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Front Page >> Manipur  > Story

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The Territory Of The Erstwhile Kingdom Of Manipur
By Waikhom Damodar Singh
MANIPUR, the land of hoary antiquity with salubrious climate and healthy environs which once received the glorious epithet – "a little paradise on Earth and Switzerland in the east", had been a unique and independent Kingdom for the last two-three thousand years with a People (the Tammis, the people of the valley and the Chingmis, the people of the Hills) as the independent Nation. A Nation means a people, usually the inhabitants of a specific territory, who share common language, customs, origins and history. Also it is defined as an "aggregation of people" organized under a single Government of an independent country. It also primarily signifies a political body rather than "a physical territory under one independent (sovereign) Government" without close regard for their origins. A people again means a group of tribes, clans or communities united over a long period by a common language, culture and social ties and, a country means the territory of such an independent group of people, the Nation.

The kingdom of the erstwhile Manipur had two political nuclei, the first one was known as Kabow valley Manipur, and the second one as the Upper Iril valley Manipur. The Kabow valley Manipur was established by one Abhi Raja, a Sakya king who probably came from Kapilavastu through Arakan pass in the second century B.C., and the second political nuclei, the Upper Iril valley Manipur was established by one Poireiton, the younger brother of Thongaren, chief of the Himalayan Chakkha (Sakya) tribes who ruled in Khamnung Sawa, and who with a horde migrated from far-away places of southern China during the period of the beginning of the Christian era. The earliest settlers of the Kabow valley were the Sakyas and Moriyas who under their rulers, particularly one Moriya Phamballacha later on shifted his capital towards the north-west in the eastern part of the Khuga valley in the Imphal Plateau. The Moriya principality, also known as the Kege principality of the Keges (earlier known as Khekhes who later on merged with the Moirangs) preserved the culture and civilization of the ancient kingdom of Manipur.

The settlers of the Imphal Plateau and its surrounding hills were the different groups of people of the Himalayan groups, namely the Tibeto-Burmans, the neo-Burmese, the neo-Tibetans and the Austro-Asiatic origins from whom sprang out the indigenous clans of the Meiteis of the valley and all the Tribes of the hills, namely, the Tangkhuls in the east, the Mao-Marams in the north, the Kabuis in the west, the Funans-Marings in the southeast, the Chothes, the Chirus, the Koms, the Koirengs, the Hmars, the Mizos etc. in the southwest and also all the Kuki groups of people in all the hills. All these groups of people migrated to the virgin land in different hordes and at different times from the Northeast and Southeast directions and settled initially under their own different principalities but later on united and formed an independent Kingdom, particularly from the time of Pakhangba in 33 A.D.

Thus ancient Manipur actually existed in two forms - the South Manipur and the North Manipur with a large area or territory extended right upto China on the north including gold mines in the Sibsagar valley of Assam, Mishmi and Abor Hills etc., the river Chindwin (Kyendwin-Ningthi) in the east and south, and in the west upto south Bengal sea including Cachar, the Chin hills and the then Lushai hills (present Mizo hills) vide facts contained in the books, Bijay Panchali etc. and other old puyas of Manipur.

Though the history of the Kingdom of Manipur of the Northern section actually began from the time of 3rd century B.C. when Nonglen, son of Shewang, Emperor of China invaded the country and established his power and had his capital at the present Kangla located at the heart of Imphal city and ruled till he was overthrown by Kuptreng through the help of Sendreng, the descendents of the solar race, it was Pakhangba and his dynasty who ruled the kingdom continuously in proper chronological order beginning from 33 A.D. till the year 1949 A.D. when it had been merged with the Indian Union under duress as a mere part "C" State (third grade status). It was during the reign of Kiyamba, a brave son of a brave mother, Lingthoingambi and a noble father Ningthou Khomba from 1467 to 1508 A.D. that the territory of Manipur as a whole was properly demarcated in between the Burmese under their king Chaufa (Chao Hpa) Khekkhomba and the Manipur King. According to the demarcation, the eastern limit of the Kingdom of Manipur was the whole of the Loijeeree hills running between the Mu river and the Chindwin (Ningthi) river, to the north the eastward line from Samjouk (Thangdaud or Thangthaut) to the Loijeeree hill, to the south to Meeyatong. The relation between Khekkhomba and Kiyamba was very cordial. Kiyamba was also known by the name Thangwai Ningthouba. Chaufa Khekkhomba requested the help of Kiyamba in his war against Kiyang-Khambat (Khampat: kham for gold and pat for lake) to which the Manipur king agreed to espouse (support) the cause of the Burmese (pong) king. Thus the joint forces of the two kings raided Kiyang-Khambat and subdued its chief named Chao Seng and Kiyamba was offered one princess named Sana Langmeirembi and another girl, the daughter of one Haoroksu. The cause of the joint expedition against the Khambat Raja arose from the fact that two princesses of Khekkhomba were given in marriage - one to each of the chiefs of Samjouk (Thangdaud) and of Khambat who were tributary chiefs of Khekkhomba. 

