Value of keeping a promise--Episode of Sallajee--Protection given
to small villages, and the large ones defied--"Thorough Government
of India" views--A plea for Christian education in the Naga Hills.
Almost from the day I took charge, I let it be known that I was,
as natives say, "a man of one word," and that if I said a thing,
I meant it. If I promised a thing, whether a present or punishment,
the man got it; and if I refused any request, months of importunity
would not move me. This rule saved me much time and worry; instead
of being pestered for weeks with some petition, in the hope that my
patience would be worn out, I simply said Yes, or No, and the people
soon learned that my decision was final. Later on, during the Naga
Hills campaign, I found that my ways had not been forgotten, and this
made dealing with the people much simpler than it might have been.
A certain number of the villages kept one or two men, as the case
might be, constantly in attendance on me to represent them. These were
called delegates, and received ten rupees each per mensem. I gave the
strictest orders to these men not to engage in their tribal raids,
but to remain absolutely neutral. Sephema had two delegates, Sejile
and Sallajee by name, and, one day, it was reported to me that the
last had joined in a raid by his village on Mozuma, and I instantly
summoned him to attend and put him on his trial for disobeying a lawful
order. Some wise-acres in the place shook their heads, and doubted if
I were strong enough to punish, or the advisability of doing so; but
I held that an order must be obeyed, otherwise, it was no use issuing
orders, also, that this was an opportunity of making an example. Of
course it was an experiment, as no one had been punished before for
a similar offence, and I well knew that resistance on his part would
mean that to assert my authority I must attack and destroy Sephema,
but I felt the time had come for vigorous action, and was prepared to
go through with it. I tried Sallajee, found him guilty, and sentenced
him to six months' imprisonment in Tezpore jail. In giving judgment,
I said, "You have not been guilty of a disgraceful offence, therefore,
I do not sentence you to hard labour, and shall not have you bound or
handcuffed like a thief; but, remember, you cannot escape me, so do
not be foolish enough to run away from the man in charge of you." I
then sent him in charge of two police sepoys through one hundred miles
of forest, and he underwent his imprisonment without attempting to get
away. Right thankful I was that my experiment succeeded. Sallajee lived
to fight against us, during the campaign in the Naga Hills in 1879-80.
The orders of the Government of India were strictly against our
responsibilities being extended. We took tribute from Samagudting,
but it was the only village we considered as under our direct rule,
and that only so long as it suited us. Before leaving Calcutta, the
Foreign Secretary said to me emphatically, when I urged an extension
of our sway--"but those villages (the Angami Nagas) are not British
territory, and we do not want to extend the 'red line.'"
However, Government may lay down rules, but as long as they are not
sound, they cannot be kept to by artificial bonds, and sooner or later
events prove stronger than theories. The fact is, that no Government of
late years had ever interested itself in the Eastern Frontier tribes,
except so far as to coax them or bribe them to keep quiet. The Abors
on the banks of the Burrhampooter had long been paid "blackmail,"
and any subterfuge was resorted to, that would stave off the day of
reckoning which was nevertheless inevitable.
As regards the Nagas, this timidity was highly reprehensible. We had
acquired such a prestige, that the least sign of vigorous action on
our part was sure to be crowned with success, so long as we did not
make some foolish mistake.
The people in the hills knew that we objected to the system of raiding,
and could not understand why, such being the case, we did not put it
down, and ascribed our not doing so to weakness, wherein they were
right, and inability wherein they were wrong. The less powerful
villages would at any time have been glad of our protection, and
one of the most powerful--Mozuma, was anxious to become subject to
us. Offers of submission had been made once or twice, but no one liked
to take the responsibility of going against the policy and orders
of the Government. At last an event occurred which brought things
to a crisis, and forced us either to adopt a strong policy, or make
ourselves contemptible by a confession of weakness, and indifference.
Towards the end of March 1874, a deputation came to me from the
village of Mezeffina begging for protection against Mozuma, with whom
they had a feud, and from whom for some reason or other they daily
expected an attack. They offered to become British subjects and pay
revenue in return for protection. I considered the matter carefully,
and before I had given my decision, crowds of old people, and women
carrying their children, came in asking me to save their lives. I at
once decided to grant their request, and promised them what they asked,
on condition that they paid up a year's tribute in advance. This they
at once did, and I immediately sent a messenger to proclaim to Mozuma
that the people of Mezeffina were British subjects, and to threaten
them or any one else with dire vengeance if they dared to lay hands
on them. Our new subjects asked me and my wife, to go out and receive
their submission in person, an invitation which we accepted, and next
day a large number of men turned up to carry my wife, and our baggage,
and that of our escort, consisting of twenty men.
The Mezeffina men rested for the night in Samagudting, and early on
the following morning we started, and reached the village in good
time, where we were received with great demonstrations of respect. We
spent the night there, and then were conveyed back to Samagudting,
after a very pleasant visit.
