Diphu September 7: The discontinuance of intervention policy in neighboring countries by the East India Company (EIC) would go a long way to keep the Brahmaputra Valley in dis-array for a long time.

This resulted in recalling the mission of Captain Welsh. He was on an approved military mission to quell the Moamoria Uprising.

The mission had the sanctity of Ahom King’s written request which was vetted by the Commissioner of Cooch-Behar. With the departure of the four years long mission which achieved a lot besides in militaristic sense, Ahom held areas lapsed back to mayhem and plunder.

The Moamoria Uprising cost a lot in terms of human population as that was reduced by 75% of the former status. It also sucked the vitality of the country. At this weakened stage, the Ahom Kingdom again got embroiled in the matter of throne occupancy. The Burmese intervention or overture resulted.

East India Company (EIC) Motivation

It is because of the continued policy of non-intervention. However, beyond money, influence and profitability nothing more motivated the East India Company. When Badan Barphukan was spurned to help from the Company’s end, he travelled to Burma and obtained an audience before King Bydawpaya.

Bydawpaya sent a strong contingent of 10,000 soldiers of his country. Myin Gi Maha Bandula was the general in charge of the mission.

His force was fortified by another equal number of Singpho levies. Once, arriving in the capital of Ahom Kingdom against some resistance, Chandra Kanta Singha was enthroned.

Burma

It came at some diplomatic and sovereign costs. The Burmese King, after the accomplishment of the mission, considered Ahom Ruled kingdom to be a part of his country (From: Royal Order of Burma; a compilation).

It was circa 1818-19. Since then, it is natural that Burmese overtures should become a natural event in future.

The Burmese had the same imperialistic designs aimed at Manipur, Cachar, Jaintia, Chittagong, the whole of Bengal and Calcutta. The plunder of Calcutta was supposed to defray the costs of the campaign.

The Burmese overtures became serious with them running the apparent governance on the tract of Ahom Kingdom (1819-24). By now, the EIC wanted the resumption of a trade route to Tibet for trade and commerce.

This tract of beleaguered Ahom ruled Brahmaputra Valley soon became established as an economic window.

Imperialistic Objectives

Thus, the conflict of imperialistic objectives led to one of the objectives of the first Anglo-Burmese war of 1824-26. This was: liberating Assam from the occupying Burmese Army.

The successful annexation moves involving Assam, Cachar, Manipur and Jaintia kingdoms were followed by the annexations of the eighteen Dooars after the Dooar War (1864-65).

Thus, the EIC secured the Tibetan Trade Routes in a different sector. It is opined that the complete annexation of Assam was a gradual and a deliberate process ending in 1855. Almost a decade later, Assam would be a province under a commissioner.

The Assam Forest Department was established in 1874. In another viewpoint; it was a collateral development of the hegemonistic move. Steam power, a product of Industrial Revolution-II, was deployed over land, water and seas to increase surface communication.

Government of British India

And the government of British India wanted some disciplined and committed organization to supply timber required for the railroad sleepers. This was one of the reasons behind the genesis of the Imperial and Indian Forest Services.

Soon, militarized long ago, the passages afforded by the river Brahmaputra, would be full of coal burning steamers and on them would be an off the  landscape human population.

And they influence the demography today; all for mighty profitability. Resources can be a scourge. It may be the reason for losing independence.