Hokato Awomi
Activist & Asst Professor
There have been a lot of tantrums about Dimapur and Dimasa, a lot of concerned public leaders and figures had been heard stating, Dimapur doesn’t belong to Nagas, such a statement could lead the just man to discard the histories of civilizations, in order to discern the truth we need to have a systematic understanding of the course of history of its origin, migration and civilization.
Firstly, let’s understand the ‘terminology and kingdom of Kachari’ Scholars have different contention and hypothesis on various probability of the origin of the word Kachari. In literally term, it refers to as the children or descendent of a big river Brahmaputra. The Kachari also has their own parochial God and Goddess as Madai, believed to be the descendent of the God of Earthquake and Arikhidima, the great divine bird from whose egg came out the 7 eggs and in it, the God Madai was born, from where the 40 male and female clans of Senphong and Julu of Kachari Dimasa are said to be originated. As per different sources, the Kachari were also divided into two groups, the Northern and the Southern group, the Northern group consist of Bodo, Rabha Tolata, Mech, Dhimal, Koch, Solanimiyas, Mahalyas, Phulgariyas, Saraniyas. The southern group consists of Joyar, Lalungs, Garo, Haijongs, Tippera. There is no exact place from where the Kachari’s had migrated; oral sources claim to be originated in the confluence of Diloabra Sangibra- unknown cosmic location. While historically point to the river Yangtze Khiang and Hwang Ho River in Western China, they migrated through the river Chindwin and Irrawaddy and entered Assam by land and following course of river Brahmaputra. On reaching the region, started living in the hills of Brahmaputra and its tributaries. Kachari in North Cachar and Karbi Anglong, Bodo in Brahmaputra valley, Barnam in Cachar belong to the same origin stock of people. Kachari are also known by the name Barnam, traces their descendent to Bhima, the Pandava of Mahabarata while it is also claim that the term Dimasa is derived from the word Timisa and that Dimasakachari were earlier known as Bodosa prior to their migration on the bank of Dhansiri region, after migration to these region they came to known as Dimasa after the name of the big river. Di- means water, Ma- means big. Sa- meaning children. So the word Dimasa refers to as Children of the big river Dhansiri, the word Dimasa is also said to undergone transition from the word Hidimbra-Hidimbaa-chha to Dimasa in later years, oral narrative have a variation. There is no written record of Kachari rule but solely rely on oral narrative tradition. It is not certain how long does, the Kachari kingdom existed but the Kachari’s are believed to be engaged in a prolonged struggle with the Ahom’s over sovereignty. The Ahom’s entered Assam in around 13th century passing through the Patkai pass and succeeded in consolidating their Kingdom in the whole of Northeast. The Ahom’s gradually subdued the Kachari living in the Brahmaputra region and thus push the Kachari’s to take refuge in around the valley of now Dhansiri River. As these group of Kachari settle in around Dimapur, the Ahom’s came to know about the kingdom and in the middle of 16th century invaded Dimapur capturing and sacking the capital in 1526, the Kachari ruins is example of the sack of Dimapur. The Kachari’s were driven out of Dimapur by 1529 by the Ahom. As a result the raja of Dimapur deserted it and moved to Maibong in around 1536, at Maibong the Kachari were able to maintain the kingdom for almost 200 years however later get into the conflict with the Jaintia Raja and in 1706, Kachari king Tamradhaj declared its sovereignty, this infuriated Ahom king Rudra Singh as a result the Ahom forces marched into Maibong, the Ahom’s not only crushed the Kachari kingdom but occupied and demolished the new capital at Maibong, Tamradhaj then flee and took refuge in Khaspur. The Dimasa Kachari was forced to move from Maibong to Khaspur in Cachar in around 1750 during the reign of Kartik Chandra Narayan. The last Kachari king, Govinda Chandra took refuge in the British district of Sylhet, Govinda Chandra with the help of British got back the lost territory to Ahom after signing the treaty with the British. As a result the British gave protection to King Govinda Chandra and Tularam, due to internal difference in 1825 Govinda Chandra abandoned Khaspur and established the new capital at Haritika in the west of Badarpur. Post the First Anglo-Burmese war in 1830, Govinda Chandra died without any legal heir, So Tularam was allowed to remain in power over the region of North Cachar, after the death of Tularam in 1854, the Kachari kingdom and Cachar were annexed to Nowgong district of Assam under the British Government of India until the transfer of power to India in 1947.
