Unforgotten relationship of Manipur and Tai kingdoms : A historical perspective
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Maheshsana Rajkumar
Contd from previous issue
A Map of the Burmese Empire drawn by cartographer John Wyld in 1886, a folding map of Burma based on documents from the Surveyor Generals Office of India, published after the Third Anglo-Burmese War depicted Ningthee R. (Chindwin River) on the map and the general inhabitants of Kabaw Valley written as Moitay Kubo and Mrelap Kubo.
Bob Hudson, Pamela Gutman & Win Maung (Tampawaddy) in their joint write up “Buddha’s life in Konbaung period bronzes from Yazagyo”, 2018, writes, “Yazagyo in Kabaw valley lies between the Upper Chindwin River and the hills which separate Burma from Manipur. Yazagyo is on a side road from the Myanmar-India Friendship Highway, 35 kilometers north of Kalaymyo. In the latter half of the 19th century, the Kabaw Valley was becoming depopulated due to attacks by Chin tribesmen. Some villages were destroyed and others were abandoned, their residents moving to larger centers for protection.”
G.E.R. Grant Brown in Burma Gazetteer Upper Chindwin District Vol.A, 1913, recorded the Yazagyo or Kale chronicle is of unknown origin, embodying this legend, is in the district office. It contains a list of princes in which Indian names give way to Shan as early as 210 B.C., when the kingdom is said to have been united by marriage with that of Mohnyin (Katha district) in the person of Saw Kan Twe, son of Kumonda Raja by the daughter of the Mohnyin prince.
Grant Brown further writes, “Of the early history of Upper Chindwin district, anything is hardly known. The northern part at least must have been for centuries under Shan domination, and at one time formed part of, or was tributary to, the Shan kingdom of Mogaung. It is unlikely that it was under Burmese rule without intermission for much more than a hundred years before the annexation. In the south the centre of power seems to have long been at Yazagyo, now a village in the north of the Kalemyo Township. Legend has it that it was the seat of a line of Indian princes from the time of Buddha, and that its people spoke the Magadha language and were unintelligible to the tribes around them, who were described as Shan, Kadu or Kantu, Kaget or Kanzet, Thet, and Ingye. At the time of the Burmese war Shah is mentioned in records as the language of the Kale valley, from which it has now completely disappeared.”
J. George Scott & J.P. Hardiman, in Gazetteer of Upper Burma and the Shan States, 1901, writes, “The population of the Ka-le Township consists of Shans to the north, Shans and Burmans in the centre, and a mixture of Yaws and Shans to the south. Originally the whole country was inhabited by Shans of the same race as the Shans of Hkamti and Hsawng Hsup (Thaungthwut). Of late years, however, the Burman element has been introduced by immigration from Burma via the Chindwin River and Ka-le-wa, and a strong contingent of Yaws from Yawdwin, Pauk, and Gangaw settled in the valley on the accession of Po Kan U, the first Sawbwa, to power. To such an extent have outside influences (notably Burmese) prevailed of late years that the Shan is no longer a predominant nationality in the valley, and their language is also fast losing ground, except in the extreme north of the valley near Yaza-gyo, which from its secluded position is least exposed to contact with the outer world.”
Manipur had cordial relations with Tai Ahom kingdom of Assam. Sushil Chandra Dutta in his book, “The North-East and the Mughals (1661-1714)”, 1984, writes, “Although, the ruling family in Assam had a matrimonial alliance with its counterpart in Manipur during the reign of King Suhungmung (1497-1539), the Ahom monarch, there is no mention of Assam-Manipur relations in the chronicles of the either State till the second half of the eighteenth century.”
Manipuri historian Gangmumei Kamei in his book, “History of Manipur: Volume One Pre-Colonial Period”, 1991, writes, “The contact between Manipur and Ahom kingdom of Assam was also seen during the reign of King Kabomba (1523-1542). Ahom was known to the Manipuris as Tekhao (derived from Dikhu River). A trade route to upper Assam was opened in 1536. The Ahom chronicle records that “envoys were exchanged with the Raja of Manipur and presents were exchanged.”
