Remembering the Muslims who fought in the Anglo-Manipur war of 1891 Submitted by admin4 on 26 April 2012 - 11:44am Indian

Muslim By Dr. Syed Ahmed for TwoCircles.net, Imphal: Manipuris paid their homage to those valiant soldiers, who laid down the ir lives fighting against the British for the sa e of safeguarding the independe nce of Manipur in the Anglo-Manipuri war of 1891, on Khongjom Day observed on 23 April, 2012. The day was observed at the Khongjom War Memorial site at Kheba Hi lls in Thoubal District, about 35 m from Imphal. Governor of Manipur Gurbachan Jagat, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, MLAs and other dignitaries of the State att ended the function. They led the people in paying homage at the Khongjom War Mem orial and offering tarpan (rituals for the deceased) at the nearby Khongjom rive r in remembrance of the martyrs. Thousands of people gathered to pay tribute. Anglo-Manipur war 1891 After the death of the ruler of Manipur, Maharaj Chandra riti in May 1886, his e ldest son Surchandra Singh succeeded to the throne. After that the sons of Mahar aj Chandra riti were divided into two factions. Kulachandra Singh, Ti endrajit S ingh, Angousana and Zilanamba were against the ing. The enmity between the two groups grew day by day and it culminated in the Palace Revolt of September 1890. Surch andra and his three brothers rushed to Calcutta and appealed to the British auth orities for help. In the meantime Kulachandra became the ing and Ti endrajit hi s Senapati. Ta ing advantage of the internal dissension of the royal family, the British authorities openly interfered in the administration of Manipur. The Bri tish nowing that the brave Ti endrajit would be a hurdle on their way for annex ation of Manipur tried to arrest him by any means. When the plan to arrest Ti en drajit failed, the British raided his residence one night and illed many innoce nt Manipuris. As a consequence of the attac , 5 British officers including the C hief Commissioner of Assam and the Political Agent of Manipur were illed by exc ited Manipuris. The British officials illed were: (1) J.W. Quinton, C.S.I, I.C. S., Chief Commissioner of Assam, (2) Lt. Col. C. Mc D. S ene, D.S.O. Commanding Officer of 42nd Gur ha Rifles, (3) F.St.C. Grimwood, I.C.S., the Political Agent , Manipur, (4) W.H. Cossins, I.C.S., Assistant Secretary to the Chief Commission er, and (5) Lt. W.H. Simpson, 43rd Gur ha Rifles accompanied by a Gur ha orderly . The Manipuris attac ed the British residency. Mrs. Grimwood, Lt. Gordan with a group of people left Manipur or Cachar. The British Government declared war aga inst Manipur on 31 March 1891.

Statue of Major General Paona Brajabasi, the hero of Khongjom War at Kheba hill By the first wee of April 1891, 3 columns of troops marched towards Imphal from three different directions i.e. Kohima, Silchar and Tamu. Manipuri forces met t he British soldiers in all the three fronts. The last and most momentous battle of the war was fought between the Manipuri forces led by Major General Paona Bra jabasi and the British forces at Khongjom from 23-25 April 1891. General Paona d ied on 23 April 1891 and became a martyr. Many more Manipuris laid down their li ves. In spite of all the brave attempts to safeguard their independence the migh ty British ultimately won the battles. Manipur was annexed to the British Empire on 27 April 1891. After a nominal trial the British accused the then ruler of Manipur, Maharaj Kul achandra, Ti endrajit and others of waging war against Queen Victoria. Ti endraj it and General Thangal were hanged on August 13, 1891, while another 3 Niranjan Su bedar, Kajao and Chirai Naga were also hanged soon after. Maharaj Kulachandra and

22 others were deported to Kalapani. Renowned historian of Manipur, Gangmumei Kabui writes about the significance of the Anglo-Manipur war thus: The Anglo-Manipur war of 1891 was a short but momentous contest between unequal powers, a struggle between a small land-loc ed Asiatic country and the mightiest empire in the world. The war of 1891 mar ed the end of an era and the beginning of a new one in the history of Manipur; the era of sov ereign and independent Manipur had been closed and that of the British rule in t his ingdom started.

