Tikendrajit Singh: Difference between revisions

[[File:BIR TIKENDRAJIT.jpg|thumb|260x260px|Bir Tikendrajit]]

'''Tikendrajit Singh''' (29 December 1856 – 13 August 1891)--also known as ''Koireng--''was a prince of [[Manipur (princely state)|Manipur]] in present-day northeastern [[India]], which was a [[protectorate]] of [[British Raj]] at that time.<ref>{{citation |last=Phanjoubam |first=Pradip |title=The Northeast Question: Conflicts and frontiers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OxStCwAAQBAJ |year=2015 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-34004-1 |pages=3–4}}</ref> Tikendrajit was the commander of the Manipuri army and engineered a palace revolution that led to the events known as the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891 or the 'Manipur Expedition'.<ref>Ian F.W. Beckett, ''Victoria's Wars'', Shire, {{ISBN|978-0747803881}}, p. 62</ref><ref>[http://www.india-north-east.com/2012/01/bir-tikendrajit-singh-true-patriot-of.html Bir Tikendrajit Singh – The True Patriot Of Manipur], ''India-north-east.com''</ref>

After [[Maharaja Chandrakriti]]'s death in 1886, his son [[Surachandra Singh]] succeeded him. As in previous occasions, several claimants to the throne tried to unsettle the new king. The first three attempts were defeated, but in 1890, following an attack on the palace by Tikendrajit and Kulachandra Singh (two of the king's brothers) Surachandra Singh announced his intention to abdicate and left Manipur for Cachar.

On 21 February 1891 [[Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne|Lord Lansdowne]], the British viceroy of India, ordered J.W. Quinton, the chief commissioner of [[Assam]], to recognise Jubraj [[Kulachandra Singh]] as the King but to arrest Senapati Tikendrajit. Quinton arrived in Manipur on 22 March 1891 with a troop of 400 soldiers under Colonel Skene and asked Raja Kulachandra Singh to hand over Tikendrajit to him as desired by the British Governor General of India. The Manipuri soldiers struck back and the British were put on the defensive. In the ensuing chaos, five British officers--including the Political Agent [[Ethel Grimwood|Frank Grimwood]] and Quinton--were killed.<ref>{{Cite ODNB|title=Grimwood [née Moore; other married name Miller], Ethel Brabazon [pseud. Ethel St Clair Grimwood] (1867–1928), the heroine of Manipur|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-101006|access-date=2020-10-12|year=2010|language=en|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/101006|last1=Reynolds|first1=K. D.}}</ref>

On 31 March 1891 the British Government sent a military force against Manipur formed by three army columns from Kohima (under the command of Major General H. Collet), Silchar (under the command of Colonel R.H.F. Rennick) and Tamu (under the command of Brigadier General T. Graham) were sent to Manipur. Tikendrajit led the Manipuri army in this war. The British army finally took possession of the Kangla Palace on 27 April 1891. Major Maxwell took over as the chief political agent. Later, Manipur became a [[princely state]] and Churachand Singh, a minor was placed on the throne of Manipur. Tikendrajit and other leaders of Manipur subsequently went underground. Tikendrajit was arrested in the evening of 23 May. [[Ethel Grimwood]] was consulted by [[Queen Victoria]] who was concerned that a Prince would be hung when the British appeared treacherous. Grimwood said that she did not hold Tikendrajit responsible for her husband's death, but she felt that he had committed other crimes.<ref name=p249>{{Cite book|last=Taylor|first=Miles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=radvDwAAQBAJ&q=ethel+grimwood&pg=PA250|title=Empress: Queen Victoria and India|date=2018-10-02|page=249|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-11809-4|language=en}}</ref>