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| Major Thomas Herbert Lewin Thangliena | |
|---|---|
 Colonel Thomas H. Lewin c. 1890 | |
| Nickname(s) | Lushai: Thangliena |
| Born | (1839-04-01)April 1, 1839 Lewisham, London |
| Died | February 11, 1916(1916-02-11) (aged 76) Dorking, Surrey, England |
| Buried | Abinger, Moley Valley District, Surrey |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Rank | Major |
| Known for | Superintendent of Chittagong Hill Tracts |
| Battles / wars | Indian Mutiny Lushai Expedition |
| Memorials | T.H Lewin Memorial, Mizoram |
| Alma mater | Addiscombe Military College |
| Spouse(s) |
Margaret McClean (m. 1876) |
| Children | Everest Harriet Grote Macdonald (b. Lewin) Charles McClean Lewin Audrey Hale Waterhouse (b. Lewin) |
| Relations | George Lewin (Father) Mary Lewin (b. Friend, Mother) |
| Other work | The Hill Tracts of Chittagong and the Dwellers therein (Calcutta, 1869) The Wild Races of South-Eastern India (England, 1870) Hill Proverbs of the Inhabitants of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (Calcutta, 1873) A handbook on the Lushai Dialect (1874) A manual of Tibetan (1879) A fly on the wheel (1884) |
Thomas Herbert Lewin (Lushai: Thangliena, 1 April 1839-11 February 1916) was a British military officer, linguist and ethnologist. He is most well known for his role as the superintendent of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Lewin studied and published on the tribes of the northeast frontier on the Chakma, Kuki and Lushais. For this reason he gained the exonym of Thangliena from the Lushai tribes.
Early life
Thomas Herbert Lewin was born 1 April 1839 in Lewisham, London. He was the son of George Lewin and Mary Lewin (b. Friend). Lewin was born to five siblings in his family consisting of three sisters (Mary-Jane, Harriet, Isabella) and two brothers (Robert Friend, William Charles James). He was educated at a school in Littlehamptom before becoming a cadet at Addiscombe Military College.
Career
In September 1857, Lewin travelled to India at a lieutenant and participated in multiple campaigns to put down the Indian Mutiny. Lewin would work as a superintendent of police in eastern Bengal before being promoted to Captain in 1865. To gain kinship with the hill tribes bordering Chittagong, Lewin attempted to transcribe his name into the Lushai dialect which led to his Mizo name Thangliena being made. Lewin published grammars and guides to the language and culture of the hill tribes through several publications. Lewin was then raised to Deptuy Commsioner of Darjeeling and retired at 40 with a pension of £171 yearly for his 20 year service.
Marriage and children
Lewin married Margaret McClean on 24 July 1876 in Elham, Kent. They had three children consisting of two daughters, Everest Harriet Grote and Audrey Hale, with a son named Charles McClean Lewin.
Death
Lewin died on 11 February 1916 at Dorking, Surrey in England. He was buried at Arbinger, Mole Valley Disrict in Surrey. His will was probated 25 May 1916 in London. A memorial for Lewin was erected in Demagiri, Mizoram.
Published works
- The Hill Tracts of Chittagong and the Dwellers therein (Calcutta, 1869)
- The Wild Races of South-Eastern India (England, 1870)
- Hill Proverbs of the Inhabitants of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (Calcutta, 1873)
- A handbook on the Lushai Dialect (1874)
- A manual of Tibetan (1879)
- A fly on the wheel (1884)
References
- ^ Lewin 1926.
- McLynn 1993.
- buttershap 2010. sfn error: no target: CITEREFbuttershap2010 (help)
Sources
Archives
- Lewin, Thomas. "The Lewin Family Papers" (1926) . Lewin Family Papers, ID: MS 811. London: London University Senate House Library.
Books
- Hutchinson, R. H. Sneyd (1906). An Account of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Calcutta: Bengal Secreteriat Book Depot.
BMD
- "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
News
- McLynn, Frank (4 May 1993). "A bureaucrat goes native among the hill folk". The Independent. London: The Independent.
Web
- buttershap (2 September 2010). "Thomas Herbert Lewin". Find a Grave. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
- MyHeritage. "Thomas Herbert Lewin". My Heritage. Retrieved 14 January 2025.