Seven Years Devastation: 1819-1826 :: Book Review

James Oinam *

Seven Years Devastation: 1819-1826
Author: Dr N. Birachandra
Publisher: P.S. Publications, Manipur
Year of Publication: 2009
No. of Pages: 76 (including Bibliography)

The book under review, titled 'Chahi Taret Khuntakpa' in Manipuri, deals with the seven years of occupation of the kingdom of Manipur by Burma, then known by the name of Ava by the locals. The book starts with the historical background leading to the occupation, social and political situation during the occupation, and ends with the recovery of Manipur by Gambhir Singh with active help from the colonial British.

Among the internal factors responsible for the defeat of Manipur at the hands of Burma, the author cites war for succession to the throne, conversion to Hinduism (which led to the neglect of military aspect of the kingdom), among others. Along with the princess, the queens, the Brahmins, and nobility played active roles in court politics.

The immediate cause of Burmese invasion was King Marjit's not attending the coronation ceremony of the new Ava king, even though he had accepted to be a vassal of Ava to get help from them to secure the throne of Manipur from his brother. This was taken as an act of rebellion by the then imperialist Burma.

After King Garibniwaz, the weak successors were fighting for the throne in Manipur, on one hand, while Burma was consolidating under able ruler Alungpaya, on the other hand. Burma installed one puppet king after another for very short periods during the occupation.

Large-scale plunder and torture were carried out. Some indelible marks of this tragic period were left in the public memory. Like when one smelled of burning chillies, they used to say, 'Awa lal lakle' (Awa war has come).

It is said, women and children were locked up big houses without any ventilation and dry chillies were burnt until they died of the smoke. Groups of men were bound together by impaling a cane creeper called 'yairi' through their palms and then whipped when they are taken as prisoners to Burma.

The author discusses in detail one Hirachandra, son of Labeinya Chandra, a nephew of Marjit Singh. Hirachandra, according to the author, waged the first noteworthy guerrilla war in Manipur against the occupying Burmese forces.

The author refutes the claim made by Dr M. Kaoba that when Gambhir Singh came out to Manipur in 1821, Yumjaotaba and Herachandra resisted Gambhir Singh (pp. 28-29). According to the author, there was no enmity between Hirachandra and Gambhir. In fact, he had refused the throne of Manipur offered to him as his only intention was to free the kingdom from the occupation.

In March 1820, he found a revolutionary party consisting of about 800 men. There are interesting anecdotes of Manipuri women colluding with Hirachandra against the Burmese army.

When Lord Hasting became governor general, he dropped non-interference policy of his predecessors. The situation had also changed a lot. Burma was advancing towards Cachar, after occupying Assam and Manipur. Even though Marjit approached the British for help, Cachar was split among three rulers, Chourjit, Marjit and Gambhir, ruling the plain, and Tularam in the hills.

In the end, the British allied with Gambhir Singh, establishing a force called Manipuri Levy, which was trained by Captain Grant and Lt. R.B. Pemberton. It was this force that ultimately dislodged the Burmese force from Manipur.

The expedition that began in Sylhet on 17 May 1825 ended in February 1826, when Gambhir Singh completed the conquest of Manipur extending its boundary even beyond the Ningthee River; thus ended the seven years of devastation. The First Anglo-Burmese war also brought to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Yandaboo, 1826.

About five lakh people are believed to be killed during this period. Native Manipuri who fled the occupation settled in Assam, Tripura, Cachar and Bangladesh. Those who were taken as war captives are now settled in various parts of Burma.

The king undertook various measures to reconstruct the kingdom, including reducing marriageable age, declaring those who did not return as outcast etc. to increase the population which was decimated during the siege.

The author disagrees with certain writers who feel the devastation led to intellectual and moral degeneration of Manipur. On the contrary, the author says that nineteenth century was also an important period of intellectual and moral awakening in Manipur.