History of Manipur

Documented history of Manipur begins with the reign of King Pakhangba when the seven clans of the Manipuri society were unified. The introduction of Vaishnavism brought about a significant change in the history of Manipur.

The early history of the region is set forth in the Cheitharon Kumpapa, a chronicle of royal events.

Manipur came under British rule as a princely state in 1891. British rule ended the independent status of the Kingdom which was the last kingdom to be incorporated into British India.

During the Second World War, Manipur was the scene of many fierce battles between the Japanese and Allied forces. The Japanese were beaten back before they could enter Imphal and this proved to be one of the turning points of the War.

After the Second World War, the Manipur Constitution Act, 1947, established a democratic form of government with the Maharaja as the Executive Head and an elected legislature. In 1949, King Prabodhchandra was summoned to Shillong, capital of the Indian province of Assam. After much pursuation, the King signed a Treaty of Accession merging the kingdom into India. The legislative assembly was dissolved on the integration of the state with the republic of India in October, 1949. Manipur was a union territory from 1956 and later became a full-fledged state in 1972.

British rule ended the independent status of the Kingdom which was the last kingdom to be capsized by British India. Modern day Manipur is a state of the Republic of India.

Pre-Historic Manipur

The period before AD 33 is the prehistoric age of Manipur. Little is known about it due to lack of surviving sources.

Ancient Manipur(AD33 - AD1074)

The source for this era comes from the Chaitharol-Kumbaba, the royal chronicle of Manipur. it mainly covers the kingdom of the Ningthouja clan.

Medieval Manipur (1074-1469)

Loiremba and Puranthaba were notable kings of Manipur. It was during the reign of Puranthaba that the Khuman clan was brought under the rule of the Ningthoujas.

Era of Vaishnavism(1470-1709)

Vaishnavism came to Manipur before the birth of Chaitanya. It caused a significant change in the history of Manipur. The Meitei script was replaced with Bengali.

Anglo-Burmese Advents(1709-1891)

There were a number of significant wars during this era between the Manipuris, the Burmese and the British

British Rule(1891-1947)

After the British captured Kakching, Imphal and Thoubal, the British put a puppet king on the throne to rule the state till India gained independence.

ources

* "The Court Chronicle of the Kings of Manipur, the Cheitharon Kumpapa" ed. and trans. Saroj Nalini Arambam Parratt (London: Routledge, 2005).