Colonial Forward Policy Unit 6

UNIT 6 : COLONIAL FORWARD POLICY

UNIT STRUCTURE

6.1 Learning Objectives

6.2 Introduction
6.3 Colonial Forward Policy
6.4 Forward Policy Towards Garo Hills
6.5 Forward Policy Towards Lushai Hills
6.6 Forward Policy Towards Naga Hills
6.7 Relation with Trans Inner Lines Tribes
6.8 Let Us Sum Up
6.9 Further Reading
6.10 Answers To Check Your Progress
6.11 Model Questions

6.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this unit, you will able to-

l you will understand the colonial forward policy
l describe the forward policy toward Garo, Lushai and Naga hills
l discuss the relation with trans inner liner tribes.

6.2 INTRODUCTION

The political settlement in Assam started by the British through the

Treaty of Yandaboo. In 1828 British occupied lower Assam to subdue the
intire Brahmaputra valley in the end of the nineteenth century. In this unit we
shell discuss the British policies towards hilly regions.

6.3 COLONIAL FORWARD POLICY

The annexation of Assam brought the British into contact with different
tribes inhabited in North-East India. Anglo-tribal relations in the 19th century
came through several phases. Initially the British are reluctant to come to

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close to the tribes Inhabiting in the North-East frontier of India and preferred
to exercise as much control as less necessary to maintain peace and
soverinity on the border. The tribal people being always independent their
age old customs and traditions determined their racial, political and economic
lives and they were averse to any interference. The British policy therefore
they encourage trade with them so long as they remain peaceful. The gradual
extension of British frontier invariably led to close of the tribes and for various
reasons it became essential to reverse their earlier policy and followed one
of the active intervention. Over a period of time non-intervention gradually
gave away for indirect control and eventually to direct control by the end of
the century.
An important factor in the change of attitude had learn the extension
of tea plantations in the hill area. Initially the govt. realized the problem of
campaigning the hills. The tribal people moreover known to be fierce warrior
moreover the government felt that the hill areas had little economic prospect
and that it would be mansaeen invest in the region anyway. Hence British
policy up to 6th decade of the 19th century was guided by these considerate
this is evident in the context of the general expansionist policy followed by
the viceroy like housie.
The extension of British frontier resulted in frequent plundering raids
on the tea garden by the tribesman. By the 1860s and 1870s plantation
lokley in Assam had became friendly strong. It is the due to their pressure
to a large extent the govt. decided to adopt a forward policy towards the
hill tribes of North-East frontier of India.

6.4 FORWARD POLICY TOWARDS GARO HILLS

Garos lived in the interior of the hills. The various class of the garo
tribes inhabited between the plains of east Bengal and Khasi hills. In this
region there were estates of Kariabari, Kalumalupuna, Habraghat,
Mechpara, slerpur- sasung and Bijni. Choudhury and Raja, the zamindars
of the estates were responsible for the collection of revenue form the garos
and maintenance of law and order in this area. But this zamindars did not
give much importance on the garos and they made regular incursions into
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Colonial Forward Policy Unit 6

