HIS MAJESTY’S HEADHUNTERS: The Siege Of Kohima That Shaped World History By Mmhonlumo Kikon

A new book on the Battle of Kohima, offered referred to as the last real battle of the British Empire and the first battle of New India.

Surprisingly little is known about the siege of Kohima, considered a game-changing event that altered the course of world history during the Second World War. His Majesty’s Headhunters adds to our understanding of this battle and shows how it redefined a whole era.

Providing a unique perspective of Nagaland and its warriors, this book uncovers the untold story of the siege, regarded as one of the more celebrated battles of D-Day and often referred to as the ‘Stalingrad of the East’ by Western scholars.

Historians even believe that this was the last battle of the British Empire and the first battle of the ‘New India’.

However, that is just the tale told so far by everyone except the Nagas. The real history of this battle―which involved the Japanese Army, led by Lieutenant General Sato, and the Allied forces―is yet to be recounted. As Lt Gen. Sato is said to have remarked, if it were not for the Naga people, the Allied forces would have been defeated in Kohima, and the Japanese Army would have easily secured the Dimapur railway station and moved victoriously towards Bengal via Assam, thus reversing the outcome of the war.

This rare and deeply researched historical account, drawing on records left by the officers and soldiers who fought in Kohima, is a page-turner. It brings to light the valour and spirit of the Naga ‘headhunters’, who made the supreme sacrifice to protect the honour of their people.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

His Majesty’s Headhunters is a superb account of the profound and lasting impact of the Second World War on North Eastern India. But more importantly, the book brilliantly unpacks the making and unmaking of British colonialism in the Naga Hills. It is a great and enjoyable read! ― Arupjyoti Saikia, professor of history at the IIT Guwahati, author of The Quest for Modern Assam: A History, 1942-2000

When Mmhonlümo Kikon quotes Simonides at the start, rather than the famous Edmonds epitaph from Kohima War Cemetery, one knows this is a book with a difference. It is a fascinating and well-researched account of the Kohima siege, divided into preliminaries and the actual battle, one that altered the region’s history. Many common beliefs are shattered and, as befits a poet, not only is the account engagingly written, it is sometimes lyrical. All too often, other parts of India don’t know enough about the region and its history. Kikon has produced a book that is an eye-opener. ― Bibek Debroy, chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India

The incredible story of a unique town straddling India’s north-eastern horizon, which was witness to an epic battle that secured the destiny of the free world. A spectacular and insightful read. ― Nirupama Menon Rao, Former Foreign Secretary of India and Former Ambassador to the United States, China and Sri Lanka

The book will release officially on 27th November, 2023, informed Peter Modoli, Associate Vice President, Marketing & Publicity, Penguin Random House India

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mmhonlümo Kikon was born in Kohima and studied literature at the University of Delhi. He is the author of three book of poems, namely, The Penmi Poems, 2018, The Village Empire, 2019, and Slingstones, 2021.

Mmhonlümo was a legislator in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly for two terms from 2013-2023.