Trade and Commerce under the Political Agency of Manipur
- Part 3 -

Usham Dhananjoy / Dr. O. Rudrababu *

Footprint at Kohima 1832 :: From RKCS Art Gallery
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A.E. Woods, Major, I.S.C. Offg. Political Agent in Manipur and Superintendent of the state in his "the Annual Administration Report of the Manipur Political Agency for the year 1901-1902" wrote on Trade and Manufactures as follows: "The statistics of trade with British India were, as hitherto, registered at Jhirighat and Mao Thana.

The imports at Jhirighat were valued at Rs. 1,21,608 as against Rs. 1,91,409 during the previous year and the exports at Jhirighat were valued at Rs. 1,21,985 as against Rs. 1,72,348 in the preceding year. I am unable to explain the increase or decrease, as last year's return in detail is not available.

The exports to the Assam Valley via Mao Thana were valued at Rs. 1,20,822, as against Rs. 78,161 in the previous year. Rice which is the only important export accounts for the very large increase. The value of the rice exported is said to be Rs. 1,10,067. The rice trade is a growing one, but it is seriously hampered by the wretched state of the Kohima- Manipur Cart-road. The road being unmetalled, it is practically only open for cart traffic for half the year.

In fact, it is only a cold weather road, and even in the cold weather a spell of a few days' makes it almost impassable. It is most important that there should be a good road open to traffic the whole year round. At present, rice can only be exported in the cold weather, when low rates prevail in the Assam Valley, and consequently the gain to the exporters is little, whereas were the road open in the rains, rice could be exported when the rates are high in the valley.

If the road is not metalled and open throughout the year, it is quite possible that the opening of the hill section of the Assam- Bengal Railway and consequent import of cheap Burma rice will kill the Manipur rice trade. If the rice trade is killed, I do not know how the raiyats will be also to pay their revenue.

Another serious impediment is the want of a permanent bridge across the Barak at Kairong. When the river is in flood it is impossible for cart or pack animals to cross, and they often have to camp at the bridge for the periods varying from 2 to 6 days. The Executive Engineer inform me that the cost of a stone bridge would be some Rs. 50,000, but that an iron one would cost very much less, about Rs. 35,000, now that the cost of carriage has fallen so much. The cost of carriage to Manipur has been greatly reduced on account of the number of carts returning empty from Dimapur.

The imports via Kohima were valued at Rs. 65,998. The principal imports are Kerosene oil, salt, cotton goods etc."

Major A.E. Woods, Indian Army, officiating Political Agent in Manipur and Superintendent of the state in "Administration Report of the Political Agency, Manipur for the year 1902-1903 wrote on Trade and Manufacture as follows: " x x x The imports via Kohima are reported as worth Rs. 1,22,185, the principal imports being kerosine oil, salt, piece goods, yarn etc. and the exports are reported to have been worth Rs. 78,257, as against Rs. 1,20,822 in the previous year.

The value of the rice exported is said to have been some Rs. 69,000, as against Rs. 1,10,067 in the previous year. I do not suppose the figures are very accurate, but still there is no doubt that the export of rice has fallen off considerably this year, duly I presume, to the regimental moves and the consequent stoppage of all transport for the period of nearly two months during the cold weather.

The military authorities never give timely notice, so carts have to be seized at the last moment, then there is always the question of demurrage and also the delay in payments; altogether cartmen hate working with a regiment and many of them take their cart off the road to avoid being impressed. Cart hire is still fairly cheap, it is about Rs. 1- 12 a maund to Dimapur and about Rs. 1 a maund from Dimapur to Manipur.

The imports registered at Jhirighat were valued at Rs. 89,826 as against Rs. 1,21,608 during the previous year and the exports were valued at Rs. 1,12,228 as against Rs. 1,21,985 in the preceding year, the principal imports reported being dried fish, mineral oil, betel nut, salt, piece-goods, etc. and the exports being timbers, rice, cattle etc."

Lieutenant- Colonel H. St. P. Maxwell, C.S.I. Political Agent in Manipur and Superintendent of the state in "Administration Report of the Political Agency, Manipur for the year 1903-04" wrote on Trade and manufactures as follows: "Statistics of trade with British India are registered at Jhirighat for traffic with Cachar and Bengal and at Mao thana for traffic with Naga Hills and Assam.

The imports at Jhirighat and Mao were valued at Rs. 1,00,271 and Rs. 2,46,064 respectively, as compared with Rs. 89,825 and Rs. 1,22,185 in the preceding year and the exports were valued at Rs. 1,58,730 and Rs. 1,36,817 respectively against Rs. 1,12,228 and Rs. 85,187 in 1902-03. The increase in imports on the Cachar route was entirely due to the one article, dried fish; owing to the short rainfall during the year; the fisheries in the valley partially failed and the people had to indent on Cachar for the necessary supply of fish.

The exports to Cachar show a large increase but chiefly under head "Cattle" of which a much larger number than usual were taken out of the state. Buffaloes from the Kubo valley in Burma consigned to Silchar were included with the Manipur cattle.

For drought and ploughing the valley cattle are very superior and their excellence is becoming well known in the neighbouring districts of the Province. It is possible that trade, except in live stock, will desert this road in the near future and that goods peculiar to Cachar such as betel-nut, will be taken across the North- Cachar hills by railway to Dimapur and thence by cart- road via Kohima to Manipur.

This trade, which upto now has been in the hands of Manipuris, will fall, like other instances, into the hand of Marwari merchants. The improved communication via Kohima has resulted in a large expansion of trade, as all articles have been considerably cheapened and mineral oil, salt, piece- goods and yarn and miscellaneous show large increases under head "Metals" a large quantity of iron was imported for construction of houses and bridges in the state.

The state exports to Kohima consist principally of rice which showed an increase. The opening of the railways across the hills connecting Chittagong with the Brahmaputra valley will, I fear in the future restrict the demand for Manipur rice to the small station of Kohima"

Major J. Shakespear, Major I.A., Political Agent in Manipur and Superintendent of the state in "Administration Report of the Political Agency, Manipur for the year 1904-1905" noted as follows: "Trade between Manipur and British districts is registered at the frontier of Mao Thana and Jhirighat.

The former route- a cart road - was closed for nearly six months during the year and trade thereby suffered considerably. The latter route- a bridle path- was open throughout the year. A small amount of trade is done with Burma especially in live stock, but no record was kept.

Trade imports and exports via Kohima showed a decrease of nearly Rs. 75,000 and Rs. 40,000 respectively due to the closing of the road. Imports and exports via Jhirighat showed an increased in the import of Rs. 28,154 and decrease in the export of Rs. 63,579."

To be continued...

Read the first part of this series here