The Role of Chieftainship in the Naga Society

Transcription

1 The Role of Chieftainship in the Naga Society KETHOLESIE Head, Department of History and Archaeology Nagaland University, Kohima Campus, Nagaland Publishing Date: 12 th September, 2015 Abstract A chieftain was the ruler of his area whether it was a khel or a village or a group of villages. A chieftain in most cases was the strongest, the bravest and the most capable person of his area. He was a man of wealth and influence, a successful headhunter and also a benevolent ruler whose house was a place to provide assistance to people in need. So a blend of all these admiring qualities made him indispensable to his people, and thus, in the past, the chieftain played a vital role in the Naga society. Keywords: Naga Society, Manifold Activities, Privileges. Introduction During the pre-colonial period, a chieftain in the Naga society played a very significant role in governing the village. However, the role of the traditional chieftainship differs from tribe to tribe, for example the Thendu group of lower Konyak areas, the Semas, the Tangkhuls and the Maos had hereditary chiefs who exercised tremendous amount of powers. The chieftains of Changs, Sangtams and Rengmas also had a great deal of authority, but they were less powerful than the Konyaks or Sema chieftains. The Aos and the Lothas had chieftainship but there existed a republican type of government. In the Ao village, one could become a chief by virtue of his own character and merit. The other tribes like the Zeliangs and the Chakhesangs did not attach much importance to chieftainship as one citizen was considered as good as any other citizen. The independent minded Angamis are considered to be the most egalitarian of all the tribes. Their government wrote Butler in 1855 is decidedly democratic; for, although each village community has a nominal head or chief, it is evident that the chief have no absolute power over the people. 1 The Angamis had no council in the past. Any 34 urgent problem was taken to a public meeting where decisions were taken. Of course, they had a clan chief who may be considered as de facto war leader. Thus, most of the Naga tribes in the past were ruled by their chieftains and all these rulers used to have their own tribal names: the Aos called him Sosang, the Semas named him Akekao, the Lothas Ekhuing, the Konyaks Ang, the Tangkhuls Awunga, the Angamis kemevo, etc. Origin As regard to the origin of this institution, it is difficult for us to say as to when and how in the past, this institution took a concrete shape.but we can assume that this institution came into being at an early stage in the evolution of community life for a number of reasons like, when a group of people started to settle in a particular place, then usually law and order problems crept in. And in such a situation they needed someone who had the leadership qualities to handle the situations. So this must be one reason why chieftainship had emerged to meet this requirement. Then at a time when raids and headhunting were quite common, maybe such a situation required a leader to organise the people so as to protect and defend the village. So it could be due to suchlike reasons that the chieftainship must have emerged in the Naga society. Methods of Selection The chieftain was elected or selected for a definite period or it also lasted for a lifetime. The methods of selection are simple and fair. In this connection, a meeting was held by all the village members excepting women and children. However, before the meeting was held, discussions were taking

