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The Chussad Frontier
The
Kukis were a wandering race, consisting of several
tribes. Their original home cannot be ascertained
exactly. However, it is probable that they came from
south Burma and had pushed their settlements as far as
the Naga Hills. They came into Manipur in search of
their fortune. Though tribes of the same race had long
been subject to the Raja of the State, they were first
heard as Kukis in Manipur between 1830 and 1840. The
Chussads were a branch of the great Kukis race. They
were closely related to the Sooting or Kamhaws, but not
so closely, as to have prevented the usual tribal feuds,
which made it, unleasent for them to live near to one
another.1 In order to avoid possible attacks
from the Kamhaws, the Chussad Kukis left their home, in
the south of the Valley of Manipur, and settled in the
hills, near the Kongal route to Burma.
Raja
Nar Singh (1844-50) and McCullock, with generosity and
kindness won over and settled the early Kuki immigrants.
As might be expected, jealousy sprung up in the minds of
many of the Manipuri officials and when the Agent first
established relations with the Chussads, efforts was
made to obstruct his arrangements. When the Chief of the
tribe came to Manipur under safe conduct from the
Political Agent, he was murdered by a high official, the
brother-in-law of Chandrakirti Singh.2 That
abominable act alienated the Chussads and though they
settled near the Manipur Valley, they never appeared to
have been satisfied with their lot and always complained
against the oppressions, committed upon them, by the
Manipuris. They decided, in 1877 to leave the State for
good. Their tributary offshoots the Choomeyangs, the
Chunlges, the Moonoyes and the Koomeyangs also followed
them. The Choomeyangs went first from Manipur, and after
crossing the Ungoching Range, they settled down in the
Burmese territories. The Chussad Kukis, thus settled in
the area lying between the Chattik and the Kongal
Thannas to the north and the south, and between
Ungoching and the Malain Ranges to the west. Some of
their villages, therefore, were in the area of the Kabaw
Valley, in the territory of Burma. Tonghoo’s Chussad,
Pumgong, Nowkeet, Koomeyang, Choomeyang, Chungle,
Moonoye, Chunbo, Phunghe and Powchong villages were
within the territory of Manipur and tookoopa, Wafe and
Chungse within the Burmese territory. Tonghoo was the
Chief of all the above villages, but each village also
had its own Chief.
During
the early part of 1877 some inroads had been made into
the territory of Manipur by small parties of this tribe
and several Manipuris had been killed.3 After
the Kongal outrage of 1877, authorities of Manipur was,
for some time, not exercised on that frontier. Taking
avantage of the situation the Chussad Kukis became a
terror to the peaceful Tangkhuls and Lahoopas in their
neighbourhood. When the news reached Chandrakirti singh
a strong force was immediately sent there to intercept
their further advance. By the end of December 1879, it
was reported that Tonghoo, at the instigation of the
Samjok Raja, declared himself to be independent of
Manipur, but his revolt was suppressed. Shortly after
the above outrage, a raid was again committed, in
February 1880, by a party of Chussad Kukis, on a
Chingsaw village, in the territory of Manipur4
in which forty five men of the village were murdered,
three carried off as captives and the village itself
burnt down to ashes. With a view to suppress the Chussad
Kukis permanently, Chandrakirti Singh desired to send an
expedition against them. He therefore sought opinion
from the Government of India. The latter concurred in
the opinion of the Raja and Chandrakirti Singh
suppressed the Chussad Kukis. With the subjugation of
the aforesaid tribes peace was restored to this
frontier.
However,
in September 1893, raids were again committed on
Kukilong, a Tangkhul village east of Somra5.
On receipt of the information, the Deputy Commissioner,
Upper Chindwin and Mr. A. Porteous, Officiating
Political Agent at Manipur visited the village with a
strong force of Military Police in March 1894 and
settled the dispute.6 Examining the growing
disturbances in the area and its geographical situation,
the Government of India for administrative convenience,
handed over the administration of the Somra tract to the
Deputy Commissioner, Upper Chindwin District. The
Government opined, “… it has been settled that the
villages in the Somra basin are not to be handed over to
Manipur, it would not have been worthwhile to re-open
the question merely for the sake of one or two villages
in particular Tuson and Wakhong being administered by
Manipur.”7 Since then no attempt has been
made for the restoration of the tract to Manipur.
Subsequently the boundaries of Manipur were confined to
23o50’ and 25o51’ North
Latitudes and 93o and 94o45’
East Longitudes.
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