Manipur (princely state)

The British decided to recognise Juvraj 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',[5] 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 Assam J.W. Quinton, Col. Sken and three other British officials were murdered. In the middle of the unrest Ethel St Clair Grimwood, the widow of Frank St Clair Grimmond, the killed British Resident, successfully led a party of surviving sepoys out of Manipur to Cachar.[6] Without much delay, a 5,000 strong punitive expedition was sent against Manipur on 27 April 1891. Three British columns entered Manipur from British 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 Senapati Tikendrajit and young king Kulachandra fled, but were captured. The Senapati and those Manipuris who had been involved in the killing of the British officers were tried and hanged, while the deposed King Kulachandra and other leaders of the rebellion were sent to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands. At this time until 22 September 1891, Manipur was briefly annexed to British India by virtue of the doctrine of lapse. On 22 September 1891 when Meidingngu 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 and Kuki 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.[4]

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 British Political 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 Viceroy Lord Curzon in 1901. Raja Churachand was formally declared king in 1907 after completing education in Ajmer.[4] 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 was knighted by the British, becoming Sir Churachandra Singh.[7]

Between March 1944 and July 1944 part of Manipur and the Naga Hills District of Assam Province were occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army. The capital Imphal was shelled on 10 May 1942.

The last ruler of the Kingdom of Manipur was Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh. He ruled between 1941 and 1949.

On 15 August 1947, with the lapse of paramountcy of the British Crown, Manipur became briefly "independent".[8][9] The Maharaja had acceded to India on 11 August, whereby he ceded the central subjects to the Union government but gained internal sovereignty over the state.[10][11] 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.[9] A few Manipuris favoured integration with India and established the Manipur India Congress, a party which failed to draw any votes in the election of 1948. The Government of India did not recognize the Constitution.[12]

On 21 September 1949, the Maharaja was coerced to sign a Merger Agreement with the Union of India, to take effect on 15 October the same year.[13] As a result of the agreement, the Manipur State merged into the Indian Union as a Part C State (similar to a Chief Commissioner's Province under the colonial regime), to be governed by a Chief Commissioner appointed by the Government of India. The representative assembly of Manipur was abolished. [14]

The Kabaw Valley, a disputed border territory, was ceded to Burma by India in 1953. Unhappy about 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 and Tripura, claiming 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.[14] Finally, in 1972, after fourteen years of direct Indian rule, Manipur became a separate state within India.[7]

The rulers of Manipur state were entitled to an 11-gun salute by the British authorities. The present dynasty began in 1714.[15]

This list includes legendary kings.

• 44–34 BC Samlunghphaa
• 34–18 BC Poireiton Khunthokpa
• 18–8 BC Singtabung
• 8–1 BC Paangminnaba
• 1–5 AD Luwaang Khunthiba
• 5–33 Luwaang Punshiba
• 33–153 Nongda Lairen Pakhangba
• 153–263 Khuiyoi Tompok
• 263–363 Taothingmang
• 363–378 Khui Ningomba
• 378–393 Pengsiba
• 393–410 Kaokhangba
• 410–427 Naokhamba
• 427–517 Naophangba
• 517–567 Sameiraang
• 567–657 Uraa Konthouba
• 657–662 unknown
• 662–762 Naothingkhong
• 762–772 Khongtekchaa
• 772–783 unknown
• 783–798 Keirencha
• 798–820 Yaaraba
• 820–909 Ayaangba
• 909–948 Ningthou Cheng
• 948–968 Chenglei Ipaan Laangba
• 968–983 Yanglou Keiphaba
• 983–1073 Kainou Irengba

• 1074–1121 Loiyumba
• 1121–1149 Loitongba
• 1149–1162 Atom Yoiremba
• 1162–1194 Hemtou Iwaan Thaaba
• 1194–1230 Thawaan Thaba
• 1230–1241 Chingthaang Laanthaaba
• 1241–1246 Thingbai Selhongba
• 1246–1262 Puroon Thaaba
• 1262–1277 Khumomba
• 1277–1301 Moraamba
• 1301–1323 Thaangbi Laanthaaba
• 1323–1334 Kongyaamba
• 1334–1354 Telheiba
• 1354–1359 Tonaaba
• 1359–1394 Tabungba
• 1394–1399 Lairemba
• 1399–1432 Pengshiba
• 1432–1467 Ningthou Khomba
• 1467–1507 Senbi Kiyaamba
• 1507–1511 Koirengba
• 1511–1522 Chingkhong Lamgai Ngamba
• 1522–1523 Nongyin Phaaba
• 1523–1541 Senbi Khomba
• 1541–1544 Taangjaamba
• 1544–1561 Chalaamba
• 1561–1596 Mungyaamba
• 1596–1651 Khagemba
• 1651–1665 Khunjaoba
• 1665–1696 Paikhomba
• 1697–1709 Charairongba
• 1709–1754 Gharib Nawaz (Pamheiba) (d. 1754)
• 1754–1756 Bharat Shah (Chitsai)
• 1756–1764 Guru Sham (Gaurisiam) (d. 1764)
• 1764–1798 Jai Singh (Bhagya Chandra)
• 1798–1801 Rohinchandra (Harshachandra Singh) (d. 1801)
• 1801–1806 Maduchandra Singh (d. 1806)
• 1806–1812 Charajit Singh (d. 1812)
• 1812–1819 Marjit Singh (d. 1824)