the plains. Meanwhile cotton became an important item of trade in the hills
that compelled the zamindars to impose their jurisdiction in the region.
Subsequent attempts were made in the respect and the hills also continued
in retaliation or raids in the plains. This led to turmoil in the frontier areas.
Company realized to impose their direct control on the garo hills.
In 1816, the East India company, as a part of the district of Rangpur,
assuming administrative responsibility over the Garos, divided the garos
into three categories as zamindari garos (who lived within the estates of
former zaminders), the tributary garos( who acknowledged the authority of
the government by paying an annual tribute) and the independent garos.
Bengal Regulations were made operative in this area, but David
Scott realized that it is unsuitable for this area. Scott recommended for the
creation of civil commissioner in the tract comprising Goalpara, Dhubri
and Karaibari. The idea was to bring all the Garos under the direct control
of the British without Zamindars as intermediaries. Along with Scott
proposals the Bengal regulations were replaced by Regulations of 1822.
But with the appointment as the agent to the governor general, north-
eastern frontier, Burmese invasion began and the Garo problems were
stopped down.
After the British occupation in Assam, repeated raids and plunders
continued. Although British took coercive measures, but in general the
policy was conciliatory. But repeated rapids and murders continued in the
Garo hills. Due to this Lord Dalhousie, Governor general realized for a strong
step in the Garo hills and recommended for immediate despatch of an
expedition to quell the tribes. Accordingly an expedition was sent, but it was
not successful. Due to this, the relations between the Garos and the English
shifted from lead to worse. Overthrow the earlier policy, Delhousic decided
to set up an economic blockade. To confine the garo in the hills, markets
were closed. But the measures also became ineffective. Jenkins and Moffatt
hills recommended for the military occupation of the Garo hills.
In 1861 Henry Hopkinson become an agent to the Governor and
commissioner of Assam after Jenkins. He advocated a radical proposal for
the hill tribes. He reiterated the earlier suggestion for the appointment of a
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special officer and also stressed the necessity of constructing roads. But
secretary of state for India recommended for the increase of commerce
and advice that the Garos be encourage to grow more cotton by extending
all possible aid for its cultivation. Hopkinson tried applied this new policy.
In 1865, B. W. D Morton, Deputy commissioner of Goalpara,
proposed for a policy organization in the Garo hills, by which the laskars
would be responsible for the collection of taxes and the maintenance of
law and order in this area. Government accepted the proposal and directed
Morton to arm them with civil and military power, necessary for maintaining
law and order. Accordingly W. J. Williamson. Assistant commissoner of
Goalpara appointed thirty four chiefs and Zimmadars on a fixed salary.
This arrangement worked in the north parts of the garos hills, but at
the same time problems in the southern parts continue to solve this
problems, in July 1866 Garo hill were made a separate administrative unit in
1869, it became an full fledged district with Williamson as its Deputy
Commissioner. But there were several hostilities going on and so 1874
Garo hills was subject gated and it way bought under Commissioner of
Assam in 1874.

6.5 FORWARD POLICY TOWARDS LUSHAI HILLS

The Lushai inhabited the hill tracts adjoining cachar. The economic
resources of the hill tracts inhabited by the Lushais were very limited and
disputes over control of resources often led to interclan feuds. The Lushai
also raided neighbouring British territory in the plains often for their
sustenance. Until the early years of the 1870s these depredation were
sporadic. The Government of Bengal decided to send a punitive expedition
into Lushai territory. In January 1850 captain Hister was despatch with a
force of the sylhet light Infantry.
In December 1850 the deputies of several Lushai chiefs came to
Silchar with an offer of tribute in return for British aid against their enemies.
British accept the hand of friendship but refuse to get involved in inter
tribal feuds. In 1862 groups of Lushai swooped into kachai villages
plundered them, killed several inhabitants and took many more as captives.
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The British decide to induce Sukpilal, one of the main Lushai chiefs to maintain
peace in return for an annual payment. In 1865 captain Steward signs an
agreement with Sukpila.
The situation became so alarming that the government was
compelled to sanction another expedition into the Lushai Hills in 1869. Though
initially successful, the British forces withdraw due to bad weather;
Government appoints a special officer to deal with the situation He concludes
treaties with several chiefs in the hills including Sukpilal. In 1881 Sukpilal
death and renewal of Inter-clan tribes feuds.
The operations against the Lushai ended by 1890 with the surrender
of the main chiefs of north Lushai hills brought under a British political officer.
In 1891 south Lushai hills and the Chittagong hill tracts formed into a
separate district. The district has its new headquarters with Lungleh under
C.S. Murray as superintendent. In 1898 the Chin Lushai hills, which
administered partly by Assam and partly by Bangal was incorporated with
the above territory.

6.6 FORWARD POLICY TOWARDS NAGA HILLS

The extension of the frontier in upper Assam brought the British into
direct contact with the Nagas who dwelt in the hills adjacent to Sibsagar
district, the Nagas were decided into a number of clans such as Angami.
Sema and Lolha each under a chief. The Nagas also made plundering
raids into the villages in the plains. The frontier thus remained in a constant
state of up heave.
The British policy towards the Nagas was initially one of non-
intervention. The British decided that the best way to deal with them was
to establish personal contact with them chiefs and bind the Nagas under
them through conciliatory gestunes to stop then from thacking neighbouring
British territory. In 1851 the Government laid down the following policy that
was to the be followed with regard to the Nagas.
To confine ourselves to the frontier, to protect it as it could and
ought to be protected, to encourage trade with them so long as they are
peaceful towards us and rigidly to exclude all communications on their
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becoming troublesome or troubleburnt. The government was forced to

