Iwanthaba

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Meidingu Iwanthaba
Ningthou of Manipur
"Hemtou Iwanthapa" (Ancient Meitei name) and "Hemtou Iwanthaba" (Modern Meitei name) of the Meitei king, the ruler of Kangleipak kingdom (Manipur kingdom).png
"Hemtou Iwanthapa" (Ancient Meitei name) and "Hemtou Iwanthaba" (Modern Meitei name) of the Meitei king, the ruler of Kangleipak kingdom (Manipur kingdom)
Reign1163–1195 CE
Predecessor Atom Yoiremba
SuccessorThawanthaba
Issue Thawanthaba
Dynasty Ningthouja dynasty
Father Loitongba
Religion Sanamahism

Meidingu Hemtou Iwanthaba (also called Iwanthaba) was a king from the Ningthouja dynasty of the Manipur Kingdom who ruled from 1163 to 1195 CE. He came to power after displacing Atom Yoiremba, who ruled previously, and was succeeded by Thawanthaba. [1] His reign lasted 32 years and is recorded in the royal chronicle of Manipur, the Cheitharol Kumbaba. [2] [3]

Contents

Military campaign against the Khumans

While Iwanthaba was the king, the Meiteis were in conflict with the Khuman clan. The Meiteis took up the sword against the Khumans and fought at Uchiwa. [4] As stated in the Cheitharol Kumbaba, Meetei forces came upon the Khuman queen while she was inspecting paddy workers in the field, and was killed in a confrontation, with her body later taken away by the Meiteis.

The demise of the queen infuriated the Khuman forces who took revenge by marching toward Yairou to oppose the Meiteis. [2] A difficult battle had sprung forth which ended in a Meetei victory. Around thirty Khuman individuals were captured, including:

There were Khuman warriors that died in the war, and others escaped. The term the chronicle used to denote the captives, pharouye, denotes that they were not merely overtaken but detained as well, which demonstrates an obvious military encounter on the side of the Meiteis. [4]

See also

References

  1. "A Brief history of the Meiteis of Manipur". themanipurpage.tripod.com. Retrieved 2025-05-31.
  2. 1 2 "The court chronicle of the kings of Manipur : the Cheitharon kumpapa : original text, translation, and notes 9780203444276, 0203444272, 9780415344302, 0415344301". dokumen.pub. Retrieved 2025-05-31.
  3. Parratt, Saroj Nalini (2005). The Court Chronicle of the Kings of Manipur: 33-1763 CE. Routledge. ISBN   978-0-415-34430-2.
  4. 1 2 An Early History of Manipur (PDF).