Return to India--Visit Shillong--Manipur again--Cordial
reception--Trouble with Thangal Major--New arts introduced.
I left for India again in August 1884. I had had but a sad period
of sick leave, as my wife never recovered from her fatigue and
illness, and died in 1883. I was obliged to prolong my leave to make
arrangements for my children.
I took over charge of the Manipur Agency on the 1st October, 1884,
at Shillong, and stayed a few days with the Chief Commissioner. I
left again on 8th October and reached Cachar on the 15th, having
made every effort to push on, and given my boatmen double pay for
doing so. On my way to Cachar, I met people who complained to me of
the way they had been treated in Manipur while I was away, and of the
arrogance displayed by old Thangal Major, who, during my absence, had
become almost despotic. Thangal was an excellent man when kept well
in hand, but he required to be managed with great firmness. During
the Maharajah's increasing illness, a good opportunity was given to
a strong man to come to the front, and Thangal took advantage of
it. On 20th October, I reached Jeeree Ghat, and was received with
great effusion by the Minister Bularam Singh. At Kala Naga on the
22nd, I heard definite complaints against Thangal, a sure proof that
something very bad was going on, as no one would have ventured to
complain without grave provocation. Bularam Singh was Thangal's rival,
so I asked him nothing, knowing well that I should hear as much as I
wanted at Manipur. At Noongha, next day, there were fresh complaints,
the charge being, that men told off to work on the roads were being
used by Thangal to carry merchandize for himself.
At Leelanong, overlooking the beautiful Kowpoom valley, some Nagas
(Koupooees) brought me a man of their tribe who had been carried off
as a boy by the Lushais, and only lately redeemed. He was still in
Lushai costume, and though shorter and fairer, he greatly resembled
one of that tribe, showing what an influence dress has.
On 28th October, I arrived at Bissenpore, intending to march to the
capital next day, but was delayed by an unpleasant circumstance. It
was, as already mentioned, the custom for the Maharajah to meet me
at the entrance to the capital on my arrival, but knowing that he was
not well, I asked the minister to write and say that I did not expect
him to do so, but I would invite the Jubraj to meet me at Phoiching,
half-way between the capital and Bissenpore instead. I also wrote the
same to my head clerk, Baboo Rusni Lall Coondoo, asking him to notify
my wishes to the Durbar, as I felt it extremely likely that were
Bularam Singh alone to write, old Thangal might intrigue and throw
obstacles in the way to discredit him with me and the Durbar. The
minister's letters were not answered, but I heard from Rusni Lall
Coondoo, that he asked to see the Jubraj who had already heard from
Bularam Singh, but he was told that he was ill. After a great deal of
delay an interview was accorded, and though he appeared quite well,
the Jubraj said he was too ill to come, but would send a younger
brother. Feeling sure that there was nothing to prevent his coming,
I sent a message of sympathy, also to say, that I would wait at
Bissenpore till he recovered. I knew perfectly well that all this
story had emanated from Thangal Major's brain, and that I was to be
subjected to inconvenience and want of courtesy, in order to snub his
colleague. He had suffered from a sore foot which prevented his coming
to Jeeree Ghat to meet me and he could not forgive Bularam Singh for
having taken his place. The Jubraj ought to have known better, but
among natives any slight offered to a superior is an enhancement to
one's own dignity, so from this point of view he would gain in his
own estimation.
On the morning of October 30th, as soon as I was dressed, I saw
Thangal Major outside my hut. I heard afterwards that, directly my
decision had been communicated to the Durbar, he had volunteered
to come out, and as he said, bring me in. When we had had a little
friendly conversation, he with his usual bluntness, which I did
not object to, asked me to go in, saying that the Wankai Rakpa [36]
would meet me, the Jubraj being ill. I firmly declined, saying that I
would wait till he recovered. He then assured me that the real cause
was the critical state of the Jubraj's wife. I doubted the truth,
but a lady being in the case, courtesy and good feeling demanded
that I should accept the statement as an excuse, and I therefore
said I would leave, if the Wankai Rakpa and another prince met me
on behalf of the Jubraj. This was at once agreed to, and I therefore
marched off, being met in great state by the two princes, who rode by
my side all the way. As I neared the capital, a vast crowd came out
to meet me, the numbers increasing at every step, and I was received
with every demonstration of respect and sympathy, many of those who
knew my wife showing a delicacy of feeling that greatly moved me. Old
Thangal, when I met him, spoke very kindly on the subject, saying,
"It is sad to see you return alone, and we know what it must be to
you." Numberless were the enquiries by name after all the children. At
last I reached the Residency, where my old attendants were ready
to do all they could for me. It was something like home, old books,
furniture, children's toys, still here and there, and in a corner of
the verandah my little girl's litter, in which she was carried out
morning and evening, but the faces that make home were away.
