By A.M. Syiem & H. Syiemlieh
How did the Nongkhlaw Syiemship come to celebrate the day of King Tirot Sing’s Syiem death anniversary every year on 29th March before they discovered the actual day of his death i.e. the 17th July 1835 every year, this could be due to the researches conducted by the writers from different subject field who tirelessly due to their loved of the Khasi Hills, which led us all to give our due respect and celebrate the life of the great Patriot on this date. Ever since we achieved our Independence in 1947 from the British rule, the Government of India saw it fit to remember and honour Tirot Sing of Nongkhlaw Syiemship, along with others freedom fighters like U Kiang Nangbah, of Jaintia Hills, and other national freedom fighters who also gave up sacrificed their lives for the country and its beloved citizens.
Just going back to the past to enlightened a bit, the Memorial Tribute foundation stone in remembrance of the bravery of U Tirot Sing Syiem was laid down on the 15th of December 1952, which was inaugurated by the then Governor of undivided Assam, Shri Jairamdas Doulatram in a field in Mairang town which is now called madan Mot Tirot. Then On the 29 th of March 1953, the aforesaid governor of Assam also came to observe the auspicious day of celebration along with the presence of Chief of the Nongkhlaw Syiemship at that period, Paiem Kedro Manik Syiem who was from the house of Mawnai and Mawlong Syiem.
To supplement more, the beginning of this celebration of the death anniversary of U Tirot Sing Syiem was initiated first by the people from Mawnai village under Hima Nongkhlaw, who were not yet converted to Christianity in which the celebration was accompanied by traditional dances. From this initiation then on, the people from other places within the Nongkhlaw Syiemship would come together every year to pay respect to Tirot Sing Syiem on the 28th and 29th of March. Besides the traditional dances there was also a public procession parade on 4th April 1986 to commemorate the day on which Tirot Sing Syiem declared war against the British forces. This has been inscripted down on the Memorial Tribute of U Tirot Sing Syiem at the mentioned site in Mairang town
This piece of land which was bought by the Nongkhlaw Syiemship not long ago where the Hima administrative office was built on this land along with the Dorbar (council) house of the Hima Nongkhlaw adjacent to the place where the monument stands. According to legends the wooden nails, the woods used for construction and the stone pillar called Maw Shankhrum (foundation pillar) belonging to the original house of U Tirot Sing Syiem were buried along under the foundation of the present Memorial Monument, wherefore people of his native kingdom would every year come to place flowers on his monument to this day as a symbolic tribute to His ultimate struggle and sacrifice. These materials were all brought from Nongkhlaw village which was the traditional capital of Hima Nongkhlaw, from where was its genesis from the first native king who was consecrated with the religious ceremony of Tang Jait Syiem by the Five ruling Clan Lyngdoh at Mawthangsyiar Village to U Shajer who was an exile from the royal family of Hima Sutnga in Jaintia Hills who ventured into this region with his sister Ka Shaphlong, where there was no ruling chief except clan Lyngdohship, he became the First Chieftain of Hima Nongkhlaw Syiemship and his Sister as the First Syiemsad of Hima Nongkhlaw, it was recorded by authors from the Ri Khasi and Jaintia Hills from their book that Shajer after being consecrate to power even faught a war against Don Ahom to take possession of Borduar village in present day Assam and annexed it to Hima Nongkhlaw. The question now is why in the past, the day of remembrance of his passing was on the 29th of March every year. Maybe there had been a misunderstanding because, on 29th March 1834, an agreement was made between U Rijon Sing and Capt. Francis Jenkins, Agent Governor of the North-East Frontier, with Agent H. Inglis as a witness. The agreement between Tirot Sing and Mr. David Scott, Agent to the Governor General was renewed in the year 1826, when Tirot Sing was himself the king, after Tirot Sing was captured by the British government and was deported for imprisonment at Dhaka, on the 29th of March, it was misunderstood as the day of his death. These words were taken from “A Collection of Treaties, Engagements and Sanads Relating to India and Neighbouring Countries (Revised and Continued up to 1929) Vol. XII: Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim, Assam and Burma. Compiled by C.U. Aitchison” Assam No. XXII 1834 (Translation of the Articles of an agreement furnished to the GovernorGeneral’s Agent, North-East Frontier, by Rujjum Sing, Rajah, on his accession to the Raj of Nungklow, on the 29th March 1834) The Written Agreement of Rujjum Sing (Rijon Sing), Resident of Nongklow (Nongkhlaw), executed to the following purport: the government has appointed me to the Raj of the Late Teerut Sing on 29th March 1834, and may be the title was misinterpreted during the translation process undertaken during the British administration.
The question now is why in the past, the day of remembrance of his passing was on the 29th of March every year. Maybe there had been a misunderstanding because, on 29th March 1834, an agreement was made between U Rijon Sing and Capt. Francis Jenkins, Agent Governor of the North-East Frontier, with Agent H. Inglis as a witness. The agreement between Tirot Sing and Mr. David Scott, Agent to the Governor General was renewed in the year 1826, when Tirot Sing was himself the king, after Tirot Sing was captured by the British government and was deported for imprisonment at Dhaka, on the 29th of March, it was misunderstood as the day of his death. These words were taken from “A Collection of Treaties, Engagements and Sanads Relating to India and Neighbouring Countries (Revised and Continued up to 1929) Vol. XII: Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim, Assam and Burma. Compiled by C.U. Aitchison” Assam No. XXII 1834 (Translation of the Articles of an agreement furnished to the GovernorGeneral’s Agent, North-East Frontier, by Rujjum Sing, Rajah, on his accession to the Raj of Nungklow, on the 29th March 1834) The Written Agreement of Rujjum Sing (Rijon Sing), Resident of Nongklow (Nongkhlaw), executed to the following purport: the government has appointed me to the Raj of the Late Teerut Sing on 29th March 1834, and may be the title was misinterpreted during the translation process undertaken during the British administration.
On the 25th anniversary of the Khasi Cultural Society (KCS) that was held in Polo Ground, there was also the anniversary celebration of King Tirot Sing “(150 year Death Anniversary of u Tirot Sing)”, which was held on 22th February 1984. This strengthened the belief of many that this was the day to commemorate Tirot Sing’s death anniversary not only in Mariang but all other districts of Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills. The Government offices and educational institutions observe this day by declaring it a holiday as a mark of respect for the great patriot. The question is why is the day of remembrance not celebrated on the 17th July as his actual date of death (official date) as recorded on the Memorial Monument in Mairang town since this was also confirmed by historians. Till this day, the Government of Meghalaya is still trying to collect and attain the official records related to the imprisonment of Tirot Sing from 1833 to 1835 in Dhaka in Bangladesh.
The people of the State of Meghalaya in general, and the Khasis in particular, express their gratitude to the Government of India for releasing the commemorative stamp of Tirot Sing Syiem in the year 1988. A request could also be made in here to the Government of Meghalaya through the Department of Arts and Culture and Meghalaya Heritage Authority the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council along with the office of Syiem of Hima Nongkhlaw, to maintain and preserve the Memorial Stone in Mairang town that was erected in the year 1952 as a historical heritage site inaugurated during the tenure of the Government of Undivided Assam, besides the possibility of having a heritage memorial museum in Mairang town depicting the sequence of life events and struggle of U Tirot Sing Syiem. The Memorial Stone it reminiscence not only to the present generation but the future generations of the state and other historians and tourist from outside the state interested in knowing and documenting the heroic deeds of this beloved Native Warrior who sacrificed his life for the freedom of his people and one who stood against colonial imperialism of the British Empire.
