Manipur--Early history--Our connection with it--Ghumbeer
Singh--Burmese war.
Manipur consists of about 8000 square miles, chiefly hills surrounding
a valley 650 square miles in extent. This valley from north to south
is about 35 miles, and from east to west 25. The capital Imphal,
as it formerly existed, was a large mass of villages looking like a
forest from the neighbouring heights, and covering about 15 square
miles. Every house was in the centre of its own well-planted garden,
and every garden contained a few forest trees. The census of 1881 gave
the population of the capital as 60,000, that of the rest of the valley
an equal number, while the hills were estimated to have 100,000. It
was only in the capital that pure Manipuris lived, except the soldiers
in the military posts which were scattered all over the country.
The valley itself is 2600 feet above the sea, and the hills rise
on an average to an equal height above it, though here and there
some of the distant peaks are 10,000 to 12,000 feet in height. Thus
Manipur contains within its borders a variety of climate from almost
tropical, to a greater cold than that of England. The heat is never
very excessive in the valley, and for eight months in the year it is
most enjoyable. Foreigners suffer much from bronchial affections,
doubtless owing to the waterlogged soil, but these complaints are
not more prevalent among the native population than elsewhere, and
if sanitary laws were properly observed, the valley might be a most
healthy place and the population would rapidly overflow.
The capital is almost intersected by the 25th parallel north latitude,
and 95 deg. east longitude, and is 132 miles by road from Silchar, the
capital of Cachar, and 70 from Tamu in the Kubo valley. The valley of
Manipur forms the centre of a chain of valleys, viz., Cachar, Manipur,
and Kubo, connecting Bengal with Burmah proper. The sides of the
hills facing the valley of Manipur are generally covered with grass
or scant jungle which rapidly dries up as the cold season advances,
but when once the crest is passed, a fine forest is reached; except
where the hill-tribes have destroyed it, to raise one crop and then
let it relapse into grass and scrub. Alas, I have seen noble oak
forests laid low and burned for this purpose. It is an abominable
custom, and nothing can justify our permitting it where we hold
sway. That it is not necessary is shown by the Angamis and some of
the Tankhool tribes, who though they do occasionally indulge in this
wasteful cultivation are quite independent of it, as they terrace
their hillsides and cultivate the same tract for generations. The
forests of Manipur are plentifully supplied with fine timber trees;
several varieties of oak and chestnut exist, and many others unknown
in England such as Woo-Ningtho, an excellent timber said to resist the
ravages of white ants; wang, which can be worked in its green state
as it never warps; teak, etc. Fir trees are found in abundance to the
south, east, and north-east of the valley, and bamboos of many kinds,
including the giant, are plentiful.
Rhododendrons and wild azaleas of several kinds, as well as many
species of brilliant orchids, add greatly to the beauty of the forests,
and in some parts tree ferns are abundant. I know nothing more lovely
in the world, than some of the forest scenery of Manipur with its
solemn stillness.
The early history of Manipur is lost in obscurity, but there can be
no doubt that it has existed as an independent kingdom from a very
early period. In the days when the Indian branch of the Aryan race
was still in its progressive and colonising stage, this district
was repeatedly passed over by one wave after another of invaders,
intent on penetrating into the remotest parts of Burmah. We have no
means of ascertaining what government it had before the year 700 A.D.,
but it is believed that a monarchy prevailed at that era. About the
year 1250 A.D., a large Chinese force invaded the country, and was
signally defeated; all who were not killed being made prisoners. These
taught the Manipuris silk culture, and a number of them were settled
at Susa Rameng in the valley, where they have still descendants. The
Chinese also taught the art of brick-making, and erected two solid
blocks of masonry in the palace, between which the road to the Lion
Gate passed. These blocks were levelled with the ground by the Burmese
invaders, but rebuilt on the old foundations by Ghumbeer Singh.
Manipur in old days possessed a famous breed of ponies, larger and
better bred than the so-called Burmese ponies that come from the Shan
states. On these ponies were mounted the formidable cavalry that
in the last century made Manipur feared throughout Upper Burmah,
and enabled her rulers on more than one occasion, to carry their
victorious arms within sight of Ava, where their Rajah Pamheiba erected
a stone pillar to commemorate the event. The cavalry used the regular
Manipuri saddle protecting the legs, and were armed with spears and
two quivers of darts. These darts in a retreat were grasped by a loop
and swung round in a peculiar way, when the shaft formed of peacock
feathers with an iron head suddenly became detached, and flying with
great force inflicted a fatal wound wherever it struck. A skilful
man could throw them with great precision.
