He was a constitutional head sharing corporate authority with his Council, general representatives of the leading clans within his territory.
Tirot Sing declared war and fought against the British for attempts to take over control of the Khasi Hills.
They wanted to construct a road through this area to connect Guwahati with Sylhet to save weeks of travel and malarious country.
David Scott, the agent to the British Governor-General for the Northern Territory, found out that U Tirot Sing was interested in regaining possessions in the duars (passes into Assam) in return for the permission for the road project.
[2] His men killed at his orders two British officers, Richard Gurdon Bedingfield and Philip Bowles Burlton.
They were untrained in the British type of warfare and soon found that it was impossible to engage in open battle against an enemy who could kill from a distance.