Secondly, Understanding the origin of Dimapur, the name Dimapur is no doubt a linguistic origin from Kachari but there is a major misconception of people in regard to the name of Dimapur. Dimapur is also thought to be named after the name of a king Dima, it is a generic term meaning the people inhabiting, the city near the big river Dhansiri. As mis-conceptualize by many that Dimapur is a named after the king Dima but Dima refer to big river not king. Di-means water, Ma- means big, Pur- means city. So Dimapur simply means, the city near the big river referring to Dhansiri River. The earlier existence of the kingdom are obscure due to scarcity of written record however the Kachari kingdom was said to be founded by a man name Mahamanipha in around 1330-1370, some oral narrative traces back to 10th century and continue to exist until the defeat by Ahom in around the 16th century by king Suhunmung of Ahom kingdom, Dimapur remain under the Ahom kingdom until the treaty of Yandaboo in 1826.By then, Kachari living in Dimapur had deserted and migrated to a new capital of Maibong- Khaspur-Haritika. There is no contention of the denial of fact that Dimapur was once a part of the kingdom of Kachari. A salt depot at Dimapur became of the center of trade and this led to the development of trade relationship between the Nagas and Ahom’s. After the treaty of Yandaboo in 1926 post the First Anglo Burmese war, the areas come into the British East India Company as a result; the British administrative policies and measures were implemented as per the British Government of India in the territory. As per the British Government of India, Inner Line Permit was implemented and continued to be implemented till 1925butthrough the British govt. order in 1925, inner line permit was exempted in the region till 2019. In 2019, Government of Nagaland decided to bring Dimapur under ILP due to the increasing threat of the influx of illegal immigrants. After the statehood of Nagaland in 1963, Dimapur was designated as ‘Tribal Bolt’ through the Government order in 1979 in order to safeguard Naga tribal customs in the areas. On 02 December 1997, Dimapur was separated from Kohima which was earlier kept under Kohima Sub-division.
Thirdly, the coming of Ahom; In around 1215 A.D. the Ahom supreme leader, Sukhapa left his native place maulang with 8 Nobles, 9000 infantries, 3000 cavalries, 2 elephant and 3000 horses. For almost 13 years, they wandered around the hills and in around 1228, they reach the Himalayan foothills and crosses through the Patkai pass inhabited by the Naga Konyak tribes of present Arunachal Pradesh, the Ahom Buranj is record the brutality of the Ahom punishment meted out to Naga tribes, the cruelty of Ahom was such that, they goes on rampant killing. These brutalities led to constant conflicts between the Nagas and Ahom, the folk narrative tell the story of the Naga warrior invading the capital of Ahom’s and bringing back the head as a trophy. In later years, the Ahom’s realized the Nagas as strong warrior people and acknowledge the Nagas as warrior tribes and not just a people that can be subjugated by the use of force and also the Nagas inhabited the strategic position of the hills regions. So they started maintaining a cordial relationship with the head of the Naga village by inviting them to the court and presenting them with the gifts, even appointing to a high position of ministerial position in the Ahom court. In 1253, the Ahom’s established first Kingdom at Kharaideo that led to the formal expansion and paramount of Ahom in the Northeastern region. Ahom kingdom said to be extended to the region of Patkai hills (East) Mans river of Bhutan (West) to Sikkin (North) to Manipur, Burma (South) to Garos, Khasis, Cachar, Jantia. Directly or indirectly, the Ahom supremacy was inevitable in North east region. In 1661-1662 A.D. when Mir Jumla of Mughal Empire attack Ahom kingdom, the Naga tribes as Ao, Lotha, Konyak supported the Ahom, the Ahom king Gadadhar Singhatook refuge in Naga territory during such times in 1679-1681. This support by the Nagas led to a good relationship between them, the Ahom prince also married the Naga lad as Watlong and Sentichila, The Naga bravery and support to Ahom during the invasion by the Mughals established the trust in the minds of Ahoms and therefore the Ahom raja started granting a revenue free land, fishing right over the river, bheels, establishing duars gate, constructing Naga khats, Naga ali etc. The Naga tribes were also said to be enrolled in the Paiks (Tribal census) of 1510 A.D of Ahom kingdom. This relationship led to a marriage alliance between the Nagas and Ahom’s in later years and therefore the mixed descendant of Ahom and Nagas are still found in the border areas as a result of these matrimonial alliance.
