Charles Stewart Murray C.I.E | |
---|---|
Superintendent of the South Lushai Hills | |
In office 1 April 1891 –16 April 1891 | |
Monarch | Queen Victoria |
Governor General | Lord Lansdowne |
Preceded by | Position created |
Succeeded by | John Shakespear |
Personal details | |
Born | Woolwich,Kent,England | December 4,1858
Died | May 4,1903 44) Darjeeling,West Bengal,British Raj | (aged
Spouse | Laura Susan Prestage (m. 1892) |
Relations | Brigadier General Alexander Henry Murray (Father) Martha Frances Vincent Murray (b. Davenport, Mother) George Murray, 5th Earl of Dunmore (Grandfather) John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore (G. Grandfather) |
Children | Commander Archie Alastair Stewart Murray Alastair Donald Stewart Murray Charles Stewart Murray (jr) |
Known for | Political Officer of the South Lushai Hills |
Awards | Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Rank | Superintendent |
Unit | Bengal Police |
Battles/wars | Chin-Lushai Expedition Lushai Rising |
Charles Stewart Murray (4 December 1858- 4 May 1903) was a superintendent of police in the British Raj. Murray participated in the Chin-Lushai Expedition. Murray assisted John Shakespear, the field officer of the southern column in the expedition. After the annexation of the Lushai Hills, Murray was assigned as the first superintendent of the South Lushai Hills. However, his mishandling of authority with the Lushai tribes, such as Zakapa, would see him transferred to an assistant commissioner of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Charles Stewart Murray was born on 4 December 1858 in Woolwich, Kent in England. He was the second son of Briagder-General Alexander Henry Murray and Martha Frances Vincent Murray, which made him the direct descendent of George Murray, 5th Earl of Dunmore and John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore. He was a sibling to three more brothers: Alexander Charles Henry Gerald Murray, Cyril Francis Tyrrel Murray and Malcome Donald Donald Murray. [1]
Charles Stewart Murray joined the Bengal Police in India, where he was appointed Superintendent of Police for the Chittagong Hill Tracts. [2] Murray's successes in fighting the Bhutias and Lepchas gained him a reputation as a competent frontier officer. [3] Murray held the position until 1888 where he was assigned as political officer to the Chin-Lushai Expedition under Colonel Tregear. [2] [4] Murray would hold a durbar with the chiefs in the Lushai language at Fort Lungleh. He would also make allies with chiefs such as Mompunga and Saipuia. [3] On 1st April 1891 Murray was assigned political officer to the South Lushai Hills. [5] He would have a salary of ₹ 700-₹ 1,000 with a fixed travel allowance of ₹ 150. [6]
Murray's administration over the south Lushai Hills would last for 16 days before he would be transferred. [7] Murray's duty as a political officer consisted of introducing house taxes and obligating chiefs to supply labour to construct roads and infrastructure. When tensions between Zakapa and Murray escalated into a South Lushai rising, the British originally considered the issue as a resistance to supplying the labour quota. However, the true cause was uncovered in judicial proceedings against Murray, who was accused of trying to procure women for sex and after Zakapa was unable to supply his demand, he threatened to take his wife. [7] Zakapa reasonably believed Murray to carry out the threat. As a result, the following day, Murray interrupted Zakapa in his Zawlbuk as he was in a conference with Lalthuama. Murray dispersed Lalthuama to talk with Zakapa alone. After the conversation, Murray left the zawlbuk to burn down the rice stock of the village. The Lushais armed themselves and began to shoot at Murray and his envoy from all directions. Murray's guards were killed, and his assistant, Mr Taylor, was severely wounded as a result. Murray escaped through a hillstream and abandoned his men, ammunition, money and luggage. [8] The absence of Murray for a few days and the unrest of Zakapa and the southern chiefs led to Captain Hutchinson to pacify the settlement. [9]
After the Lushai Rising and fallout with Zakapa, a court case into his conduct demoted Murray for destabilizing the Lushai Hills. [10] The proceedings against him ended on 10 February 1892, when his conduct was responsible for the deaths of two sepoys, a naik, two army signallers and a private servant. [5] As a result, the court deemed him unfit to hold the position of political officer of the South Lushai Hills. [11] Murray was sent to work as assistant commissioner in Chittagong under the discretion of John Edgar. [7] [12] Murray was later sent to work as district superintendent of police as Darjeeling, where he would work until his sudden death. [13]
Charles Stewart Murray married Laura Susan Prestage, daughter of Franklin Prestage on 4 January 1892. [2] [1] He had three sons, Alastair Donald Stewart Murray, Charles Stewart Murray and Archie Alastair Stewart Murray. [1]
Charles Stewart Murray died on 4 May 1903 at age 44. Murray fell down dead during a dance at the Darjeeling amusements club, where he was secretary. [13]
Mizoram is a landlocked state in northeastern India, with Aizawl as its capital and largest city. It shares 722-kilometres of international borders with Bangladesh to the west, and Myanmar to the east and south, with domestic borders with the Indian states of Assam, Manipur, and Tripura. It covers an area of 21,087 square kilometres. 91% of the area is covered by forests, making it the most heavily forested state in India. With an estimated population of 1.25 million in 2023, it is the second least populated state in India. With an urbanisation rate of 51.5% it is the most urbanised state in northeast India, ranking fifth in urbanisation nationwide. One of the two official languages and most widely spoken tongue is Mizo, which serves as a lingua franca among various ethnic communities who speak a variety of other Tibeto-Burman or Indo-Aryan languages. Mizoram is home to the highest percentage of scheduled tribes in India, with the Mizo people forming the majority.
