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Manipur Kingdom Meckley Meitei:Meetei Leipak | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1110–1949 | |||||||||||
 Coat of arms | |||||||||||
 Manipur State in theHicky's Bengal Gazette of 1907 | |||||||||||
| Capital | Imphal | ||||||||||
| Recognised national languages | Meitei language (officially known asManipuri) | ||||||||||
| Religion | |||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
• Foundation of theKangleipak Kingdom | 1110 | ||||||||||
| 1824 | |||||||||||
• Princely state ofIndia | 1891 | ||||||||||
• Accession to theIndian Union | 1947 | ||||||||||
• Merged into the Indian Union | 1949 | ||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||
| 1941 | 22,372 km2 (8,638 sq mi) | ||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||
• 1941 | 512,069 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Today part of | India Myanmar | ||||||||||
TheManipur Kingdom,[1][2][3][4] also known asMeckley,[5][6][7]was an ancient kingdom at the India–Burma frontier.[8][9][10] Historically, Manipur was an independent kingdom ruled by aMeitei dynasty.[11][12][13] But it was also invaded and ruled over byBurmese kingdom at various point of time.[14][15] It became a protectorate of the BritishEast India Company from 1824, and aprincely state of theBritish Raj in 1891.[16] The princely state bordered theAssam Province in the west andBritish Burma in the east, and in the 20th century covered an area of 22,327 square kilometres (8,621 sq mi) and contained 467 villages.[citation needed] The capital of the state wasImphal.
The early history of Manipur is composed of mythical narratives. The location of theKangla Fort on the banks of theImphal River is believed to be where King Pakhangba built his first palace.[17]
Loyumba Shinyen, the written constitution of Kangleipak was formally developed by KingLoiyumba (1074–1121) in 1110 AD.[18] He consolidated the kingdom by incorporating most of the principalities in the surrounding hills.[19] After subjugating all the villages within their valley Kangleipak kings grew in power and began a policy of expansion beyond their territory. In 1443 King Ningthoukhomba raidedAkla (present dayTamu, Myanmar), an area ruled byShan people, initiating a policy of Manipuri claims to the neighbouringKabaw Valley.[19]The zenith of the Kangleipak State was reached under the rule of KingKhagemba (1597–1652). Khagemba's brother Prince Shalungba was not happy about Khagemba's rule so he fled to theTaraf where he allied with the localBengali Muslim leaders. With a contingent of Bengali Muslim soldiers led byMuhammad Sani, Shalungba then attempted to invadeManipur but the soldiers were captured and made to work as labourers in Manipur. These soldiers married localMeitei women and adapted to theMeitei language. They introducedhookah to Manipur and founded theMeitei Pangals (Manipuri Muslim community).[20] It is claimed that Manipur learned the art of making gunpowder from the Chinese merchants who visited the state around 1630 and had started making rockets namedMeikappi by the early 18th century.[21]
In 1714, KingPamheiba was initiated intoGaudiya Vaishnavism byShantidas Gosai, aBengali Hindu fromSylhet. He made theGaudiya Vaishnava faith thestate religion, replacingMeitei religion, made theMeitei language (akaManipuri language) written inBengali script, destroying many documents ofMeitei language written inMeitei script and changed his name to Garib Niwaj.[citation needed] In 1724, theSanskrit nameManipur (transl. the City of Jewels) was adopted as the name of the state, to make the realm eponymous withManipura of the Mahabharata. King Garib Niwaj made several incursions intoBurma, but made no permanent conquest. After the death of Gharib Nawaz in 1751, Manipur was occupied by theKingdom of Burma and the Meitei kingBhagyachandra (Meitei:Ching-Thang Khomba) sought help from the British, but when the British refused help he went to Ahom KingRajeswar Singha who sent a force of 40,000 under Haranath Senapati Phukan to free Manipur.[22] A treaty of alliance was negotiated in 1762 and a military force was sent to assist Manipur. The force was later recalled and then the state was left to its own devices.[23] Manipur was invaded at the onset of theFirst Anglo-Burmese War, together withCachar andAssam.
