13 perks of living in Churachandpur

  BRITISH COLONIALISM, ITS IMPACT ON EDUCATION AMONGST THE NON-NAGA  TRIBAL IN  MANIPUR

ABSTRACT:

 The paper will be closely related to the education system prevailing in the pre and post-colonial period. This paper will focus mainly on the writings taken from different Manipuri scholars via internet, books, and orally from seniors who had knowledge about the mentioned topic. The purposed of writing this paper is to bring in the knowledge of Manipur and its educational transformation before and after the British colonial rule. The British conquered Manipur in 1891 and they ruled the state till 1947. These period marks a very important and significant phase in the history and historiography of Manipur. In that fifty six years or so, Manipur underwent such incredible changes in terms of social organization, culture, education, health, government and most importantly on education. Education being the most powerful instrument of Christian proselytise, the Christian missionary played a very important role in the establishment of schools which provided a material basis for the emergence of a new western-educated group. Almost everywhere there had been mushroom growth of schools and the once ignorant tribal masses also had begun to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The missionary movement had assumed a new dimension covering elementary medical education and other philanthropic works also. Christian missionary held an arms towards bringing out primary schools which were the founding layer of education and shaping tiny number of educated group amongst the tribal in Manipur . Thus out of this newly educated group emerged teachers, evangelists, new church leaders (pastors) and political leaders.

“Education is a dynamic process, which in its totality changes with the changing situations and developing circumstances” – prof. humayun kabir.

INTRODUCTION:

Manipur kingdom: an ancient kingdom with long history, rich culture grew up in the valley of the heart of Manipur. It is a valley cradle of human civilisation and culture. Different ethnic group migrate to this place. The tribal here had their own way of governance within a closed boundary. And did not build up polity formation beyond the village. There was no proper history at olden times or before colonialism came in place. Few sources was from the priestly class history talking about the kingdom and its ancestor but denied the rich history of the common Meitei’s and the tribal. With the passage of time comes the British and set up its colonial centres in Kolkata. Colonialism wave toward the north-eastern state gradually by means of the missionaries and its mission workers. This was successful in few places but not in many. The Meitei do not allowed themselves to mix their belief with them but the tribal who interact with the whites missionaries and make a different in their education and their way of living as well.


BRITISH COLONIALISM:

It was in the year 1891 the British conquered Manipur which was the beginning of the colonial era in the history of Manipur. However Manipur had more than a century of relation with the British since 1762. British colonialism was where modern historiography established its genesis. Alexander Mackenzie published an article “A history of the relations of the hill tribes with the government of British Bengal” which was a great landmark in the history of colonial
historiography not only in Manipur but for the whole north-east India. The paper gives a glimpse on the hill people, their way of live and other more. Alexander Mackenzie was a member of the Indian civil service in the government of Bengal. Manipur was an ancient kingdom with a long history and rich culture. Another book which contain a lot of historic information although it is not a history is “ my experiences in Manipur and Naga hills” written by sir James Johnston which was based on his personal experiences dealing with expansion of the British political agency and administration also give a handful help for reconstructing the rich past of the state Manipur.
Manipur was mainly divided into two major region: the hill areas and the valleys. The valleys were occupied mostly occupied by Meiteis who speaks Manipuri also known as Meiteilon. The hills areas of Manipur were people by two major ethnic groups- the Nagas and the Kuki-Chin-Mizo, which are sub-divided into about 32 smaller tribes according to difference in culture, language and customary practices. There is no clear cut boundaries between the areas occupied by the Nagas and the Kukis as they are all mixed up in the hill districts except Churachandpur where this is a Kuki dominated area. In the northeast of Ukhrul district though the Tangkhul Nagas are pre-dominant, a large number of Kukis also settle here. In chandel district a homogeneous combination of the both the tribes’ lives there. Whatever classification, there comes the conclusion where every none-Manipuri come under one roof when it is about a larger classification. And generally they (both the nagas and the non-naga tribals) constitute the population of the whole tribal population in Manipur.

