Emergence of Manipur in historical perspective
- Part 1 -

Prof Gangmumei Kamei *

Attack on Kaunghmudaw Pagoda (Burma) 1738.
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Manipur is a cradle of human civilization and creativity of which her people are really proud of. This ancient kingdom emerged out of the valley of Manipur that is situated amidst the mountainous ranges of the eastern Himalayas which divide North East India from northern Burma. It has been well said that India meets south east Asia in North East India. And Manipur is a historic gateway of India into south east Asia.

Manipur in the course of her long history has attracted people of diverse ethnic and linguistic groups to this fertile valley which provide land, fortune and glory to these adventurous immigrants to her land. These people had contributed to the building up of a composite culture and civilization which constitute Manipur. Manipur is inhabited by the Meiteis in the central valley and the Nagas and Kuki-Chin tribes in the surrounding hills.

The name of Manipur was coined in early 18th century during the reign of King Pamheiba also known as Garibaniwaz when Hinduism was introduced in the kingdom. The earlier names were Kangleipak, Meitrabak and Poireipak meaning the land of the Meiteis who were indigenously known as Kanglei or Poirei. Manipur means the land or city of gems. Another name of Manipur was Meckley as per the treaty between King Jai Singh (Bhagyachandra) and the East India Company concluded in 1762. In the royal chronicles of Manipur known as Cheitharol Kumbaba both Meitrabak and Manipur were officially used.

There are many literary texts which point to the existence of several village level chieftainship during the proto historical period. There are many Puyas (ancient texts) which record the account of many rulers. The most popular text of the period is known as Kang-balon.

According to this text which has been published and other sources, the first chieftain of the Meiteis in the proto historical period was Kangba. He was born at Koubru Hills in north west Manipur. His father was a mythical personality known as Tang-ja Lila Pakhangba who was believed to be an incarnate of divine God, Pakhangba. Kangbalon gives the account of several rulers.

Maliya Phambalcha is recorded as a successor of Kangba. This chief founded the first era of the Meiteis known as Era of Maliya Phambalcha which was proposed by Sanamahi scholars to have started from 1375 BC. Reference has been made to several rulers who preceded the historical Nongda Lairen Pakhangba of the first century A.D.

King Nongda Lairen Pakhangba, the first historical ruler of Manipur

The Cheitharol Kumbaba is the famous royal chronicle of Manipur. It records the history of Manipur from 33 AD to 1955. According to this chronicle, the first king of Kangla which was the pre runner of Manipur kingdom was Nongda Lairen Pakhangba from 33 AD to 154 AD.

However, this chronicle itself shows that the keeping of records of events as recorded in Cheitharol Kumbaba was started in 1485 AD. but the historical events from the reign of the first ruler Nongda Lairen Pakhangba were entered or reconstructed by knowledgeable unnamed scholars known as Maichous.

The Cheitharol Kumbaba as edited and published by scholars in the 20th century records the events of the reigns of 79 rulers from Pakhangba to Maharaja Bodh Chandra Singh. Manipur was an independent kingdom from 33 AD to 1891 when Manipur was conquered by the British. Manipur was a princely State under the British paramountcy from 1891 to 1947.

Manipur remained an autonomous kingdom for 2 years (1947-49) when she was merged with India. Manipur continued to be Part C State, a Union Territory in the Republic of India. She became a separate State of the Indian Union since 1972.

Nongda Lairen Pakhangba was the first king of this ancient country. He was the founder of Ningthouja dynasty. He consolidated the principalities of seven clans into a kingdom which had its beginning at Kangla, the seat of royal power and heart of Meitei religion and culture. Kangla was a very ancient place where grew up a kingdom of Kangleipak which was renamed Manipur later on.

Pakhangba fought against several clan chieftains before he established his suzerainty over Kangla. History shows that whoever controls the Kangla which was believed to be the mythical navel of the universe controls the kingdom of the Meiteis. With the help of his mother named Yabirok, Pakhangba got the military and political support of three clan chieftains of Angom, Luwang and Mangang.

