MANIPUR, a native state in north-eastern India, lying between 24° 35' and 24-° 48' 30'' N. lat., and between 93° and 94° 40' E. long., is bounded on the N. by the Nâga country and the hills overlooking the Assam valley, on the W. by Câchâr district, and on the E. by Independent Burmah. On the south the boundary is undefined, and abuts on the country inhabited by various independent wild hill tribes of Lushais, Kukis, Ac. The state consists of an extensive valley, estimated at about 650 square miles in extent, and a large surrounding unsurveyed tract of difficult mountainous country stretching between Assam, Câchâr, Burmah, and Chittagong. The total area is estimated at about 7600 square miles. The population of the Manipur valley and the surrounding hills is supposed to be about 74,000 hill-men and 65,000 Manipuris. The hill ranges generally run north and south, with occasional connecting spurs and ridges of lower elevation between. Their greatest altitude is in the north, where they reach to upwards of 8000 feet above sea-level. The principal geographical feature in the valley is the Logtak Lake, an irregular sheet of water of considerable size, but said to be yearly growing smaller. The valley is watered by numerous rivers, the Bârak being the most important. The hills are densely clothed with tree jungle and large forest timber. There are large herds of wild elephants* as well as tigers, leopards, bears, buffaloes, Ac. The country seems to be singularly free from poisonous snakes; the cobra does not appear to exist in the valley, but the boa constrictor is found in the dense forests to the south....
The first relations of the British with Manipur date from 1762, when the raja solicited British aid to repel a Burmese invasion, and a treaty was entered into. The force was recalled, and but little communication between the two countries took place until 1824, on the outbreak of the first British Burmese war. British assistance was again invoked by the raja, and the Burmese were finally expelled both from the Assam and Manipur valleys. A political agent acts as a means of communication between the state and the British Government. Manipur valley appears to have been originally occupied by several tribes which came from different directions. Although their general facial characteristics are Mongolian, there is a great diversity of feature among the Manipuris, some of them showing a regularity approaching the Aryan type. I⅛ the valley the people are chiefly Hindus, that religion being apparently of recent introduction. They have a caste system of their own, different from that of India, and chiefly founded on what is known as the system of ΙαΙΙύρ or forced labour. Every male between the ages of seventeen and sixty is obliged to place his services at the disposal of the state for a certain number of days each year, and to different classes of the people different employments are assigned. About four hundred Mohammedan families, descendants of settlers from Bengal, reside to the east of the capital. The aboriginal hill-men belong to one of the two great divisions of Nâgas and Kukis, and are subdivided into innumerable clans and sections with slight differences in language, customs, or dress. The state is noted for the excellence of its breed of ponies. The now popular English game of polo was introduced from Manipur, where it forms a great national pastime. The trade is but small, owing chiefly to the want of means of transport, none of the roads being available for wheeled carts.
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