Cachar Levy

The Cachar Levy was a colonial-era paramilitary force raised in 1835 in the Cachar region of present-day Assam, India. It is regarded as the earliest organised military unit in the northeast frontier and is recognised as the precursor of the Assam Rifles, one of India’s oldest paramilitary forces. The Levy was established by the British to maintain order and safeguard their expanding administrative and commercial interests in the region.

Historical Background

The formation of the Cachar Levy took place shortly after the British annexation of Cachar following the death of Raja Gobind Chandra in 1830. The region, lying at the frontier between the plains of Assam and the hill tribes, presented administrative and security challenges due to frequent raids and unrest.
The British authorities raised the Levy in 1835 as a locally recruited irregular force under British officers. Its main objective was to protect the tea plantations, trade routes, and settlements from incursions by neighbouring tribal groups and to enforce colonial authority in the newly acquired territory. The force was small in size but strategically significant, as it provided the British with a flexible, mobile means of maintaining law and order in an otherwise difficult terrain.

Organisation and Role

The Cachar Levy consisted of local recruits familiar with the region’s geography and customs, commanded by British officers and supported by native subordinates. It was not part of the regular British Indian Army but was organised along semi-military lines to perform both policing and defensive functions.
The duties of the force included:

• Protecting tea estates and British property.
• Guarding frontier outposts and communication lines.
• Preventing raids and maintaining peace among local tribes.
• Assisting in administrative and exploratory missions in remote areas.

The Levy’s success in stabilising the Cachar frontier set a precedent for similar forces in other parts of India’s northeastern frontier, where the British preferred using locally raised troops rather than regular regiments for both cost and practical reasons.

Disbandment and Transition

Despite its utility, the Cachar Levy was disbanded on 16 May 1839, after four years of service. The reasons included administrative reorganisation and financial constraints. Most of its personnel were discharged, though a small contingent—comprising a native officer and about thirty men—was retained for essential duties.
The concept and experience gained from the Cachar Levy, however, did not disappear. Over time, the British recognised the enduring need for a local frontier defence force. In subsequent decades, similar formations were raised under various names, including Frontier Police and Assam Frontier Constabulary, eventually evolving into the Assam Rifles in 1917.

Legacy and Significance

The Cachar Levy holds a significant place in Indian military history as the first formal paramilitary organisation in the northeastern frontier. It represented the British colonial policy of using local manpower to maintain control in remote and ethnically diverse regions. The force combined military discipline with local adaptability, setting the foundation for the modern frontier and paramilitary structure in India’s northeast.