What is the contribution of maniram dewan to freedom moment?

Answer 1

Since his childhood Maniram Dutta Baruah had seen the deplorable state of the Ahom kingdom, Assam caused first by the rebellion of Moamaria people of Eastern Assam followed by Burmese invasion first in 1817 and again in 1819 and carried out intolarably henious autocracies on the people of Assam,which were beyond expression. Half of the population either flee away or massacared by the tyrranic invaders. The royal family of the Ahom king, Purandar Sinha with those of his nobles including the Prime Minister, Ramdutta Bar Bhandar Baruah, father of Maniram, left Assam and took shelter in Eastern Bengal, where they came in contact with the British rulers, who had also to prevent intrusions by the Burmese into Bengal. Then on their request British advanced into Assam and repulsed the invaders, when Maniram Dutta Baruah with few other aids guided the British Platoon led by David Scott in 1824, and restored entire kingdom by subordinating other rebel groups like Mataks (Moamarias), Singphos and Khamtis, using British army. British recovered Assam by executing the treaty of Yandabu with the king of Burma, on 24 February,1826 and restored peace an harmony in Assam taking all round helps and guidances from Maniram Dutta Baruah who sincerely relied on the declaration made by David Scott to the people of Assam that they were not coming to conquer Assam and would go back after expelling the Burmese invaders. But latter seeing no mood of the British to keep their words Maniram petitioned on behalf the Ahom Prince to restore him the reign of the kingdom on 5 June,1853, to A.J.Moffat Mills visiting Sivasagar on deputation by Lt.Governor of Bengal to enquire about administration matters in Assam, but to no response. Gradually he become more disgruntled and went to Calcutta and submitted two lengthy petitions to the Governor General on 6 May,1857, but to no avail. So Maniram Dewan was the first freedom fighter to adopt "Non-Violence" as the means of his struggle to restore Ahom regime in Assam from the British colonial rulers, sixty years ago when Mohatma Gandhi started 'Non Violent Movement' for freedom of India and suceeded in 1947. Maniram Dewan's aversion for 'violence' was reflected from his stance against the armed rebellions against the British by Gomdhar Konwar in 1828 and Piyali Bar Phukan in 1830. Piyali Bar Phukan was the first martyr of Assam and Gamdhar Konwar, however died while in imprisonment .

Whatsoever may be the case, being disappointed Maniram Dewan planned, of course with broken heart, to carry forward the sepoy mutiny from Northern India into Assam which led to his martyrdom in 1858 together with his close associate in the plot, Piyali Baruah.