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Manipur, the British, and the Seven Years Devastation

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Last month, in June, I read the History of Modern Manipur. It's a book edited by Lal Dena (Department of History, Manipur University). This copy is a first edition, published in 1990.

Our story starts way back in 1762—the year Manipur came into its first formal contact with the British.

At that time, King Bhagyachandra of Manipur was in big trouble. The Burmese (from present-day Myanmar) had invaded his kingdom, and he had to run for his life! So what did he do? He asked the British East India Company for help.

The British, who were gradually expanding their power in India, believed that assisting Manipur could be beneficial. So they signed a treaty with Bhagyachandra in 1762 and promised to help him get his kingdom back. Spoiler alert: they didn’t do much at that time. But it was the start of a new relationship between Manipur and the British.

Fast forward to 1819. Manipur was in total chaos. Brothers were fighting for the throne. They were the sons of Bhagyachandra: Sanahal, Robinchandra, Madhuchandra, Tulsijit, Chaurajit, Marjit, Daoji, and Gambhir Singh. Marjit, who came to the throne with the help of the Burmese, was summoned to pay homage to the new Burmese king, Ba-gyi-daw, in 1819. He pleaded inability to attend the ceremony on the pretext of the hostile intentions of his two brothers, Chaurajit and Gambhir Singh. This was taken as sufficient ground for dispatching their army to Manipur, resulting in the defeat of Marjit by the Burmese.

The Burmese kicked out the king and stayed in Manipur for seven long, horrible years. This time is known as the Seven Years' Devastation (sounds like a disaster movie?). It really was.

What happened during this time?

  • Burmese soldiers ruled Manipur with cruelty.

  • Villages were destroyed. People were killed or forced to run away to other places like Assam and Tripura.

  • Manipur became a ghost town.

Basically, it was one of the darkest chapters in Manipur’s history.

A Prince Strikes Back—Enter Gambhir Singh!

While Manipur was suffering, one brave prince, Gambhir Singh, was not ready to give up. He escaped and waited for the right moment to fight back.

Then, in 1824, the British declared war on Burma—called the First Anglo-Burmese War. Gambhir Singh teamed up with them and created a small army called the Manipur Levy. Together, they gave the Burmese a taste of their own medicine.

The Treaty That Changed Everything (1826)

In 1826, the war ended with something called the Treaty of Yandabo. It was basically a peace deal, and here’s what it said:

  • Burma had to leave Manipur alone forever. 

  • Burma had to give up other areas like Assam and Arakan. 

  • And oh—they had to pay a LOT of money to the British. 

Gambhir Singh became king again, and slowly, Manipur began to heal.

But here's the twist: even though Manipur was technically "independent," the British had now gotten their foot in the door. They started controlling things quietly.

Here's a recap:

  • Manipur had early ties with the British way back in 1762.

  • The Seven Years' Devastation was a tragic time caused by Burmese invasions and internal fighting.

  • Gambhir Singh became a hero who helped win back the kingdom, with British support.

  • The Treaty of Yandabo (1826) changed the game and brought the British deeper into Manipur’s future.

Okay, that's it for this blog. More on the history of Manipur in the future.

Happy Readingđź“–
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