abandon its policy of non-intervention. Explaining the position, Henry
Hopkinson, who had succeeded Jenkins in 1861.
Hopkinson further pointed out that the government had no
alternative except to occupied the territory or leave them alone altogether.
Take these into consideration be believed that until the government laid
down a clear-cut policy, it would be impossible to propose measures for
the secured of the border. The inner line regulation enactor in 1873 beyond
which tribes were left to manage their own affairs. Demarcated the boundary
between British administered areas and those under the tribes. British
protection extended to those Naga villages who paid a house tax. By
1878,17 Naga villages had come under British protection. A few powerful
villages refused to succumb to the pressure and maintain their
independence.
C.H. Damant took over as political officer of Naga hills in 1878. He
shifted his headquarters from sermaguting to Kohima to be in their midst.
He demands revenue from all villages including the independence ones.
His demand causes widespread discontent. in October 1879 Damant along
with his escorts was murdered at khonong when he head gone to enquire
into a dispute. The death of the political officer emboldened the Nagas to
group together and around 6,00 of them laid siege on kohima.
It became imperative for the authorities to reassert their position.
The government sent Brigadier general Nation own expedition to caw the
Nagas into submission. In March 1880 after several Lostib villages leave
leveled to the ground, most of them were compelled to surrender. The
British restored their influence in the neigbourhood of Kohima, Wokha,
Khonoma and Golaghat. But the outlying villages remained beyond control
and outrages continued in these areas. In 1881 the designation of Deputy
commissioner the requirements of the tea industry and competition among
the Europeans for the competition of coal and other resources in the Naga
hills gradually led to the extension of the administrative boundary of the
district. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the major portion of the
Naga hills came under British administrative control.
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Colonial Forward Policy Unit 6

The British did not introduce any significant changes in the

administration of the Nagas. They considered it politically and economically
expedient not to interfere directly in the administration of this stage.

6.7 RELATION WITH TRANS INNER LINES TRIBES

The initial interest of the British relation with the trans inner frontier
tribes has been motivated by the strategic location of the area. These hills
attracted the attention of the British as pathways to greater commercial
significance such as China and as perceived buffers to illegal incursion
and imparial expansion from Burma.
Surveys, exploration and map-making was made by the various
British officials like captain Bedford, Witcox, Neufville, G, T, Bayfield, S. F.
Hamay and Licutemant Busbton. These reports established the fact that
there were some frontier trilbes, who played a buffer role between Assam
and with that of China and Burma.
When the Industry, minearls and timbers grown tremendously, British
took necessary steps to protect plain from the predatory raids. The
government began to set up check posts along the routes of tribal movement
to check inroad of the tribes. In 1873 also British passed the inner line
regulation, through which it restricted the entry of the plains people into the
tribal hills and thus minimised the contact between the hills and the plains.
British made trade relations with the trans frontiea tribes. Various
commodities were brought by the tribes on the plain markets like vdalguri,
Khagrapana and Daimara and carried lots of articles from the plains. The
import items from plains were mainlt cotton piece goods (Europeas) cotton.
buttle leares, iron, mineral oils etc. The export items from the hills wear
horpes, ponies, nules, cattle, sheep and goats, lac, spices etc.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 1: In which area Garos lived.
.....................................................................
Q 2: Write the name of one estates that …............… responsible for the

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Unit 6 Colonial Forward Policy

collection of revenue from the Garos.

Q 3: In which year Garo hills was made 4 full- fledged district.
................................................................................................
Q 4: In which years were brought under the chief commissioner of Assam.
................................................................................................
Q 5: In which year south Lushai hills …...........…the Chittagong hill tracts
was made as a separate district.
Q 6: In which century Naga hills was made under British administrative
control ?
................................................................................................

6.8 LET US SUM UP

After going through this unit, you have learnt,

l In the nineteenth century British changed the earlier policy of non-
intervention and followed the policy of intervention.
l In case of Garos hills, British periodically entered and subdued them.
They brought under chief commissioner of Assam in 1874.
l Due to the frequent raids by the Lushais, British sent expeditions into
the Lushai hills and the operation completed in 1890.
l In the Naga hills, British appointed several officers and sent expeditions
control the Nagas. In the beginning of the twentieth century major
portion of Naga hills came under the British control.

6.9 FURTHER READING

1) Barpujari, H.K: Assam in the Days of Company

2) Barpujari, H.K (edited): Political History of Assam, Volume-I
3) Barpujari, H.K (edited): A Comprehensive History of Assam Volume-
II & IV
4) Baruah, S.L: A Comprehensive History of Assam
5) Dutt, K.N: Landmarks in the Freedom Struggle in Assam

78 History of Assam from the 17th Century till 1947 C.E.