Draft:Poiboi

Poiboi
Chief of Chelam Chelam Lal
Reign	c. 1860s-1892
Predecessor	Lalpung
House	Sailo
Father	Lalpung
Religion	Sakhua

Poiboi also known as Poiboy was an Eastern Lushai chief and son of Lalpung. Poiboi was known for his resistance during the Lushai Expedition and the Lushai Rising after the annexation of the Lushai Hills. Poiboi cooperated closely with chiefs, Vonolel and his son Lalbura.

Chieftainship

Poiboi's village was located between the Eastern Lushai chiefs and the territories of the Western Lushai Chiefs such as Sukpilal. His settlement consisted of 810 houses under his command.

Lushai Expedition

Main article: Lushai Expedition

As the Lushai Expedition travelled the Lushai Hills, they targeted the Eastern Lushai Chiefs. The camp released some prisoners on 19 December 1871 to inform the villagers under Lalbura and Thangbuna to release captives from their raids on British territory. Furthermore the expedition declared the men to inform neighbouring settlements they had no hostilities with Poiboi or Lalhai on the condition that they don't obstruct or resist the expedition.

On 23 December 1871, Darpong an Upa of Poiboi met with the force. He represented Poiboi and offered a ceasefire. On agreement by the general, Darpong climbed a tree and sounded a call to end all firing. By 13 January 1972, the expedition force were approaching Poiboi's territory and settlements. Darpong accompanied the force for a while but the force were still unsure if Poiboi held a positive or negative disposition to their presence. The columns advancement deeper into the Eastern Lushai Hills became unpopular with the settlements. Eventually the force encountered Darpong and a crowd of Lushais. Poiboi seemingly appeared to the general but it was discovered he was an imposter. The general would declare that he would only meet Poiboi in his own capital settlement. Darpong was sent to summon Poiboi.

On 25 January, Darpong would return to the encampment and warn the general that Poiboi had rejected and threatened to attack if they advanced further. Poiboi would subsequently stage a successful ambush on the column in one of the more difficult terrain traversings, wounding the general before being repelled. The attack proved that Poiboi had given his support to Lalbura as opposed to surrendering to the British. After singing a settlement under artillery, the British would interstate corpses from Poiboi's settlement and discover ammunition taken from Nugdigram, proving Poiboi's complicity. The general sent Poiboi an envoy with a message for a fine of a mithun and other tributes with complete surrender. Darpong arrived with offerings but since Poiboi hadn't surrender the column continued their march.

The column would arrive at Sellam, a village under Poiboi. Poiboi would desert it and the village would show no resistance. The villagers argued that only Poiboi's surrender would stop the burning of villages. Poiboi did reach out to General Nuthall and the Manipuri contingent but no surrender was made to General Bourchier in Sellam. After the force captured Lalbura's settlement, which the Sukte had besieged under Kamhau, Poiboi met with Lushai assistants under John Edgar but refused to surrender. As a result, Poiboi was left alone after the expedition.

Lushai Rising

Main article: Lushai Rising

Poiboi was a participant in the Eastern Lushai Rising. He would cooperate with the faction of Lalbura in Vonolel's family as opposed to Vuta's sons who also opposed the British. Poiboi would support Lalbura after R.B McCabe became besieged by Lalbura in a camp outpost near Lalbura's settlement. Poiboi would cooperate with Lemkham and Bungteya to reinforce Lalbura. On 4 April 1892, Poiboi would jointly raid a tea estate with Lalbura in Hailakandi to try and divert British forces in vain.

McCabe would prepare a 400 man military police detachment against the villages of Kairuma and Poiboi in mid April. Poiboi's village was stormed at over 2000 feet and was captured on 14 April 1892. He would pay the stated taxes and provide coolies to McCabe.

Geneology

Eastern Lushai Chiefs Family Tree
Lallula Mungpira Lallianvunga Lalpuilena Vuta Neipuithangi Sukpilal Mulla Lalpung Thongbuna Lalsavunga Vonpilal Poiboi Lalruma Chenglena Vonolel Lalhai Deuti Lemkham Ropuiliani Lalbura Bengtewa Tankama Vanpunga Lalhreya Lalthuama Langsuma Sangluna Lalvunga Lungliana Kairuma Lalkuma

Sources

• Chatterjee, Suhas (1985). British rule in Mizoram. New Delhi: Mittal Publications.

• Chatterjee, Subhas (1995). Mizo Chiefs and the Chiefdom. New Delhi: M D Publications PVT LTD. ISBN 81-85880-72-7.

• Chatterjee, Suhas (1990). Mizo Encyclopaedia. Aizawl: Jaico Publsihing House.