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150th Death Anniversary of Freedom Fighter Kiri Daloi (1823-1862)(A seminar paper presented by Shri Heibormi Sungoh at the National Seminar 2012 at District Library organised bySein Raij Jwai to mark the 150th Death anniversary of Kiang Nangbah)Theme: Jaintia Resistance, Venue: District Library Jowai on 29th December 2012.Kiri DaloiDhar was theDaloi ofChangpungElaka (territory),Jaintia Hillsb e f o r eindependencefought bravelyagainst theBritish force onthe 5th February 1862 (Raliang marketday) in a village known as Changpung.It was almost as a part of Sepoy Mutiny1857 which ignites the minds of Indiansoil.Kiri Daloi Dhar (Kiri is his name,Daloi means Traditional Chief, and Dharis his Title) was born in the year 1823in his native place Changpung village.He is popularly known as Kiri chaliang,because his neck is slightly tiltedtowards the left. (Literally chaliangmeans tilted). He has keen interest andlove for his own religion and culturalheritage. He was elected as aMalihangot (the leader of sangots, thefollowers of Daloi) in the traditionalinstitution.After the death of Riang DaloiShylla, the Waheh Khad ar nor ( elderrepresentatives from each clan)selected Kiri as a new Daloi of the ElakaChangpung to take responsibility for thesmooth running and functioning of thewhole kingdom. The traditional systemof selection of Kiri Daloi is popularlyknown as Thmat-thohkhyndaw. Themeanings of Thmat-thohkhyndaw is theselection of any important person byusing a very long chanting and finallysmash the egg and read the signs ofindication from egg yolk. Kiri Daloimarried a very beautiful lady known asChyndon Papang as per traditionalmarriage ceremony commonly knownas Bia Lampah.He took charge as the Daloi in theyear circa 1852 at the age of 29confidently. As the new Daloi, he wasan able young man who had a strongfeeling of patriotism in his heart andproperly governed the Elaka.There were many reasons whichprovoked the Jaintias to stand againstthe British forces; some of whichincluded,(i) The house tax imposed by theBritish on the Jaintias on 1860.(ii): The interference by the Britishin the religion and rituals of the Jaintias,such as the cremating of the dead,Behdienkhlam Festival, PastiehFestival and many others.In 1860 a house tax was imposedand within a few months, the peoplewere in open rebellion. Unfortunately alarge force of troops was closed at handand before the revolt could make anyhead. In Jaintia Hills 310 persons weretaxed on whom the whole amountassessed was Rs1259. The highestamount levied was Rs 9 per head, andthe rest Rs 5 per head.The most burning issue of the warwas the interference of the British atPastieh of Yalong on the concludingday on the Saturday 21 st April 1860(Muchai market day) in a particulardance place known as Khliehmyntang,where shield and sword were destroyedand some shields and swords weretaken away by the British.The Shad Pastieh is a religiousfestival performs during the late of Marchor early in the month of April. It isperformed at different altars located inRaij Yalong such as (i) Kaikso (2)Myntang (3) Kupli (4) Thanglipdang (5)Knein rapati (6) Musko Daloi (7)Blailakroh (8) Moomulang (9) Ha iungu Lyngdoh (in the Priest house) etc.The people were suppressed butcould not resist the Might of the BritishEmpire equipped with sophisticatedarms. The people were irked by theghastly behavioural activities of theBritish Empire and were totally helpless.In Jwai the people under theleadership of U Kiang Nangbah, wereactively motivating people from differentparts of the Kingdom particularlyChangpung and motivated Kiri Daloi toinitiate a rebellion against the BritishEmpire. Kiri Daloi convened a meetingof the neighbouring Daloi at Iawmuchai(Changpung market) during Kupli Pujafestival, in the late of the year 1861where the Daloi of Elaka Mynsoo, Daloiof Elaka Raliang, Daloi of ElakaNangphyllud and Elders of Khonchnongvillage under the leadership of LongSuiai and others discussed about thesuppression by the foreigners. Jwaipeople played a very active role inconvening different regional Durbars tomobilize and revolt against the mightyBritish force.The Jaintias held a General meetingat Madiah Kmai Blai, Syntu Ksiar onthe Monday 20 th Janaury1862 andunanimously elected Kiang Nangbah asthe leader of Jaintia force and Kiri Daloias the spoke person of the JaintiaDurbar, to have fought against theBritish force for their own rights. Afterthe General meeting was over, theJaintias with their brave hearts rised afierce rebellion and attacked the JowaiThana where some of the Britishsoldiers were killed and few of them hada narrow escape. This war is popularlyknown as Thma Jaintia in local Pnarlanguage (which literally means Jaintiarebellion). The wife of Kiri Daloi, MrsChyndon Papang narrates theconsequences of agitation to LakhmaSungoh (my grandmother), who told thatafter exactly two weeks from the JaintiaDurbar, “The British came here andinvaded us at Raliang market day”.The Jaintia people burnt the housesof the native Christian in Jowai on the23rd January 1861 because they weresuspected as the informers of theBritish and also they didn’t join thestruggling against the British troops.In Changpung sector British troopswere lead by Lieutenant Colonel W.Richardson in guidance of Pator ofNangbah and Changpung people werelead by Kiri Daloi himself. Changpungpeople fought bravely against the Britishforce with their bows, arrows andmuskets as to have resisted the Britishforce.As soon as Kiri Daloi received themessage from his soldiers about the<strong>Heritage</strong> Explorer 17 January 2013
