A brief note on the Anglo-Manipuri relations of Colonial India

The first instance of official contact between Manipur and the British was in 1783, when a treaty was signed between Haridas Gossein, representing Gambhir Singh, and Mr. Verelst, the then chief of factory of the East India Company at Chittagong. Burmese power was the primary concern for both the parties involved. However nothing substantial came out of the treaty. By the 1820s the Burmese had overrun Manipur and Assam, and it was a constant threat to the Eastern Frontiers of British-India. Thus an alliance was formed between the Ahoms, Manipuris and the British to drive off the Burmese. In 1823 the Manipur Levy was formed, initially with 500 manipuri soldiers under the leadership of Gambhir Singh. The Levy was financially supported by the British government. The joined forces of the British, the Ahoms and the Manipuris succeeded to drive off the Burmese beyond the Ningthi river. The war ended with the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826, in which Manipur was recognized as an independent kingdom by  Ava (Burma). Most interestingly, Manipur was not party  to the said treaty. During the Burmese invasion of Manipur the disposed princes of Manipur, in turn had disposed forcibly the King of Cachar, Raja Govindachandra. The Cachar case continued to create an uneasy strain in the Anglo-Manipuri relations till the 1830s. Gradually the British manage to reinstate Govindachandra to the throne by compensating the Manipuri princes with regular pension. Finally, the Jiri treaty of 1833, Gambhir Singh was asked to remove his thana from Chandrapur, and Jiri was transfered to Manipur. However, the following year, 1834, the British independently signed and agreement with the Burmese, which transfered Kubo valley to Burma, in return Manipur received Rs.6000 per annum from the British (not the Burmese). Manipur continued to receive the compensation till 1947. It should be remembered that the total revenue of Manipur was estimated to be around Rs.5000 per annum at that time. Also, right after the Seven Years Devastation (Chahi Taret Khuntakpa) Manipur was indeed in a deplorable state; the population was meagre, and resources were limited. Gambhir Singh was trying hard to reconstruct the country. And soon after the news of the treaty of 1834 reach Manipur, Gambhir Singh passed away. Dr. K. Ibochouba (1988) in his article "Anglo-Manipur relations: (1762-1947)" notes that the Kubo Valley Treaty bore the signatures of Major F.J.Grant and Captain R.B. Pemberton as Commissioners of Manipur. By then the British authorities had increasingly felt it unnecessary and expensive to maintain the Manipur Levy, and subsequently, Lord William Bentinck the then Governer-General of India issued an order to place a Political Agent instead at Kangla. Lieutenant George Gordon was appointed as the first Political Agent of Manipur in 1835. 

The colonial experience and the history of Manipur

The period between the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891 to the dissolution of British India in 1947 marks a very important and significant phase in the history and historiography of Manipur.  In that fifty six years or so, Manipur underwent such incredible changes in terms of social organization, culture, education, health and government etc. Manipur saw two great World Wars, the Kuki rebellion, two Nupi Lan besides many political and social reformist movements. Essentially, the period, more then any, shaped Manipur for the following fifty years and will continue to do so. It has not only shaped the way 'modern' Manipur has come to be but also the way we think about ourselves, our past and the 'other'. Most prominent historians on Manipur mark the contact with the English as the beginning of 'modern' Manipur. And any systematic study of Manipuri history is deemed insufficient without consulting the colonial writings. The works of TC Hudson, Alexander Mackenzie and Pemberton are oft quoted and considered indispensable in the historiography of Manipur. However, most of these writers were associated with the British administration in some capacity or the other. For an exception TC Hudson was a member of the Royal Anthropological Institute. However, he was informed by certain schools of thought, particularly by the works of E.B. Tylor. Besides the popular British scholars, there are thousands of written records in the form of dairies, notes, government records, besides photographs and sketches on the life and times of Colonial Manipur. Another important source could be the American Baptist Church Missionary, which had been very active in Colonial Manipur. It is time to visit and revisit the colonial writings for a critical understanding of the history and historiography of Manipur. Here is an attempt to bring together all the colonial sources, known and unkown, on Manipur, in one place. This, I believe, will facilitate, any serious student or researcher on Manipur in particular and the North East India in general.