The Court Chronicle of the Kings of Manipur: The Cheitharon Kumpapa, Volume 3: 1843-1892 CE

The Court Chronicle of the Kings of Manipur is a three-volume series on the court history of the Manipur state. It records events from the foundation of the ruling dynasty in 33 CE. This dynasty continued until the abolition of the monarchy and subsequent merger of the state with India in 1949. The Cheitharon Kumpapa Vol. 1 chronicles the history of Manipur from 33 to 1763 CE, and Vol. 2 from 1764 to 1843 CE. This third and final volume continues the discussion until 1891 when the legitimate kingship came to an end as a result of conflict with the British. The three volumes contain an English translation of the work along with a copy of the original Manipuri script (Meetei Mayek). Explanatory notes and a glossary of frequently-used Manipuri terms complement the text. The book will be of interest to researchers on East and South Asia in the fields of history, social anthropology and linguistics. The Cheitharon Kumpapa is the court chronicle of the kings of Manipur, a small formerly independent state situated on the Indian border with Myanmar. The Cheitharon Kumpapa is a court account of the state, which claims to record events from the founding of the ruling dynasty in 33 CE. This dynasty continued until the abolition of the monarchy after the merger of the state with India in 1949. The document is thus probably the oldest chronicle in the region, written on handmade Meetei (Manipuri) paper made from tree bark in locally made ink with a quill or a bamboo pen. All in all it comprises more than 1,000 leaves. This volume contains a copy of the original text of the Cheitharon Kumpapa, authorised by the Palace, and the English translation from the original composed in archaic Manipuri script (Meetei Mayek). Explanatory notes and a glossary complement this interesting source of information. Scholars working on East and South Asia will find this volume enlightening, and the text will be useful for those readers engaged in social anthropology, religious history, archaeology, human geography and linguistics.