BEGINNING OF COLONIALISM AMONG THE TRIBAL AND ITS IMPACT THERE-AFTER:

There is a reasonable resentment among the hill people of Manipur that there is no proper history for them. Much is not known about the tribal background and the long past and their lives in the pre-historic times. Much of written resources about these people had not been found, however one can gather something about them in indulging in presumptions based on the folktales and legendary stories which are handed down from father to son from one generation to another generation. They started reconstructing their history by this petty sources of oral history. External interferences such as the British colonial government provided a basis for them in this reconstruction of their history.
The time when the east India company who came to India as traders and whose main and prior intention was initially economics besides social causes. They fear that educating the illiterate Indians would make them challenge alien rule. But the fear does not stop them bringing in education. In the year 1813, there was an important land mark in the history of education in India that the east India Company announced to spend lakhs for the revival and improvement of literature and the encouragement, introduction and promotion of knowledge of sciences among the inhabitants of the British territories in India. After 69 years in the year 1882 the first Indian education commission which was also known as the hunter commission was appointed to look into the conditions of primary or elementary education in India. [Dr. H.pulamte: right to education (2011)] modern education which was so called was introduced in the princely state of Manipur in the year 1882. English medium school were also established in several parts of the state which included Sekmai, Phoijing, Tera Moirang and few other more. No improvement in education was seen as the public were against gaining education
from them considering it as impure and that this type education will make them lose their sacred being. This make the process of education slow in Manipur very slow.
In the hill on the other hand, before the coming of the British as stated above there was no historical information. Neither there was formal form of education, the only education formalities was that the father told the son what his own father had told him orally and same with women . For instances, the different folktale what we have had been brought about till this generations from this type of education via the oral education. Learning how to hunt and fish from the father or the knowledge of the surroundings in such a way that a particular season is for a particular work hold. This was education for them. And for girls, cooking, weaving (the dress which are worn by them are weave by women) was what they have to learn from the mother. Moreover if someone wants to get a schooling education, he/she had to go to Jb School which is a government school. The medium of teaching was Manipuri and I remember whenever I ask my maternal grandpa to multiply even a small number he would started counting ama, ani (meaning one, two in Manipuri ). That was again limited till some standard 5 / 6. For higher study one had to go out of the village.
Education of the hill people in Manipur had its biggest credits to the Christians missionaries. They played an important role as they did in many parts of India. Rev w. Pettigrew when he first set foot on Indian soil on January 1891 was rejected by many kings and rulers and a big “NO” was the answer everywhere. When in 1891 a massacre happened in the eastern Bengal. The reverend Mr. W. Pettigrew was granted permission by a British officers who was in charge of the state to enter into the states of now what we called the north eastern states of India. He spent days preparing for the language and hunting for experiences. When the reverend enter the states of Manipur after days and lots of preparation
he happened to be the first Christian missionary who was allowed to enter the state. But this happen only after several months of struggle. The deal with the Manipuri was as hard that the reverend keep on searching the written records of how William Carey , the first missionary to India had got touch into this people and to anyone who knew the language that he had translated the new testament bible into Manipuri in the Devanagari script. It would have been a real difficulty for them trying to get into people’s language. The Christian missionary like this one reverend w. Pettigrew was not allowed to set foot on the valleys of Manipur. Subsequently after 4 years he reached Ukhrul in 1895 and by the next year he started an ME (mission and evangelical school) which was sponsored by the American Baptist mission. He is not be forgotten when talks about first modern education is established. The mission which was set up and last for long: it also become so powerful in some part of the state that people consider them the ruler of the region. They were also the first group who took the census in the year 1910-1911. The missionary Mr W. Pettigrew was also appointed the superintendent of schools in the whole Manipur. He was also appointed as superintendent of the first real census of the hill tribes. He was the only one who knew the languages of the hill tribes usually. This census was successfully carried out by his school teachers along with some senior’s students. This exercise give him chances to him and his colleagues to explore more of the areas where he had not visited earlier. After setting up a school in Ukhrul Mr .Pettigrew moved to the south-western part of the state in 1912. This was the time when a severe famine haunted the region and the people were in great distress. The time when the small proportion came to know the need of gospel ministries and they plead for it. There was also a called from the southern district of Churachandpur. As a result of another mission work by Watkins R Robert in 1910 known as the independent welsh mission which was later change to north-east India general mission (NEIGM) there was establishment of churches and schools in the southern churachandpur district. Along with it come in changes in the religious belief of
the hill people. To the educated few it was more of religion than education. Those people who went to schools were considered to be lazy and not aware of what to eat. They were portrait to be one who does not care much about living. Out of the majority who think that education or schooling was of no used there are some who give importance on schooling education. In the early period of school establishment only boys were found getting enroll. No girls come forward as parents were not willing to send their daughters to schools. In spite of this prejudice against female education, a separate school for schools for girls was established in 1899 at Imphal where only 12 girl enroll and join the school. This was mean to be exclusively for the valley people as people from the hills especially girls would not be allowed to go out from home to get education. Times passes by and more schools were established by the ABM mission in many places and many more which by some other missions like the NEIGM. Number of educated people keeps on increasing, girls were sent to school given equal chances and some become doctor and more got through into professional courses. Many other more become superintendent and Mr. W. Pettigrew in one of his journals stated that he was happy to see his student getting involved even in politics and administration. Some even went outside the state to get higher education. And to this day there would have been a visible difference if colonialism had not taken places. There was a great change in the pre and pro period of colonialism. Though they did came in with a different objectives their idea of Bringing in education for the tribal living in the interior hill was indeed a blessing in disguise.