Following theBurmese occupation of Manipur and ofAssam, in 1824, the British declared war on Burma, which came to be known as theFirst Anglo-Burmese War. The exiled Manipur princeGambhir Singh sought British help for raising a force and the request was granted.Sepoys and artillery were sent and British officers trained a levy of Manipuri troops for the battles that ensued. With British help,Gambhir Singh succeeded in expulsion of Burmese from Manipur, after receiving additional reinforcement, he expelled the Burmese fromKabaw Valley by 1826 as well,[24][25] and Gambhir Singh became the king of Manipur, after the war the Treaty of Yandabo was signed.[23] According to the Britishpolitical agentMcCulloch, by the treaty of Yandabo, Manipur was declared independent but being too weak by itself to remain so, and its position being in a military point of view, of too much importance to permit the chance of the Burmese obtaining the command of it, the British government has been compelled to guard against such a chance and to retain in the country a political agent, all border disputes having been settled by this officer.[26][27] However, the Burmese did not agree to the cession of Kabaw Valley. After prolonged negotiations, the British agreed to return Kabaw Valley to Burma, on the ground that Marjit Singh had already ceded it earlier. Some Manipuri scholars regard this as a lease to Burma.[28] as the British paid a compensation of 500Sicca Rupees per month.[29][30] After these developments, Manipur is deemed to have become aBritish protectorate,[31] even though its ensuing status is debated till this day.[32]
At the death of Gambhir Singh, his sonChandrakirti Singh was only one year old, and his uncleNara Singh was appointed as regent. That same year the British decided to restore the Kabaw Valley to theKingdom of Burma, which had never been happy about the loss. A compensation was paid to Raja of Manipur in the form of an annual allowance ofRs 6,370 and aBritish residency was established in Imphal, the only town of the state, in 1835 to facilitate communication between the British and the rulers of Manipur.[23]
After a thwarted attempt on his life, Nara Singh took power and held the throne until his death in 1850. His brotherDevendra Singh was given the title of Raja by the British, but he was unpopular. After only three months, the rightful heir Chandrakirti Singh invaded Manipur and rose to the throne. Numerous members of the royal family tried to overthrow Chandrakirti Singh, but none of the rebellions was successful. In 1879, when British Deputy Commissioner G.H. Damant was killed by anAngami Naga party, the king of Manipur assisted the British by sending troops to neighbouringKohima. Following this service to the crown, Chandrakirti Singh was rewarded with theOrder of the Star of India.
After Maharaja Chandrakriti's death in 1886 his sonSurachandra Singh succeeded him. As in previous occasions, several claimants to the throne tried to overthrow the new king. The first three attempts were defeated, but in 1890, following an attack on the palace byTikendrajit andKulachandra Singh, two of the king's brothers, Surachandra Singh announced his intention to abdicate and left Manipur for Cachar. Kulachandra Singh then rose to the throne while Tikendrajit Singh, as the commander of the Manipuri armed forces, held the real power behind the scenes. Meanwhile, Surachandra Singh, after leaving Manipur, appealed to the British for help to recover the throne.[23]
The British decided to recognise Kulachandra Singh as Raja, and to send a military expedition of 400 men to Manipur to punish Senapati Tikendrajit Singh as the main person responsible for the unrest and the dynastic disturbances. This action and the violent events that followed are known in British annals as the 'Manipur Expedition, 1891',[33] while in Manipur they are known as the 'Anglo-Manipur War of 1891'.
The British attempt to remove Tikendrajit from his position as military commander (Senapati) and arrest him on 24 March 1891 caused a great stir. The British Residency in Imphal was attacked and the Chief Commissioner for AssamJ.W. Quinton, Col. Sken, the British Resident and other British officials were murdered. In the middle of the unrestEthel St Clair Grimwood, the widow of Frank St Clair Grimmond, the killed British Resident, was credited with leading a retreat of survivingsepoys out of Manipur to Cachar.[34] She was later lauded as a hero.[35] A 5,000 strong punitive expedition was sent against Manipur on 27 April 1891. Three British columns entered Manipur fromBritish Burma, Cachar and the Naga Hills, which after several skirmishes with the 3,000 men strong Manipuri army, managed to pacify the kingdom. Following the British attack, Tikendrajit and Kulachandra Singh fled, but were captured. Tikendrajit and those Manipuris involved in the killing of the British officers were tried and hanged, while the deposed King Kulachandra Singh and other leaders of the rebellion were sent to theCellular Jail in theAndaman Islands. Manipur was brieflyannexed toBritish India by virtue of thedoctrine of lapse. On 22 September 1891 whenMeidingngu Churachand (Churachandra), a 5-year-old boy, was put on the throne, power was restored nominally to the Manipuri crown over the state. During the dynastic disturbances and the British intervention the Naga andKuki hill tribes of the state lapsed into lawlessness, with numerous instances of murder and arson in the mountain villages, a situation that lasted well into 1894.[23]
The child ruler Churachand belonged to a side branch of the Manipur royal family, so that all the main contenders to the throne were bypassed. While he was a minor the affairs of state were administered by the BritishPolitical Agent, which facilitated the introduction and implementation of reforms. The first paved road to Manipur was inaugurated in 1900 —until then there had been no proper roads to reach the kingdom— and this improvement in communication facilitated a visit by ViceroyLord Curzon in 1901.Raja Churachand was formally declared king in 1907 after completing education inAjmer.[23]In 1918 he was given the privilege to use the title 'Maharaja' and during his reign Manipur enjoyed a period of relative peace and prosperity. In 1934 king Churachand wasknighted by the British, becoming Sir Churachandra Singh.[36]
