Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Shambhudhan Phunglosa- A Freedom Fighter From Assam

Shambhudhan Phunglosa


Shambhudhan Phunglosa,Freedom Fighter From Assam

Shambhudhan Phunglosa was born at dawn on 12th March’ 1850, on the Phalgoona

Purnima of Indian almanac, in the tiny village of Lonkor, near the ancient temple of

Goddess Ranachandi of the Dimasa Kachari Kings at Maibang in the Dima Hasao. His

father was Depronao Phonglo and mother Kasaidi Phonglo, who had five sons namely

Sombhudhan, Umakant, Ramakant, Ramcharan, alies Ramen and Haisholong. Amongst

them Sombhudhan was the eldest and Haisholong was the youngest. He spent his

childhood at Longkhor. His parent was shifted to Gungjung in 1860 (aprox) and then

again shifted to Saupra, a small village near Nanadisa. His parents again left this village

and went to Semdikhor (Present Dihorphonglo village near Dautohaja Rail Station).

While he was there at Semdikhor, he got married to Nasadi, daughter of Santudao

Naiding, the village head. Sombhudhan dug a well there nearby the Moti-Nala, which

name is presently identified as Sombhudhan ni Dikhor. History of Kachari Kingdom by

Sombhudhan was a devotee of Sivarai, in fact, he was found much inclined to lord

Siva since his childhood. He professed that Siva should be adored as the root of the

Three Clauses viz. creation, preservation and destruction.

Every day, he used to worship to the Lord Siva and meditate at a place named

Gragong, sitting (padmasana) on a large rock in the river of Diyung. Every day,

after returning home, he attended a large number of people who came to meet him.

Surprisingly he grasped indigenous knowledge on ethno medicine to cure many

diseases and ailments. He appointed Desain Kemprai for assisting him in collecting

herbs, shrubs from jungle which can be used as medicines. He cultivated the wild plant

in his village and kept them in the form of herbarium and stored them for future used. His

name and fame spread and people from many corners came to him with many hopes.

People look upon him as theosophist and curer of ills. (Oral note of Gumidon Kemprai in

2006 of Longma near Haflong.)

Revolt against whites (British):

The British annexed Southern part of Dimaraji i.e Dimasa-Kachari Kingdom of

Cachar in 1832. But the hills Division of Dimaraji, comprising the north of Cachar,

Dayung Valley, Khopili Valley and Dhansiri Valley including the ancient capital Dimapur,

“the Brick City” of Dimasa- Kachari Kingdom(1015-1535 A.D) was retained and held

by Tularam, the General of the King of Cachar. But after the death of Tularam, the hill

Division was finally annexed by the British in 1854. Subsequently, in 1866, different

parts this territory like Dayung Valley, Khopili Valley had been merged to the district of

Nowgong and Dhansiri valley and part of North Cachar was merged with newly created

District, Naga Hills. The rest formed the North Cachar hills comprising exclusively the

Sombhudhan was not happy with the divide and rule policy of the British, which

indented to weaken the native people. He could not console his mind that the white

should rule the non-whites. Sombhudhan therefore decided to go rebellious. He

observed that although the British had annexed the territory but they were not able to

conquer the heart of the native people. He therefore considered that everything was not

lost. He resolved to prepare for a last- ditch battle.

Sombhudhan toured extensively in the North Cachar Hills for mass contact and

organisation. He recruited a large number of youths to form revolutionary force against

the whites. He was in search of his Principal Adviser and Subordinate Commander

to look after his force. He appointed Mansingh Kemprai as Principal Adviser and

Molonthong Thaosen as subordinate Commander and established his training camp at

Maibang near the Goddess Ranachondi Temple. For smooth functioning of his training

centre at Maibang, Sombhudhan had to meet a considerable amount of expenditure; he

therefore collected levy from the local people. The increasing activities of Sombhudhan

had caused to be a great concerned to the British, and which bound to the British to

deal with firm hands on the charge of revolting against the Sombhudhan’s group. The

Sub-Divisional Officer of North Cachar had issued summons to Sombhudhan and

his Principal Adviser Mansingh Kemprai and subordinate Commander Molonthong

Thaosen. But they did not care to appear before him. On further advice from the

Deputy Commissioner, a warrant of arrest was issued by the Sub-Divisional Officer and

despatched a police-force under a police officer for apprehension of the Sombhudhan

and his group’s. But the officer failed to execute the order and came back with a letter

The letter was written by ManSingh on dictation by Sombhudhan as the phrasing of

You whites bubble

If you have any desire for food

To eat on this earth,

If you have any desire for water

To drink on this earth,

You should leave our kingdom

Before I reach you (at Gunjung)

No army would induce Sombhudhan

To appear before an illegal authority

Any army despatched to Maibang

Would be completely annihilated.