He was made the king of the Meities; and he was given the title of Meidingu (Meiteingu, the Lord of the Meiteis). His queen was Laisana, a sister of a rival Luwang chieftain known as Poireiton. The poets gave him the name and title of Nongda Lairen Pakhangba. He was a gifted king who built up the whole political and social system of the Meitei kingdom.

The writers of the chronicles fixed the reign of Pakhangba from 33 AD to 154 AD calculating the beginning of his reign to be 45 years before the foundation of Indian era known as Saka era (78 AD). The ancient bards and poets described Manipur as a golden land walled by her mountains and guarded by the highlanders.

Pakhangba was succeeded by several kings who traced their direct descent from him from the collateral lines. No man could become a king of Manipur unless he was related by blood from Nongda Lairen Pakhangba. Pakhangba was succeeded by his son Khuiyoi Tompok in 154 AD. It took more than one thousand year for the principality of Kangla to emerge as a full fledged kingdom and State of Manipur.

An important king who shaped the Meitei State into a proper political formation was a descendent of Pakhangba. His name was Naophangba (428–518 AD). During his reign, one scholar known as Asangbam Laiba wrote a treatise known as Kangla Houba (Treatise for the construction of Kangla). Another king was Naothingkhong who made marriage alliances with the clans of Khuman, Luwang, Angom and Moirang.

A text known as Naothingkhong Phambal Kaba (coronation of Naothingkhong) gives a picture of the Meitei polity and civilization in the 8th century AD when the relation between the Meiteis and the Shans was started. Another ruler who contributed to the consolidation of the Ningthouja kingdom was Loiyumba (1074 -1122 AD) whose historicity has raised the antiquity of Manipur kingdom.

He was called a law giver and he left behind the first written Constitution of Manipur known as Loiyumba Shilyen (the decree on the distribution of powers and functions of the State). This book shows the Constitutional development of the Meitei monarchy. Meanwhile other clan principalities except that of the Khuman and the Moirang were conquered and annexed into the kingdom.

In 1432 AD the principality of Moirang which remained independent for many centuries was conquered by the Meitei king Ningthoukhomba. This conquest completed the process of expansion of the Kangla kingdom under the Ningthouja dynasty.

However, it was in 1471 that the kingdom under the rule of King Kyamba conquered Kabaw Valley in western Chindwin Basin of Upper Burma. With the conquest of this valley Manipur became a sovereign kingdom as she had concluded a treaty with the sovereign Shan kingdom of Pong of the Mao Shans of Upper Burma. With this treaty the sovereignty of Manipur was recognized. This marked the completion of the Nation State formation of Manipur in the 15th century. Manipur had emerged as a sovereign Nation State.

The great king after Kyamba was Khagemba (1597 – 1652). During his reign the kingdom of Manipur had become an empire extending from the Gwai (Barak) river in the west to the east of Chindwin river in the east. Manipur made tremendous development in her religious and cultural life. The king encouraged scholarship and religious activities. Manipur attained a great literary progress.

Books were written, coins were issued, trade was developed. He was called Khagemba, conqueror of the Chinese as he came into armed conflict with the Chinese marauders who penetrated into Burma bordering the territorial limits of Khagemba's kingdom. The administration of Manipur was well organized. Khangemba's reign was one of the most brilliant epochs in the history of the rising kingdom. The 17th century was a period of peaceful consolidation of the kingdom.

The 18th century was a period of great historical developments. The first was introduction of Hinduism during the reign of King Charairongba. His son Pamheiba or popularly known as Garibaniwaz not only accepted Hinduism but propagated the new religion with the help of a Hindu preceptor known as Santa Das Gosain.

