Kalindi Rani: The 45th Guardian Of Chakmas Who Preferred Courts, Offices And Traditional Agencies

Having rivals like other queens and estate managers like Shuklal Dewan backed by Captain Thomas Herbert Lewin, the British Superintendent of CHT Kalindi Rani, has been fighting since her initial days as the first female ruler of Chakma Community.

The Chakma king Raja Dharam Bux Khan had 3 queens. The raja died in his mid-thirties, leaving three wives: Kalindi, the first wife; Atakbi, the second wife; and Haribi, the third wife. His only daughter Rajkumari Menaka was by his third wife. Chakma monarchy generally follows the law of primogeniture, which means that the eldest son succeeds the father's throne. But in this case, due to not having any son, primogeniture couldn't be applied. So the queen ended up taking responsibility for the throne.

Chakma Resistance to British Domination: 1772–1798. It is noteworthy that this resistance is the first recorded against the British in South Asia, long before the famous 'Sipahi Bidroha,' the 'Sepoy Rebellion' in 1857.

Kalindi resisted British power through its institutions throughout her rule. To claim her properties, she fought for 12 years in the courts. In 1844, the court finally issued an order that Kalindi was the sole representative of all the late Raja Dharam Bux Khan properties. Taking advantage of the chaotic situation in Kalindi Rani's realm, the British instituted a Court of Wards. By acting as the guardian of Princess Menaka, the British took over the royal estates in both Chittagong and the Chakma kingdom.

Chakma society did not, however, favor a female ruler. There were many conspiracies against her and many opportunist groups initiating family feuds against Rani's assumption of the throne. But in the end, despite her resistance, Kalindi Rani's rule saw the unfolding process in which the British ultimately proclaimed power over the indigenous authorities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Her reign was one of the most turbulent in Chakma history as it saw the transition of the Chakmas from an independent people to subjects of the British.

Written by Sushmit Chakma