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The Lushai Expedition of 1869 was an abortive punitive expedition against Sukpilal and Kanai Singh. It was arranged by the deputy commissioner of Cachar, John Edgar and led by Colonel Nuthall. Factors such as weather, unpreparedness and diplomatic overtures led to the retreat and cancellation of the expedition.

Background

Kanai Singh, a prince of Manipur had taken refuge among the tribes of the Cachar border and made an attempt to seize the throne of Manipur. Local authorities had suspected that Sukpilal had been aiding Kanai Singh in this endeavour. In 1869 a series of raids were committed by Lushai tribes on Cachar and Sylhet. Sukpilal was assumed by the British to be complicit in the raids. This was suspected due to Sukpilal wishing to divert forces from Manipur to aid Kanai Singh.

British suspicions were confirmed when Kanai Singh and Sukpilal jointly raided the tea estates of Monierkhal at Cachar in January 1869. Kanai Singh looted the money while Sukpilal's war party took several captives. The British authorities reconsidered their stance on the policy of conciliation with Lushai chiefs and decided on an alternative policy.

Forward Policy

Authorities at Fort William took the stance of punishing Kanai Singh and the Lushai raiders. Dr Brown, the new political officer of the Kingdom of Manipur, was directed to advance with a contingent to check on Kanai Singh but not to use unnecessary violence. Browne was aided with the commissioner of Dacca to capture Kanai Singh.

Edgar advocated for a punitive expedition. He informed the authorities in the Government of Bengal his plan to start from Silchar to Sonai to arrest Kanai Singh. Edgar also outlined Brown's hesitation and unwillingness to participate in the expedition. However, the Raja of Manipur, Chandrakirti Singh aided Edgar with a 1000 man regiment on 2 February 1869.

Edgar continued to fight for a stronger response from the government. The cold season was about to end and authorities in Fort William did not consider large-scale military operations at such a time to be convenient. Browne withdrew his participation by citing removing himself from the capital would create panic among the Manipuris.

The expedition was headed by Colonel Nuthall. From 26 January to 3 February heavy rains followed affecting the feasibility of traversing the Lushai Hills. Colonel Nuthall also fell ill which caused further delays to the expedition.

Three columns were established for the expedition of 1869. The West Dhaleswari Column was headed by Nuthall, the East Cachar Column was headed by Edgar and the Sylhet Column was headed by Mr Kimberly and Mr Baker. The forces set out in late February. Edgar's column surmounted many difficulties before reaching Bazarghat on 12 March 1869. The upas on Vonpilal reported to Edgar of Vonpilal's death and that his mother Impanee would make amends with the British. The upas also voiced concerns on Edgar's posturing when they were not responsible for any raids. Edgar retreated on account of realizing the mistake of using necessary force on reoffending chiefs. He returned to Silchar.

Nuthall's column was heavily affected by terrain changes from the heavy rain. The inconvenience greatly halted progress and failed to reach the Sylhet Column under Kimble. Kimble's Column rapidly advanced through the Lushai Hills and located Sukpilal's settlement. On 17 March 1869, the column defeated some Lushai warriors from Sukpilal's settlement. Baker and Kimble retreated their force as there was no sign of Nuthall's force arriving to reinforce their position.

The expedition's failure led to a few key realizations of the British authorities. The Lushai Hills was not properly mapped, and the unknown nature of its terrain was responsible for the failure. The columns lacked any form of communication between each other to coordinate their operations. The last point was that the expedition was undertaken in the wrong season. These lessons would contribute to the success of the Lushai Expedition of 1871. However, both Sukpilal and Kanai Singh was left unpunished.

References

1. Chatterjee 1985, p. 52.
2. Chatterjee 1985, p. 52-53.
3. Chatterjee 1985, p. 56.
4. Chatterjee 1985, p. 56-57.
5. Chatterjee 1985, p. 57.
6. Chatterjee 1869, p. 59. sfn error: no target: CITEREFChatterjee1869 (help)
7. Chatterjee 1985, p. 59.

Sources

• Chatterjee, Suhas (1985). British rule in Mizoram. New Delhi: Mittal Publications.