Ropuiliani
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Aizawl
Rangamati, British Raj
| Ropuiliani | |
|---|---|
| Chieftainess of Denlung "Denlung Lalnu | |
| Reign | 1889–8 August 1893 |
| Predecessor | Vandula |
| Born | 1828 Aizawl |
| Died | 3 January 1895 (aged 66–67) Rangamati, British Raj |
| Burial | Denlung Mizoram, Hnahthial District |
| Issue | Lalsavuta, Lalropuii, Hrangphunga, Sangliana, Thanhula, Darpuiliani, Lalṭhuama, Dotawna |
| Father | Lalsavunga |
Ropuiliani (1828–3 January 1895) was a Mizo chieftainess in south Mizoram (Lushai Hills) in the nineteenth century. She is remembered for her resistance against British colonial forces after the death of her husband, Vandula.[1] She was the chieftainess for Denlung and eight other villages,[2] near present-day Lunglei in Mizoram.[1] She died in confinement at a prison in Rangmati, Bangladesh on 3 January 1895.[3]
Resistance
Ropuiliani was the daughter of Lalsavunga, the chief of Aizawl, and was born and raised in present-day Mizoram Governor Compound, Mizoram. In 1847 she was married to Vandula, the chief of Denlung.[3] When her eldest son Dotawna died, leaving only minor heirs, Ropuiliani stepped into the role of regent and chieftainess. She upheld her late husband's policies of non-cooperation and resistance to British colonial authority, refusing to engage in negotiations or comply with British demands. Taxes, labor levies, and rice tributes were all withheld under her leadership, signaling her defiance against colonial encroachment.[2]
The British settlement at Lungleh marked a turning point in her resistance efforts. Viewing it as a threat to her community's autonomy, Ropuiliani galvanized her allies Zakapa and Dokapa, urging them to take a stand against the colonial presence. Her leadership and strategic instigation of allied chiefs highlighted her resolve to resist British dominance and maintain the sovereignty of her people. Ropuiliani's actions during this period cemented her legacy as a fierce and principled leader who refused to yield to colonial pressure.[2]
Ropuiliani's resistance against British rule reached a critical point with the killing of H.R. Browne. She and her son Lalṭhuama refused to attend the Chief's Durbars in 1890, boycotting all three sessions. British efforts to persuade her, including sending her brothers Seipuia and Lalluava to negotiate, failed. The situation escalated when the British sent an interpreter known as a Rashi, which enraged Ropuiliani, leading to the interpreter's execution by a pasalṭha named Hnawncheuva.[4]