When Sir James Johnstone was the Political Agent of Manipur, he went to an expedition in Burma border along with Meetei soldiers. They were inspecting the area located in present day Somrah Tangkhul (in Myanmar) and few other places like Jessami.
When they were at Jessami village, Sir James Johnstone asked one of the Manipuris to challenge any Naga, to a wrestling match. None of the villagers came forward, though the village have strong men. He confirmed his opinion that Manipuris were superior to any of the hill tribes in the kingdom.
British used Burmese soldiers to controlled the Tangkhuls living along the Myanmar border. During one such occasion, 700 Burmese soldiers who were sent by the Britishers were totally wiped out by the Tangkhuls. However, as the Meetei forces advanced, different tribes, after one struggle, quietly submitted and on both occasions, the people in Tangkhul areas were in admirable orders and behaved as if they had always been peaceful subjects of Manipur.
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| Thang Ta - Meetei Warrior (Image credit- E-pao.Net) |
The Meetei race have stable and industrious qualities which the Burmese and the Shans do not posses. The men are capable of learning anything and the women are famous as weavers. In any expedition, Meetei are always ready to march,and march all day and all night, if necessary.
With such powerful skills in warfare, it was confirmed that for the greater part of the last century, the Kabaw valley unquestionably belonged to Manipur and it was never in any sense a Burmese province. When it was out of Manipur Kingdom, a feudatory of the Shan Kingdom of Pong controlled it.
Terming Meetei as the descended of Indo-Chinese race, Sir James Johnstone wrote about the enigmatic qualities of Meetei as , " the Indo-Chinese races exceed even the ordinary Asiatic on reserve and Sphinx like Characteristics, and the Manipuris are an inscrutable set.."
One possible reason for linking Meetei with the Chinese might be from the fact that starting 1250 A.D., a large Chinese force invaded the Meetei Kingdom, which was signally defeated. All who were not killed were made prisoners. These taught the Meetei the silk culture and a most of them were made to settled in Senjam Kameng in Imphal West. The Chinese also taught the art of Brick making.
People living in and around the Naga Hills (present day Kohima ) held the Manipuri more superior than the British. During the Kohima expedition, the Nagas told the Manipuri not to co-operate with the British against them. They prefer to remain under Manipur as a feudal subject rather than an occupied territory of the British.
Even after bringing the Nagas into the subjection to the British rule, there were two parties in every Angami village - one attached to the interest of Manipur and another to that of the British. (Lieutenant Vincent).
Johnstone also mentioned clearly in his "My Experience in Manipur" that there is every reason to believe that Manipuris in former days did penetrate into the Naga Hills and exacted tributes when they felt strong enough to do so. All the villages have Manipuri names in addition to their own..
Whenever a Manipuri visited such Naga village he was treated as an honoured guest, at a time when a British subject could not venture into the interior without risk of being murdered.
During the Kohima expedition (1879-1880), the Nagas regarded Manipuri as the greater power of the two, because of her conduct was consistent. Many of the Nagas began to speak Manipuri (Meeteilon) and several villages paid an annual tribute.
N.B. Naga Hills are areas surrounding present day Dimapur, hills of Assam bordering Nagaland and present day Nagaland. Not a single hills and villages of Manipur was included in the Naga hills
People living in and around the Naga Hills (present day Kohima ) held the Manipuri more superior than the British. During the Kohima expedition, the Nagas told the Manipuri not to co-operate with the British against them. They prefer to remain under Manipur as a feudal subject rather than an occupied territory of the British.
Even after bringing the Nagas into the subjection to the British rule, there were two parties in every Angami village - one attached to the interest of Manipur and another to that of the British. (Lieutenant Vincent).
Johnstone also mentioned clearly in his "My Experience in Manipur" that there is every reason to believe that Manipuris in former days did penetrate into the Naga Hills and exacted tributes when they felt strong enough to do so. All the villages have Manipuri names in addition to their own..
Whenever a Manipuri visited such Naga village he was treated as an honoured guest, at a time when a British subject could not venture into the interior without risk of being murdered.
During the Kohima expedition (1879-1880), the Nagas regarded Manipuri as the greater power of the two, because of her conduct was consistent. Many of the Nagas began to speak Manipuri (Meeteilon) and several villages paid an annual tribute.
N.B. Naga Hills are areas surrounding present day Dimapur, hills of Assam bordering Nagaland and present day Nagaland. Not a single hills and villages of Manipur was included in the Naga hills
