The Political Monument- Footfalls of Manipuri History

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A study on the socio-politico-cultural history of Manipur along the movement of Indo-Aryan civilization towards Southeast Asia and the formation of the Burmese empire, the kingdom of Manipur and the Ahom dynasty as well as the advent and consolidation of the British Imperialism in South Asia and Southeast Asia and the ultimate fates of Myanmar (Burma), Assam and Manipur, and the politics of free India.

Shri Laishram Memo Singh of Liwa Road, Jaganatha Achouba Leirak, Imphal West, 8.A., LLB, 1977 (Guwahati University), practising as an Advocate under Guwahati High Court since 1978, working as a staff reporter of the Prajatantra (a leading Manipuri Daily) from 1974-1977 with the entry into professional Journalism, joined politics in 1980, since then being devoted to the ideology of Congress (1) of Shrimati Indira Gandhi, being appointed President of Manipur Pradesh Youth Congress Committee-l by Shri Mukul Wasnik MP (LS), President, Indian Youth Congress in 1989 during the time of Prime Minister, Shri Rajiv Gandhi and holding the post till 1993, and at the same time the post of Vice-President of North Eastern Youth Congress Coordination Committee-I (NEYCCI), contested the 5th Manipur Legislative Assembly elections as a Congress (1) candidate from 20 Langthabal Assembly Constituency in 1990. Working as a freelance writer, critic, political analyst and columnist with the regular contributions to the Manipuri and English local daily papers, namely the Poknapham, Imphal Free Press and Sangal Express (English), participating in several literary and social seminars, literary and political discourses, and carrying on writing of books (literary and social) and translation works from English to Manipuri and vice versa, namely the translation work, the History of Indian National Congress from English to Manipuri which was published and released by the then Chief Minister, Shri O. Ibobi Singh and Deputy Chief Minister, Shri Gaikhangam and MPCC President, Shri T.N. Haokip in 2016, and the biography, "Svetlana: The Incredible Story Of Stalin's Daughter", 1967, written by American Author, Martin Ebon, from English to Manipuri, etc.

Shri Maheshsana Rajkumar alias R.K. Monty Singh of Moirangkhom, Sougaljam Leikai, Imphal West, youngest son of late R.K. Dorendra Singh, completed his schooling from APS Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi 1992-1993, graduated in B.A. Political Science Major, St. Xavier's College, University of Mumbai 1995-1996, and pursued MBA from University of Technology. Sydney, Australia 2004. He lived in U.K. and has been successful in the market entry particularly into Nepal and Myanmar in the Hydro and Renewable Energy space. He is a state level basketball player and freelance research scholar.

Manipur, relatively an age-old country with her antique position as a kingdom lies in between the Ancient Indian Civilization and the South East Asian Civilization having her own pride and dignity for centuries as recorded by eminent writers to portray her splendid activities. Besides, scholars are also attempting courageously to trace out and address the origin and history of the Manipuris during the remote as well as recent past, covering the role played by the then Chief Minister of Manipur Shri Rajkumar Dorendra Singh who was acknowledged as a "Well-Meaning Mediator" in the wide range Anti-Foreigners issues of Assam.

Long before I ever came across the book, "The Political Monument: Footfalls Of Manipuri History" written by Shri L Memo Singh and Shri Maheshsana Rajkumar, I used to listen with deep patience to what Shri L Memo Singh narrated mystically to me and enjoyed whenever we sat together several times across the relaxed mood. Now, I'm extremely delighted to see those narratives in the present book form as a composite history of Manipor. In fact, I'm privileged to foreword the book in this publication.

I feel that "The Political Monument: Footfalls Of Manipuri History is not only a mere conventional entertaining book, but also it will be an invaluable one for generations. This book can be one of the masterpieces of contemporary social and historical writings which may help to sort out some of the critical issues facing the Manipuris in view of the obscurity of the origin of Manipur. Indeed, this ambitious, stimulating and perhaps a provocative book will certainly throw some light on the often neglected truth that understanding the past is the only way to understand the later. It is not only a subtle and wide-ranging book which offers a sophisticated and investigative analysis but also it reveals the way in which Manipur has been developed through the ages. It can be read with pleasure by anyone who even has little knowledge of Manipuri history. The presentation of the book is illuminating, dexterity with compassion, scholarly dispassionate and never sentimental. There is a crisp with wit to their expressions and they are frank enough and open minded about Manipur's failings. It is needless to say that this book reveals the confidence of an immensely intellectual and will remain for long as one of the standard sources of references

I hope the mind of every reader of the book will be provoked and he will emerge with a vision and suggestion that will help Manipur make her bright future.

