A page of history is worth a pound of logic
Arunachal Pradesh became a full-fledged State on 20th February, 1987. Till 1972, it was known as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA). It gained the Union Territory status on 20 January 1972 and renamed as Arunachal Pradesh.
ARUNACHAL THE PART OF GUPTA EMPIRE
The reference material gives account of the rule of Gupta Empire over Arunachal Pradesh. The acceptance of overlordship of Gupta empire by Samudra Varman is confirmed in Nidhanpur plates which clearly affirm the extension of Gupta empire up to Patkai ranges (east Arunachal Pradesh). The Burmese Chronicles as well as the archaeological evidence indicates extension of rule of Gupta empire over Bhukama / Pagan rulers thereby establishing Arunachal Pradesh as part of Gupta empire.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AHOM & TRIBES (NOCTE, WANCHO) OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH
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The politico-cultural linkage of Ahoms with the Nocte and Wancho tribes of Arunachal Pradesh are well documented in the research of some scholars. During the days of Purander Singh (1818-19), tax was levied by the Ahom kings on the rock salt brought to the plains. The mention of Naga Katakis through whom Ahom Government used to manage affairs with these tribes clearly show that the Ahoms had established their dominance over the tribal areas to enlarge their boundaries and simultaneously hill tribes too had made way to the plains for their survival. Over a period of time these interactions converted into trade relations.
AHOM KINGS AND THE INHABITANTS OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH SPECIFICALLY ADIS, MIRIS AND NYISHIE TRIBES
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The reference material traces back the historical connect between hill tribes of Arunachal Pradesh and Ahoms of Assam. The hill tribes used to commit occasional raids to collect tax from the Ahomia villages bordering Arunachal Pradesh. After realising the futility of punitive attempts / expeditions, the Ahom ruler King Pratap Singh (1603-1641 AD) recognized the right of Adis which subsequently paved the way for establishment of trade relations between hill tribes and Ahoms with Mishings acting as middlemen.
TRADE / POLITICAL RELATION BETWEEN ADIS OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH AND AHOMS OF ASSAM
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The reference material highlights the relationship between Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh and the Ahom Dynasty wherein the Ahom ruler King Pratap Singha had given some villages to the Adis for the cultivation of paddy. In turn the Adis, besides paying tribute to Ahom kings, also developed trade linkages. The documents also gives an overview of the political relations between Lachit Borpukon and the Adi Tribe of Arunachal during war against Bongals.
NOEL WILLIAMSON’S VISIT TO RIMA (A VILLAGE ON INDIA – CHINA BORDER)
Noel Williamson, the political officer of Sadiya region of British India,was a very ambitious officer who was recognized as expansionist in Colonial India. For the same purpose he undertook several expeditions to the remote areas especially between Lohit Valley and Siang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh. Attached photographs are concrete evidences of his footfall at Rima village on the eastern border of Arunachal Pradesh where he met so called Governor of the border region at Rima. Another expedition in Abhor hills near Passighat was undertaken latter on when he was killed by tribals due to some confusion near Panging village on now NH 13 (ahead of Passighat) to avenge this murder British Govt took punitive actions against the tribals and brought them under complete dominance of British India. Brief of this incident is widely available in open source.
ITAFORT
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The Ita word derived from the Hita meaning bricks. Thus Itafort denotes the bricks fort. The Itafort lies East 093˚39” Longitude and North 27˚6’ Latitude within present Itanagar city. The name of state capital ‘Itanagar’ is derived from this historic fort. There are no concrete evidences who built this fort. There are different legends recorded by the scholars regarding Itafort. However, most of views referred the Itafort with the Arimatta. If we reconciled the Assamar Buranji (of Gohain Barua) and Kamarupa Buranji with the Nyishi legends, the Itafort could be attributed to the Ramchandra and his son Arimatta of Mayapur. The Itafort could be built between the 14th-15th centuries A.D. The Itafort is an important medieval archaeological site of the state. A present monument ruin is the part of a big fort complex. It is a brick built fortified area of an irregular shape, partly man-made and partly natural. It is enclosed by natural ridges and brick ramparts, closing the western and eastern flanks. To the north and south are the ridges and steep cliff, affording adequate defence to the fort. Of the two ramparts, the western one runs for almost one and half kilometer long while the eastern one runs for 200 M. The western ramparts have two gates and an eastern rampart has one gate. In the north and south, irregular steep ridge of more than a kilometer length each, provide natural defence.