CONCLUSION:

We have seen how the British had come in through Manipur and how their modern education had brought in changes in the education system in the tribal society of Manipur. Missionaries in the first place have colonialist attitude towards the people but looking at the bright side of it had brought in changes in the lifestyle and mind-set of the people. I personally feel that if missionaries had fail entering this interior part of the state, the world for them would be a totally different one. If argue that some other means could have taken up. The tribal were tough though calm in the heart but are not easily accessible and especially by the foreign look and there could be many a times the missionaries face fierce attack by villagers defending the whole village not letting the whites enter the village. I have also read about a biography of missionary who came to Senvon, a Hmar village in southern Churachandpur was seriously injured when for the first time he try entering the villages . He did not succeed for the first time but he must have somehow manage to do it after a couple of try .This villages is now a center for schooling for a number of nearby village. Moreover the village is the center of the small region around and acts like a market place. The nearby village need not go the district capital for primary education or at most till 10 standard .the result of colonialism to sum up for these group of people (the tribes in Manipur) would be beneficial in one or the other way.

REFERENCES:

1. Pettigrew, W. The Baptist Missionary Review Vol. XXXVIII, [November, 1932] No. II Manipur State [18911932.]
2. Kamei, Gangumei. [2010]. “colonial and post-colonial historiography of Manipur” in ’The Philosophy of History and the Historiography of Manipur' at IIAS (Indian institute of advanced studies, Shimla). [8th September, 2010]
3. H.Pulamte, John, Tribal education in Manipur in 2days Academic Program organized by All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur at Chandel Hqrs., on November 24 & 25, [2009].
4. Gangte, M priyadarshini, Historiography of the kukis: The forces that have shaped the Kuki nationalism in Manipur [February 26th 2011]. Imphal kukiforum.com access on [4th Aug. '14]
5. Gamei, G .Gangumei .Colonial policy and practice in manipur; 2011. @imphal free press. Access on [24th July 2014]
6. Haokip, Thongkhosei M. (2012), The Impact of Christian mission and British Colonialism among the Kuki People in North East India, Aizawl: kukiforum.com.[ 20th July 14]
7. Vashum, yangkahao (2003) Colonialism, Christian mission, and indigenous: an examination from Asian indigenous, Jorhat; biblical-studies.org. Access on [24th July 2014]
8. Haokip, Thongkholal (2012) the Kukis of Northeast India: Politics and Culture, New Delhi: Book-well
9. Ningthouja, Malem. Manipur mortaged; (2010) revolutionarydemocracy.org access on [24th July 2014]
10. Singha M. Ningamba (2014) a Journal of Humanities & Social Science: Dept. of Bengali Karimganj College, Karimganj, Assam, India. Access on [3rd August 2014]


NOTE: this is a submitted copy of my assignment to Dr. Khalid Wasim ( professor TISS, Tuljapur)
And any correction related to the source and the paper is warmly welcome.