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About Arunachal Pradesh |
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It is hard to ascertain the historical background of the people living in the present Arunachal Pradesh because we are not left with enough written records of its ancient past. The earliest account of its written history is found only in the chronicles maintained by the Ahom rulers in the sixteenth century. It however doesn't imply that the region comprising the present Arunachal Pradesh has no significant history of its own before the era preceding the sixteenth century. In fact, we find the references of this area in the epic tales of the Mahabharata, Ramanyana and the other Vedic scriptures.
The commendable work done by the Archaeological departments of the country in this context has shed some light on the customs, cultures and civilizations of people living here in the pre-historic era. The ruins of temples and paintings of gods are suggestive of a civilization having faith in Hindu custom and traditions.
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On the other hand, the historical evidences found at Tawang monastery has established beyond doubt the existence of Buddhist tribal people here. The findings at Bhismaknagar, another important archaeological site, support the existence of a local civilization known as Idu Mishmi. Moreover, there are enough sources that prove its connection with the Tibetan people and culture also.
The study further reveals that the northwestern parts of present Arunachal Pradesh was ruled by Monpa kingdom of Monyul during 500 B.C. And 600 A.D. Further down the line in its history, this part of the state came under the control of the contemporary rulers of Bhutan and Tibet. Its portion touching the neighboring country of Myanmar became a part of the Ahom ruler of Assam and was continuously ruled by them until the arrival of the British in 1858.
There has always been a problem with China regarding the borderline separating Arunachal Pradesh with Tibet. Though the treaty signed between the British ruler and the then Tibetan authority in 1913 recognized McMahon Line as the de jure borderline between the two country, China did not accept it because it was not a party of the agreement. As a result, Independent India had to fight a war with its neighbor and there always remained a state of confusion and the fear of another war on the issue. While India has maintained its position of treating McMahon Line as the dividing line between the two nations, the cold response from the other side has not been an encouraging sign towards the amicable solution of this problem.
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