There were two feudatory kings during the time of the Burmese invasions.

• 1819–1823 Shubol
• 1823–1825 Pitambara Singh

• 26 Jun 1825 – 9 January 1834 Ganavira Singh (d. 1834)
• 1834–1844 Nara Singh – Regent (d. 1850)
• 1844 – 10 April 1850 Nara Singh (s.a.)
• 1850 (3 months) Devendra Singh (d. 1871)
• 1850 – May 1886 Chandrakirti Singh (s.a.) (b. 1831 – d. 1886) (from 18 February 1880, Sir Chandrakirti Singh)
• 1886 – 24 September 1890 Surachandra Singh (d. 1891)
• 24 Sep 1890 – 19 April 1891 Kulachandra Singh (b. 18.. – d. 1934)
• 19 Apr 1891 – 18 September 1891 Interregnum
• 18 Sep 1891 – 1918 Churachandra Singh (b. 1885 – d. 1941)

• 1918 – Sep 1941 Sir Churachandra Singh (s.a.) (from 1 January 1934, Sir Churachandra Singh)
• Sep 1941 – 15 October 1949 Bodhchandra Singh (b. 1909 – d. 1955)

The Political agents were subordinated to the Chief Commissioner of Assam (Lieutenant Governor of East Bengal and Assam during 1905–1912)

• 1835–1844 George Gordon
• 1844–1863 William McCulloch (1st time)[16]
• 1863–1865 Dillon
• 1865–1867 William McCulloch (2nd time) (s.a.)
• 1867–1875 Robert Brown
• 1875–1877 Guybon Henry Damant (acting)
• 1877–1886 Sir James Johnstone
• 1886 (6 weeks) Trotter (acting)
• 25 Mar 1886 – 21 April 1886 Walter Haiks (acting)
• 1886 – 24 April 1891 St. Clair Grimwood (d. 1891)
• 1891 Sir Henry Collett (British commander)
• 1891–1893 H.St.P. John Maxwell (1st time)
• 1893–1895 Alexander Porteous (1st time)
• 1895–1896 H.St.P. John Maxwell (2nd time)
• 1896–1898 Henry Walter George Cole (1st time) (acting)
• 1898–1899 Alexander Porteous (2nd time)
• 1899–1902 H.St.P. John Maxwell (3rd time)
• 1902–1904 Albert Edward Woods
• 1904–1905 H.St.P. John Maxwell (4th time)
• 1905–1908 John Shakespear (1st time)
• 1908–1909 A.W. Davis
• 1909–1914 John Shakespear (2nd time)
• 1914–1917 Henry Walter George Cole (2nd time) (s.a.)
• 1917–1918 John Comyn Higgins (1st time)
• 1918–1920 William Alexander Cosgrave
• 1920–1922 L.O. Clarke (1st time)
• 1922 Christopher Gimson (1st time) (acting)
• 1922–1924 L.O. Clarke (2nd time)
• 1924–1928 John Comyn Higgins (2nd time) (s.a.)
• 12 Mar 1928 – 23 November 1928 C.G. Crawford
• 1928–1933 John Comyn Higgins (3rd time) (s.a.)
• 1933–1938 Christopher Gimson (2nd time) (s.a.)
• 1938–1941 Gerald Pakenham Stewart (1st time) (Japanese prisoner 1941–45)
• 1941–1946 Christopher Gimson (3rd time) (s.a.)
• Dec 1946 – 14 August 1947 Gerald Pakenham Stewart (2nd time)

The Indian Agents were subordinated to the Governor of Assam.

• 15 August 1947 – 1947 Gerald Pakenham Stewart (s.a.)[17]
• 1947–1948 Shri Debeswar Sharma[17]

The Dewans were representing the Governor of Assam.

• 1948 – 16 April 1949 Maharaj Kumar Priyobrata Singh (s.a.)[17]
• 16 Apr 1949 – 15 October 1949 Rawal Amar Singh[18]