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Zakapa Fanai

(Mizoram)

Zakapa Fanai was born in the village of Khawhri, district Lunglei, Lushai Hills (now Mizoram), India. He was the Chief of the Fanai clan, and a prominent leader among the Haolong Chiefs. He maintained cordial relations with the British administrators in Lunglei Camp, but these relations were broken in the early part of 1889 when his troops opened fire at Captain C.S. Murray (the Commanding Officer of Lunglei Camp) and his soldiers.

During a routine military meeting, Murray informally demanded the supply of Lushai girls for his officers’ sexual satisfaction, which infuriated Fanai. He took up arms and attacked Murray and his officers, and while Murray luckily escaped, five of his officers were seriously injured.

Zakapa’s militancy inspired other Lushai Chiefs, and they called off the British invitation for a meeting on 16 April 1889. For waging war against the British in India, Zakapa was captured and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was transported to the Andaman Islands and died in Cellular Jail.