[7] UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE MOVEMENT IN ASSAM FROM 1921 TO 1947: Revolt of 1857 and Assam
Background:
The British Government observed the general discontent among the Assamese people at the loss of their independence. David Scott, the Agent of the Governor-General, thereupon sent a proposal for restoring central Assam to a prince of a former Ahom royal family. Scott died in 1831. His successor, Robertson, who was also in favour of restoring the native rule, made an alternative proposal. It was proposed by him that the country east of the Dhansiri might be placed under Purander Singha, as a British-protected prince. His proposal was accepted by the Governor-General in Calcutta. In 1832, the whole of Upper Assam, except Sadiya and Matak was formally made over to the Ahom prince, Purandar Singha on the condition of paying a yearly tribute of Rs. 50,000/- (fifty-thousand). On his restoration to the throne, Purandar Singha appointed Haranath as Parbatiya Barua and Maniram as Bar Bhandar Barua (or finance minister). When in 1838 the British resumed the Government of Upper Assam from Purandar Singha who was deposed, he registered his vehement protest. He went to Calcutta to record objections to the annexation of Upper Assam. About this time the Government was seeking to extent tea plantations in Assam. Maniram was appointed as the Dewan of the Assam Tea Company from which, however he resigned in disgust in 1844.
In 1853 A.D. Moft Mills, a judge of the Calcutta Sadar Court paid a visit to Assam to observe the operation of the British administration in the country. Maniram impressed on him with the necessity of restoring the land of its former rulers. He also appealed to him to save the Assamese people by prohibiting the opium trade in Assam. Kanderpeswar Singha, the grandson of Purandar Singha had also made similar requests for restoring the Government of Assam to him. But the British Government turned deaf ears to these appeals and requests.
The Revolt and Assam:
In this background, Maniram Dutta Dewan Barbhandar Barua went to Calcutta in 1857 to submit a memorandum to the Governor to restore the kingdom of Kandarpeswar. Here he learned about army rebellion in Kanpur and other places and also that the Mughal emperor and other princes regained their possessions[1]. The revolt of 1857 began with the mutiny of the sepoys at Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) on 10th May 1857. From Meerut, the revolt spread all over northern India. The tidal wave of the Revolt of 1857 also swept the Brahmaputra valley. In Assam, Maniram Dewan, taking advantage of the situation arising out of the revolt of 1857 organized an anti-British uprising.
At the same time, the Hindustan sepoys stationed at Dibrugarh and Gauhati also tried to organize a revolt against the
British. They contacted the followers of Charing raja, Peali Barua (the chief
organizer of the revolt), and Maniram Dewan, who was at that time at Calcutta.
‘Maniram appointed Madhu Mallik, a
Bengali muktiar of Calcutta to come to Assam as his deputy, apparently
to explore the possibility of indigo cultivation in Assam but actually to
establish contacts between the followers of Kandarpeswar Singha the ex–Charing Raja and the soldiers’ barracks. Madhu Mallik was the chief instigator
of the Raja in all his designs and intrigues[2].’
Maniram sent letter after letter in
codes to Kandarpeswa Singha, Charing Raja, and his lieutenant Peali Barua and
used most seditious terms which contained reports of the success of the rebel in
northern India and instructions on how to organize a movement in Assam[3].
Peali soon gathered around him several
leading person, Ugrasen Marangi Khowa Gohain,
Krishna Dutta Khangia Barua, Lakhinath Senswa Barua, Nilakanta Suladhara
Phukan, Dutiram Barua, the Faujdari Shirastadar
of Sibsagarm Muhidhar Muktiar, Umakanta Sarma alias Umai Muktiar, Mayaram Nazir,
Shaikh Bahadil popularly called Bahadur Gaobura, an artisan attached to the Charing Raja’s court since the days of Purandar Singha , Formud Ali a
musician. Certain religious heads like Krishna Kanta Goswami of Kalaibari Satra
and Basudev Goswami of the Dakhinpat Satra had assured their full help and
cooperation [4]. The network
of propaganda carried on through the Fakirs,
letters, and the rumours spread created faith in the minds of the
Hindustani sepoys that in Uttar
Pradesh, the rule of the British Raj was over and the British would leave Assam and
Bengal too.
The Charing Raja’s residence at Jorhat
was the venue for holding all secret meetings [5]. The plan got a scent of it and
panic-stricken, fled to Gauhati, urging the Government to launch speedy
action. Large-scale arrested were made, including many sepoys and twenty-one
civilians were tried for treason. The Hindustani sepoys were replaced by Gorkhas and Tribal people and massage were
sent to Calcutta regarding the situation and asking for the dispatch of white
soldiers. The revolting Hindustani sepoys
were arrested. Maniram Dewan was arrested in Calcutta.
Maniram and Peali Barua were given death sentence. Madhu Mallik, Bahadur Gaonburha, Dutiram Barua, and Shaikh Farmud Ali were transported to Andaman and several others were sentenced to life or long jail terms. Kandarpeswar Singha was sent to Alipur Jail in Calcutta, where he was detained[6].
After the suppression of India's first war of independence or the mutiny, the Queen of England (Queen Victoria) took over the Government of India from the East India Company by a proclamation in 1858.
Conclusion: Even after the suppression of the revolt, atrocities including assault on a respectable person, arson, etc. continued to be perpetrated by the British forces, but still, the spirit of resistance was not extinguished. The peasant struggle of a new type came to the surface one after another.
[1] Freedom Fighters of Assam, Report of Enquiry Committee of Freedom Fighters, Govt. of Assam, 1979, Guwahati, Introduction Chapter
[2] S. K. Bhuyan,
Studies in the History of Assam. Etc. p-167.
[3] Bengal Judicial Proceeding, 7 December 1857, Nos. 245-46 and January 1858, No. 154 A.
[4] Dr. Ajit Kr. Dutta, Maniram Dewan, and The Contemporary Assamese Society, Jorhat 1990. P-149
[5] Freedom Struggle in North–East India, P.C.Biswas, p-26.
[6] BJP ( Bengal
Judicial Proceedings) 1857; 22 October, No. 228; Yong to Superintendent, Alipur
Jail, 30 September) H.P.Barpujari, Vol. 1, p – 74
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