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{{Short description|Khasi chief}} | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} | ||
{{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| name = Tirot | | name = Tirot Singh | ||
| office = Chief of Khadsawphra Syiemship, Khasi Hills, Meghalaya | | office = Chief of Khadsawphra Syiemship, Khasi Hills, Meghalaya | ||
| image = | | image = | ||
| alt = | | alt = | ||
| caption = Artist's rendering of Tirot Sing | | caption = Artist's rendering of Tirot Sing | ||
| birth_date = 1802 | | birth_date = c. 1802 | ||
| birth_place = [[Mairang]] | | birth_place = [[Mairang]], Meghalaya, India | ||
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1835|7|17|1802}} | | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1835|7|17|1802}} | ||
| death_place = [[Dacca]], | | death_place = [[Dacca]], British India | ||
| known_for = Freedom struggle against the British | | known_for = Freedom struggle against the British | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Tirot | '''Tirot Singh''', also known as '''U Tirot Sing Syiem''', was one of the chiefs of the [[Khasi people]] in the early 19th century. He drew his lineage from the Syiemlieh clan. He was Syiem (king) of ''Nongkhlaw'', part of the [[Khasi Hills]]. His surname was ''Syiemlieh''. He was a constitutional head sharing corporate authority with his Council, general representatives of the leading clans within his territory. Tirot Sing declared war and fought against the [[British India|British]] for attempts to take over control of the [[Khasi Hills]].<ref name="mdg1991">Simon, I. M. (ed.) (1991) [http://meghalaya.nic.in/publications/gazetter/khasi_2.pdf ''Chapter II History''] Meghalaya District Gazetteers, Shillong {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307235146/http://meghalaya.nic.in/publications/gazetter/khasi_2.pdf |date=7 March 2012 }}</ref> | ||
He died on 17 July 1835.<ref name="Eastern Panorama">Eastern Panorama [http://www.easternpanorama.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=342:u-tirot-sing&catid=5:cover-story&Itemid=8 U Tirot Sing]</ref> His death is commemorated in [[Meghalaya]] as U Tirot Sing Day.{{ | He died on 17 July 1835.<ref name="Eastern Panorama">Eastern Panorama [http://www.easternpanorama.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=342:u-tirot-sing&catid=5:cover-story&Itemid=8 U Tirot Sing]</ref> His death is commemorated in [[Meghalaya]] as U Tirot Sing Day.<ref name="North East Today">{{cite news |last= |first= |date=17 July 2021|title=Heroic Legacy: U Tirot Sing Day|url=https://www.northeasttoday.in/2021/07/17/heroic-legacy-u-tirot-sing-day-observed-in-meghalaya/|newspaper=North East Today}}</ref> | ||
==Anglo-Khasi War and | ==Anglo-Khasi War and martyrdom== | ||
The British had gained control over the [[Brahmaputra]] valley after concluding the [[Treaty of Yandabo]] in 1826.<ref name="Eastern Panorama"/> Between their possessions in [[Sylhet]] and the newly acquired possessions in [[Lower Assam]] intervened the [[Khasi Hills]]. They wanted to construct a road through this area to connect [[Guwahati]] with Sylhet to save weeks of travel and [[Malaria|malarious]] country. | The British had gained control over the [[Brahmaputra]] valley after concluding the [[Treaty of Yandabo]] in 1826.<ref name="Eastern Panorama"/> Between their possessions in [[Sylhet]] and the newly acquired possessions in [[Lower Assam]] intervened the [[Khasi Hills]]. They wanted to construct a road through this area to connect [[Guwahati]] with Sylhet to save weeks of travel and [[Malaria|malarious]] country. | ||
David Scott, the agent to the British Governor-General for the Northern Territory, found out that U Tirot Sing was interested in regaining possessions in the ''[[duars]]'' (passes into Assam) in return for the permission for the road project. After a two-day session of the ''durbar'' (court), the assembly agreed to the proposal of the British. Work on the road started. When Balaram Singh, Raja of Ranee, disputed U Tirot Sing's claims to the duars, he went with a party of armed men in December 1828 to establish his claim. He was confident that the British would support him; instead, he was confronted by a party of [[sepoy]]s who blocked his passage.<ref name="mdg1991" /> When news came that the British were reinforcing forces in Assam, U Tirot Sing convened a Durbar again and passed orders for the British to evacuate Nongkhlaw. The British did not pay any heed,<ref>[http://meghalaya.nic.in/culture/martyrs.htm Immortal Martyrs, Government of Meghalaya Official State Portal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716111628/http://meghalaya.nic.in/culture/martyrs.htm |date=2011-07-16 }}</ref> and the Khasis attacked the British garrison in Nongkhlaw on 4 April 1829.