Khongjom War Memorial Manipuri Muslims in the war Many of the Manipuri Muslims too fought gallantly along with other Manipuri sold iers in the Anglo-Manipur war of 1891. The names of the Muslim soldiers who too part in the war were: 1. Babu alias Sandro pa (Ipham/name of his clan or lineage), son of Soda of Kair ang, too part in the battle at Khongjom. After the war he became a member of th e then Muslim Panchayat for about 40 years. 2. Singa Dewan alias Khomyan Chaoba (Singamayum) of Kairang Khabeisoi fought und er the command of Major Paona Brajabasi at Khongjom. He returned home safely. 3. Niyamatullah (Ipham), son of Ijatullah of Khetri Awang Lei ei also fought und er the command of Major Paona Brajabasi. He succumbed to his bullet injuries. 4. Moni Amandar (Ipham), son of Khamba of Khetri Awang Lei ei fought at Khongjom . He returned home safely. 5. Hamoon, younger brother of Moni Amandar also returned safely from the battle of Khongjom. 6. Nao on Tomba (Ipham), son of Najim Muhammad alias Nepali Major of Khetri Beng oon fought the battle at Khongjom. 7. Khamba alias Irong Taba (Ipham) of Keirao Ma ting fought against the Silchar Column. 8. Konsali Lallup Chingba alias Phingang Setpa (Ipham) of Keirao Ma ting was wou nded in the British attac of the Palace on 24 March 1891. His son Ajijur Rahman alias Shamu fought the battle at Khongjom as a cavalry leader. 9. Khema (Ipham), father of Ahmed Ali of Keirao Ma ting returned home with bulle t injuries in his armpit. 10. Chaodonpa from Kiyamgei was illed at the battlefield at Khongjom. 11. Sanaola Haji alias Kei humacha Haji (Nongjeimayum) of Kei hu returned home w ith bullet injuries in his nee. 12. Sher Shah alias Chibando Koot (Ma a mayum) of Lilong Leihou hong died of bul let injuries at Ka ching-Pallel border. His body was buried at the Leimanei Hill s. 13. Koya Shah (Ma a mayum) of Lilong returned home safely from Khongjom.

14. Yusuf Ali, younger brother of Chibando Koot, was posted as a Palace guard in the southern side of the Palace during the war. 15. Khela Koot (Ma a mayum) of Lilong returned alive from Khongjom. 16. Tonjao (Yum heibam), father of Khamba and Mali , of Lilong also returned ali ve from Khongjom. 17. Angou Lamboiba Havildar (Ma a mayum), father of Chaobi of Lilong, also retur ned alive from Khongjom. 18. Tolando Subehdar (Buyamayum), father of Khamba Haji of Lilong Khong also fou ght at Khongjom and returned home alive. 19. Pheira Jamadar (Thong hongmayum), father of Umo and Munshi of Haoreibi Awang Lei ai also fought at Khonjom. 20. Sangai Subehdar (Ma a mayum), father of Abu Haji of Lilong Haoreibi returned alive from Khongjom. 21. Joy Jatra (Ma a mayum), father of Abdul of Haoreibi Leihao hong, returned ho me safely from Khongjom. 22. Angou, younger brother of Joy Jatra and father of Abdul Hamid also returned home safely. 23. Melei (Singga), a bugler and father of Abdul Ghafur of Haoreibi Ching ham re turned alive from Khongjom. 24. Abdul Karim (Merai) also a bugler and father of Amir Ali of Lilong returned alive from Khongjom. 25. Asghar Ali alias Rupo Mia (Phundreimayum), father of Maulvi Yusuf Ali from S angaiyumfam served under Major Paona. He returned home safely. 26. Rahamatullah alias Oraoba (Ma a mayum), father of Janal of Yairipo Tulihal returned home alive.

29. Sadhu (Ma a Angouba), grandfather of Maulvi Majhar Ali of Yairipo returned alive from Khongjom. 30. Yusuf Ali alias Kena (Ma a mayum), father of Tamiz Haji of Yairipo Ningthou nei returned from Khongjom.

Gate of the Khongjom War Memorial As there is no official document which records the names of the ordinary Manipur i soldiers who too part in the Anglo-Manipur war of 1891 the names of these Mus lim soldiers were gathered by Manipur Muslim Historical Society. A Muslim resear

28. Haji Abungton (Khulla pam), grandfather of Haji Rahimuddin Macha of Yairipo Tulihal returned alive from the battle at Khongjom.

27. Uno Nongsaiba (Nongsaimayum) from Yairipo t Khongjom.

Tulihal too part in the battle a

ch scholar, M.A. Janab Khan published the list of names in his paper titled, Muslim Fighters in the war of 1891, published in Ch. Manihar Singh s 100 years of Manipur's L ast War of Independence, a souvenir released by Directorate of Information and P ublic Relations, Government of Manipur in 1991. Many Muslim inhabited areas suffered the attac s and atrocities of the British. Britishers had burned down many of the villages in and around the Kangla fort, w hich housed the royal palace, in March 24, 1891 during their attempt to capture Ti endrajit. Dasu Sardar, a Muslim photographer of the royal court and a close a ssociate of Maharaj Kulachandra and Ti endrajit, was brutally illed along with his 2 daughters on the night of March 24. It is recorded that 7 sepoys of the Br itish crossed Minuthong Bridge and entered the house of Dasu Sardar. The sepoys illed Dasu Sardar and his 2 daughters brutally. The wife of Dasu Sardar survive d with injuries in the leg. Many other houses in the locality were burnt down. F or his service in the royal court Dasu Sardar was settled by offering land near Minuthong Bridge, which came to be nown as Mana Ing hol (awarded land).