Imphal (pop. 268,243) is the capital of the state of Manipur in northeastern India. It is in the valley of the Manipur River, in the center of the state. Most of Imphal’s people are native Manipuri tribespeople. Before Manipur came under British rule in 1891, Imphal was the capital of the Manipuri kings who ruled the area. In 1944, Imphal was the scene of an important battle in World War II (1939-1945), when the British Indian forces defeated the Japanese army and the Indian nationalist leader Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army, ending an attempted invasion of India.