The territories of Manipur varied according to the mettle of its
rulers. Sometimes they held a considerable territory east of the
Chindwin river in subjection, at other times only the Kubo valley,
a strip of territory, inhabited, not by Burmese, but by Shans, and
lying between Manipur proper and the Chindwin. Again they were driven
back into Manipur proper. For the greater part of the last century,
the Kubo valley unquestionably belonged to Manipur, and it was never
in any sense a Burmese province, being, when not under Manipur,
a feudatory of the great Shan kingdom of Pong.
In the middle of the last century one of those extraordinary men who
appear from time to time in the East, destined to shine like a blazing
meteor, imparting exceeding brilliancy to their country, and then as
suddenly vanishing, so that it returns to its original obscurity,
appeared in Burmah. His name, Along Pra, has been corrupted by us
into Alompra, by which he is always known. He speedily raised Burmah
to a commanding position. The kingdom of Pong was overthrown and
its territories mostly annexed, Pegu was conquered, our district of
Chittagong threatened, and Siam forced to relinquish several coveted
possessions. The war fever did not die with Alompra, and in 1817 and
1819 Assam and Manipur were respectively invaded, internal dissensions
having bred traitors, who, in both countries, made the path of the
invaders easy. But the master spirit was gone, and when we appeared
upon the scene, they could make no efficient stand. Had we then marched
to Ava, the Burmese Empire would have collapsed like a house of cards,
and the events of 1885 been anticipated by sixty years. As it was, we
did not realise our strength and the Burmese weakness, and contented
ourselves with annexing Assam and Cachar and protecting Manipur.
It is not very evident what the religion of Manipur was in early days,
but we see no trace of Buddhism. Probably, whatever the belief in
early years when the people may have been affected by the intermittent
stream of Aryans passing through, for many centuries no religious rites
were used before the recent rise of Hindooism, further than to appease
evil spirits, as is the custom of the surrounding tribes. There can be
little doubt that some time or other the Naga tribes to the north made
one of their chiefs Rajah of Manipur, and that his family, while, like
the Manchus in China and other conquerors, adopting the civilisation
of the country, retained some of their old customs. This is shown in
the curious practice at the installation of a Rajah, when he and the
Ranee appear in Naga costume; also that he always has in his palace
a house built like a Naga's, and wherever he goes he is attended by
two or three Manipuris with Naga arms and accoutrements. I once told
a Manipuri what I thought on the subject, and he was greatly struck
by it, and admitted the force of what I said.
Towards the middle of the last century, for some reason or other,
a great Hindoo revival took place in the East of India. Assam was
once Hindoo but had long become Buddhist under its Ahom kings,
and now became converted to Hindooism, by Brahmins from Bengal. All
difficulties were smoothed over, and converts were made by tens of
thousands. It is to be regretted that it was so, as these "converts"
quickly deteriorated. The easy conquest of Hindooised Assam by the
Burmese, when Buddhist Assam had successfully resisted a powerful army
sent by Arungzebe from India and composed largely of recruits from
Central Asia, seems proof of it, if all other evidence were wanting.
The process of conversion in Manipur began a generation later than in
Assam, and proceeded on somewhat different lines, but it was not less
effective, and was still going on at a late date. It had not the same
deteriorating effect, for the Rajahs assumed to themselves a position
greater than that of High Pontiff, and could at any time by their
simple fiat have changed the religion of the country and degraded
all the Brahmins, in fact all admissions to the Hindoo pale from the
outer world of unorthodoxy were made by the Rajah himself. Sometimes
the inhabitants of a village were elevated en masse from the level
of outcasts, to that of Hindoos of pure caste, but more often single
individuals were "converted." A man belonging to a hill-tribe, for
instance, could, if the Rajah chose, at any time receive the sacred
thread of the twice-born castes, and on payment of a small sum of money
be admitted as a Hindoo and was thenceforth called a Khetree. [16]
This privilege was not accorded to Mussulmans. I once asked a Manipuri
why they received hill-men and not Mussulmans, both being Mlechas, [17]
according to Hindoo theory. He said it was because the hill people had
sinned in ignorance, whereas Mussulmans knew the evil of their ways.
