Tracing the History of Stilwell Road in Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract

D.Nath in his article analyze Stilwell Road as a passage of migration of people, culture and religion. Thus, emphasizing more on the historical importance on the communication phenomena all through the ages.[i] And Sarah Hillary in her book describe how the railways in Assam came into being with the introduction of the process of colonial administration[ii] but neglected the Stilwell Road which was also the outcome of the colonial rule. The Stilwell Road lies in the strategically geopolitical important region of Upper Assam, Pangsu pass of Arunachal Pradesh, Hukoong valley of Burma to Kumming region of China. Thus, this paper will provide insights on the passage of Stilwell Road which was political economical important to the British Empire and the outbreak of Second World War due to its calculative reputation, Chinese and American military engineers proposed to construct “jeep road” from Pangsu Pass to Kumming of China and named on its Supervisor General Joseph Warren Stilwell. This paper is divided into three parts, firstly discussing on the importance of Pangsu Pass to Hukong Valley route to British Empire, secondly focusing on the history of Ledo Road construction and last part is conclusion.