2 place among the villagers about who was likely to be the most capable person for the post and in this manner a person became the popular choice by virtue of his personal qualifications. Thus, in the village meeting, his name was proposed by the elders of the different clans and it was approved in the meeting. Then the meeting fixed the date and time to induct the new chieftain in his office. 2 The man selected for such chieftainship must possess certain requisite qualifications such as a good physique, a strong personality and gifted in speaking. He also must have leadership qualities and courageous in the face of danger. He must treat his subjects with a sense of duty and kindness. So only if these conditions are fulfilled can the selection take place for the chieftainship. A chieftain may be removed from office for reasons like dishonesty, dereliction of duty, inefficiency oppressive rule. Manifold Activities The chief was supposed to be someone who had to spend a lot of time on administrative duty. He was expected to play a prominent part in all the social activities, religious functions and during the festivals. He selected the sites for Jhum land and for maintenance of intervillage footpaths, gates, bridges, etc. He was the head of the village court and was empowered to deal with all types of cases. While dealing with the disputes, the village court was guided by the traditional Naga customs. When there was a battle he acted as a commander of the village force. So, theoretically, the chief was allpowerful, however, he was subjected to checks and balances. Firstly, if a chieftain was found to be particularly prone to exercise his power in an autocratic manner and treat his subjects very harshly, then his subjects had the liberty to leave him high and dry and become the subjects of other chieftains who were ready to receive such deserters. 3 If a village council was strong enough, then the members could check the autocratic behavior of the chieftain. Finally, if a chieftain persisted in misusing his powers, the villagers may even refuse to co-operate with him by refusing to pay traditional taxes which he collected from them. Privileges The chief, being the head of the village enjoyed certain privileges. The chief was given prominent position at all social and religious gatherings. He was respected and venerated by all the villagers, especially if he happened to be a powerful chief. During the festivals, he was entitled to the best portion of meat of all animals killed in such functions. Not only that but he was offered the best rice-beer which was prepared for the occasion. The youth of the village helped him in cultivating his fields, and in the construction or repairing of his house. Konyak Chief It is rather difficult to narrate the powers and functions of all the Naga chiefs because they varied from tribe to tribe. However, by way of illustration, let us see the konyak and Sema chiefs. Among the konyaks, the villages under the Thendu groups in the lower Konyak areas were ruled by the powerful chiefs or Great Angs who were not only political leaders but they were dominant in secular and ritual aspects. It was a matter of pride and prestige that the Angs should have many wives. The greater and more powerful an Ang, the more wives he had. His first wife, however, must be a girl from an Ang s family of another village; the others might be and usually were daughters of the commoners from the subjugated villages. The principal wife who was from an Ang s family did but little manual labour. She directed and supervised the activities of the other wives who together with their children had to do all the domestic works in the large common household and also works in the field. 4 The Angs could exercise sexual rights over the women of commoner class. Their homes were the largest in the village, outshining the morung in wealth and carvings. They were entitled to the first share of meat usually the leg at feasts. They and their clansmen were entitled to particular ornaments. The Angs and the commoners also had different funerary practices. For example, in the Thendu village in Wangla, the heads of the Ang 35

3 dead bodies were placed in stone pots, while those of commoners were put in clay pots. 5 The life of a chief though glorious was however, far from easy. He was held responsible for the prosperity of the village and thus, if a village did not prosper, he might be held to blame for it. If his crops failed he would be unable to offer the feasts which symbolised his power. Similarly, if there was no land for expanding his domain, his power could be questioned. In the Thenkoh villages of the upper konyak areas, there was quite a different type of administration. Here they had a republican type of government. In the Thenkoh group, the Morungs were the biggest buildings in the village, and the government of the village was by the council of elders. In this council, the Ang was only a member, sharing authority with the leaders of the morungs. The Thendu men tattoo their faces as a sign of headhunting and wear their hair long, while Thenkoh men do not face-tattoo and keep their hair short. 6 Sema Chief The Semas also have powerful hereditary chief called Akekao or Kekami, distinguished in their appearances by ornaments such as the large cottonwool ear-pads. 7 On the death of the chief, the title passed to his eldest son. If a chief died without a male heir, the title was given to the nearest descendant. When starting a new village, the chief usually took all the land he wanted to himself, and the remaining ones were given to the commoners. So, the chief was the master of all lands and no transaction of land was possible without his knowledge. The chief s house served all the purposes of a Morung. This dormitory system was an institution around which all the social, political, religion, legal, and military life revolved. The chief nominated a number of village elders from different clans to assist him in the administration and help in managing public affairs. He was responsible to maintain law and order within his jurisdiction. He summoned the members of council 36 to help settle the disputes. His house was used as the village court and other meetings. He had to direct the village in war. He had to decide what land was to be cultivated and in each successive year. He had to take the lead in all social matters. Functions of the Naga Chieftains in General Most of the Naga chieftains played a dual role, that is, religious role as well as secular functions. In regard to his religious powers, the chieftain sometimes shared the religious activities with the village priest. And if that is the case, the priest had to perform all the sacrifices and religious rituals, but the custom demanded that the priest had to conduct these functions with the consent of the chief. And in some cases, the rituals and ceremonies conducted by the priest without the participation of the chief were considered invalid. The religious duties of a chief are, however, connected mainly with the taboos and village gennas. Of course, the secular functions of the chief are more important than the religious activities. One of the most significant functions of the Naga chieftain in the olden days was the defense of his village. It was his sacred duty to take care and see that his village was safe and free from danger. He also declared war against a village when his village was threatened by that particular village. Another important function was the allotment of land for jhum cultivation among the villagers. And in this regard, the chief acted after consultation with the village elders. Meetings of the clan heads were fixed and summoned by the chief for the promotion of general well-being of the people, and he must frequently consult his counselors to find out their grievances. Another function was rendering relief measures to those who were in difficulties. He also acted as a judge and decided all the disputes within his jurisdiction. The chief received and sent friendly messages to the neighbouring villages. One thing which is a matter of great importance to the chief