Between March 1944 and July 1944 part of Manipur and theNaga Hills District of Assam Province were occupied by theImperial Japanese Army. The capital Imphal was shelled on 10 May 1944.[37][verification needed]
On 14 August 1947, with the lapse of paramountcy of the British Crown, Manipur regained its political autonomy that it had prior to 1891.[38][a]The Maharaja had signed theInstrument of Accession on 11 August 1947, which legality is argued by many,[41][42][43][44] ceding the three subjects of defence, external affairs and communications to theUnion of India, while retaining internal political autonomy.[45][46][47][48] A 'Manipur State Constitution Act 1947' was enacted, giving the state its own constitution, although this did not become known in other parts of India owing to the relative isolation of the kingdom.[40] The Government of India did not recognize the Constitution.[49]
On 21 September 1949, the Maharaja was coerced to sign a Manipur Merger Agreement with the Union of India, to take effect on 15 October the same year, which legality is also disputed by many[50][51][52] As a result of the agreement, the Manipur State merged into the Indian Union as aPart C State (similar to aChief Commissioner's Province under the colonial regime or aUnion Territory in the present Indian structure), to be governed by a Chief Commissioner appointed by the Government of India. The representative assembly of Manipur was abolished.[53]
Unhappy with the central rule,Rishang Keishing began a movement for representative government in Manipur in 1954. The Indian home minister, however, declared that the time was not yet ripe for the creation of representative assemblies in Part C States such as Manipur andTripura, stating that they were located in strategic border areas of India, that the people were politically backward and that the administration in those states was still weak.[53] However, it was given a substantial measure of local self-government under the Territorial Councils Act of 1956, a legislative body and council of ministers in 1963, andfull statehood in 1972.[54]
The rulers of Manipur state were entitled to an 11-gun salute by the British authorities. The present dynasty began in 1714.[55]
There were two feudatory kings during the time of theBurmese invasions.
ThePolitical agents were subordinated to theChief Commissioner of Assam (Lieutenant Governor of East Bengal and Assam during 1905–1912)[56][verification needed]
During the princely state stage (1891–1947), anIndian Civil Service (ICS) officer of theEast Bengal and Assam cadre was appointed as the administrator, first as the vice-president of the Manipur State Darbar, and, from 1916, as its president.[62][63][64][36]
TheIndian Agents were subordinated to theGovernor of Assam.
The Dewans were representing theGovernor of Assam.
The State of Manipur had a set of two flags, a white one and a red one. All featured the Pakhangba dragon in the centre, although not as prominently in the latter flags.[69]
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Ghose maintained that under the Indian Penal Code only subjects of the Queen or foreigners residing in British India could be guilty of waging war against the Queen. Manipur was an independent sovereign state and..
Historically, Manipur was an independent kingdom ruled by Meitei dynasty. The physical boundary of Manipur has been fluctuating with historical changes in political power and the intra state and the inter state boundaries
Both Manipur and Burma succeeded in maintaining their status as independent princely states until the British occupation by in the last part of 19th century
Gambhir Singh now decided to expel the Burmese from Kabaw Valley (plain area between Manipur of this day and the Chindwin River now in Burma) which had been for Manipur for ages in the past. Nur Singh was, therefore, sent along with 1000 men to Tamu on 1st January, 1826. On being asked for reinforcement, Gambhir Singh along with the two British officers left for Tamu on 13th January, 1826. Conquering not only Tamu but also Samsok, the prince unfurled the flag of Manipur on the bank of Chindwin on 1st February 1826.
in June, 1825, he compelled them to evacuate the Muneepoor valley. In the following year, having obtained some re-inforcements, he entered Kubo, attacked the Burmese forces in their stockaded position at Tummoo, and pursuing them across the Ungoching hills, cleared the western bank of the Ningthee river of every opposing detachment...
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)With the lapse of British paramountcy in 1947, the state reverted to its pre-1891 autonomy...
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link):"Furthermore, Section 9(b) of the Manipur State Constitution Act, 1947, would certainly dispel any doubt about the titular status of the Maharaja, which was expressedly stated thus: ‘The Maharaja means His Highness, the Maharaja of Manipur, the constitutional head of the state.’ The Maharaja in his capacity as the constitutional ruler could not execute the Instrumentwithout proper authorisation and constitutional endorsement. This was simply on account of the fact that he was not a sovereign ruler and that Manipur was not a sovereign state then. Therefore, the act of signing the Instrument of Accession on 11 August 1947 by the Maharaja could not be considered an Act of the State. Hence, the Instrument was deemed null and void right from the moment it was executed... "There is no legal and constitutional validity of the Instrument of Accession signed on 11 August 1947 that vested matters such as defense, external affairs, and communication in the Dominion of India..
Before the controversial merger, both Manipur and India were bound by the Instrument of Accession (IOA) which the King of Manipur signed on 11 August 1947. The IOA was accepted by the Governor General of India Lord Mountbatten on 16 August 1947 vide Home Department, Government of India file no A-1/1/1947. Subsequently, the Manipur State Council approved the IOA in its meeting held on 22 August 1947 Vide Memo No. 383 PTI Reference Council Minutes Part I of 11-8-1947. The execution of the Instrument of Accession was published in the Manipur State Gazette on 27 August 1947.
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
24°49′N93°57′E / 24.817°N 93.950°E /24.817; 93.950