The British Relations with the Khasi:

Between the kingdom of Jaintia and the Hills on the west occupied by the Garo is a
tract of mountainous territory inhabited by the Khasi. Before the advent of the British, there
were 30 native states in the Khasi Hills called Hima. Each state had an elected chief and each
chief had a council without whose deliberation no important business could be conducted.
The British first got acquainted with the Khasi in 1765 when the Company acquired the
Diwani of Sylhet from the Mughals. With these acquisitions, the British became a close
neighbour of the Khasi and they soon realized the potentialities of trading with them.
Accordingly, the British started trade in lime, iron, silk, wax, ivory and honey, etc., with the
Khasi. Very soon the British came to monopolize the trade in lime stone and with the discovery
of coal they began to monopolize the trade in coal as well. But these trades were not free from
disturbances. The Khasi often raided the plains due to the ill-treatment by the traders from the
plains.
In November 1823, David Scott was appointed as the Agent to the Governor General
and was entrusted with the responsibility of shaping and consolidating the Company’s
administration in North-East Frontier. The view expressed by Scott marked the inauguration
of new British policy with regard to the North East. All these times, the British had been
following a non-intervention policy with regard to the Khasi states. Scott’s view was that for a
permanent solution to trade disputes.
Scott realized the necessity of maintaining good relations with the Khasi when the need
for the establishment of a postal service across the Hills connecting Sylhet and Guwahati was
urgently required. Scott was also interested in building roads in the region along with
sanatoriums and military cantonment. The proposed road would greatly reduce the journey
from lower Assam to Sylhet. It would also enable the British to keep the Khasi chiefs under
control and facilitate trade and commerce by giving the Khasi people a place in the market in
the plains. To achieve his objective, Scott resorted to a policy of coercion and negotiation. At
the same time, he indicated that a normal trade relationship would be maintained and Bardwar
would remain a part of Hima Nongkhlaw provided the Syiem, Tirot Singh permitted the East
India Company to construct a road through his territory linking the Surma Valley and the
Brahmaputra Valley. Scott further requested Tirot Singh to get the consent of the other Khasi
Chiefs to give the Company the right of passage as the road would further affect other areas
beyond the jurisdiction of the latter.
Accordingly, Tirot Singh convened an assembly at Nongkhlaw and messages were sent
to all the Khasi Syiem to attend the meeting. Scott and his men too arrived at Nongkhlaw on
3rd November 1826. Scott was highly interested by the mode of Khasi sitting at the Council by
the strict observation of rules that guided and govern such sitting. Tirot Singh explained the
object of the meeting and requested the different orators to express their sentiments on the
proposition of the British government, and the debate lasted for two days. The Khasi Syiem,
consequently agreed to aid the British government in the construction of the road, furnishing
men and materials and donating lands for building residential quarters. The treaty also required
Tirot Singh to allow free passage of the company’s troops through his territory, as well as
furnishing materials in connection with road construction and to place himself under the British
protection against foreign enemies.
 Soon after the conference, Scott ordered a survey of the road and construction work
was started. The road starting from Ranigudam passed through Jirang, Nongkhlaw, Sohiong,
Sohrarim, Sohra and crossing through the southern slopes. A company of sepoys under British
lieutenant was placed to supervise the construction and adequate provision for the work was
furnished by Tirot Singh. Even Ka Ksan Syiem, Tirot Singh’s mother, bore a special affection
towards David Scott. But Tirot Singh soon realized that his agreement with the British was in
the nature of an alliance between a superior power and the Syiem of petty state and not an
alliance between equal powers.
Scott also did not keep his promise of restoring Bardwar to Tirot Singh. The latter was
also disgusted with the refusal of the company to furnish him with military assistance against
Balram Singh, the Syiem of Rani, against whom Tirot Singh and Bormanick, Syiem of Khyrim
had made a common stance. Furthermore, the high handedness of the military at Nongkhlaw
harassing the poor inhabitants and other misdeeds eventually sowed the seeds of mistrust and
hostility in the heart of the Khasi. Many of them were not informed of the road construction
and some headmen complaint to Tirot Singh that their opinion was neglected in these important
matters. They also realized that British imperialism was taking grip over the hills and a rumour
was floated that the British would levy taxes on the people. All these combined to spark a
conflict between the Khasi and the British.
