Mary Winchester, or Zolûti to

Mizos The Mizo people ( Mizo: ''Mizo hnam'') are an ethnic group native to the Indian state of Mizoram and neighbouring regions of Northeast India. The term covers several related ethnic groups or clans inside the Mizo group. All Mizo tribes and cla ...

, (1865–1955) was a Scottish girl who was captured and held hostage by the Mizo tribes of Mizoram, India, in 1871, and rescued by the British expedition in 1872. This historic event marked the beginning of British rule in Mizoram that lasted until the Indian Independence in 1947. Indirectly, it also paved the way for

Christian missionaries A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such as ...

to introduce Christianity among the Mizos.

Kidnapping

Mary Winchester lived with her father at

Cachar Cachar district is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. After independence the undivided Cachar district was split into four districts in Assam: Dima Hasao district (formerly North Cachar Hills), Cachar district alongside ...

, Assam, India. She was an illegitimate child of James Winchester and his Meitei worker. Her father was a manager of the British tea plantation, and had been there for 12 years. When she turned six years of age in 1871, her father decided it was time for formal education in Britain. Her farewell party was arranged on 23 January at Alexandrapur plantation at the place owned by her father's close friend George Seller. While they were strolling in the garden, the workers were suddenly in commotion, and Seller was frantically galloping around on his horse. When Mary accompanied by a nurse headed towards the

bungalow A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof (usually with dormer windows), and may be surrounded by wide verandas. The first house in England that was classified as a b ...

, her father met them on the way who ran her to a stable. But then the Mizo

tribal warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have be ...

s caught up, shot her father down from behind and cut his head. The warriors snatched her away from the dying clutch of her father, who murmured, "Dear, only God knows your fate." They left him to die and carried the girl away. A number of people were killed in the clash, some were taken as hostages, including Mary Winchester. Probably all except the girl, of whom they took special care, died on their journey to Mizoram.

In captivity

Mary Winchester was the first mixed race person most Mizos had ever encountered. Though a hostage, she was most of the time treated with good care. But some warriors wanted to depose her for fearing the consequences. She was finally lodged in the house of Bengkhuaia, the

chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

of Sailàm, one of the most formidable

chiefdoms A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in non-industrial societies usually based on kinship, and in which formal leadership is monopolized by the legitimate senior members of select families or 'houses'. These elites form a ...

. Her arrival in the village was celebrated with wine and meat, led by the queen. Not understanding her language to know her name, the Mizos called her Zolûti (''Zo'' for "Mizo" or "Mizoram", ''lût'' for "enter"). The village chief then entrusted the girl under the ward of his most trusted woman, Pi Tluangi, wife of the village elder Vansuakthanga (grandparents of Vangchhunga, one of the first three Mizo pastors). Pi Tluangi eventually cared for her like a princess, sleeping with her, and making garments and toys for her.

Rescue

The British colonial government was compelled to make a retaliation and recovery, a

military campaign A military campaign is large-scale long-duration significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of interrelated military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war. The term derives from the ...

called the

Lushai Expedition 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 ...

was launched on 8 October 1871. An expeditionary force of the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

captured and occupied Mizo villages one by one. The right column of the campaign reached Sailàm village on 21 January 1872. The siege started at 0830 in the morning, and after a few gunshots and shelling, the Mizos found their tribal weaponry no match to such advanced artillery and soon tendered their submission. After destroying the granaries and

crops A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. When the plants of the same kind are cultivated at one place on a large scale, it is called a crop. Most crops are cultivated in agriculture or hydroponics ...

, the expeditionary force rescued Mary Winchester. The moment of her rescue is told in two different versions: #according to T.H. Lewin, the expedition leader, Mary Winchester was simply taken from the chief's hut. She was found sitting on the log platform of the hut, wearing a blue rag round her loins, and a

smoking pipe A smoking pipe is used to inhale the smoke of a burning substance; most common is a tobacco pipe, which can also accommodate almost any other substance. Pipes are commonly made from briar, heather, corn, meerschaum, clay, cherry, glass, porcela ...

in her mouth. She was heard giving commands to small boys who were running around in fear. A few days short of a year in captivity, she had already lost her

mother tongue A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongu ...

, and the British soldiers had to lure her with sweets. #according to Sailam residents, the popular story is that she was handed over by the queen. Being completely adapted to the Mizo life, other British were strangers to Mary Winchester. She even called them, "Foreigners." Therefore, Pi Tluangi on pretence took her to a forest for gathering firewoods (or for cleaning at the stream, yet in another version). In the forest, her guardian left her to the awaiting soldiers, who had to drag her away against her will.

In Britain

Mary Winchester was immediately transported to Calcutta and from there directly to Scotland. She lived with her grandparents in

Elgin, Moray Elgin (; sco, Ailgin; gd, Eilginn, ) is a town (former cathedral city) and formerly a Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher gr ...

. She graduated from Royal Moray College, where she met Harry Innes Howie. They got married after she got a job as

headmistress A head master, head instructor, bureaucrat, headmistress, head, chancellor, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. In som ...

and moved to London. She died in 1955.

References

External links