Generating Knowledge on Lushai Hills: the Works of T.H Lewin
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Mizoram University Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (A Bi-Annual Refereed Journal) Vol IV Issue 2, December 2018 ISSN: 2395-7352 eISSN:2581-6780 Generating Knowledge on Lushai Hills: The Works of T.H Lewin H.Vanlalhruaia* Ramdinsangi** Abstract The main objective of this paper is to situate colonialism and European ethnographic practices in the process of Mizo history making in the second half of nineteen century Lushai Hills. Until the appointment of T.H Lewin [Thangliana] (1839-1916) as Deputy Commissioner of Hill Tract, the British had little knowledge on the details of the Mizos and their cultural history. He was appointed to confront the problem of how to come to terms with the Mizo (Lushai and Shendu) chiefs who were constantly “hostile” to the British. Lewin early career in India was describe by himself in his ethnographic text “A fly on the Wheel or How I helped to Govern India” published in 1885. The work of T.H Lewin has been described extensively in Mizo literary circles –mostly his contributions toward the Mizo society in a straightforward manner. He has been often portrayed as a paternalist figure of Mizo society. One of the main objectives of this paper is to inject further discussion and debate on his European background and his love for the Mizo people in the course of colonial territorial- making in North East India. Key Words: Knowledge, Colonial, Ethnography, Tribe, Lushai, European, Paternalist The main objective of this paper is to generated and produced throughout their situate colonialism and European association with the Mizos. Particularly ethnographic practices in the process of from the second half of the nineteenth Mizo history making in the second half century, Lushai Hills becomes – what of nineteenth century Lushai Hills. Nicholas Dirks refers as “ethnographic Colonial interest in the North East India state” which implies– “the colonized and Burma brought closer inspections to subject was first and foremost a body’ to the Lushai Hills through various political be known and controlled”. (Dirks, 2011, negotiations and ethnographic interests. A 193) Nicholas Dirks articulated that good amount of ethnographic or archival colonial conquest was depended not just materials (i.e individual diaries, census, upon superior military and economic photographs, cartography, folklore, power, but also upon the ‘power of populations, customs, administrative knowledge’. (Dirks, 1992, 3) To be able reports, ethnographic book etc) had been to rule effectively, the ruler must know the * Assistant Professor, Department of History, Govt Aizawl North College. **Assistant Professor, Department of English, Govt Aizawl North College. 73 H.Vanlalhruaia & Ramdinsangi culture, history, attitude and social state and get hold of of Arakan and condition of the ruled. Thus, Tenasserim. Colonial commercial administrators, ethnographers, interests never end – lurking every corners ethnologists, geographers, philologists, in search of economic and political linguists, folklorists and anthropologists exploitation. Thus, it was not co-incident from England were appointed to collect that they expanded their commercial data on Indian populations and collected interest into the surrounding foot hills enormous archival materials on Indian occupied by the numerous tribal groups. society. A number of scholarly or Direct confrontation with the tribes cannot otherwise institutions/associations set up be avoided that within a very short time, in India catered the need of colonial hill people insurgencies reached a boiling agenda or European scholarly curiosity on point. The Mizos were not exception in ‘other’ culture. The plurality of Indian this confrontation. In order to protect from culture was perplexing without any the Mizo infiltrations colonial government systematic study on Indian society. in Assam, Manipur, Bengal, Sylhet, According to Dr. Abhik Ghosh; Burma and Tripura needs to generate knowledge on the Mizos (along with their “At this time very little was known cognate groups) who continuously about the communities that resided in attacked colonial subjects in British India and thus descriptive work was protectorate state. It is in this political very much required that filled in the background that the colonial writing on lacunae. In Victorian England, at that Mizo cultural history emerged. time, forms of classical evolutionism and diffusionism were very much in Several writings which appeared in th vogue and thus many of the colonial texts before the second half of 19 anthropologists followed, consciously century were not written based on closer or sub-consciously, the theoretical inspections. Francis Buchanan, Father regimes under which they existed. Sangermano, John Rawlins and John These theoretical ideas supported the Macrae and others made an attempt to spread of British rule and agreed with understand the Mizo culture history. The the subjugation