<ref name="Eastern Panorama" /> His men killed two British officers, and | David Scott, the agent to the British Governor-General for the Northern Territory, found out that U Tirot Sing was interested in regaining possessions in the ''[[duars]]'' (passes into Assam) in return for the permission for the road project. After a two-day session of the ''durbar'' (court), the assembly agreed to the proposal of the British. Work on the road started. When Balaram Singh, Raja of Ranee, disputed U Tirot Sing's claims to the duars, he went with a party of armed men in December 1828 to establish his claim. He was confident that the British would support him; instead, he was confronted by a party of [[sepoy]]s who blocked his passage.<ref name="mdg1991" /> When news came that the British were reinforcing forces in Assam, U Tirot Sing convened a Durbar again and passed orders for the British to evacuate Nongkhlaw. The British did not pay any heed,<ref>[http://meghalaya.nic.in/culture/martyrs.htm Immortal Martyrs, Government of Meghalaya Official State Portal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716111628/http://meghalaya.nic.in/culture/martyrs.htm |date=2011-07-16 }}</ref> and the Khasis attacked the British garrison in Nongkhlaw on 4 April 1829.<ref name="Eastern Panorama" /> His men killed at his orders two British officers, Richard Gurdon Bedingfield and Philip Bowles Burlton.<ref>{{cite book |last1=May |first1=Andrew |title=Welsh missionaries and British imperialism: The Empire of Clouds in north-east India |date=1 February 2017 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=978-1-5261-1875-2 |pages=73–74 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uW8CEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA73 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite DIB|wstitle=Burlton, Philip Bowles}}</ref> In retaliation, British military operations began against U Tirot Sing and other Khasi chiefs. | ||
In the [[Anglo-Khasi War]], the Khasis lacked firearms and had only swords, shields, bows and arrows. They were untrained in the British type of warfare and soon found that it was impossible to engage in open battle against an enemy who could kill from a distance. Therefore, they resorted to [[guerrilla]] activity, which dragged on for about four years.<ref name="mdg1991" /> | In the [[Anglo-Khasi War]], the Khasis lacked firearms and had only swords, shields, bows and arrows. They were untrained in the British type of warfare and soon found that it was impossible to engage in open battle against an enemy who could kill from a distance. Therefore, they resorted to [[guerrilla]] activity, which dragged on for about four years.<ref name="mdg1991" /> | ||
Tirot Sing fought with native weapons such as a sword and shield. He was shot at by the British and had to hide in a cave and tend for his wound. He was eventually captured by the British in January 1833 and deported to [[Dhaka]]. The location of his hiding place was given by a chief of his who was bribed with gold coins by the British. He died on 17 July 1835. His death anniversary is commemorated every year as a state holiday in [[Meghalaya]]. | Tirot Sing fought with native weapons such as a sword and shield. He was shot at by the British and had to hide in a cave and tend for his wound. He was eventually captured by the British in January 1833 and deported to [[Dhaka]]. The location of his hiding place was given by a chief of his who was bribed with gold coins by the British. He died on 17 July 1835. His death anniversary is commemorated every year as a state holiday in [[Meghalaya]].<ref name="TOI">{{cite news |last= Dhupkar|first= Alka|date=10 August 2024|title=Why Hindus in Bangladesh continue to feel unsafe|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/why-are-hindus-in-bangladesh-always-at-the-receiving-end/articleshow/112393534.cms|newspaper=Times of India|access-date= 10 August 2024}}</ref> | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| Line 35: | Line 36: | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
==Further reading == | == Further reading == | ||
* {{cite journal|last=May|first=Andrew J.|title=Homo in Nubibus: Altitude, Colonisation and Political Order in the Khasi Hills of Northeast India|journal=The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History|date=January 2014|volume=42|issue=1|pages=41–60|doi=10.1080/03086534.2013.826458|s2cid=153675514}} | * {{cite journal|last=May|first=Andrew J.|title=Homo in Nubibus: Altitude, Colonisation and Political Order in the Khasi Hills of Northeast India|journal=The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History|date=January 2014|volume=42|issue=1|pages=41–60|doi=10.1080/03086534.2013.826458|s2cid=153675514}} | ||
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
* [http://meghalaya.nic.in/intro/birth.htm Birth of the State, Government of Meghalaya Official State Portal] | * [http://meghalaya.nic.in/intro/birth.htm Birth of the State, Government of Meghalaya Official State Portal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415053249/http://meghalaya.nic.in/intro/birth.htm |date=15 April 2012 }} | ||
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716111628/http://meghalaya.nic.in/culture/martyrs.htm Immortal Martyrs, Government of Meghalaya Official State Portal] | * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716111628/http://meghalaya.nic.in/culture/martyrs.htm Immortal Martyrs, Government of Meghalaya Official State Portal] | ||
