The mediaeval Ahom kingdom was surrounded by the various tribes whose settlements extended from the plains to the mountains. These tribes included the Nyishi, Aka, Abar, Apatani,, Sherdukpen, Monpa, Naga clans like Rengma, Sema, Konyak, Nocte, Wangchu etc. Some of these tribes were very aggressive and often raided in the adjacent plain territories of Ahom kingdom. The Ahom kingdom dealt differently with each of those tribes. Sometimes it was through the armed troops and sometimes through peace agreements. Whatever the method was, it helped to maintain the peace in the adjacent areas of the Ahom Kingdom to a great extent. Such a kind of a peace settlement was 'the Posa system’ that was introduced by the Ahom kingdom to some parts of the hill adjacent areas of upper Assam. With the coming of the British, the settlement system went through various changes but continued to exist. In this discussion, we would have a comprehensive look at the Posa system during the colonial period in Assam.
Origin of the Posa system : a product of Ahom diplomacy :
The Posa system, that literally means a collection of subscriptions for a common purpose. They regularly went down to the adjacent plains territories and took away everything that was found in front of them. They occasionally launched raids and outbursts against the common people, taking their goods with them. The Ahom Kings used to dispatch their armed troops to punish the raiders after every attack, but they were never able to track down the perpetrators. In due course, the Ahom monarchs came to the realisation that their hostile relations with the hill tribes and retaliatory military expeditions were incapable of resisting such kinds of actions.. As a result, Ahom King Pratap Singha instituted a settlement named “ The Posa”. Various groups of hill tribes that resided along the upper border of the Ahom kingdom were granted some sort of rights to collect food items and other essentials as a tribute. But in return, the hill tribes were required to keep cordial relations with the Ahom monarchs. For this purpose, the Ahom kingdom established various ‘Duars’ in the north boundary areas such as present day Lakhimpur, Darang etc. Various officers and Katakis were also appointed for the well function of the system. The subjects of the kingdom those were associated to give Posa to the tribes were called 'Bohotiyas’. These people were free from giving tribute to the king rather they had to pay Posa to the authorised hill tribes. Though the hill tribes were granted the right to collect Posa, they were not given any political and administrative rights over the people of their adjacent area. Any kind of disruption made by the hill tribes in the settlement led to the closing of ‘Duars’ or entrance path of the tribes to the plain by the Ahom king that created food shortage havoc to the hilly areas. In addition, not all the tribes were given the rights of collecting Posa. The Ahom King diplomatically offered the settlement only to those who were indomitable by the force and was tough for the troops to access to their areas. Comparatively the plain tribes as well as the hilly tribes that were accessible by the Armed forces were not granted the facility. They were forcefully dominated by the king and even matrimonial alliances were also made in order the keep a cordial relation. The tribes that were given Posa rights were included the Nyishi, Aka, Bhutiyas, Monpas etc.
The Duars and the Posa system :
The Duars played a crucial role in the determination of the relations between Assam and Bhutan. The term 'Duar' literally meaning 'door' in English, is used to refer to the areas below the foothills is equivalent to Bhutanese 'las-sgo' (lit. work-door) which usually refers to the border area where exchange of goods were occured at the foot of a pass and the area in its immediate vicinity. There were a total of thirteen Duars ( some say it was more than twenty two ) during the Ahom rule. Of these Duars, five were called as Bagh Duar, Sidli, Chirang, Ripu and Guma, collectively known as the Eastern Duars. These Duars were situated between the river Manas on the east and the Sonkosh on the west. Five other Duars viz. Bijni, chapakhamar, Chapaguri, Banska and Gurkola, together known as Kamrup Duar, were situated between the river Bamadi on the east and the Manas on the west. The remaining three Duars viz. Killing, Buriguma and Koriapar, known as Darrang Duars were situated between the Dhansiri on the east and the Barnadi on the west. Except the Koriapar Duar, others were used by Bhutiyas. The Koriapar Duar was used by the Monpas. Present location of these Duars could be signified in the western districts of the Assam.