Fourthly, the Burmese expansion in 19th century, the Burmese started expanding their empire towards Manipur and Assam, at that time, Manipur, Cachar (Dimao Hasao) Jaintia, (Meghalaya) were the protectorate territory of British government. The Burmese under Maha Bandula started an offensive against the British subject in the hills with a plan to annexed Arakan, Manipur, Assam, Cachar, Jaintia, and Eastern Bengal. In 1823, near Chittagong the Burmese and British forces clashed, that begins the First Anglo Burmese in January 1824. Consequently in 1826, the treaty of Yandaboo was signed as a result of which, the region of Assam, Arakan (Manipur) and Tenasserim (Myanmar) Jaintia (Meghalaya) hills regions were ceded to the British East India Company. These treaty and acquisition of the new territory in the eastern region also prompted the British to make expansion into the Naga territory in search of road connectivity from Assam to Manipur. Now by these times, the kingdom in Dimapur exist no more; the Kachari’s living in Dimapur had moved to new capital at Maibong in mid-16th century and had already established their new kingdom in region of Cachar. Few remains in the region but in later year’s non preference to pay revenue deserted the area and moved to their new established kingdom.
Fifthly, the Nagas and the British; the vast spans of the region of Assam, Arakan, Tenasserim, Jaintia went under the control of British. The British came into contact with Nagas in 1832; as result, the expedited Naga territories came under British control and administration continue till 1947. In 1908, British govt. issued proposal of migration and settlement and thus migration to these area begin, when the First World War broke out in 1817, the British recruited the Nagas in the Labor Corps as a non-combatants forces. After the end of the war, they were impressed by the support given by the Naga tribes especially an immense contribution of 1000 forces and bravery of the Sema, consequently the British issued 2nd migration permit in 1919 and granted patta to migrate and establish a village that led to the migration and establishment of many Sumi villages in the western areas under Herbert Charles Barnes, John Henry Hutton, Charles Ridley Pawsey. The Northeast region had undergone a demographic change over a period between 13th -19th century; it underwent a paradigm demographic shift as a result of Tai Ahom establishment of Ahom Kingdom in Assam and British rule in India. Undeniably, the present area of Dimapur was once a Kachari capital in the past but these was how a civilization underwent a territorial re-organization and formsa part of rich historical tapestry, heritage, a legacy and a history. Dimapur once being part of Kachari kingdom, today it belongs to the Nagas. The Dimasa Kachari ( inhabitants of river Dhansiri) are part and parcel of Naga community today, they should be thankful to the British and the Nagas that those remains of ruins are not been demolished, destroyed or removed but rather had taken care, preserved unlike the Ahom’s who not only crushed the kingdom but also demolished, destroyed the city they invaded, the Nagas rather preserved the tangible heritage of Dimasa Kachari and even recognize the Kachari as an Indigenous tribes of Nagaland, they are part and parcel of Naga society and Nagaland and therefore without understanding historical past, it is immensely in appropriate for the youngster and even the public leader to say that Dimapur does not belong to the Nagas would mean it belong to non-Nagas. History has it role but today, Dimapur though not a generic origin of Naga linguistic vocabulary but it solely belong to the Nagas and therefore Naga has every right to protect the city from the influx of outsiders. Dimapur may once a Kachari capital like the Delhi been the capital of Mughals but it would be insensible for the descendent of Mughals to claim that Delhi belong to Mughals. Civilization is all about nomadic migration and occupation, the northeastern hill tribes are migratory tribes in nature, traces its origin to different parts of the world and thus the historical appropriation must not be distorted over by the just sentimentalism and sensationalizing. The Dimasa Kachari community must not drive away by the sentiment of political wave and must not be allowed to carry away by internal or external propaganda of vote bank politics to divide the unity and harmony among the Naga community but rather play a decisive role in preserving the integrity of the state of Nagaland.
