author
Sir James Johnstone
1841–1895
A British officer and administrator in northeastern India, he left behind a vivid firsthand account of Manipur and the Naga Hills in the late nineteenth century. His writing blends travel narrative, political memoir, and close observation of places and people at the edge of the British Empire.
1 Audiobook
My Experiences in Manipur and the Naga Hills
by Sir James Johnstone
About the author
Born in 1841 and remembered as Major-General Sir James Johnstone, K.C.S.I., he is best known for My Experiences in Manipur and the Naga Hills, published in 1896 after his death in 1895. The book draws on his years of service in northeastern India and helped preserve his account of the region for later readers.
Johnstone served as a British political officer in Manipur and wrote from direct experience of administration, diplomacy, and frontier life. His memoir combines personal adventure with detailed descriptions of local politics, landscapes, and communities, which is part of what still makes it an interesting historical read.
Today, he is chiefly read not as a literary stylist in the usual sense, but as a firsthand witness to a particular time and place. For listeners interested in colonial history, travel writing, or the history of Northeast India, his work offers a vivid period perspective.