The history of Mizoram encompasses the history of Mizoram which lies in the southernmost part of northeast India. It is a conglomerate history of several ethnic groups of Chin people who migrated from Chin State of Burma. But information of their patterns of westward migration are based on oral history and archaeological inferences, hence nothing definite can be said. The recorded history started relatively recently around the mid-19th century when the adjoining regions were occupied by the British monarchy. Following religious, political and cultural revolutions in the mid-20th century majority of the people agglomerated into a super tribe, Mizo. Hence the officially recognised settlement of the Mizos became Mizoram.
Mautâm is a cyclic ecological phenomenon that occurs every 48–50 years in the northeastern Indian states of Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur, as well as in many places of Assam which are 30% covered by wild bamboo forests, and Chin State in Myanmar, particularly Hakha, Thantlang, Falam, Paletwa and Matupi Townships. It begins with a rat population boom, which in turn creates a widespread famine in those areas.
Tlabung, formerly known as Demagiri, is a census town in Lunglei district in the Indian state of Mizoram.
The British Indian Army Lushai Expedition of 1871 to 1872 was a punitive incursion under the command of Generals Brownlow and Bourchier. The objectives of the expedition were to rescue British subjects who had been captured by the Lushais in raids into Assam—including a six-year-old girl called Mary Winchester—and to convince the hill tribes of the region that they had nothing to gain and everything to lose by placing themselves in a hostile position towards the British Government.
Rani Kalindi was the 46th and last independent ruler of the Chakma Circle. She was only female ruler of the Chakma people.
The Chin-Lushai Expedition of 1889–90 was a British punitive expedition in Burma and India against the tribes of the Chin Hills and Lushai Hills.
British rule in the Lushai Hills, spanning from the late 1889 to the 1947, commenced with the Chin-Lushai Expedition of 1889-90 leading to the formal establishment of the two administrative districts in 1889 and continued through the integration of the regions into the province of Assam with both districts being merged as the Lushai Hills until India gained independence in 1947.
Mizo chieftainship refers to the system of chieftainship used by the Mizo people, which historically operated as a gerontocracy. The chieftain system persisted among the various clans and tribes from the precolonial era through to the British colonial period and Indian independence briefly. The Mizo Union advocated for abolishing chieftainship in Mizoram. The chieftainships of Mizoram were eventually disbanded with the Assam-Lushai District Act in 1954.
Ropuiliani was the first recorded Mizo chieftess in history during British colonial rule in the Lushai Hills. She is remembered for her resistance against British colonial forces after the death of her husband, Vandula. She was the chieftess for Denlung and eight other villages, near present-day Hnahthial in Mizoram. She died in confinement at a prison in Rangmati, Bangladesh on 3 January 1895.
Suakpuilala, known by the British as Sukpilal, was a Lushai chieftain from the Sailo clan who held considerable influence over the western Lushai Hills. Sukpilal conducted a series of raids in British tea plantations and entered a diplomatic relationship with the British soon after. He was also a patron of bazaars and riverines established in the Lushai Hills as the first official trade channels. A defender of his sovereignty, Sukpilal's influence in the Lushai Hills was used by the British for mutual benefits.
Lalchhuaklala, known by the British as Lalchukla was a Lushai chieftain of the Paite clan. He is known for being one of the earliest chiefs to interact with the British through raiding. Lalchukla was a close associate of Hill Tipperah in following the diplomacy of his father Laroo. Lalchukla's raid of Kachu Bari saw British retaliation which led to him being caught. His trial was under English common law, and he was sentenced to life in captivity with deportation. Lalchukla would surrender under the assumed condition that he wouldn't be held captive or executed. Upon deportation from his settlement, many Lushai chiefs viewed this as a breach of faith and a source of resistance to cooperating with the British.
Zakapa, also known as Jacopa, was a Lushai chieftain of the Fanai clan and ruled the Vanlaiphai villages in present-day southern Mizoram. He is best known for his participation in the Lushai Rising.
Khalkam was a Lushai chief of the 19th century. He is known for being the son of Sukpilal and for being an enemy of the British, which led to the Lushai Rising. Khalkam was deported to Hazaribagh jail after British capture, where he committed suicide with his brother Lengpunga.
Vanhnuailiana was the chief of the Eastern Lushai Hills. Vonolel expanded his influence over the Sukte and Poi tribes in the east and attempted incursions into Naga territories in Manipur. He was considered the most powerful chief in the Eastern Lushai Hills until his death in 1871. He presided over several conflicts during his period of chieftainship.
Lalburha was a Lushai chief in the Eastern Lushai Hills and ruled the settlement of Champhai. Lalbura is recognised for being the third son of Vonolel and the target of the Lushai Expedition in 1871. His anti-British diplomacy led to his participation in the Lushai Rising following British annexation of the Lushai Hills.
The Lushai Rising was the conflict between the British and the Lushai chiefs following the annexation of the Lushai Hills after the Chin-Lushai Expedition. It concerned the Western chiefs, the Eastern chief and Southern chiefs separately at different intervals. By 1895, the Lushai resistance and rising was considered over.
The Lushai Expedition of 1869 was an abortive punitive expedition against Sukpilal and Kanai Singh. It was arranged by the deputy commissioner of Cachar, John Edgar and led by Colonel Nuthall. Factors such as weather, unpreparedness and diplomatic overtures led to the retreat and failure of the expedition.
The Lister Expedition was a punitive expedition in 1850 against Lushai chiefs such as Mora who raided Cachar. It is referred to as the Lister Expedition, which was headed by Colonel Frederick George Lister.
Frederick George Lister was a military officer and political agent of the Khasi Hills during the British Raj. Captain Lister is considered the Father of the Sylhet Light Infantry Regiment with his 20-year command.