Book Excerpt: Princes, Colonial Shadows, And Rebels — Manipur's Long Tryst With Unrest

An excerpt from ‘Northeast India: A Political History’, a book by journalist and author Samrat Choudhury.

Northeast India: A Political History, a HarperCollinsIN publication, explores the significance of NE for India.

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The combination of social unrest, the Second World War and the impending departure of the British from India finally forced political changes in Manipur. King Chura Chand was an orthodox Hindu and observance of caste taboos known as ‘mangba-sengba’, or pollution-purification, was still common in his kingdom during his reign. The Brahma Sabha, a community organisation of the Brahmin caste that enjoyed the backing of the king, decided what constituted pollution, and had the powers to