A bit of history
Our first knowledge of the Khasi Hills dates
from the time when the East India Company acquired the Diwani of Bengal in 1765[1].
The adjoining District of Sylhet was included in that grant, but as the hill men
had never acknowledged any subjection to the Muhammadans, so they still
remained absolutely independent of the British power.
However, the necessities of commerce, arising from their monopoly of the lime quarries, from which Bengal had drawn its supply from time immemorial, soon attracted European enterprise to the country.
However, the necessities of commerce, arising from their monopoly of the lime quarries, from which Bengal had drawn its supply from time immemorial, soon attracted European enterprise to the country.
It appears that no European
had been attracted to reside in the Hills before 1826. In that year the Raja of Noogklao, a Khasi State, entered
into an Agreement with certain European British subjects, led by David Scott,
to allow a road to be made across the Hills, to connect the Surma valley with
Assam Proper. These Europeans had taken up their residence at Nongklao.
Misunderstandings unfortunately arose, and, partly by the misconduct of some of
their Bengali followers, the growing discontent and apprehension were fanned
into a flame.
On 4 April 1829, the Khasis
rose in arms and massacred Lieutenants Bedingfield and Burlton, together with
some sepoys. This led to military
operations on the part of the British Government, which continued through
several cold seasons. The Anglo-Khasi war continued from 1829 to 1833. In
February 1835, Colonel Lister was appointed the first Political Agent in the
Khasi Hills, with his headquarters at Nongklao; and the command of the Sylhet
Light Infantry battalion was also placed in his hands. The civil and military
functions remained conjoined until 1864, when Mr. Hudson was deputed to Cherra
Punji which had then become the administrative headquarters, with the title of
Junior Assistant Commissioner, shortly afterwards changed to that of Deputy Commissioner.
Shillong Peak is the
source of nine revered rivers (the nine living waters) and is held sacred by
the Khasis. Nongkseh, a suburb to the south-west of present day Shillong, was
the capital of the erstwhile Khasi State of Shyllong. By the 19th century the
rival Syiems were in a civil war. In 1830,
in the midst of the Anglo-Khasi
war, Bor Manick, the Syiem of
Shyllong was imprisoned, though later released, and forced to sign a Treaty
with the East India Company. The Company managed to bring a split of Shyllong
State into Khyrim and Mylliem States.
David Scott, the Governor General’s Agent (1826–1828)
and Commissioner of Assam (1828–20 August 1831), started negotiations with Jit
Roy, one of the Myntris[2]
of Tirot Sing, the Syiem of
Nongkhlaw. It is noteworthy that a meeting was fixed with Tirot Sing on 13
January 1833 at Nursingaree, about one mile east of Um Shillong (the place was
most probably Rangkyndur, a spot very near to the Um Shillong stream just below
Shillong Peak)[3]. The
meeting resulted in Tirot Sing being taken prisoner and transferred to Guwahati
and eventually confined in Dacca jail, where he remained as a state prisoner and
died on 17 July 1835.
[1]A statistical account of
Assam, Volume 2, 1879, William Wilson Hunter, Trubner & Co., London.
University of Michigan, Pg.214-264.
[2]Philemon, E.
P. 1995, Cherrapunjee: the arena of
rain - a history and guide to Sohra & Shillong / E.P. Philemon
Spectrum Publications, Guwahati.
[3]Singh, Kynpham; "Khasi & Jaintia Hills upto 1874", published in the Shillong
Centenary Souvenir, 1976, p.4.
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