The Last Stand of Three Brothers: Power, Resistance, and Colonial Encounters in the Southern Lushai Hills

Abstract

This article investigates the resistance efforts of the Chinzah clan of the Lai tribe, particularly Chief Dokulha and his two brothers, against British colonial expansion in the southern region of the Lushai Hills. Focusing on the interplay between indigenous spatial conceptualisations and colonial territorial ambitions, it explores how the Lai tribe navigated colonial domination through adaptive resistance strategies. Dokulha’s oscillation between defiance and strategic compliance underscores the multifaceted nature of indigenous agencies, encompassing overt confrontations, narrative deception, and cultural preservation. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from Foucault’s power–knowledge relations, Bhabha’s colonial mimicry, and Fanon’s colonial trauma, this article elucidates the epistemic, cultural, and psychological dimensions of resistance. The decline of Chinzah authority, culminating in Dokulha’s imprisonment at Kala Pani, highlights the complex costs of resisting colonial power, while demonstrating the resilience of indigenous governance systems through community support and strategic adaptation.