Renowned Manipuri scholar RK Jhalajit Singh in his book, “A Short History of Manipur”, 1992, writes, ‘The Manipuri Princess Kuranganayani was married to Ahom King Rajeswar Singh, she became the principal queen. Rajeswar Singh died in 1769. After his death the Moamaria, a religious sect professing Vaishnavism revolted against Lakshmi Singh, brother and successor of Rajeswar Singh. The rebels successfully occupied the capital city Rangpur and ousted the Ahom Government for a few months. During this period, Ragha Moran, one of the principal leaders of the rebellion, misbehaved towards her. In secret collaboration with the supporters of Lakshmi Singh, she stabbed Ragha Moran with a sword just below the calf during the Assamese festival of Bihu. The royalists disguised as Bihu singers were already present before her and put him to death, thus completing the work valiantly begun by her. The numerous virgins collected by Ragha Moran at the palace came out with sword in head and participated in the massacre of his family. Lakshmi Singh regained the throne. The services of Kuranganayani were publicly acknowledged in her presence. She was given the privileges and dignity of a principal queen.
Lakshmi Singh died in 1780 after a troubled reign. The Moamaria revolt briefly noticed above began to go out of control in the reign of Gaurinath Singh, son and successor of Lakshmi Singh. The Moamaria revolt of 21 April 1783 was suppressed with some difficulty, but their fresh revolt of 1786 under a new leader was far more difficult to tackle. Gaurinath fled from Rangpur towards Guwahati on 19 January 1788 at midnight. He remained there for 6 years. Gaurinath sent messengers to the kings of Cachar, Jaintia and Manipur for help. The kings of Jaintia and Cachar sent evasive replies.
Jyotirmoy Roy in his book, “History of Manipur”, 1958, writes, “Manipur Raja Jai Singh (Bhagyachandra) was mindful of the services rendered to him a few years previously by Gaurinath’s uncle, Rajeswar and marched with five hundred horses and four thousand foot to Nowgong, where he was received by Gaurinath. To be contd
Contd from previous issue
A Map of the Burmese Empire drawn by cartographer John Wyld in 1886, a folding map of Burma based on documents from the Surveyor Generals Office of India, published after the Third Anglo-Burmese War depicted Ningthee R. (Chindwin River) on the map and the general inhabitants of Kabaw Valley written as Moitay Kubo and Mrelap Kubo.
Bob Hudson, Pamela Gutman & Win Maung (Tampawaddy) in their joint write up “Buddha’s life in Konbaung period bronzes from Yazagyo”, 2018, writes, “Yazagyo in Kabaw valley lies between the Upper Chindwin River and the hills which separate Burma from Manipur. Yazagyo is on a side road from the Myanmar-India Friendship Highway, 35 kilometers north of Kalaymyo. In the latter half of the 19th century, the Kabaw Valley was becoming depopulated due to attacks by Chin tribesmen. Some villages were destroyed and others were abandoned, their residents moving to larger centers for protection.”
G.E.R. Grant Brown in Burma Gazetteer Upper Chindwin District Vol.A, 1913, recorded the Yazagyo or Kale chronicle is of unknown origin, embodying this legend, is in the district office. It contains a list of princes in which Indian names give way to Shan as early as 210 B.C., when the kingdom is said to have been united by marriage with that of Mohnyin (Katha district) in the person of Saw Kan Twe, son of Kumonda Raja by the daughter of the Mohnyin prince.
Grant Brown further writes, “Of the early history of Upper Chindwin district, anything is hardly known. The northern part at least must have been for centuries under Shan domination, and at one time formed part of, or was tributary to, the Shan kingdom of Mogaung. It is unlikely that it was under Burmese rule without intermission for much more than a hundred years before the annexation. In the south the centre of power seems to have long been at Yazagyo, now a village in the north of the Kalemyo Township. Legend has it that it was the seat of a line of Indian princes from the time of Buddha, and that its people spoke the Magadha language and were unintelligible to the tribes around them, who were described as Shan, Kadu or Kantu, Kaget or Kanzet, Thet, and Ingye. At the time of the Burmese war Shah is mentioned in records as the language of the Kale valley, from which it has now completely disappeared.”