When the two princesses reached Samjouk, the one who had to proceed upto Khambat, did not like the separation and therefore requested their father to review the negotiation. The king agreed and she was allowed to stay at Samjouk. At this the Raja of Khambat felt offended and demanded the dowry supposed to have been given to that princess. Khekkhomba conceded the request and instead of the dowry tributes for three years were remitted. In the meantime Khekkhomba sent his noble named Chao Lang Hie to request Kiyamba for a princess. Kiyamba agreed and sent his younger sister since he did not have any daughter princess of marriageable age at that time. When the party of the Manipuri princess moved to Mogaung they were ambushed by the Khambat Raja and carried away the princess, however the Pong noble who accompanied her escaped and narrated the disaster to Khekkhomba. Thus the joint action of the two kings of Pong and Manipur was taken to retaliate the gross insult. In the assault of the combined forces the Khambat Raja however escaped riding away a spotted elephant but Khambat had since been annexed to the kingdom of Kiyamba.

Then the two famous Manipuri kings, Khagemba (Sana Hihonhan) and Pamheiba (Garib Niwaz) during the 16th and 17th centuries respectively further consolidated the territory of the kingdom of Manipur by annexing a large area after storming deep into Burma as far as Ava, the then capital of the Burmese kingdom situated on the bank of great Irrawady river and other neighboring countries. It was during the time of these two great kings that their military might became the strongest one in the region, particularly of the cavalry force who consisted of very well trained fighters equipped with the then most feared special weapons of poisoned arrows known as "Arambais". It was because of the great might of the Manipuri cavalry force and also of the great ability and courage of the generals, particularly of one most able and courageous general, named Thangjaba Chakrapani that Pamheiba came out always victorious in all the wars and made the neighboring kingdoms and enemies feel his unchallengeable power and prowess by exercising his sway very deep into their areas.

Thus Manipur had a very wide territory enjoyed till it had been gradually narrowed down on all sides by the very shrewd policies of the British Government adopted by making seeming alliance with Raja Gambhir Singh and his son Chandrakirti Singh with several Treaties made, such as of the 1862 (the Yendaboo Treaty), 1833 etc., and more harmfully to Manipur by an Agreement signed in 1834 by which they gave away a large portion of the Kabow valley measuring some 7000 square miles to the Burmese Government in lieu of which Manipur was to receive a compensation of Burmese Sicca Rupees 5000/- equivalent to Indian Rupees 6270/- per month commencing from January 9, 1834, the date from which the transfer of the land was effected. India and Burma became one country under the British rule later on, however in 1937 A.D. Burma was separated and it was at that time Sir Churachand Singh, the Maharaja of Manipur submitted a memorandum to the British authorities for the transfer of the Kabow valley back to Manipur to which they kept silent. India and Burma became free from the yoke of the British in the year 1947 and 1948 respectively, and Manipur also assumed again a sovereign status and it was in that year again that Bodhachandra Singh, the eldest son of Churachand Singh who became the king of Manipur had submitted another representation to the Governor General of India, the head of the interim Government of India for the transfer of Kabow valley while he was working out the assets and liabilities of the British Government of India for the period of their rule. The interim Government also kept quite "mum" on the matter. In 1949 Manipur was merged with the new independent India under duress in collusion with the local politicians who actually accelerated the process for their narrow gains and very short sighted policies. In fact, they regarded Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru as their real "savior". But sadly enough, it was he who hammered the last "nail" on the coffin of the Kabow valley when he finally closed down the issue on his own in favor of the Burmese Government during his meeting with his counter-part, U Nu in 1954 in a place near Burma-Manipur border prior to their joint visit to Imphal and the then Naga Hills District HQ, Kohima instead of doing something for "retrieving the enforced loss" of the genuine land of Manipur. What a great pity! For, it was another "political blunder" which will ever remain as another unforgettable sad event in the history of Manipur.