MALINITHAN
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Malinithan, a series of temples in ruins, situated at the foot of the Siang hills (erstwhile Abor hills) bordering Assam plains to its south. It is under the Likabali sub-division of West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. The geo-coordinate of the site in latitude 94˚41′25′′ N and longitude 28˚38′34′′E. It is approximately 60 meters above MSL. The site is located at a distance of 1 km from the Likabali Township toward East. The Monuments occupies a strategic place on a hillock which delineated against the plain of Brahmaputra alluvium toward south. The river Brahmaputra is at an Ariel distance of about 5 km from the site. The surrounding areas, except north comprises of sandy silt riverine deposit. The hills start gradually from this hillock that comprises of Siwalik group of rock, which is the southernmost litho-tectonic unit of the Arunachal Himalaya. A series of tectonic lineament separated the hills from the plains.
The Malinithan revealed three temple bases, huge quantities of architectural members. The traces of two temple bases were visible in the main archaeological site and the third base was recovered to the north-western direction of the main temple complex. Between the two, one was traced out to the extreme eastern most flank of the main temple site. The base is damaged, only a portion of the last course of the foundation exists slanting to the southern direction virtually making it difficult to give any precise description of the plan. The temple base indicates that the foundation base was made by well-rammed boulder, pebbles, sand and levigated clay and over it laid the course of sandstone. The masons had adopted Dryasylar masonry technique to build the temple. Medium to loose grain dressed sandstone block, locally available were used in construction. The site has yielded a number of Brahmanical sculptures of Gods and Goddesses, representation of Rishis, Gandharvas, Apsaras, erotic scenes, Dvarpala, Dvara Palikas, animal and floral motifs, scene of customary life etc.
MALINIMEGALITHIC SHERGAONTHAN
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The Shergaon is located at a distance of about 42 kms South-West of the Rupa. It is a beautiful valley and situated at the altitude of 1954 above MSL.The Megalithics of Shergaon are Menhirs and located at two different sites. The first site is located at the Lungstung area near the Chhoskorongkho River, below the Shendzong and about 2 km away from the Shergaon. The second site is traced at Lungjunkthung area, below the Highway, near Duflokho River and a distance of 2km. before reaching the Shergaon from the Rupa.During the course of exploration in the Megalithic sites, 3(three) upright stones were found in the Lungstung area while 6 (six) upright stones were found in Lungjukthung. The upright stone of the Lungstung measures 1.40 M in height (outer surface), 42 cms in breadth, 16 cms in thickness. The upright stone of Lungjukthung measure 170 cms in hight (150 cms in outer surface and 20 cms in below surface), 20 cms in breadth, 8 cms in thickness.
TAKLUNG DZONG
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The Taklung Dzong is located near Sanglem Village of Kalaktang circle under West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh. It is about 20kms distance from the Shergaong. The Taklung Dzong is said to be constructed by Lama Tanpei Dronme, who along with his brother constructed various Gelugpa monuments in 15th – 16th century in Mon area. With the help of the local people, the revered Lamas constructed the two storeyed structures. He is said to have; painted the guardian deity Lhamoja Droima, as the patron deity of the gompa and preserved this in a copper tube, which was forbidden to be seen by all.
It is said that originally the monastery had more than four rooms both on the ground and first floor. The main Gompa was on the first floor and the rooms on the ground floor had bedroom for the Lama and the Dzongpens. A portion of the demolished structure still can be seen above the present gompa. The artifact of the collapsed Gompa are now stored in a hut. It consists of brass image of Lopon Rimpoche, Guru Padmasambhav and Chana Dorjee. The Taklung Dzong is the State Protected Monument.
