ABSTRACT
The Kukis knew nobody but their chiefs, whom they revered with respect and whose words were not to be dropped on the ground. The Kuki chiefs who were at the forefront held war councils and performed war rite ceremonies, namely hansaneh, selmeitan and sajamlhah in their respective areas as per their tradition and custom – symbolic oath taking ceremony as witness to express their unity and solidarity. A piece of charred fire wood bound together with chilli (thingkho-le-malcha) was send to every Kuki village to herald the urgency and seriousness of the situation. With the declaration of war, they were on the warpath and a series of attacks and counter-attacks followed under the command of their respective chiefs. Fighting for their independence and survival was supreme to them. Hence, the Anglo-Kuki War was a brave and concerted fight against the British imperialist.