(Baksha, Chirang, Udalguri, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Darang as well as in Lakhimpur district etc.) The Bhutiyas, since the days of the Ahom King 'Joydhavaj Singha', used to manage authority over these Duars of Darrang for eight months in a year. To establish their claims over the Duars, the Deva Raja of Bhutan appointed some officers to administer the Duar areas during this period. The duties of these Bhutiya officers were to conduct both civil and judicial affairs in their respective divisions. The Bhutanese Government had not paid any salary to them, but they were allowed to receive fines for any crimes committed by a person in their jurisdiction. The revenues were realised in kinds that have been fixed by the Deva Raja of Bhutan. It is interesting that most of these Bhutanese officers thus appointed were from the Kacharis or the Assamese people of the plains. Among them, one prominent officer was Gambhir Uzir who belongs from Kachari. To look after the rules and regulations the Bhutiya Raja appointed a provincial governor called 'Penlow' to whom the Duar administration was entrusted. Another Bhutiya Duar 'Kuriapara' was administered by the Towing Raja, a tribal chief immediately dependent upon Lassa (capital of Tibet). For administrative purposes, during this period the Duars was divided into seven sub-divisions, each placed under the management of seven junior Bhutiya chiefs popularly known as 'Sath-Rajas'. Among the Bhutiya chiefs in the Chariduar area were 'Sherdukpan' and 'Tebengia Bhutiya' the 'Akas' and a few 'Daffalas' (Nyishi) also used to come down to the plains of Darrang. Ahom king Pratap Singha (1603-1631) on political ground granted 'Posa' to the Chariduar Bhutiyas, the Akas and a few Daffalas. The Akas were of two class viz. Hazarikhowas' and 'Kopachors'. The Hazarikhowas had the right to collect Posa (revenue) from the Ryots of Chariduar areas. The leaders of the Kopachor Akas were called 'Thagi Raja' who committed robberies and murders in the plains several times. Under the 'Posa system' the 'Hazarikhowa's were entitled to receive from each house of the 'Bahatiya-paiks; one portion of female dress, one bundle of cotton thread, one bundle of handkerchiefs, a small portion of rice, salt, cattle etc. During the period there was no conflict between the Ahoms and the Hazarikhowa Akas throughout the Ahoms rule. Unlike the Akas, the Daffalas were also allowed to collect 'Posa' from the Assamese Ryots of Chariduar, Na-duar and Chaiduar. There were two hundred and thirty-eight Daffala Gums or chiefs and formed an oligarchical government. The Ahom king tried to make peace with these Daffala chiefs by giving them the right to collect 'Posa' from some Assamese people residing nearby Gohain-Kamal Ali known as Bhatia better known as Daffala-Bhatiyas (serfs of the Daffalas) formed an independent unit called Khel, and were put under an Ahom officer known as Daffalaporia Phukan, Daffala-Zamader and Daffala-Kataky etc.
The Posa system during the British rule :
The Posa system tends to continue even in British rule. The colonial ruler continued the system and made several changes in the system. The colonial government was aware not to make any radical changes in the administration and that's why the first ruler of the colonial Assam state permitted the hill tribes to continue their collection of Posa.
However, some colonial administrators were on the side of either to abolish the system or to make suitable changes in it as they saw the collection of Posa from the ryots by the hill tribes as inconvenient. After a long period of debate, the colonial government made changes in the system. Government tried to use it in a punitive way towards the indomitable tribes. For instance, In 1835, the payment of Posa was stopped for a moment to the Nyishis of Char-duar due to their involvement in the attack on the Police outpost at Balipara and Urung with Thagi Raja of Akas. However, in January, 1836, payment of Posa to the Nyishis of Char-duar was resumed with some conditions. In 1852, the government started giving cash payment to the chiefs of the clans of hill tribes and closed the previous system of collecting from ryots individually. Till that time, the government paid attention to develop the communication system and access to the hill tribes. In due course of time, with access to the tribal areas, the colonial government started to use it in a more punitive way to subjugate the hilly tribes. Commutation of Posa to cash payment from treasury proved useful for the British and by 1852, Posa of Aka, Nyishi, Sherdupkpen, Thembang Monpa, Dzongpens of Talungdzong commuted to cash. The Adi tribe started to get cash payment in lieu of Posa from 1877. Another new method in the Posa payment was adopted in the year 1878, in which every recipient was issued a hathchitta (hand written note). In this new feature, the name of posa recipients and amount fixed for each recipient were written in the note. If they lost the note, posa would be paid after strict scrutiny or inquiry. The payment to various Adi chiefs was stopped after the Abor expedition of 1894. The hill was blocked by the British in a preventive and punitive measure and it was never resumed thereafter. Once again debate regarding the Posa system arose in 1897-1900. But the Chief commissioner of Assam decided to continue the system and proscribed any changes.
