The Last Anglo Abor War 1911

By the beginning of the 19th Century the British were well in control of most of the parts of the subcontinent of India with the only exception being the areas in North and North West India which were firmly in the control of the Sikhs under the Sher-E-Punjab Maharaja Runjeet Singh. But after his death and the arrival of the mid part of the 19th Century the Sikh Empire was also shattered and gradually taken over by the British.

However in the Eastern part of India which was broadly described as Assam there were still areas and Tribes which held out. The British could penetrate into the the Brahmaputra Valley as far up as Pasighat but beyond that started the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas which unlike their counterpart in the West was virtually impenetrable due to the dense Jungle and the indegenous Tribes which inhabited these parts. Foreigners were extremely unwelcome and the Tribes of the Hills took no prisoners. As per their long laid down Tribal traditions they just couldn't let foreigners in their sacred Lands and Jungles where their deities presided and allowed them to make a living out of hunting gathering.

The Siang or the Brahmaputra before Pasighat

Let me first explain how I got to this point. We were driving around the North East in last November / December and while on the way from Pasighat to Aalo we stopped at one of the few local “Dhaba” if you could call it. These Dhabas serve quick Lunch / Dinner in the form of Dal Rice or Chicken Rice or Pork Rice or you could opt for Maggi instead. Or the regular Tea. Anyways since we were in a Group we ordered and some of the more curious ones started roaming around. And then I caught sight of what I though looked like an Ostrich’s egg and hence I decided to take a closer look. And then I realised that there was something written on it. It wasn't an Egg at all but a Stone which resembled an Egg. And the words written on it were “The Last Stone of the Anglo Abor War 1911 at Kekar Monying”

Well Kekar Monying is the name of certain cliffs in this area along the Siang River which goes onto to become the Brahmaputra as it hits the Assam Plains. And it was along these cliffs that an engagement in the cold December of 1911 was fought between the British and the Tribesmen who the British referred to as “Abor” at that time. The British carried all kind of modern weaponry whereas the Tribesmen were armed with their Bamboo Arrows and Stone Catapaults as their only “long range” weapons. Stone Catapaults which were used to launch big round stones like the one I saw there and you see in the pic at their adversary. And this particular Stone had the dubious distinction of being the last one used by the Tribesmen against the British. And how exactly it landed in that Roadside Dhaba is anybody’s guess. And of course I forgot to ask.

Typical Abor Country

This War which was fought in various segments started in the 1850s when the British began probing into these areas. There is a certain Village called Kebang spearheaded the campaign against the British. These were Adi Tribesmen (they were called Abor collectively by the British) and they fought no less than 4 Wars against the British and they had a name for each ie Bitbor Mimak (1858), Bongal Mimak (1859), Nijom Mimak (1894) and Poju Mimak(1911). The Adi were fierce warriors and towards the beginning of the 20th Century the British started to take them very seriously. They formed an Abor Expeditionary Force in order to penetrate the Region and establish firm control over it. The British were aware of the strategic importance of the area as they knew Tibet and China were not very far away but the territory between was largely unknown and they wanted to be in control of this unknown. But of course the Adis wouldnt have it that way. It was their Land. And they would fight tooth and nail to keep it.

Apparently the last War in 1911 was sparked off by a rather peculiar incident. A British Officer Williamson accompanied by another British Officer Dr.Greigerson, an interpreter, a couple of Coolies and a few Soldiers of the Assam Rifles were surveying the country and came to a Village. The Villagers offered them some gifts as offerings and there was a certain Villager who offered a Chicken as a gift but apparently this Villager had some skin disease and Williamson refused to accept his gift. This was of course a huge dishonour for the Villager who decided from thereon to follow Williamson till he accepted his gift.

The Siang River

So when he moved to the next Village this Villager again came to him and offered the Chicken. Williamson was aware that this guy was following them and now he lost his temper and he used rough language and bad words in dealing with the Villager and to add insult to injury he struck him a couple of times with his stick. And this was now taken as a great dishonour by the whole Village. And they decided this would be avenged. But they would do this when they would be on their way down to the Plains.

But unknown to the Tribesmen Williamson and Dr.Grierson had a change of plan and decided to split into two different parties on their way back. On the night of March 31 while on his way to Dinner, Williamson was waylaid by the same Villager who had once offered him a Chicken. And killed. And they also killed his whole entourage. Dr.Grierson and his party were waylaid in Kadeng Village and put to death except one of the Coolies who was a Nepali and managed to somehow convince the Adi Tribesmen to spare his life. He of course went down and reported the whole incident to the authorities.

A typical Village in the area

And the Adi knew that now the British will come with full force and in December, the time most suitable to the British, the Abor Expeditionary Force showed up. The Adi fought bravely but of course were no match for the British with their modern Arms. The British marched up the Kadeng Village and the whole Village was then burned down. And there would not be another Abor War for the British to fight.

These Adi Tribesmen are the unrecognised Freedom Fighters of the country who have never got any recognition from the Government. Though I am aware of the name of some of the Adi Tribesmen who were a part of this, including the Villager who wanted to gift a Chicken, but that in my view would be an injustice to the thousands unnamed Adi and other Tribesmen who also fought for the country’s Independence like in other parts of the Country. Respect.

Pic from November 2019. On the Pasighat Aalo Road, Arunachal Pradesh

Inputs from various Online sources.