The reign of Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh as the last king of Pakhangba’s dynasty came to an end parting away the "age-old" sovereignty by handing over the political power to an elected Government under her own Constitution, known as the Manipur State Constitution, 1947 framed under its own act passed which became operative from October 18, 1948 with a Legislative Assembly of 50 duly elected members both from the Valley and the Hills. On the occasion of the inauguration of the first Assembly Session on the aforesaid date Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh addressed the House as the nominal Head of the State with very sincere and sentimental proclamations which particularly stressed on the great need of maintaining the "age-old" relations and unity that have been existing amongst the people of the hills and the valley as the "inseparable brethren" since time immemorial - he very emotionally said that when Manipur was in the height of her power, the hill and the valley were one and this oneness defended Manipur solidly against all outside invasions and thus could maintain her full independence upto 1891 when the rest of India had already been conquered by the outsiders, particularly the British. The British conquest of Manipur in 1891 resulted from relaxed unity between the valley and the hills.

However, since the existence of Manipur as an independent entity was considered not at all possible and acceptable from any points of view, the Government of India did not recognize the existence of the Manipur State Assembly and its Council of Ministers elected and formed under her own framed Constitution and therefore the State was declared merged with the Indian Union in a very petty status initially under a Merger Agreement signed at Shillong on 21 September, 1949 between the Government of India, signed on their behalf by Vapal Pangunni Menon, Advisor to the Government of India, Ministry of States and His Highness the Maharaja of Manipur, Bodhachandra Singh on behalf of himself, his heirs and successors.

The merger so taken place under duress not only demolished the age-old Pakhangba’s "gaddi" but also, quite illegally, the newly and very rightfully elected people’s Government. In fact, the surrender by Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh under some sort of a force and compulsion in Shillong in his royal residency at Red Lands in September, 1949 had many to weep helplessly. Actually, the Maharaja initially refused to sign the Merger Agreement, though he did it finally succumbing to the great pressure and threat directed from Delhi, particularly by the then Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhai Patel. The strong and most reasonable argument that he put up initially was that since the sovereignty of the State has already been vested in the people and he remains only as the nominal Head of the state at that time it would be in the fitness of things to hear people’s voice and learn their sentiment and obtain their due opinions and "acceptance" so that the line of action may not in any case be unconstitutional.

It is in this context that the Merger Agreement so signed by Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh is said to be very much "unconstitutional" and bears no authority democratically, particularly in consideration of the very wordings with which he signed such as of, on behalf of himself, his heirs and successors etc, which clearly indicate that the Agreement entered upon was concerned only between the Government of India and himself and his family members and not the people of Manipur at large – really the great "lacunae" that one finds in this regard is why the most relevant portions of words or terms " on behalf of the people of Manipur" had been omitted? The omission of the most important part of the wordings in the instrument surely suggests that there have been definitely some tricks played in the process of the merger done so hastily under compulsion.

True, the people are now lamenting over the great loss of their kingdom, particularly of a vast area covered by the so called Kabow valley with highly resented feelings over the "ignored attitudes" of the British and the Indian Government who did not make honest efforts for effecting the timely "redemption" of their genuine land from the "forced possession" of the Burmese authorities.

For, according to the good spirit of the terms of the agreement signed and under which the said land was ceded to the Burmese authorities by the British Government on January 9, 1834 was that the same was to be reverted back to the possession of Manipur again as and when the compensation was stopped or not paid, and the fact is that she did not receive the monthly compensations, at least from the time the British conquered the state in 1891 till she was merged to India in 1949.