The arguments to discontinue the payment for posa from the government treasury again arose in 1922-1925. But again the chief commissioner did not permitted to made any alteration in the system. In 1938, A proposal regarding the modification in the system was produced before the Chief commissioner by the political agent of the Balipara Frontier Tract. The Chief commissioner of the province made a strict order that the payment of Posa will only be stopped while the present incumbents will die. After that, with the momentum gaining Independence movements, the colonial ruler forgot the problems of posa of the remote areas and it continued to exist even after the Independence.
The Independent Government and the Posa system :
After the Independence, the task of reviewing the Posa system fell in the lap of new government. The first review meeting was done in 1956 convened by the advisor for Tribal affairs to the government of Assam. A decision to continue the system was accepted in the meeting. The political agent of the Kameng district was ordered to draw the payment of Posa. Gradually, In 1968-69, the cash payment amount was reduced that made the Deputy Commissioner of West Kameng District to write to the government elaborating the probable repercussions of the reducing of amount. After that letter, the government of India decided to again increase the payment and ordered not to change anything in the system. Since then, in every Republic day, the compensation of Posa has been given to the various tribal chiefs of West Kameng, East Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh with no alternation in the amount which were agreed upon by the British administration to the Tribal chiefs.
Reasons behind the continuation of Posa from mediaeval to colonial period:
Current scenario :
Though the country opted for the democratic set up where the idea of equality and unity flourishes, these ideas of democracy are still in vogue in the remotest areas of the present day Arunachal Pradesh. That is why the Medieval Posa system still continues with changes. In this era of globalisation, the state of Arunachal Pradesh is also moving to the path of developments and is expected to cherish the ideas of the democratic nation.
Conclusion :
To conclude, the Posa system had played an important role in the maintenance of peace in the region. It was a product of the rich diplomatic capability of the Ahom kingdom that continued to exist even after the Independence. Thus, the Ahom Kings tried to maintain friendly relations with the neighbouring hill tribes who frequented the plains through the Duars and tried to safeguard the Assamese subjects from their atrocities. So, the Ahom Kings policy towards the hill tribes was one of the appeasements. During the colonial period, the British also used Posa as means and tools to pressurise and subdue the hill tribe's raids and outrages in the British territory. In order to stop raids, the British introduced a system in which the posa payment to the offenders or raiders was stopped until and unless they surrender before authority. Thus, the British Government fully utilised the Posa system on the Nyishi as per requirement of time and situation to control raids and outrages by the Nyishis. Though the British could not colonised the entire Tribal inhabitant areas, they maintained significant relations with them through conciliatory policy like the Posa system. Many aspects of this system are still unknown and are in vogue. A more comprehensive study and the revisiting of resources would be expected to give a mesmerising journey of the system.
References :
1. Jha, Braj Narain : Politics of Posa- A case study of pre and post Independence scenario in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 57 session Madras University, 1996,
2. Joram, Rina : The Nyishis and the Posa, in Joram Begi‟s (ed) Itanagar-A Profile, Bharatiya Itihas Sankalam Samiti, Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar, 2003.
3. Laxmi Devi, : Ahom Tribal Relations, Lawyer‟s Book Stall, Guwahati,1968.
4. Taw Yania : Relevance of Duar system: An interface of Bahatias and the Nyishis of Arunachal Pradesh, in Proceeding of North East India History Association, Thirty third Session, RGU-2012, Shillong.
5. R.B. Pemberton : Report on Eastern Frontier of British India, Department of Historical and Antiquarian Studies, Assam, Guwahati, 1835.
6. Muntaza, I. S : Posa-Was it a Black-mail, in Proceeding of North East India History Association, fourteenth Session, Jorhat, 1993, Shillong
7. Mackenzie, Alexander : The North-East Frontier of India, Mittal Publications, Delhi, 1989
8. Annual Report on the Native States and Frontier Tribes of Assam, 1904-05, Printed at the Assam Secretariat Printing Office, Shillong, 1905.
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