Manipur, like the rest of northeast India, has never been annexed by any of the previous Indian empires; this has led to a sharp difference in culture and traditions in Manipur and the northeast with the rest of India.[1] Manipur came under British rule as a princely state in 1891. This ended the independent status of the Kingdom of Manipur, the last kingdom to be incorporated into British India.
During the Second World War, Manipur was the scene of many fierce battles between the Japanese and the Allied forces. The Japanese were beaten back before they could enter Imphal, and this proved to be one of the turning points of the war.
After the war, the Manipur Constitution Act of 1947, established a democratic form of government with the Maharaja as the Executive Head and an elected legislature. In 1949, Maharaja Bodhchandra was summoned to Shillong, capital of the then Indian province of Assam. The legislative assembly was dissolved on the accession of the state to the republic of India in October 1949. Manipur became a Union Territory in 1956 and later, in 1972, a full-fledged state of India.
There has been a separatist movement in Manipur since the early 1970s, with several groups engaged in violent action in order to achieve their goal of a sovereign Manipur.[2]
Special permission must also be obtained for those who wish to enter Manipur, as it is considered a "sensitive area" on account of its political troubles and geographical location.[3]
Manipur, like the rest of northeast India, has never been annexed by any of the previous Indian empires; this has led to a sharp difference in culture and traditions in Manipur and the northeast with the rest of India.[1] Manipur came under British rule as a princely state in 1891. This ended the independent status of the Kingdom of Manipur, the last kingdom to be incorporated into British India.
ReplyDeleteDuring the Second World War, Manipur was the scene of many fierce battles between the Japanese and the Allied forces. The Japanese were beaten back before they could enter Imphal, and this proved to be one of the turning points of the war.
After the war, the Manipur Constitution Act of 1947, established a democratic form of government with the Maharaja as the Executive Head and an elected legislature. In 1949, Maharaja Bodhchandra was summoned to Shillong, capital of the then Indian province of Assam. The legislative assembly was dissolved on the accession of the state to the republic of India in October 1949. Manipur became a Union Territory in 1956 and later, in 1972, a full-fledged state of India.
There has been a separatist movement in Manipur since the early 1970s, with several groups engaged in violent action in order to achieve their goal of a sovereign Manipur.[2]
Special permission must also be obtained for those who wish to enter Manipur, as it is considered a "sensitive area" on account of its political troubles and geographical location.[3]