Manipur - A cradle of Meitei Civilisation :: Download
- There will always be an intact Manipur -
Dr Mohendra Irengbam *
Ancient British residence in Imphal in 16 acres of land before the Anglo-Manipuri war of 1891.
Modern civilisation in Manipur began with the British occupation of Manipur on April 27 1891
The melody of waters filled
The fresh and boundless wood.
And torrents dashed, and rivulets played,
And fountains spouted in the shade.
- William Cullen Bryant
(The romantic American poet of late 19th century)
The above stanza, extracted from the poem An Indian at the Burial place of his Fathers sums up my memory of Manipur.
While thinking of writing a general epilogue to my ongoing narratives, keeping my emotions at bay, I found myself double taking. It has not escaped my understanding that my ignorance seemed to widen with everything I read about Manipur.
Yet, somehow, I came close to determining my conclusion that the Meiteis, as the original inhabitants of Manipur had a civilisation, which is something I can hang on to, tinged with little nuggets of warmth in my heart, and making it an easier ending to swallow.
This then, follows a question I want to ask myself, whether Meiteis had a civilisation. This query came up as a reflection from the relevance and implications of my narrative findings, and in view of my simple understanding, that has come about from reading intellectuals who describe civilisation as an advanced state of human development, pertinent to a particular era.
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* Dr Mohendra Irengbam wrote this article for e-pao.net
The writer can be contacted at irengbammsingh(AT)gmail(DOT)com
This article was webcasted on June 25 2023 .
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