hanged in public at Polo grounds, Imphal on 13th Aug, 1891.

[D] Answer the following questions: 

1. Prepare a note on the childhood and youth of Tikendrajit. 

Ans. Student Do Yourself.

2. What role was played by king Surchandra in the family dispute of Manipuri royal family?

Ans. King Chandrakirti Singh of Manipur died in 1886. After his death, there emerged a war of succession among his sons. Thereafter, Surchandra ascended the throne of Manipur. At the same time Kulchandra and Tikendrajit were appointed Yubraj and general respectively. Tikendrajit was the most popular among the royal princes. He had suppressed several revolts within the kingdom. It appeared that the people as well as some members of the royal family were not happy with Surchandra becoming the king. This resulted in a royal dispute over the throne of Manipur.

Soon there emerged family dispute over the throne. The entire royal family got divided into two rival groups. However, king Surchandra was not able to quell the dispute and he was forced to take refuge with the British political agent, Grimwood. But Grimwood couldn’t help him as he was a good friend of Tikendrajit. Therefore Surchandra pretended to go Vrindavan in U.P on a pilgrimage but instead he went to Kolkata and sought the help of the British to secure the throne of Manipur for himself. The British, on the other hand, decided to enthrone Kulchandra as the king and to deport Tikendrajit as he was presumed to be leader of the royal rebellion. 

3. Write briefly about the counter-attack of the British under the leadership of General Collect.

Ans. The Manipur rebellion took place in April, 1891. It was mainly organised by General Tikendrajit and his subordinate commander, General Thengal. When the British officials headed by J.W Quinton tried to arrest Tikendrajit, the people revolted and attacked the British by killing their officials. Soon the British sent a huge army consisting of eight thousand soldiers to Manipur under the command of General Collect.

While moving towards Imphal, he did not face any opposition except by the people of Pabna of Khongjam. The British forces were able to occupy Imphal on 27th April, 1891. Though General Thengal and some valiant young princes argued in favour of fighting against the British, King Kulchandra and Tikendrajit opposed it. Instead most of the local leaders decided to go underground to prevent their arrest. Since General Collect could not arrest the rebels, he offered a cash reward of Rs. 5000/ each for the heads of king Kulchandra and Tikendrajit, and Rs. 2000 for General Thengal. The rebels could not continue to fight with the British for long. Within a short time the British were able to capture general Thengal as well as king Kulchandra. Other leaders such as Niranjan Singh, Kajeya Singh, Angou Sena, etc. were also eventually caught. Only Tikendrajit remained outside. But as his health deteriorated he too had to surrender bringing the Manipur rebellion to a close.

4. Explain the significance of the role played by Tikendrajit in the Manipur Mass Rebellion.

Ans. The Manipuri Mass rebellion took place in the beginning of 1891. It was mainly organised by Tikendrajit, the commander- in-chief of Manipur Army. The British wanted to arrest and deport Tikendrajit as they thought that he would be a thorn in their pursuit of conquering Manipur. Therefore, the British planned to arrest and deport him. However, the local British agent could not do so, as he was a good friend of Tikendrajit. So,the chief commissioner of Assam, J.W. Quinton came personally with 600 soldiers to arrest Tikendrajit. But when the British tried to arrest their popular leader they attacked the British party and killed all their officers. Soon thereafter the British sent a huge force under General Collect to quell the rebellion by arresting Tikendrajit.

At that time, General Thengal and young prince of the royal family argued in favour of fighting against the British. Tikendrajit, realising the folly of fighting against the well-trained and well-equipped army, decided not to go for a full-scale war against the British. He asked all the leaders to go underground and to attack the British from their hideout. Thus, we can see that General Tikendrajit was the main organizer of the Manipur rebellion. He organised the local leaders into a unified group and instilled them with strong anti-British feelings. His valiant fight against the British stands as an epic story of courage and patriotism.

5. Comment on the trial carried out by the Special court. Was the trial justified/fair?

Ans. The Manipur rebellion broke out in April, 1891. The main cause for it was the British attempt to arrest General Tikendrajit, the commander-in-chief the Manipur army. The British did not succeed to arrest him and it took several months to make him surrender. After his surrender, Tikendrajit and other rebel leaders were tried by a Special court set up for this purpose.

The main objective of this court was to carry out revenue and to establish British supremacy. The trial did not provide the accused any scope of self-defence which goes against all forms of justice. The Special court prosecuted Tikendrajit, Thengal, King Kulchandra, Angou Sena, etc. with charges of war and murder.

The trial was only a melodrama in the name of trial. It lacked the basic elements of a trial. According to barrister Manmohan Ghosh, the British had no power to put them to trial as these men were not part of the British administered territory. Secondly the British judges had only one aim, i.e. to take revenue on Tikendrajit for organizing a rebellion in which high ranking British officials were brutally killed. The Special court ordered Tikendrajit and Thengal to be hanged while king Kulchandra and Prince Angou Sena were deported with life Imprisonment. This was a case of total injustice on the part of the British.