Mss Eur F116/83(1)

77 prints recording Sir Harcourt Butler's visit to the Hukawng Valley in January 1925 in connection with the abolition of slavery among the Kachin and Shan tribespeople and human sacrifice practised by the Nagas. The views include a series of photographs of the durbar held by Butler at Maingkwan on 27 January 1925, portraits of Kachin and Naga headmen, the military police post at Shaduzup, camps at Maingkwan and Shauzup, Shaduzup village, the River Nambyukha, the sacrificial enclave in a Kachin village, a group of released slaves, the governor's entourage on the march, groups of working elephants.

Bound in with this file is Butler's 'Report on my visit to the Hukawng Valley and the arrangements made and proposed to abolish slavery and end human sacrifice', dated 28 January 1925. In it he records that there appeared to be two possible solutions to the problem, either taking the tract under direct British administration or sending up an officer to purchase the freedom of slaves, who would then pay back the sum by instalments after their release. The first option was contrary to official policy and Butler therefore came to an agreement with the Kachin and Shan chiefs that the freedom of the slaves would be purchased by Government, with the proviso that all slaves would be freed by 1 January 1928. This was accepted 'with reluctance' by the Kachin and Shan headmen. With regard to human sacrifice among the Nagas, he found that 'the practice appears to be more common even than it was believed to be. It does not however prevail throughout the Naga Hills but only in the northern area, as the Nagas in the southern portion of the hills are head-hunters who do not practise human sacrifice though they ar equite willing to sell their slaves to the Northern Nagas for that purpose. The two Kachin overlords put the number of human sacrifices last year within their overlordship as between ten and twenty. If this figure is correct, and it is the best available, there must have been thirty of forty sacrifices last year.' Butler was convinced that the abolition of sacrifice could only be obtained by an occupying expedition of the Naga country, but owing to the remoteness of the area could not recommend this course. He proposed instead the policy of 'cutting off the supply of victims and letting light into the darkness of the country.' The Nagas were made to agree to 'limit their operations to their own people' and Butler suggested that a road be built through to the Assam boundary and 'in this way the influence of civilisation will spread and this detestable practice and with it slavery will no doubt come to an end.'

See also prints 168-85, which also appear to relate to the durbar of 27 January 1925.

Subjects = animals; Butler (Sir Harcourt) Collection; camps; durbars; elephants; ethnic groups; governors; governors' tours; Kachins; military police; military police posts; Nagas (ethnic groups); river scenes; slavery; slaves

Location = Burma; Kachin; Maingkwan; Myanmar; Nambyukha (river); Shaduzup