Manipur Myanmar historical connections edited by Aheibam Koireng Singh, Shukhdeba Sharma Hanjabam

Includes bibliographies and index

Manipur and Burma (present Myanmar) were two Asiatic ancient kingdoms having its own history and is corresponding to each other. The interwoven history of these two erstwhile nations for over two thousand years sharing the joys and sorrows as good neighbours enabled India to easily establish cordial relationship with Myanmar so swiftly. Of late, the various activities of exchanging of ideas and experiences have taken place which brings the people from both sides of the border closer to each other thereby playing a key role in Manipur-Myanmar Relations in particular and India-Myanmar Relations in general. No doubt, at some stages of history, there had been a story of struggle for supremacy between Manipur and Burma. In the fluctuating fortune between the two sides, the Burmese had shown the might of the famed Manipuri Cavalry who forced the Burmese to retreat.When the Burmese took their reprisals and occupied Manipur,they returned home with members of these famed horsemen and they formed the advance thrust when King Alungpaya attacked Thailand in Chiangmai. The British, eager to save their interest from growing French influence in the Bay of Bengal, saw an ally in Manipur. Thus was born the Manipur Levy under charge of Maharaja Gambhir Singh, which drove the Burmese away. The Manipuris, who were already inhabited there and those taken as war captives to meet the Burmese requirements of skilled artisans, soldiers and scholars settled down in and around Mandalay and became part of the mosaic of Burmese people, treated as one and equal. Even then there are still considerable number of people who still harbour the perceived past wounds of seven years devastation (1819-1826).This present volume is in a way an intervention to do away with such mind-sets in the light of emerging realities and finding ways of benefiting together.