Garo People - Historical Accounts

Historical Accounts

According to one such oral tradition, the Garos first immigrated to Garo Hills from Tibet (referred to as Tibotgre) around 400 BC under the leadership of Jappa Jalimpa, crossing the Brahmaputra River and tentatively settling in the river valley. It is said that they were later driven up into the hills by other ethnic groups in and around the Brahmaputra River till they finally settled the erstwhile uninhabited Garo Hills. Various records of the tribe by invading Mughal armies and by British observers in what is now Bangladesh wrote of the brutality of the people.

The earliest written records about the Garo dates from around 1800. They "...were looked upon as bloodthirsty savages, who inhabited a tract of hills covered with almost impenetrable jungle, the climate of which was considered so deadly as to make it impossible for a white man to live there" (Playfair 1909: 76-77). The Garo had the reputation of being fierce headhunters, the social status of a man being decided by the number of heads he owned.

In December 1872, the British sent out battalions to Garo Hills to establish their control in the region. The attack was conducted from three sides – south, east and west. The Garo warriors (matgriks) confronted them at Rongrenggre with their spears, swords and shields. The battle that ensued was heavily unmatched, as the Garos did not have guns or mortars like the British Army.

Togan Nengminja, a young matgrik, was in command of the valiant Garo warriors. He fell fighting with unmatched heroism and courage in December 1872.

Later, a Garo patriot and statesman Sonaram R Sangma also fought against the British and tried to unify the contiguous Garo inhabited areas.