Early in 1829, Tirot Singh made plans to expel the British from the hills. He no longer
considered himself bound by the treaty and threw his lot with Bormanick and other chiefs
against the British. On 1st April 1829, a conference of the Syiem of Khasi was held at
Nongkhlaw where a unanimous decision to drive away the British from the hills was taken.
Scott who happened to be at Nongkhlaw at the time of the conference, however, managed to
escape to Sohra and then to Cherra. From there, he sent a message to the authorities at Sylhet
and Guwahati, and Captain Lister was at once dispatched to the hills.
This incident sparked off a widespread movement to free the land from the foreign
power. The initial impact of the movement was that it brought unity among the Khasi Syiem
in a move to oust the British from the hills. On the other hand, by depriving the Khasi the right
to use the Duara in their economic transaction, Scott underestimated the ability of the Khasi to
unite against the company. His refusal to acknowledge Syiem Bormanick’s claim to the
Dirmarua and the levy of taxes on him when he sent his men to collect the revenues further
antagonized the Khasi. Gradually, other Syiem began to realize the true nature of the company
and the danger to the independence of their kingdom, they gave their full support to Tirot Singh.
Messengers were sent to Jaintia hills, Bhutan to solicit their help to oust the British.
The movement was launched in the first week of April 1829, and met with a setback
for the Khasi. The entire strategy of the operation was to capture David Scott and his men, but
Scott managed to escape from Nongkhlaw at the behest of an inside informer Ka Ksan Syiem,
the mother of Tirot Singh. However, Tirot Singh and his associates put up a stiff resistance
against the British and succeeded in killing two British officers stationed at Nongkhlaw – Lt.
Bedingfield and Burlton.
The war broke out on two front – Kamrup and Sylhet of the Khasi borders and continued
for many months. Both sides suffered heavy casualties but the company with its large army
and superior arms got the better of the hillmen. Lister quickly established control over the
southern hills. From there, he worked his way towards Nongkhlaw. To counter the offensive
resistance put up by Tirot Singh, Scott formulated a plan to break the unity of the Khasi. Having
secured the alliance of Diwan Singh of Cherra, he worked out a scheme of sending agents to
various states to secure peace settlements.
These developments did not deter Tirot Singh who continued his struggle and ransacked
a number of British outposts. Seeing his determination, Scott sought for reconciliation but Tirot
Singh distrusted the British and did not relent. The war went on with parties adopting new
strategy and new measures. While the Khasi took steps to reinforce their military organization
by making new recruitments, training in warfare and enlisting the support of friendly states
within and outside the Khasi hills. In the course of the movement, Scott succumbed to his
illness at Cherra in 1831. Fighting continued till 1833 when Tirot Singh finally accepted the
British offer for negotiation. Also, some independent states under the British pressure, used
their influence on Tirot Singh to accept the British offer of truce.
While negotiation was going on, Tirot Singh was tricked by the British and arrested.
He was taken to Cherra and tried according to British law but considering the faith which the
Khasi bestowed on him and the genius with which he managed the whole operation against
them, the British authorities tried and restored Tirot Singh as Syiem of Nongkhlaw on the
condition that he accepted British overlordship, but Tirot Singh who valued his independent
and the freedom of his homeland more than anything else refused. He was, consequently sent
to Dacca jail where he died as a political prisoner.
With the capture of Tirot Singh, the British took rapid steps to complete the annexation
of the Khasi hills. The company, thus, set out to established their administration in the hills.
Cherrapunji became the seat of the government where the Political Agent to the Governor-
General was stationed. Thus, the British became the paramount power in the Khasi hills.
Captain Lister was appointed Political Agent over villages directly under British control. He
was empowered to exercise magisterial function. In cases of restored chiefs, the Political Agent
was forbidden to interfere. Thus, though on paper every possible care was taken to retain the
independence of the Khasi chiefs in reality all the Khasi states sank into the position of
dependent principalities.