By Uma Purkayastha
The British thought they had made U Tirot Sing an offer he couldn’t refuse. But the legendary revolutionary was unmoved, thundering back at his captors: “It is better to die as an independent king than be a vassal.” The life of a chief in enslavement is worse than the death of a free commoner, he told the British.
Meghalaya’s pioneer freedom fighter, Tirot Sing was in his 30s when he died in British custody in the Dacca jail on July 17, 1835. He was a victim of a conspiracy by his own kinsmen.
Other than his death report, there are no detailed accounts or photographs of his last moments in captivity. Even his mortal body was not sent back to his motherland, miles away in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. The news of his death reached his native land months after his expiry, possibly due to communication issues of those days. Besides, people were scared to enquire about the revolutionary lest the British cracked down on them. The death of the great freedom fighter, thus, remains partially unopened to date (Ref: ‘Tirot Sing’ by Jerlie E. Tariang dated March 16, 1990).
Tirot Sing became the Syiem (king) of Nongkhlaw after the death of Syiem Chattar Singh. He was a tall, stout young man adept in archery, swimming, riding and hunting. His martial skill was extraordinary and his way of controlling the common people was very much democratic. As a ruler, Tirot Sing gave ample proof of his capability to maintain peace and order in his state. He was well conversant with a number of languages such as Bengali, Assamese and Garo, which made him popular in the neighbouring regions.
In 1824, David Scott, an agent to the East India Company was deputed as Commissioner of Revenue and Circuit in the district of Assam. Scott was a shrewd politician and with a view to establishing British sovereignty on the hill states and constructing a link road from lower Assam to Sylhet via Khasi Hills, approached Tirot Sing with a very friendly gesture and requested him to allow work on a road through the Khasi Hills for quick communication. After consulting his Dorbar, Tirot Sing agreed to the proposal on the condition that the British Raj should not interfere in any internal affair of the state. But within a very short period, he realised that the British government had betrayed him by flouting the terms and conditions of the treaty and imposing revenue on the Nongkhlaw state. This led to a conflict.
Tirot Sing united with other chiefs of the hills and resolved to drive out the white strangers from his motherland. On April 4, 1829, hundreds of his men and women attacked a British garrison, triggering the Anglo-Khasi War that lasted four years. Tirot Singh’s strategies and guidance held the native forces, armed with bows and arrows and swords, succeed against the gun-wielding British to a great extent. He was a terror for the powerful British, as the following records read:
“Tirot Sing and his associates with a military force estimated to be 10,000 evaded the British, but occasionally swooped down upon the plains, causing alarm all over Assam. Once the panic was so great, even in Gauhati, the headquarters of the British that a large number of people including high officials kept boats ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice’ (Ref: ‘British Paramountcy and Indian Renaissance’ by K.M. Munshi).
‘It was indeed a very significant addition to the records of the freedom struggle of India. The then British agents and succession generals including Viceroy Lord Curzon showered praise on Tirot Sing, his strategies and the preeminent qualities of his statesmanship and military leadership’ (Ref: Introduction of ‘Tirot Sing’ by J.E. Tariang).
Tirot Sing headed the first uprising against the British empire in the Northeast. His exploits came to be known as the ‘Nongkhlaw massacre’ (‘Memorandum 1869’ by Alexander Mackenzie).
Thousands of young men and women joined Tirot Sing to fight against the foreign power. Lt. Burlton and his soldiers fled towards the plains of Kamrup but were caught and killed by the Khasi warriors. Another group of fierce warriors burnt down all the buildings of Nongkhlaw constructed by Scott and released from jail all the prisoners who were punished by the British. Scott, the ringleader of the betrayal escaped narrowly from Cherrapunjee but Lt. Bedingfield and H. Beadon were brutally killed in that attack.
The way Tirot Sing organised the movement and received the cooperation of all the Khasi Syiems and warriors was highly appreciated by the observers. Protection of sanctity and chastity of his motherland fuelled his rebellion against the British. He rejected lucrative proposals from the British knowing their consequences fully well. Eventually, the great Tirot Sing had to surrender to the British but his spirit of patriotism and self-respect could not be daunted even by the threat to his life. He chose to die than take up kingship under British sovereignty.
School children in Meghalaya enjoy July 17 as a holiday but most of them are quite ignorant of the actual significance of the day and wish each other a ‘Happy Tirot Sing’s Day’! It is actually Martyr’s Day – a very sad day reminding us of the helpless death of a young mighty rebel hero in British custody.
The illustrious contribution of patriotism of the great hero is yet to be specifically included in their school curriculum, which each and every student of Meghalaya, in particular, should know.
Former Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad, while addressing the commemoration of the state’s martyrs at the Raj Bhavan in 2018, said the government should take initiatives to include the life history of the state’s martyrs in the school curriculum.
U Tirot Sing’s should figure on top of the list of pioneering freedom fighters not only in the Khasi Hills but in India. That will be the best tribute to the great hero.