arrival of the enemies he went hurriedlyto his resident to meet his wife and hisonly son named Kyrsiang Papang inhis residence before he went to the battlefield. But on reaching home he foundthat his wife was not at home and hissister in law, named Syiang Papangtold Kiri Daloi that she went out to meethim and inspire him before fighting theenemies. During that moment he gavehis money bag to her sister so that shewill hand it over to his beloved wife butshe (Syiang Papang) didn’t give the bagto his wife.The location of the wyrchakor(stockade) is along the banks of riverUmiurem, a steep sloping landscapedivided by this Rivers flowing throughChangpung village and joins Kupli Riverat Testar. Some of the soldiers fromboth the parties were wounded and evenloss their lives during the battle. As perinformation from Mr Subor TkhohSuchiang he told Chyndon Papangthere were eleven persons fromChangpung who were killed during theencounter and Kiri Daloi was amongthem. Mr Subor Tkoh Suchiang is a righthand man of Kiri Daloi who was firedby the British soldiers in the encounterat his right knee. Kiri Daloi was shotdeath in his head at Changpungbattlefield on 5 th February 1862 (Raliangmarket day) at 3 P.M in the afternoon.After Kiri Daloi was killed, Changpungpeople’s resistance against theBritishers started losing momentum.The British troops carried the corpse ofKiri Daloi to the western side of riverUmiurem for post-mortem. Since thattime, that particular place was namedas Kaiksang (literally means thewashed away the entrails). Kiri Daloileft behind his only three month old sonnamed as Kyrsiang Papang and hisbeloved wife.Changpung village was burnt downand the fire raged all through the night.During the incident some old aged andsick persons were burnt alive insidetheir houses which in-turn traumatisedthe people of Changpung. The villagersalong with the family of Kiri Daloi werechased out and they fled and hidthemselves in the eastern part of thevillage known as Thlumynchong andChahong. During their narrow escapemany crying babies were thrown away,and some of them died of starvation.The Mrs Chyndon Papang was carryingher three month baby and as she wascrying her friends shouted, “hei,Chyndon noh katu ka khon pharieh waiam sangko, ia sniaw ka phareng i, iatyniap ka i pathan du nei daw i iong utuu khon pho” (Chyndon throw away yourson so that the foreigners might hearus and kill us due to your crying baby).On hearing this Chyndon replied “Banu noh o ia u ni u khon u iongnga bhawa ieh phi nga samen ieh in iap alehpher re, dieh phi nanglai”(it is better toleave me let me die rather than to throwmy own son, please leave me alone).They left her alone and proceeded to asafe place far away from village.Changpung elected the nephew ofKiri Daloi as the leader to continue thebattle against the British. TheChangpung warriors came out from theirhide out during the night and attackedtheir enemies with their guerrilla tacticsin their camp at Kdohkulei. The Britishbrought the poultries from Changpungand took those poultries at the smallcave known as Ksetsyiar for consumedthem.Changpung people were staying atThlumynchong and Chahong jungles forsome months and as a result of whichthe people suffered tremendously. Afterwhich the elders convened a meetingat madan Sniriang (Sniriang field) andelected Shri Kat Suchiang to have leadand surrendered in front of the Britishforce at the base camp at Kdohkuleifollowing which they were taken toJowai.During the journey to the base campof British at Kdohkulei, Kat Suchiangand his followers carried a white flag asa symbol of capitulation to the BritishForce. Before reaching the camp abouta stone throw, Kat Suchiang bowedmany times to the British force as asign of surrender. After an agreementthe British promised them to bring peaceand stability in the village, butChangpung people have to pay tax. Theleader and his followers went back totheir hideout and informed people toreturn back to their village.Changpung people returned backand found out all their belongings suchas gold necklace, bangles, Kpeinksiar(necklace made of gold in the form ofsmall balls and tied up together with astrong thread) were no more. Domesticanimals such goats, cattle, strayedthemselves without their own lord.Taxation is another burden added tothe tension of people which trouble themand their daily life. The poor people hadto pay their taxes using their utensils,ear rings and other domestic items suchrice, clothes, etc.During the cold night of the Thursday25 th December 1862 (Thymblein marketday) at 6.30 P.M British force inleadership of Lieutenant T.R Saddlierand Lieutenant EW Walcott fromNartiang lead an army to Umpara villagewhere Kiang Nangbah, and his followerswere in place of escape. They weretravelling during the night time in fullmoon night without using torchlightexcept in the extreme cases and restedduring the day. Umpara is a smallvillage of 12 houses inhabited by Pnarlanguage speaking people locallyknown as Khyrwang, which is within8hrs to 10 hours of walking distancefrom Mynser. It is located near a smallvillage known as Rymphum village. TheBritish force were given information byMon Daloi of Nartiang (Bordaloi or thechief of Daloi) and his right hand manMr Long Sutnga from Nartiang villageitself. The natural route for dynamicoperation to Umpara village was guidedby Mr Long Sutnga. The British troopand Long Sutnga reached Umpara at 6A.M early in the morning where almostall the people are still asleep.The British troop finds a very difficulttask to locate the exact house whereKiang Nangbah and his followers arehiding out. So the two Lieutenants sendLong Sutnga to have a spying to eachand every house. Umpara is a smallvillage divided by a road in the middleso; it is easy for Long Sutnga to performthe task of spying. At last Long Sutngareached in one hut with a snoring soundof many men. Long Sutnga is a PnarLanguage by native shouted and callingthe name of Kiang Nangbah and hisfollowers. Kiang Nangbah and hisfollowers awake on hearing a Pnarlanguage with a sense of feeling thatthey might be their own supportivepeople in the hideout. People inside thehouse response to the request of LongSutnga and open the door and saw him<strong>Heritage</strong> Explorer 18 January 2013
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