Against the Empire: Polity, Economy and Culture during the Anglo-Kuki War, 1917-1919

This book explores the Kuki uprising against the British Empire during the First World War in the northeast frontier of India, shedding light on its crucial role in understanding present-day Northeast India. It examines various aspects of the war, such as its impact on the Kuki population, economy, politics, identity, culture, and traditional institutions. It also highlights themes of colonial geopolitics, colonialism, and the missionaries, state-making, and the frontier dimensions of the war. The book uses a variety of sources, including civilisational discourse, indigenous readings, tour diaries, and oral accounts, to meshing together the primitive with the modern, the tribal and the settled.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 266 pages
Publication date: 25 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This captivating book delves into the tumultuous Kuki uprising against the British Empire during the First World War in the northeast frontier of India, which was then known as the Assam-Burma frontier. Spanning over 6,000 square miles, the three-year war (1917-1919) holds immense significance in understanding the present-day Northeast India.

Companion to the seminal The Anglo-Kuki War, 1917-1919, this volume comprises a series of chapters that explore various facets of the Anglo-Kuki War. These chapters shed light on the far-reaching consequences of the war for the indigenous Kuki population, encompassing their economy, politics, identity, indigenous culture, and belief systems. They also highlight the finer themes such as the role of chiefs and war councils, symbols of communication, indigenous interpretations of the war, remembrance, and other policies that continued to confront the Kuki communities.

In addition to examining colonial ethnographies, the volume takes a fresh approach by tapping into a diverse range of sources. These sources include civilisational discourse, indigenous readings of the war, tour diaries, and oral accounts. By seamlessly merging the primitive with the modern, the tribal with the settled, the book offers a unique perspective on the conflict.

This book will be of immense interest to scholars and researchers in the fields of South and Southeast Asian Studies, area studies, modern history, military and strategic studies, insurgency and counterinsurgency studies, tribal warfare, and politics. It provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of the region and contributes to our understanding of the historical and contemporary challenges faced by the Kuki communities.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367534790