of the natives. A process of gathering information at that time seems very indirect - at the best political economy of support thus erratic and incomplete. This is mainly existed between the subject’s non-stated because the British surveyors were still aims and its activities”. (Ghosh, 2016) perplexed about the profile of the different Anglo-Burmese war ended up with people inhabiting a vast hilly region - the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826. It ushered adjacent to colonial empire in India and the beginning of the British rule over the Myanmar. One writer follows another Assam, latter on declared the kingdom of writer without any efforts to inspect Tripura and Manipur as their protected further details. Direct access to Mizo 74 Generating Knowledge on Lushai Hills: The Works of T.H Lewin society was limited apart from political ascertaining geo-location, racial negotiation and communication barrier. background, language, religion and The only mode of gathering information custom which was considered primarily was either from escape captive slaves or as a good method of generating knowledge rumour spread through neighbouring on the Lushai and Shendu. dwellers. In this critical situation as well Until the appointment of T.H Lewin as in the colonial mindset - generating [Thangliana] (1839-1916) as Deputy knowledge on the Mizos was crucial. The Commissioner of Hill Tract, the British attitudes of European scholarship at that had little knowledge on the details of the time also play a role. For instance, it was Mizos and their culture. TH Lewin was very usual that “tribals”, “savage”, and appointed to confront the problem of how “criminal raiders” were singled out in to come to terms with the Mizo (Lusei and colonial texts at that time. This is typical Mara) chiefs who were constantly of the way the vast majority of the “hostile” to the British. Lewin early career Britishers in India and Myanmar describe in India was describe by himself in his their experiences which were echoed in ethnographic text “A fly on the Wheel or many European scholarship at that time. How I helped to Govern India” published Politically, the first Anglo-Burmese in 1885. (Lewin, 1885) John Whitehead War in 1824 taught a new lesson to the in his book “Thangliena: the Life of T.H Britishers who had little knowledge on the Lewin (1992)” offer us a very rare glimpse hills people. “Nation”, “ethnicity”, or of T.H Lewin entire career in India. “tribe” in Myanmar and India’s frontier (Whitehead, 1992) He analyzed how at that time was extremely diverse and Lewin in India fought for military confusing in terms of language, politic promotion, so that he could come to culture or otherwise. Nevertheless the Chittagong Hill Tracts and eventually end British were ill-informed about the up in Burma. His personal intention was highland people at that time. A wrong to secure permanent post in Burma than formula could easily spoil the colonial India. Whitehead reminds us that it is interest. This was also the time when the important to re-read T.H Lewin at an Lushai and their cognate groups in India individual level, a colonial ethnographer as well as part of his mission to achieve and Burma made their series of attack to colonial agenda in India. colonial protectorate state in all direction. The Lushai warfare being based on The work of T.H Lewin has been conducting sudden attack, plunder and described (if not analytical) extensively in retreat back to their inaccessible hill Mizo literary circles –mostly his terrain even before the British could trace contributions toward the Mizo society in them. In the process of identification, a straightforward manner.1 He has been ethnography played a very big role in often portrayed as a father figure of Mizo 75 H.Vanlalhruaia & Ramdinsangi society. One of the main objectives of this expected by the colonial government. paper is to inject further discussion and When he was about to venture into the debate on his European background and hills in the year 1865, he wrote to his his love for the Mizo people in the course mother that “if i am lucky, this expedition of colonial territorial- making in North may do me good and get me a name”. East India. (Whitehead, 1992, p.138). His personal ambition never ends- even sometimes It all started with when he was posted made a very quick decision. Despite his in Chittagong Hill Tract in 1864. T.H busy schedule in Chittagong Hill Tracts Lewin was determined to reach both the to pacify the hill tribes, he went back to Lushai and Shendu in their remote hilly Calcutta to pass his exam for captaincy in settlement. Since “Lushai”, “Pois”, 1865. (Lewin, 1885, p.204) “Chin” and “Shendu” were the last tribal group in North East India and surrounding He returned to Chittagong in 1865 present Burma to be subdued, it would be with more ambitious mind. According to a great opportunities for his career and his him he was “determined as far possible”. personal ambition as part of colonial (Lewin, 1885, p. 204). His ambition to interest.