Of course, every one who knows anything of Hindooism is aware that
theoretically a man must be born a Hindoo, and that proselytism
is not admitted. Practically, however, this rule is ignored on the
eastern frontier, and all along it from Sudya down to Chittagong,
where conversions are daily taking place. I remember villages in
Assam where caste was unknown thirty-five years ago, but where now the
people live in the odour of sanctity as highly orthodox and bigoted
Hindoos. Strange to say, the pure Hindoos of the North-West Provinces
acknowledge the pretensions of these spurious converts sufficiently so
as to allow of their drinking water brought by them. It is probably
easier to take the people at their own valuation than to carry water
one's self from a distance when tired. By the religious law of the
Hindoos, it is forbidden to eat or drink anything touched by one of
another tribe.
Our first relations with Manipur date from 1762, when Governor
Verelst of the Bengal Presidency--with that splendid self-reliance and
large-mindedness characteristic of the makers of the British Indian
Empire, men who acted instead of talking, and were always ready to
extend our responsibilities when advisable--entered into a treaty with
the Rajah of Manipur. As this treaty came to nothing, practically our
connection with the little state really dates from 1823. It had been
invaded by the Burmese in 1819, and its people driven out or carried
off into slavery in Burmah. The royal family were fugitives.
At that time Sylhet was our frontier station, and our relations with
the Burmese, who were at the highest pitch of their power, were
daily becoming more strained. On our side of the frontier we were
ably represented by Mr. David Scott, agent to the Governor-General,
and preparations were being made for the inevitable struggle. One
day a young Manipuri prince waited on Mr. Scott and asked leave
to raise a Manipuri force to fight on our side. He was short and
slight, and of indomitable courage and energy, and the agent to
the Governor-General recognising his ability, allowed him to raise
500 men. These were soon increased to 2000, cavalry, infantry and
artillery. Two English officers, Captain F. Grant and Lieutenant
R. B. Pemberton, were attached to the force, thenceforth called the
Manipur Levy, to drill and discipline it.
In 1825 a general advance was made all along our line, Cachar was
invaded and subdued, and we essayed to pursue the enemy into Manipur
and thence into Burmah, but our transport arrangements failed. Hitherto
we had been accustomed to wars in the arid plains of India, and our
military authorities did not realise the necessities of an expedition
into the eastern jungles. Hence, camels and bullocks were sent to
dislocate their limbs in the tenacious mud and swamps of Cachar,
and when the advance into Manipur was desired, our regular troops
were powerless. At this crisis the Manipur Levy showed its immense
value. The men could move lightly equipped without the paraphernalia
of a regular army, and advance they did, and with such effect that in
a short time not only was Manipur cleared, but the enemy driven out
of the Kubo valley. Later on, Ghumbeer Singh was recognised as Rajah
of Manipur, and the Kubo valley was included within his territories.
Manipur at this time contained only 2000 inhabitants, the miserable
remnants of a thriving population of at least 400,000, possibly
600,000, that existed before the invasion. Ghumbeer Singh's task was to
encourage exiles to return, and to attempt to rebuild the prosperity
of his little kingdom. He was a wise and strong though severe ruler,
and though he owed his throne greatly to his own efforts, he to the
last retained the deepest feelings of loyalty and gratitude to the
British Government, promptly obeying all its orders and doing his
utmost to impress the same feeling on all his officers.
As is always the case, though we had carried all before us in the
war, we began to display great weakness afterwards. We had an agent,
Colonel Burney, at Ava, and the Burmese who were not disposed to be
at all friendly, constantly tried to impress on him the fact that
all difficulties and disputes would be at an end if we ceded the
Kubo valley to them, that territory belonging to our ally Ghumbeer
Singh of Manipur. Of course the proposal ought to have been rejected
with scorn, and a severe snub given to the Burmese officials. The
advisers of the Government of India, however, being generally officers
brought up in the Secretariat, and with little practical knowledge of
Asiatics, the manly course was not followed. It was not realised that
a display of self-confidence and strength is the best diplomacy with
people like the Burmese, and with a view to winning their good-will
we basely consented to deprive our gallant and loyal ally of part
of his territories. An attempt was made to negotiate with him, but
Major Grant said, "It is no use bargaining with Ghumbeer Singh,"
and refused to take any part in it. He was asked what compensation
should be given, and he said 6000 sicca rupees per annum.
When Ghumbeer Singh heard the final decision he quietly accepted
it, saying, "You gave it me and you can take it away. I accept your
decree." The proposed transfer was very distasteful to many of the
inhabitants, including the Sumjok (Thoungdoot) Tsawbwa, [18] but they
were not consulted. The Kubo valley was handed over to the Burmese
on the 9th of January, 1834, and on that day Ghumbeer Singh died in
Manipur of cholera. Perhaps he was happy in the hour of his death,
as he felt the treatment of our Government most severely.