Gambhir Singh

King of Manipur

Gambhir Singh
King of Manipur
Portrait by RKCS
King of Manipur^{[broken anchor]}
Reign	April 1821 to October 1821 and 12 June 1825^[1] to 9 January 1834
Coronation	6 June 1831^[2]
Predecessor	Badra Singh, father of Maharaja Nara Singh
Successor	Chandrakirti Singh

Born	Chinglen Nongdrenkhomaba 5 March 1788 Langthabal Palace, Canchipur
Died	(1834-01-09)9 January 1834 (aged 47) Langthabal Palace, Canchipur, Imphal
Consort	Meetei Leima Maipung Lanthabi, Meetei Leima Maisnam Kumudini
Issue	Chandra Kirti ( also known as Ningthem Pisak), Princess Shija Tamphasana, Prince Ibungshija Raj Singh
House	Ningthouja dynasty
Father	Chingthang Khomba
Mother	Queen Khumong Mayum Chanu
Religion	Hinduism

Kingdom of Manipur

Part of History of Manipur

Kings of Manipur

Loiyumba	1074–1112
Senbi Kiyamba	1467–1508
Koirengba	1508–1512
Khagemba	1597–1652
Pitambar Charairongba	1697–1709
Pamheiba	1720–1751
Gaurisiam	1752–1754
Chitsai	1754–1756
Ching-Thang Khomba	1769–1798
Rohinchandra	1798–1801
Maduchandra Singh	1801–1806
Chourjit Singh	1806–1812
Marjit Singh	1812–1819
Gambhir Singh	1825–1834
Nara Singh	1844–1850
Debindro Singh	1850–1850
Chandrakirti Singh	1850–1886
Surachandra Singh	1886–1890
Kulachandra Singh	1890–1891
Churachandra Singh	1891–1941
Bodhchandra Singh	1941–1949

Manipur monarchy data

Ningthouja dynasty (Royal family)
Pakhangba (Symbol of the kingdom)
Cheitharol Kumbaba (Royal chronicle)
Imphal (Capital of the kingdom)
Kangla Palace (Royal residence)

Chinglen Nongdrenkhomba (1788–1834), also known as Raja Gambhir Singh, was a ruler of the Manipur Kingdom.

Biography

He was a son of Chingthang Khomba. He succeeded his nephew Yumjaotaba in April 1821 during the seven years devastation. He abdicated the throne with the arrival of a Burmese force under his cousin Prince Jai Singh, the first puppet king of Manipur under Burmese suzerainty,^[3] in October 1821. Gambhir Singh fled to Cachar.^{[citation needed]}

In Cachar, Gambhir Singh with the help of his elder brothers Chourjit and Marjit dethroned Govinda Chandra, the king of Cachar. Govinda Chandra applied for the protection of the British East India Company. His request was refused. In consequence of which he applied to the King of Burma to reinstate him. Accordingly, in 1823 the king of Burma send a large army into Cachar from to arrest Chourjit, Marjit and Gambhir Singh. The Burmese forces proceeded up to the territory of British East India Company. In March 1824, Lord Amherst, the then Governor General of British India declared war against Burma. In 1823, the British Government opened communications with Gambhir Singh; upon which 500 Meiteis under his command were taken into pay of the British Government, and co-operated with the British troops in driving out the Burmese out of Cachar.^[4] This force of 500 men was known as Gambhir Singh Levy (later Manipur Levy). The Manipur Levy under Gambhir Singh and his second cousin Nara Singh, later Maharaja Nara Singh, played a key role in driving out the Burmese from cachar and Manipur. The First Anglo-Burmese War was ended with the defeat of the Burmese. A peace treaty was signed between the Burmese and the British on 24 February 1826 known as the Treaty of Yandaboo.^[5] According to the article no.2 of the Treaty Gambhir Singh was declared the independent ruler of Manipur. Gambhir Singh reigned until his death on 9 January 1834. He was succeeded by his infant son Chandra Kirti with Maharaja Nara Singh as regent.^[6]

The Khaki Ngamba mentions that on a Monday in either April or May 1829, Singh was passing through Sylhet whilst on a British expedition against the Khasis. Two processions were being prepared by Sylhet's Muslim and Hindu communities respectively. The Islamic month of Muharram in the history of Sylhet was a lively time during which tazia processions were common. This happened to fall on the same day as the Hindu festival of Rothjatra. Sensing possible communal violence, the Faujdar of Sylhet, Ganar Khan, ordered the Hindu community to delay their festival by one day. Contrary to the Nawab's order, a riot emerged between the two communities. As a Hindu himself, Singh managed to defend the Hindus and disperse the Muslim rioters with his Manipuri troops. The Rothjatra was not delayed, and Singh stayed to take part in it. Revered by the Hindu community as a defender of their faith, he enjoyed the procession and initiated the practice of celebrating Rothjatra and worshipping Jagannath in his own homeland of Manipur.^[7]

References

^ Rajkumar, Somorjit Sana (2010). The Chronology of Meetei Monarchs (From 1666 CE to 1850 CE). Imphal: Waikhom Ananda Meetei. p. 272. ISBN 978-81-8465-210-9.
^ Raj Kumar, Somorjit Sana (2010). The Chronology of Meetei Monarchs ( From 1666 CE to 1850 CE). Imphal: Waikhom Ananda Meetei. p. 286. ISBN 978-81-8465-210-9.
^ Kabui, Gangmumei (1991). History of Manipur, vol.I. New Delhi: National Publishing House. p. 291. ISBN 81-214-0362-6.
^ Mackenzie, A (1884). History of Relations of Government with the Hill tribes of North east Frontier of British India. Calcutta.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ Aichison, C.U (1931). Treaties, Sanads, Engagements, etc. Reprint Delhi (1979): Craus Thomson Organisation.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
^ R.K., Jhalajit (1992). A Short History of Manipur. Imphal. pp. 259–260.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ Singh, Moirangthem Kirti (1980). Religious Developments in Manipur in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Manipur State Kala Akademi. p. 165-166. Gonarkhan