Manipur (pop. 2,855,794) is a hilly state in northeastern India. It shares an international boundary with Myanmar. Most of Manipur’s people are farmers. The state covers 8,621 square miles (22,327 square kilometers). Its capital is Imphal.
People and government.
The majority of Manipuris are tribal people, with a mixture of Burmese and Mongolian influences. Most of the population in the valleys are Hindus, worshippers of Vishnu. They belong to the Meithei tribe, related to the Shans of Burma. There are about 30 other tribes, most of whom are Christians.
The Manipuris have a reputation for being great warriors, who still practice their martial arts skills. The state language is Manipuri. Manipur has a university and an agricultural college.
Manipur has two elected members in the Lok Sabha (lower house) and one nominated representative in the Rajya Sabah (upper house) of the Indian national parliament. The state legislative assembly has 60 members, 20 of them from reserved tribal constituencies.
Economy.
About 70 percent of the state’s people live in rural areas. Most of them work in subsistence farming, growing food for their own needs. Rice is the main crop. Corn is grown in the foothills.
Handloom weaving is a large industry in Manipur. Forest products and local stoneware production are also important.
Daily flights connect Imphal, the state capital, to Delhi, the Indian national capital. The road network is very limited. Because of the sparse population of the area, places of even modest size are quite distant from each other.
Land.
Manipur lies about 435 miles (700 kilometers) northeast of Kolkata. It has an international border on its east side with Myanmar and state borders with Nagaland to the north, Assam to the west, and Mizoram to the south.
Much of Manipur is above 660 feet (200 meters), but the heart of the populated area is a low-lying basin. In its center is the reedy Lake Loktak, into which several river valleys drain. There are several large lakes in the central area where the rivers drain southward. They are used for fishing and duck shooting, as well as for boat races.
Manipur is still a forested state. Bamboo and teak are common, but magnolia and oak are also widespread. Blue poppies, primroses, and rhododendrons are common flowers. Elephants, rhinoceroses, and tigers are all found in the state.
Winter temperatures at Imphal fall to a minimum of 39 °F (4 °C) at night. Daytime temperatures, even in January, reach over 70 °F (21 °C). The average summer maximum, from April to September, is 84 °F (29 °C). The annual rainfall at Imphal is about 16 inches (40 centimeters), but is heavier elsewhere in the state.
History.
Some historians believe Imphal was founded about 2,000 years ago. Imphal derives its name from Yumpham meaning homestead and is one of the oldest state capitals in India. Manipur has always been independent of its neighboring tribal areas. There are few major historical landmarks. The most notable is the Bishnupur Temple, nearly 19 miles (30 kilometers) from Imphal, which was built in 1467 during the reign of King Kiyamba. The narrow bricks used in its construction reflect the influence of the Chinese on the Manipuri culture.
Seven clans ruled different parts of the state until the 1700’s, when Rajarshi Bhagya Chandra unified Manipur. The Burmese often invaded, but Manipur enjoyed long periods of stable government. In 1762, Britain (now the United Kingdom) agreed to support Manipur against the Burmese. The United Kingdom took control of Manipur in 1891 and maintained it as an autonomous state until Indian independence in 1947, when Manipur became a union territory. In 1972, Manipur became a state of India.
During the early 1990’s, hundreds of people died in fighting between security forces and groups seeking to establish Manipur as an independent state. On December 31, 1993, the Indian government responded to the crisis by dismissing Manipur’s elected government and imposing central rule over the state.
In December 1994, the Indian government revoked central rule over Manipur. The Legislative Assembly was reinstated and a coalition government was formed. At that time, Oudh Narain Srivastava, formerly the governor of Nagaland, became Manipur’s governor. In February 1995, Congress I took office in Manipur after gaining a majority in the state’s Legislative Assembly.