4 was that, in those headhunting days he had to be very vigilant when the new comers visited his village, because unless he was careful enough, these visitors might be spies who were trying to collect information about his village. And later on, by using these facts they could even attack his village. So a stranger must first seek permission of the chieftain to enter his village and also he had to tell the purpose of his visit. Only then the chief would welcome him and guarantee his safety during his stay in that particular village. During the British rule, the chief, on behalf of the government, was responsible for the collection of house taxes. He was in return given a gun and a red blanket which was a symbol of high status and power. The chief was also responsible for the construction and repairing of roads, bridges and the village gates. He also had to construct rest camps for the touring officers of the government. He was also responsible for the maintenance of peace and harmony within his area. He had to deal with those who had committed crimes and also had to settle the petty criminal offences. Conclusion In conclusion, we can say that, the British occupation of the Naga Hills did not bring much change in the system of chieftainship because it was convenient for the British to govern the hill tribes through the chiefs and also it was less expensive to administer the Naga Hills district when the chief s rule was maintained. And since the chiefs had great influence over their respective communities, the government directed their Political Agents to cultivate good relation with the chiefs while dealing with the tribes. Thus, during the British rule, the chiefs acted as an important link between the government and the tribesmen. The chieftainship still continues to exist among the Nagas, but its position and power begin to decline for various reasons like, in the modern age, the people are aware of their democratic rights and hence they refuse to submit to an autocratic rule of the chief. They exercised their rights by refusing to pay the customary taxes to the chief. Also the chief can no more appoint the members of the Village 37 Council as they are now being elected on the basis of adult franchise, and in most cases, the powers of the chief are curbed and controlled by the Village Council. As a result, the system has deprived the chief of his powers to a great extent and today, in some places, the position of the chief has been reduced to a mere titular head of his areas. Footnotes 1. Butler, Capt. J.,Travels and Adventures in the province of Assam during a Residence of Fourteen Years, London, 1847, p Rao, V.V., A Century of Tribal Politics in North East India , Delhi,1976, p Rao,V.V., & Co., A Century of Government and Politics in North East India, Vol. IV, Manipur,NewDelhi,p Ganguli, M., A Pilgrimage to the Nagas, New Delhi, 1984, p Furer-Haimendorf, C.V., Field Notebooks, London, p Jacob, J., The Nagas, Cambridge, 1989, p Hutton, J.H., The Sema Nagas,London,1921,p.11. References [1] Bhattacharjee, J.B., Proceedings of North East India History Association, Imphal, [2] Butler, Capt.J., Travels and Adventures in the Province of Assam during a Residence of Fourteen Years,London,1947. [3] Furer-Haimendorf, C.V., Field Notebooks,London,p.10. [4] Ganguli, M., A Pilgrimage to the Nagas,New Delhi,1984,p.170. [5] Ghosh, b.b., Gazeetteers of Nagaland,Kohima District,Kohima,1970. [6] Horam, M., Naga Polity,Delhi,1975 [7] Hutton, J.H., The Sema Nagas, London, [8] Jacob, J., The Nagas, Cambridge, [9] Lyndoh, S.R., Government and Politics in Meghalaya, New Delhi,1996. [10] Rao, V.V., A Century of Tribal Politics in North East India , Delhi,1976.

5 [11] Rao, V.V., Gangte,T.S.,Devi, K.B., A Century of Government and Politics in North East India, Vol 4,Manipur. [12] Sema, P., British Policy and Administration in Nagaland , New Delhi, [13] Thong, J.S., Headhunters Culture, Tseminyu,