J. George Scott & J.P. Hardiman, in Gazetteer of Upper Burma and the Shan States, 1901, writes, “The population of the Ka-le Township consists of Shans to the north, Shans and Burmans in the centre, and a mixture of Yaws and Shans to the south. Originally the whole country was inhabited by Shans of the same race as the Shans of Hkamti and Hsawng Hsup (Thaungthwut). Of late years, however, the Burman element has been introduced by immigration from Burma via the Chindwin River and Ka-le-wa, and a strong contingent of Yaws from Yawdwin, Pauk, and Gangaw settled in the valley on the accession of Po Kan U, the first Sawbwa, to power. To such an extent have outside influences (notably Burmese) prevailed of late years that the Shan is no longer a predominant nationality in the valley, and their language is also fast losing ground, except in the extreme north of the valley near Yaza-gyo, which from its secluded position is least exposed to contact with the outer world.”
Manipur had cordial relations with Tai Ahom kingdom of Assam. Sushil Chandra Dutta in his book, “The North-East and the Mughals (1661-1714)”, 1984, writes, “Although, the ruling family in Assam had a matrimonial alliance with its counterpart in Manipur during the reign of King Suhungmung (1497-1539), the Ahom monarch, there is no mention of Assam-Manipur relations in the chronicles of the either State till the second half of the eighteenth century.”
Manipuri historian Gangmumei Kamei in his book, “History of Manipur: Volume One Pre-Colonial Period”, 1991, writes, “The contact between Manipur and Ahom kingdom of Assam was also seen during the reign of King Kabomba (1523-1542). Ahom was known to the Manipuris as Tekhao (derived from Dikhu River). A trade route to upper Assam was opened in 1536. The Ahom chronicle records that “envoys were exchanged with the Raja of Manipur and presents were exchanged.”
Renowned Manipuri scholar RK Jhalajit Singh in his book, “A Short History of Manipur”, 1992, writes, ‘The Manipuri Princess Kuranganayani was married to Ahom King Rajeswar Singh, she became the principal queen. Rajeswar Singh died in 1769. After his death the Moamaria, a religious sect professing Vaishnavism revolted against Lakshmi Singh, brother and successor of Rajeswar Singh. The rebels successfully occupied the capital city Rangpur and ousted the Ahom Government for a few months. During this period, Ragha Moran, one of the principal leaders of the rebellion, misbehaved towards her. In secret collaboration with the supporters of Lakshmi Singh, she stabbed Ragha Moran with a sword just below the calf during the Assamese festival of Bihu. The royalists disguised as Bihu singers were already present before her and put him to death, thus completing the work valiantly begun by her. The numerous virgins collected by Ragha Moran at the palace came out with sword in head and participated in the massacre of his family. Lakshmi Singh regained the throne. The services of Kuranganayani were publicly acknowledged in her presence. She was given the privileges and dignity of a principal queen.
Lakshmi Singh died in 1780 after a troubled reign. The Moamaria revolt briefly noticed above began to go out of control in the reign of Gaurinath Singh, son and successor of Lakshmi Singh. The Moamaria revolt of 21 April 1783 was suppressed with some difficulty, but their fresh revolt of 1786 under a new leader was far more difficult to tackle. Gaurinath fled from Rangpur towards Guwahati on 19 January 1788 at midnight. He remained there for 6 years. Gaurinath sent messengers to the kings of Cachar, Jaintia and Manipur for help. The kings of Jaintia and Cachar sent evasive replies.
Jyotirmoy Roy in his book, “History of Manipur”, 1958, writes, “Manipur Raja Jai Singh (Bhagyachandra) was mindful of the services rendered to him a few years previously by Gaurinath’s uncle, Rajeswar and marched with five hundred horses and four thousand foot to Nowgong, where he was received by Gaurinath. To be contd