I did not underrate the grave responsibility that I incurred in
going against the policy of Government, but I felt it was utterly
impossible that I, as their representative, could quietly stand by,
and see a savage massacre perpetrated, within sight of our station of
Samagudting. There is no doubt that this would have speedily followed
had I sent the people away without acceding to their wishes. Of course,
I might have used my influence with Mozuma to prevent a raid in this
particular instance, but that would have been giving protection, and,
I argued, if we give protection, let us get a little revenue to help
to pay for it. Why should all the advantage be on one side? Besides
a half-and-half policy would never have succeeded. "Thorough" should
be the motto of all who deal with savage and half-civilised races;
a promise to refer to Government is of little avail when people are
thinking of each other's blood. Action, immediate action, is what
is required. A failure to realise this, brought on later the Mozuma
expedition of 1877-78, in which a valuable officer lost his life.
Besides the obvious objections I have pointed out, any attempt to make
terms in favour of one village after another by negotiations with
their adversaries, would have involved us in so many complications,
that it would probably have ended in a combination against us.
I reported the matter to Government, and before I could receive any
answer, the village of Sitekima which had a feud with Sephema came
in and asked for the same favour to be accorded to it, as had been
granted to Mezeffina. I accordingly took them over on the same terms,
and again issued a proclamation calling on all people to respect
their rights as British subjects.
Soon after I heard from the Chief Commissioner of Assam, directing
me to take over no more villages without a reference. However, this
could not be, there was no telegraph in those days, and the tide in
favour of asking for our protection had set in in earnest, and must be
taken at the flood. "Vestigia nulla retrorsum" there was no retreat;
and having acted according to my judgment for the best interests of
the State, I felt bound to take further responsibility on myself,
when necessary. Accordingly when the little village of Phenina applied
for protection and offered revenue, I at once acceded, and accepted
their allegiance as British subjects, with the result that they were
left in peace by their powerful neighbours, and had no more anxiety
as to their safety. Phenina was followed by several other villages,
to whom I granted the same terms.
The Mozuma Nagas were always an intelligent set of men, and liked
to be in the forefront of any movement. Seeing the part that other
villages were taking, they came forward and offered to pay revenue,
if we would establish a guard of police in their village, and set up
a school for their children to attend. This was a question involving
a considerable expenditure of money, and as they were not in need of
protection, I felt that I could not accede to their request without
further reference, but I sent on the proposal to Government with a
strong recommendation that it should be adopted. The consideration of
it was put off for a time, and when very tardily my recommendation
was accepted, the Mozuma people had, as I predicted, changed their
minds. Such cases are of constant occurrence. When will our rulers
take the story of the Sibylline books to heart?
The question of education generally, was one that greatly
interested me, my success in Keonjhur [12] in the tributary Mehals
of Orissa, where I had introduced schools, having been very great. In
combination with other suggestions, I strongly urged the advisability
of establishing a regular system of education, including religious
instruction, under a competent clergyman of the Church of England. I
pointed out that the Nagas had no religion; that they were highly
intelligent and capable of receiving civilisation; that with it
they would want a religion, and that we might just as well give
them our own, and make them in that way a source of strength, by
thus mutually attaching them to us. Failing this, I predicted that,
following the example of other hill-tribes, they would sooner or later
become debased Hindoos or Mussulmans, and in the latter case, as we
knew by experience, be a constant source of trouble and annoyance,
Mussulman converts in Assam and Eastern Bengal, being a particularly
disagreeable and bigoted set. My suggestion did not find favour with
the authorities, and I deeply regret it. A fine, interesting race
like the Angamis, might, as a Christian tribe, occupy a most useful
position on our Eastern Frontier, and I feel strongly that we are not
justified in allowing them to be corrupted and gradually "converted"
by the miserable, bigoted, caste-observing Mussulman of Bengal, men who
have not one single good quality in common with the manly Afghans, and
other real Mussulman tribes. I do not like to think it, but, unless we
give the Nagas a helping hand in time, such is sure to be their fate,
and we shall have ourselves to thank when they are utterly corrupted.
The late General Dalton, C.S.I., when Commissioner of Chota Nagpure,
did his utmost to aid Christian Mission among the wild Kols; his
argument being like mine, that they wanted a religion, and that
were they Christians, they would be a valuable counterpoise in time
of trouble to the vast non-Christian population of Behar. In the
same way it cannot be doubted, that a large population of Christian
hill-men between Assam and Burmah, would be a valuable prop to the
State. Properly taught and judiciously handled, the Angamis would
have made a fine manly set of Christians, of a type superior to most
Indian native converts, and probably devoted to our rule. As things
stand at present, I fear they will be gradually corrupted and lose the
good qualities, which have made them attractive in the past, and that,
as time goes on, unless some powerful counter influence is brought to
bear on them, they will adopt the vile, bigoted type of Mahommedanism
prevalent in Assam and Cachar, and instead of becoming a tower of
strength to us, be a perpetual weakness and source of annoyance. I
earnestly hope that I may be wrong, and that their future may be as
bright a one as I could wish for them.