Then the famous two kings, Khagemba (Sana Hihonhan) and Pamheiba (Garibniwaz) later during the 16th/17th and 18th centuries respectively further consolidated the territory of the Kingdom of Manipur by annexing a large area in the east and west, particularly in Burma in the east as far as Ava, the then capital of the Burmese kingdom situated on the bank of great Irrawady river.

It was during the time of these two great kings that their Military Might became the strongest one in the region, particularly of their Cavalry Force who consisted of very well trained fighters equipped with the then most feared weapons of poisoned arrows known as "Arambais" mounted on very endurable and skilled indigenous war ponies.

It was because of the great might of the unparalleled Manipuri cavalry force, and also of the great abilities of the Manipuri generals, particularly of one most able and courageous general named Thangjaba Chakrapani that Pamheiba came out always victorious in all the wars and had made the neighbouring kingdoms and enemies felt his unchallengeable power and prowess by exercising his sway very deep into their areas.

Thus Manipur had a very wide territory possessed till it had been gradually narrowed down on all the fronts by the very "shrewd" policies of the British Government adopted later on when the might of the Manipuris had started weaning down by making seeming alliance with Raja Gambhir Singh and his son Chandrakirti Singh for their interest with several Treaties made, such as of the 1826 (the Yendaboo or Yendabou Treaty), 1833 etc, and more harmfully to Manipur by an agreement signed in 1834.

Moreover they (British) taking the undue advantage of being in a much stronger position of the alliance with the Manipur kings, the British, under an appeasing policy simply to serve their own purpose, gave away a large portion of the Kabow valley, measuring some 7000 square miles to the Burmese Government in lieu of which Manipur was compensated by paying Burmese Sicca Rupees 5000/— equivalent to Indian Rupees 6270/- per annum commencing from January 9, 1834, the day from which the transfer of the very precious piece of land was effected.

India and Burma became one country under the British rule later on. However in 1937 AD, Burma was separated and it was at that time that Sir Churachand Singh, the Maharaja of Manipur had submitted a memorandum to the British Authorities for the transfer of the Kabow valley back to Manipur to which they had kept quite silent.

India and Burma became free from the yoke of the British in the year 1947 and 1948 respectively, and Manipur also assumed again a sovereign independent status and it was in that year again that Bodhchandra Singh, the eldest son of Churachand Singh who became the king of Manipur at that time had submitted another representation to the Governor General of India, the head of the interim Government of India for the transfer of the Kabow valley to Manipur as it was the right time of doing so since the British interim Government was working out at that time all the assets and liabilities of their rule over the two countries.

The interim Government also however had kept quite ‘mum’ on the matter and they had ultimately escaped from the great burden of the knotty issue that they had created quite unjustifiably.

— to be continued