Manipur (Man)

Asm: মণিপুৰ maṇipūra

‘Jewelled Land’  

From Skt/Hin: mani, ‘jewel’, ‘gem’; and Skt/Hin: pur, ‘fort’, ‘city’.

Local myths tell of the snake god Vasuki casting jewels across this land, filling it with natural beauty. King Gharib Nawaz (Mei: Meidingu Pamheiba) made Hinduism the state religion in 1714 and ten years later the state was renamed Manipur.

Manipur maintained its independent status as a princely state under the British Raj and chose to join India at Independence in preference to Burma.

One of the leading Indian classical dance forms, Manipuri, originates from here: a soft, expressive dance featuring stiff, cylindrical skirts.

The Meitei people in the plains and around Imphal valley represent around 53% of the population; Naga and Kuki-Zo hill tribes account for about 40% between them.

Violence erupted in May 2023. The conflict was between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities [Video:  The Manipur Crisis Explained – Frontline].

For more on Indian place names and history, see Toponymy on the Ashoka Express and Manipur: This Jewelled Land

For a journey through tribal India and Sri Lanka, see Headhunting with Marguerite

Manipur and the North East Region (NER)