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tirot Sing}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Tirot Sing}} | ||
[[Category:1800s births]] | |||
[[Category:1835 deaths]] | [[Category:1835 deaths]] | ||
[[Category:Khasi people]] | [[Category:Khasi people]] | ||
[[Category:People from Meghalaya]] | [[Category:People from Meghalaya]] | ||
[[Category:History of Meghalaya]] | [[Category:History of Meghalaya]] | ||
[[Category:Asian resistance to colonialism]] | [[Category:Asian resistance to colonialism]] | ||
Latest revision as of 19:57, 14 November 2025
Tirot Singh | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1802 Mairang, Meghalaya, India |
| Died | 17 July 1835 (aged 32–33) Dacca, British India |
| Known for | Freedom struggle against the British |
| Office | Chief of Khadsawphra Syiemship, Khasi Hills, Meghalaya |
Tirot Singh, also known as U Tirot Sing Syiem, was one of the chiefs of the Khasi people in the early 19th century. He drew his lineage from the Syiemlieh clan. He was Syiem (king) of Nongkhlaw, part of the Khasi Hills. His surname was Syiemlieh. He was a constitutional head sharing corporate authority with his Council, general representatives of the leading clans within his territory. Tirot Sing declared war and fought against the British for attempts to take over control of the Khasi Hills.[1]
He died on 17 July 1835.[2] His death is commemorated in Meghalaya as U Tirot Sing Day.[3]
Anglo-Khasi War and martyrdom[edit | edit source]
The British had gained control over the Brahmaputra valley after concluding the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826.[2] Between their possessions in Sylhet and the newly acquired possessions in Lower Assam intervened the Khasi Hills. They wanted to construct a road through this area to connect Guwahati with Sylhet to save weeks of travel and malarious country.
David Scott, the agent to the British Governor-General for the Northern Territory, found out that U Tirot Sing was interested in regaining possessions in the duars (passes into Assam) in return for the permission for the road project. After a two-day session of the durbar (court), the assembly agreed to the proposal of the British. Work on the road started. When Balaram Singh, Raja of Ranee, disputed U Tirot Sing's claims to the duars, he went with a party of armed men in December 1828 to establish his claim. He was confident that the British would support him; instead, he was confronted by a party of sepoys who blocked his passage.[1] When news came that the British were reinforcing forces in Assam, U Tirot Sing convened a Durbar again and passed orders for the British to evacuate Nongkhlaw. The British did not pay any heed,[4] and the Khasis attacked the British garrison in Nongkhlaw on 4 April 1829.[2] His men killed at his orders two British officers, Richard Gurdon Bedingfield and Philip Bowles Burlton.[5][6] In retaliation, British military operations began against U Tirot Sing and other Khasi chiefs.
In the Anglo-Khasi War, the Khasis lacked firearms and had only swords, shields, bows and arrows. They were untrained in the British type of warfare and soon found that it was impossible to engage in open battle against an enemy who could kill from a distance. Therefore, they resorted to guerrilla activity, which dragged on for about four years.[1]
Tirot Sing fought with native weapons such as a sword and shield. He was shot at by the British and had to hide in a cave and tend for his wound. He was eventually captured by the British in January 1833 and deported to Dhaka. The location of his hiding place was given by a chief of his who was bribed with gold coins by the British. He died on 17 July 1835. His death anniversary is commemorated every year as a state holiday in Meghalaya.[7]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Simon, I. M. (ed.) (1991) Chapter II History Meghalaya District Gazetteers, Shillong Archived 7 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Eastern Panorama U Tirot Sing
- ↑ "Heroic Legacy: U Tirot Sing Day". North East Today. 17 July 2021.
- ↑ Immortal Martyrs, Government of Meghalaya Official State Portal Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ May, Andrew (1 February 2017). Welsh missionaries and British imperialism: The Empire of Clouds in north-east India. Manchester University Press. pp. 73–74. ISBN 978-1-5261-1875-2.
- ↑ Template:Cite DIB
- ↑ Dhupkar, Alka (10 August 2024). "Why Hindus in Bangladesh continue to feel unsafe". Times of India. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
Further reading[edit | edit source]
- May, Andrew J. (January 2014). "Homo in Nubibus: Altitude, Colonisation and Political Order in the Khasi Hills of Northeast India". The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History. 42 (1): 41–60. doi:10.1080/03086534.2013.826458. S2CID 153675514.
- David R Syiemlieh, "New Light on Tirot Singh: His Last Days and Demise", The NEHU Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vol. V, No. 4, October–December 1987.