I mention the foregoing incident regarding the Jubraj, as it is a good
example of the small difficulties connected with etiquette, that one
has to contend with in a place like Manipur. The question is far more
important than it seems. Any relaxation in a trifling matter like this,
seems to Asiatics a sign that you are disposed to relax your vigilance
in graver questions. Indeed, to a native chief, etiquette itself is a
very grave matter, and many terrible quarrels have arisen from it. I
well remember a slight being offered to the Viceroy, because a Rajah
fancied he had not received all the honours due to him.
I found a crop of small difficulties awaiting me in Manipur, the
Durbar, and especially old Thangal, had got out of hand, and had
to be pulled up a little. There were numberless complaints from
British subjects of petty oppression which had to be listened to,
and I felt it rather hard having this unpleasant duty to perform
just after my return; but it was duty, and had to be done, and by
dint of firmness, combined with courtesy, I soon set things right,
but Thangal Major rather resented the steady pressure which I found
it necessary to apply.
Before leaving Manipur in 1881, I had sent off some Manipuris to
Cawnpore to learn carpet making and leather work. When I returned,
these men had long been making use of their knowledge in Manipur,
and I found that first-rate cotton carpets and boots, shoes and
saddles of English patterns, had been manufactured for the Maharajah,
the workmanship being in all cases creditable, and in that of the
carpets most excellent.
I tried to send men to Bombay to learn to make art pottery, and the
Maharajah was at one time anxious about it, but the correspondence
with the School of Art was conducted in so leisurely a manner on
their side, extending over nearly a year, that he got tired of it,
and declined to send the men. I had a little pottery made in Manipur,
which I brought home with me, the only existing specimens of an art
that died out in its infancy.
I had several pieces of silver work made to try the mettle of the
Manipuri silversmiths, one bowl, a most perfect copy of a Burmese
bowl with figures on it in high relief, was beautifully executed,
and still excites the admiration of all who see it.
The Mussulman population of Manipur, was descended from early
immigrants from India, Sylhet, and Cachar, who had married Manipuri
wives; they numbered about 5000, and were rather kept under by the
Durbar, but to nothing like the same extent that Hindoos would have
been under a Mussulman Government. Formerly, they had to prostrate
themselves before the Rajah like other subjects, but they having
represented that this was against their religion, Chandra Kirtee Singh
excused them from doing it, allowing a simple salaam instead. They,
(probably owing to their dependent position), were not such an
ill-mannered and disagreeable set as their co-religionists of Cachar,
and were generally quiet and inoffensive. The headman of the sect
received the title of Nawab from the Rajah. These men had a grievance
to bring forward when I returned, and I procured them some redress.
I visited the Maharajah in due course, and found him better than I
expected, and I took an early opportunity of announcing my return to
the Burmese authorities in the Kubo valley, receiving civil letters in
return. Unfortunately, I found that great soreness still prevailed
in Manipur on account of the non-settlement of the Kongal case,
and I was constantly on the alert lest evil results should follow,
as I always suspected old Thangal of a desire to make reprisals.
When I had a day to spare, I went to see my experimental garden and fir
wood, at Kang-joop-kool, finding everything in a flourishing state,
the wood a tangled thicket, with foxgloves and other English flowers
growing in wild profusion. One morning when walking out, I saw some
prisoners going to work, and as they passed me, one or two looked as
if they would like to speak. I accordingly passed by them again to
give them an opportunity, when a man ran up and complained that he
was imprisoned without any definite period being assigned, a common
practice in Manipur. Another man, whom he called as a witness, spoke
good Hindoostani, and on my enquiring where he learned it, he said
he was a Manipuri from Sylhet. I sent for him directly I got home,
and he came with Thangal Major, and, as he was a British subject,
and the Durbar had no right to imprison him, I sent for a smith, and
had his irons struck off in my presence. I spoke quietly, but firmly
to the Minister, but showed him plainly that I would not stand having
British subjects imprisoned except by my orders. The man's offence
was not paying a debt for which he was security, and the punishment
was just, according to the laws of Manipur, and would have been in
England before 1861.