And

And

Mr. Soppi, who held the charge of SDO, considered that the situation of the Sub-
Division is going to be deteriorating and therefore he met Deputy Commissioner, Major

Boyd at Silchar. They crushed the movement with firm hands. Therefore, in January,

1882, the Deputy Commissioner, accompanied by the Sub-Divisional Officer, marched to

Maibang with a contingent of 25 Frontier Police.

Sombhudhan was quite aware of probable attack by the British at any moment.

Therefore, he had alerted his men before-hand that should outside force visit Maibang.

The Major Boyd and his party reached Maibang in an afternoon. On next day, they

marched to the Sombhudhan Camp in the early morning. Strangely he found no

man there, only the scattered huts of Sombhudhan’s cadres on the top of the hills.

Suddenly, after few moments the alarm rang and men of Sombhudhan rushed from the

surrounding hills equipped with double edges swords. Major Boyd alerted his force and

ordered not to fire until hard-pressed. Sombhudhan came out from one side of the hills

followed by his men and marched toward Major Boyd. As he came closer the security of

Major Boyd stood in between them, but Sombhudhan fearlessly struck the security guard

with his sword which glanced off his riffle causing his instant death, and Major Boyd

also at the same time lost his right arm, which resulted in his fatal death. Whereupon,

Mr. Soppit, SDO, had taken charge and ordered them to fire. As firing was commenced,

Sombhudhan’s cadres from surrounding attacked them. Finally Mr. Soppit, the SDO,

had lost the battle. More than 20 sepoy men had been killed. Luckily some of the sepoy

managed to escape from there, and returned to Gunjung with death body of Major Boyd.

The success of Sombhudhan in killing of Major Boyd and his force has made him to

claim the title of “Vir”. Oral history cited by Himkant Phonglo of Sampari village

After victory of Maibang battle, Sombhudhan got encouragement, and plan to

attack the Sub-Division, North Cachar, headquarter at “Gunjung”. On reaching Gunjung

they killed two horses of SDO, and burnt all the Government buildings and documents of

the Sub-Division office. Finally British had shifted their office to Silchar. As a result of the

incident, the Briish Govt. shifted their Sub-Division headquarter from Gunjung to Haflong

Having being successful in driving out the British from the hills, Sombhudhan now

turned to the plain of south Cachar to organise similar movement against the British

rule there. There he then contacted Uzir Dibragede, an ex-army commander of last

the Dimasa Kachari King, Raja Gobinda Chandra of Cachar. He collected iron with the

help of his followers and gathered huge amount of donation from the villager, in order

to make a weapon to fight with British. Sombhudhan had visited many Siva Temples

established by the Dimasa-Kachari Raja of Cachar and he also built a Siva Temple at a

place east of Sadagram and installed Mahadeva therein. Therefore, the place had been

In the meantime, the British Government got information of Sombhudhan’s

organisational works in the plain near Silchar. The British made a policy to catch

Sombhudhan alive from his house and arranged a woman “Rangsiringdi” to make

friendship with his wife. One night this woman stayed in his house with the intention

to remove his arms from his house. In the morning, he found no arms in his house to

defend himself and his house was condoned by British force. Immediately he started

running toward the jungle. While he was running a British sepoy threw his Khukri at him

and it made a deep cut on his right leg. Still he continued on running and went to the

jungles of Bhuban hills. He became weaker and weaker due to profuse bleeding. At last

he was caught after 2 days of British’s attack. Sombhudhan took his last breath on 12th

February’1883. Sombhudan, thus died a death of a martyr at a small and unknown place

beside a spring near Igraleing in the North Khaspur locality. After his body brought to the

headquarter at Silchar, a police force was sent to bring Vir Sombhudan’s wife, Nasadi.

But she was not there in the village. His old mother Kasaidi had received the death body

After a year, Mansingh Kemprai, the Principal Adviser of Sombhudan was arrested

in Tripura and brought to Silchar; and sentenced to penal servitude for life. There he

fasted unto his death in the Silchar district jail. Desain Kemprai the well known herbalist

and Gadao Kemprai, were settled down at Sadagram, near the Snan-Gat.

Living blood relation of Sombhudan:

After the death of Vir Sombhudan, his wife Nasadi and daughter Dauridi were taken

by relatives at the village Longma near Haflong. Dauridi got married with Mohendra

Dibragedea resident of the village Phaiding near Dautuhaja Railway station.

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