Kingdom of Manipur Kangleipak Kingdom until 1724 |
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Princely State of British India (1824–1947) Independent state (1947–1949) |
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Manipur State in the Bengal Gazetteer of 1907 | ||||||
Capital | Imphal | |||||
History | ||||||
• | Foundation of the Kangleipak Kingdom | 1110 | ||||
• | Independence of India | 1949 | ||||
Area | ||||||
• | 1901 | 21,900 km2(8,456 sq mi) | ||||
Population | ||||||
• | 1901 | 284,465 | ||||
Density | 13 /km2 (33.6 /sq mi) | |||||
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. |
Kingdom of Manipur | |
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Part of History of Manipur | |
Kings of Manipur | |
Pamheiba | 1720-1751 |
Gaurisiam | 1752-1763 |
Chitsai | 1754-1756 |
Ching-Thang Khomba | 1769-1798 |
Rohinchandra | 1798-1801 |
Maduchandra Singh | 1801-1806 |
Chourjit Singh | 1806-1812 |
Marjit Singh | 1812-1819 |
Gambhir Singh | 1825-1834 |
Raja Nara Singh | 1844-1850 |
Debindro Singh | 1850 |
Chandrakirti Singh | 1850-1886 |
Raja Surchandra | 1886-1890 |
Kulachandra Singh | 1890-1891 |
Churachandra Singh | 1891-1941 |
Bodhchandra Singh | 1941-1949 |
Manipur monarchy data | |
Ningthouja dynasty (Royal family) | |
Pakhangba (Symbol of the kingdom) | |
Cheitharol Kumbaba (Royal chronicle) | |
Imphal (Capital of the kingdom) | |
Kangla Palace (Royal residence) | |
The Kingdom of Manipur was a princely state of the British Rule, bordering Assam Province in the west and British Burma in the east. The state of Manipur covered an area of 21,900 km² with 467 villages. The capital of the state was Imphal.
The early history of Manipur is composed of mythical narratives. The Kangla Fort, located on the banks of the Imphal River, was where the palace of King Pakhangba was located. It was built in 1632 by king Khagemba, who had defeated Chinese invaders. In the fort are a number of temples that had traditional religious significance. Kangla means "dry land" in the Meitei language.
The history of Manipur is obscure; Royal dynasty records such as the Cheitharol Kumbaba were composed after Manipur became a Hindu Kingdom and are mostly based on myths.
The Kingdom of Kangleipak was established by King Loiyumba in 1110 who ruled between 1074 and 1121. He consolidated the kingdom by incorporating most of the principalities in the surrounding hills and is credited with having enacted a kind of written constitution for his state. 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 raided Akla, an area ruled by Shan people, initiating a policy of Manipuri claims to the neighbouring Kabaw Valley. The zenith of the Kangleipak State was reached under the rule of King Khagemba (1597-1652).
In 1714 a king of Naga origin named Meidingu Pamheiba, adopted Hinduism as the state religion and changed his name to Gharib Nawaz. In 1724 the Sanskrit name Manipur ('the Abode of Jewels') was adopted as the name of the state. King Gharib Nawaz made several incursions into Burma, but no permanent conquest. After the death of Gharib Nawaz in 1754, Manipur was occupied by the Kingdom of Burma and the Manipuri king Jai Singh (Ching-Thang Khomba) sought help from the British. The latter, however, recalled the military force sent to assist Manipur and after that years passed without much contact between Manipur State and the British authorities. Manipur was invaded at the onset of the First Anglo-Burmese War, together with Cachar and Assam.