THE J.N STATE MUSEUM
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February, 1988 by the then President of India R. Venkataraman and the Museum was inaugurated by R. D. Pradhan, the then Governor of Arunachal Pradesh on 1st January 1990.The J. N. State Museum is a beautiful and well designed having two storied building and located at a prime location in Itanagar. The State Museum has two exhibition floors and an auditorium for various activities. The ground floor is used for depicting and portraying various aspects of tribal way of life with the help of dioramas, maps etc. and a provision for orientation area. The ground floor gallery had renovated and developed by the Indian Museum, Kolkata in the year 2006. Now the gallery has completely been transformed into a state-of-the-art gallery in tune with world class museum incorporating all aspects of modern scientific concept of the museum practices. The upper floor (first floor) has eight galleries with the collections belonging to different ethnic communities of Arunachal Pradesh. The eight galleries are categorized as textile, archaeology, basketry, painting, war and chase, wood carving, house-hold articles, ornaments. The upper floor 5 galleries have also been renovated / developed with the support and help from the Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata. There are all together 2421 specimens in the collection out of which more than 800 specimens are on display in the state museum.
On another venture of development a “Mountaineering Gallery” was set up in the Jawaharlal Nehru State Museum, Itanagar with introduction of new subject for the first time in the museum and first of its kind in the region. This is aim to encourage the new generation particularly students to inculcate their interest to take up this adventure event as their carrier. The proposal was first mooted in the year 2009 when Mr. Tapi Mra, first Arunachalee Mountaineer was conquered Mount Everest at the height of 8848 mtr and created a niche in the history of the State in the field of mountaineering. He donated his entire mountaineering kits to the museum for the noble gestur
ARUNACHAL PRADESH FORMS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF INDIA’S HISTORY
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The reference material establishes Arunachal Pradesh as a significant part of Ancient Indian History. The literary writings of Kalika Purana, Rukmini Haran and Kumar Haran identifies Dibang valley as Vidarbha, Lower Lohit Valley as Chedi/ Sedi and Sonitpur. Also the kirata and chin soldiers (Arunachelese) fought in the battle of Kurukshetra (Mahabharata) under the banner of King Bhagadatta of Kamrupa (Assam) thereby establishing connect with Mahabharata. Many foreign writers and historians gives out material condition of Arunachal Pradesh in ancient times and describes the land to be in congruence with Assam, due to similarity in writings of Ramayana. These historical records establish ancient connection between the Arunachelese and mainland India.
MONPAS OF ARUNACHAL
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The reference material gives account of the origin of the Tibetans in India and recounts the days during the Vedic period of Mahabharata when there were extensive warfare and considerable unsettlement in Northern India that led to the migration of Tibetans to the land of snow to escape the conflicts. The Monpa community believes that they are the followers of the King Rupati who was regarded as the first man of the ruling dynasty in that country region around present day Kameng district. The history of unified Tibet began in the same region (Yorlung) under the Prince allegedly coming from India. Though the authors are not sure of the identity of the prince, they continue with the belief that the price is identified as Karna the son of Kunti, in the Indian epic or the King Rupati, who in the war between Kauravas and Pandavas fled to Tibet disguised as a women, or the son of King Prasenjit of Kosla, or the descendant of the Lacchavi Branch of the Sakya family. However, the logical conclusion is that during the Mahabharata war, many people migrated from India to Tibet. The Mahabharata war was also the reason for the emigration of the King Rupati to Tibet. This belief in itself is a strong claim establishing the Indian roots of Mompa community.
AKA – AHOM RELATIONS
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The reference material brings forth historical linkages between Aka tribe of Arunachal Pradesh and Ahoms of Assam. The Ahom king accepted the Akas as the younger king as descendants of king Arimo and therefore, it was decided that the Ahom king would collect taxes for 6 months from tenants of Balipara and Chardura area of Darrang district and the Akas would collect taxes for 6 months form that area. This healthy relation made Akas integral part of the then NE India.
ADI BRITISH RELATION
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The reference material highlights the integration of hill tribes of Arunachal Pradesh with British India – through a number of treaties and expeditions. The enhanced British influence resulted in settlement of Adis astride foothills in the plains of Assam. Assam frontier Tract Regulation, 1880 was one of the stepping stone towards complete integration of NEFA with British India which is reflected in the supporting documents.
AHOM-MISHIMI TRIBE
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The reference material highlights the Ahom-Mishimi relationship. Mishimi are the tribes of Eastern Arunachal Pradesh and they are mainly distributed in the Mishimi hills of the Dibang Valley. The Ahoms lived peacefully with the Mishimies. Though they had not been granted the right to posa, but they enjoyed trade facilities. The Mishimies were keen traders and connected with the market in Assam. They used to come to Sadia market with their hill produce and traded mainly in musk and animal skin. This shows the ancient relationship between the Ahoms and the Mishimis.