With the zeal of a new convert Garibaniwaz during his reign of 40 years (1709–1748) introduced measures which had Sanskritised the polity, religion and culture of Manipur. He renamed the kingdom as Manipur. He declared that the Meitei king who was believed to be an incarnate of Lord Pakhangba as an incarnate of Hindu God Lord Vishnu. He was also a great conqueror. He defeated the Tripuris and the Burmese who invaded Manipur.

He invaded Burma several times. He devastated upper Burma. He attacked Sagaing on the bank of Irrawaddy river off the Mandalay, the capital of Awa. Manipur reached zenith of her glory during his reign as a religious reformer, a military conqueror and also as an administrator. Garibaniwaz is remembered for the Sanskritisation of Meitei way of life and manipulating the National identity of the Meiteis.

His grand son known in history as Chingthangkhomba or Jai Singh or Bheigyachandra was a great Hindu king of Manipur. His reign witnessed the conquest of Manipur by the Burmese who had risen up with the coming of Konbaung dynasty established by a conqueror named Alaungpaya.

Like his grand father Bheigyachandra was a devoted Hindu. He introduced the Bengal school of Vaishnavism. He employed Bengali scholars in the religious affairs of the State and in the state affairs of the kingdom. He concluded a treaty between Manipur and East India Company in 1762. This treaty started the Anglo-Manipur relation regarding supply of arms to Manipur to fight against the Burmese.

Bheigyachandra took shelter in Ahom Kingdom of Assam with whose help he tried to drive away the Burmese who conquered Manipur. Bheigyachandra was called Rajarishi (the saintly King). He founded the Temple of Govinda where Lord Krishna was worshipped. The image of Lord Krishna and others were installed in this temple. He also composed the famous Manipuri dance of Ras Leela. During his reign the Bengali influence was very great.

Bengali songs, Bengali scripts and Bengali books were introduced. He was a widely traveled prince. He maintained matrimonial alliance with the Ahom kings of Assam. He gave a princess named Kurangananyi, his niece in marriage to the Ahom king. After 40 years of struggle he liberated Manipur from the Burmese rule and he died in 1799 in Bengal. He was a great king of Manipur who was respected and loved by his people for his sacrifices for his country and spread of Hinduism in the kingdom.

The First Anglo-Burmese War (1823 – 1826)

Three decades after the death of Bheigyachandra Manipur faced a great political crisis due to political instability as a result of open feuds among his sons. Taking advantage of the situation, the Burmese under Emperor Bagyidao conquered Manipur and devastated the country for seven years. This is known in the history of Manipur as Seven Years Devastation (1819–1826).

The last three years of the Burmese reign of terror coincided with the first Anglo-Burmese war (1823–1826). In this war British wanted to get support of the Manipuri princes who were in kingdom of Cachar. Of the three princes, the British East India Company chose Gambhir Singh to lead an expeditionary force known as Manipur Levy consisting of 500 Manipuri soldiers.

Gambhir Singh the youngest of the Manipuri princes led the Manipur Levy with the help of his cousin Nara Singh, son of Badra Singh. The exploits of Manipur Levy under the leadership of Gambhir Singh and Nara Singh in the war of liberation against the Burmese is a well known chapter in the history of Manipur.

During the period of Burmese reign of terror several princes of Manipur tried to occupy the throne of Manipur and harassed the Burmese occupation army by resorting to guerilla warfare. Among these princes the name of Prince Hera Chandra inspired the people of Manipur. He fought against the Burmese for a couple of years.

The Manipur Levy under Gambhir Singh and Nara Singh reconquered Manipur and drove away the Burmese beyond the confines of Chindwin River in Kabaw Valley. Burma was defeated by British army and the war was concluded by the Treaty of Yandabu between the two powers. The treaty was signed on 24th February 1826 in the village of Yandabu, 65 miles south of Mandalay the capital of Burma.

To be conntinued...

This article is being published as part of the 85th Birth Anniversary commemoration of Prof Gangmumei Kamei.
This article was earlier published in the Souvenir of 1st North East India TOP of the WORLD Mt Everest Expedition 2013