One very interesting development of things that have come out just recently in regard to the defining of true territorial area of Manipur is that of the "Legal action" being taken up by the president of the Universal Friendship Organization, R.K. Manisana Singh who is presently at Beijing (formerly Peking), China as was published in the some local daily paper on 5 August, 2003 – in that he had served a legal notice to both the Governments of the United Kingdom and India through one learned advocate named, Sanasam Sarat Singh who is a member of the International Bar Association based at London. The main subject of the legal notice is that since the British Government ruled Manipur from 1891 to 1947 they should be very much in the know of the exact position of the territorial jurisdiction of the State, including that of the area of the Kabow valley which had been, after all, ceded earlier to the Burmese authorities by them at their initiative and instant.

If the Government of the United Kingdom fails to give a proper reply to the Legal Notice so served within a period of 60 days (the date of institution is 1st August, 2003) the aforesaid International Organization is all set to take up the necessary legal proceedings against them. Also the Organization is perhaps heading for taking necessary Legal actions in the International Law Court regarding the merger of Manipur with the Indian Union done in the year 1949 quite undemocratically.

Taking up legal proceedings in the International Law Court in regard, particularly, to the defining of the exact position of the territory of Manipur means the matter will become "subjudice" (under judicial deliberation before the court during which the matter remains undecided) in the Law Court which may remain to be so for sometime, and in that context it may be honestly asked as to the "immediate possibility" of effecting the reorganization of the present territory of Manipur by severing its existing areas of the four hill districts as is wished to be done so by some secessionist minded people indulging in the activities of "seceding" (withdrawing) their indigenous association and relationship from other very closely blood related brethren people of the hoary land.

In this regard one pertinent question that may be asked frankly is - if the Naga inhabited areas are permitted to form a bigger State of their own, say, honoring their so called democratic rights, then how about permitting the formation of such bigger States of other peoples also, namely, the Punjabis, the Bengalis, the Biharis, the Meities (including Pangals-Muslims, Kukis, Hmars, etc.) in particular, who are inhabiting in large areas of Assam, Tripura etc.?

Lastly but not the least, another most pertinent question that may also be asked is - when the insurgency problems in the north-east region have almost gone out of control by now with "ever increasing activities of most violent magnitudes" indulged by the various ethnic groups of insurgents operating how it could be assured of "heralding" a really peaceful and normal situation by fulfilling the aspirants of one group only, namely, the Nagas by conceding to their rather highly hypothetical demand of forming a greater Nagaland or Nagalim State at the cost of the areas of other neighboring States?

In fact, such a move has been seriously viewed with as it only calls for entering into some sort of a "partisan politics" (favoring only a single or particular party or cause) ending only with disastrous results as, any act of "redrawing of the existing geographical boundaries of the North-eastern States" on the basis of demographic and "ethnicity" is indeed "fraught with grave dangers" of bringing of more "troubles" and "turmoils" of very serious nature, greatly affecting the existing peaceful "communal harmony" amongst the people, particularly in the State of Manipur where the majority of her people have started feeling again great unrest as a result of the "flagrant move" coming up again to the surface.

It may be reiterated again that the main criteria of effecting the reorganization of two-three or more States as permissible under the provisions of Article 3 of the Constitution of India has to be done purely on the basis of "administrative convenience" and not merely on communal or religious basis, and that too on the mutual agreement of all the State Governments concerned - therefore it is hoped that at least the Government of India will be thoughtful enough to strictly adhere to these conditions while taking their decisions in regard to the highly "sensitive and volatile" issue of integration of the Nagas for the purpose of forming a bigger State of Nagaland depriving (taking away) the age-old areas of its neighboring States.

"For bringing better and more effective development etc. in the hills of Manipur, if so felt, then why can’t it be possible to do so by adopting or following the earlier British pattern again as a very special case for Manipur, in that, the state is to have two administrative set-ups-one for the valley and the other for the Hills, say, under the charge of a Deputy Chief Minister – a post to be always held by an elected honorable member from the Hills with full administrative powers except that of the Law and Order and the finance ?"

Courtesy: The Sangai Express

  

 

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