The only way to know Manipur is to first know Southeast Asia and then India. However, few people know the true history of Southeast Asia as there is no the real history of Southeast Asia. It is true that the countries which were composed of Southeast Asia such as Myanmar (Burma), Manipur, Arakan, etc. have their own histories. But each of their histories cannot represent the history of Southeast Asia.

There is no question of surprise when somebody speaks of the history of Indo-China which is consisting of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. This history itself is in need to the making of the history of Southeast Asia.

Keeping this in view, we take up the project to write the present book. If this book is included among those books which are contributory to the making of the history of Southeast Asia, our work is going nearer to the destination of the unavoidable journey for the Southeast Asia.

After the departure of the British from India, Manipur and Myanmar (Burma) at the concluding part of the first half of the 20th century, the true characteristics of Southeast Asia had suffered setbacks to retain its past glory.

Accepting the advantage of the inclusion of Manipur as one of the states of the Union of India, the task of Manipur is immensely great unlike the other states in the building up of the true characteristics of Southeast Asia. In this regard, a strong leader of the state of Manipur, who was toiling himself constitutively for the development of Indian politics, is to be selected for critical analysis of Indian politics relating to the neighbouring country like Myanmar (Burma), socially, culturally, politically and economically. Therefore, it is to take into account the stature of the leadership of Rajkumar Dorendra Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur, along with the achievements of his tenure in power politics for an effective study in this field.

Chandra Sheikher Panchani, a Postal Administrator of Indian Postal Services in his book, "Manipur Religion, Culture and Society", in pp. 1-2 describes the geographical position of Manipur as follows: Manipur, situated between latitude 23.83°N and 25.68°N and longitude 93.03°E and 94,78°E; comprising 1820 sq km of flat plateau of alluvial valley and 20507 sq km of hill territory forms a part of Himalayan mountain system which carries this cup shaped wonderland inside its series of hill ranges when the high mountainous range turns southward from its eastern extremity from Sadiya, into sub-mountainous ranges in the north as Patkoi hills extending into Naga hills, bordering Manipur plateau from the north and opposing its western portion the mountain chain is extending into a branch westward forming the Khasi, Garo and Jaintia hills; and to the south of which are Lushai and Chin hills which narrow into a long single range, the Arakan Yoma, which reaches the sea at Cape Negrais. A small but strategically most important state thus finds its place in the extreme of the North Eastern Frontier of India, touching its boundaries with sister states Nagaland. Assam and Mizoram towards its home front, and North Burma, towards its foreign front. The valley portion of the state is surrounded by hill ranges from all sides. Its formation into valley must have transitioned from its lake form which was developed on the bowl-shaped land surface from the incoming water through the slope of the hills. The land finds its place in the accounts of both the Periplus and Ptolemy's geography as far back as the second century A.D., if not earlier, as a place in the region extending from the extreme Sadiya region to south-east Bengal.

Manipur was an antique kingdom in the ancient Southeast Asia. It was formed in 33 CE. Before the formation of the kingdom of ancient Manipur, the Solar Sakya kingdom of Indo-Aryan race in the Himalayan foothills (Kapilavastu) was incorporated by the mighty Mauryans in their Magadha Empire. It was clearly stated by A.L. Basham in his book, "The Wonder that was India", p. 47. The two kings of the Solar Sakya kingdom with their large hordes of armies, common men and domestic animals passed Manipur and arrived at the confluence of the Chindwin and Irrawaddy basins and founded the first ever kingdom of Southeast Asia known as Tagaung kingdom. The first king of the Sakya dynasty, Abhi Raja founded Tagaung kingdom in 850 BCE. The second king, Dhaja Raja arrived at and settled in the realm of ancient Manipur in 550 BCE and later founded his Maurya kingdom extending through Moirang, Kabaw Valley and Kale region upto the Chindwin River with Rajagraha or Yazagyo as its capital at Kale Township. The king ruled both the kingdoms of Tagaung and Maurya simultaneously and sixteen of his descendants were said to have reigned. After the reign of those sixteen kings in the two kingdoms, conflicts in the reigning family and eventful invasion of the Shans brought about the dissolution of this realm.

**Contents and Sample Pages**