ISLON - RANI OF NANCOWRY.

                                                

            Nancowry is a group of islands in the middle of the Nicobar Archipelago. Islon an illiterate tribal woman from this region improved her social status by marrying a Tahshildar of Nancowry who acted as a British administrator. He was a generous man who helped his tribal wife to command respect from her fellow-Nicobarese. When disputes were brought before him, he referred them to Islon to settle, conferring on her the dignity of a magistrate. In time Islon grew in importance and became a British agent in Nicobar.

            In 1914, the German cruiser Emden struck terror in the heart of the British Empire. The cruiser commanded by Karl Freiderich Max von Muller would sneak into Indian waters and raid British ships plying on busy trade routes. The cruiser was called the ‘swan of the East.’ One of its funnels was camouflaged to look like a British ship. In two months the German cruiser had intercepted 23 merchant and naval ships and destroyed 74000 tonnes of goods.

            In October 1914, the Emden sailed to the Nicobar Islands. Islon mistook it for a British ship and hoisted the Union Jack to welcome the ship. Commander Muller was fooled into thinking there was a strong British presence in the islands, and hastily withdrew and sailed off to Penang. Islon soon realised this was a German ship. She immediately dispatched a messenger to the nearest signal station to tip off the British, who were able to capture the elusive ship with its commander and crew. Islon’s information led to the capture of Emden, and Muller remained as a prisoner of war in England until the end of the war in 1918.

            The grateful British conferred on Islon the title “Rani of Nancowry.” She lived with her family in three buildings which came to be known as the Rani Ghat (Queen’s Palace.) Her contact with the British ended in 1945.But Islon continued to remain an important person even after Indian Independence. She was the link between the Nicobarese and the newly independent India. She continued to head her unique political institution and appointed her brother Ramakrishna as her Chief Captain. Even the Japanese held Islon and her brother in great respect.

            Rani Islon died in 1954, and her daughter Lachmi became the next Rani. She ushered in a period of economic prosperity. The people of Nancowry started a regular trade with merchants in South East Asia. Lachmi died in 1989 and was succeeded by her daughter Fatima. But the tsunami washed away this small peaceful world.

            Rani Islon was one of the tallest leaders of the Nicobarese. But belonging to a historically isolated community not much is known about her life.