Lushai Expedition

Lushai Expedition
Illustration of Vanhnuailiana's tomb found by the expedition.
Date 15 December 1871 - 20 February 1872 Location Lushai Hills Result British Victory Recapture of Mary Winchester (Zoluti) Subjugation of Poiboi Subjugation of Lalbura
Belligerents
British Raj United Kingdom Kingdom of Manipur	Lushai chiefdoms
Commanders and leaders
Charles Henry Brownlow George Bourchier William Frost Nuthall	Lalbura Poiboi Bengkhaia Yotal
Units involved
Chittagong Column Cachar Column Manipur Contingent	Tribal Militias Raiding parties
Strength
2500 infrantry

History of Mizoram
Ancient Vangchhia 600 BCE
Arrival of Luseis 1463–1625 Sailo rule 1675–1953 Haka–Lusei War 1720–1750 Selesih Confederation 1720–1790 Lusei–Zahau War 1757–1786 North–South War 1856–1859 Lushai Expedition 1871–1872 Lushai–Manipuri Conflict 1872 East–West War 1877–1880 Chin-Lushai Expedition 1889–1890
British colonial period 1889–1948 Lushai Rising 1890–1895
Modern era 1948–present Assamese district 1948–1972 Abolished chieftainship 1953 Nationalist uprising 1966 Union Territory 1972–1986 Peace accord and statehood 1986–present
v t e

The British Indian Army Lushai Expedition of 1871 to 1872 was a punitive incursion under the command of Generals Brownlow and Bourchier. The objectives of the expedition were to rescue British subjects who had been captured by the Lushais in raids into Assam—including a six-year-old girl called Mary Winchester—and to convince the hill tribes of the region that they had nothing to gain and everything to lose by placing themselves in a hostile position towards the British Government.

For the British, the expedition was a success: the prisoners were freed and the hill tribes agreed to negotiate peace terms. The border region was to remain peaceful until 1888 when large-scale raiding was resumed and another punitive expedition was organised.