Mount Manipur

Last updated
Mount Manipur
Mount Harriet
Highest point
Elevation 383 m (1,257 ft)
Coordinates 11°43′20″N92°43′58″E / 11.72222°N 92.73278°E / 11.72222; 92.73278
Naming
Etymology Manipur
Native name Meitei: Manipur Chingjao
English translationManipur Mountain
Pronunciation/ma-nī-pūr chīng-jāo/
Defining authority Government of India
Geography
Location Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Country India
Union territory Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Settlement Island

Mount Manipur, formerly known as Mount Harriet, [lower-alpha 1] is the third highest peak in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. [1] The mountain houses the Mount Manipur Memorial, which commemorates the Manipuri freedom fighters of the Anglo-Manipur War and the Mount Manipur National Park (Mount Harriet National Park), which is best known for its rich biodiversity in the archipelago. [2] [3] On 17 October 2021, Mount Harriet was officially renamed as Mount Manipur by the Union Government of India, as a tribute to the freedom fighters of Manipur. This was initially announced by Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister of India, in a function in Port Blair, highlighting about the sacrifices of Yuvaraj Tikendrajit Singh, General Thangal, [lower-alpha 2] Meitei King Kulachandra Dhwaja Singh, the Maharajah of Manipur kingdom and other 22 freedom fighters of the Anglo-Manipur war of 1891. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Contents

Mount Manipur (Mount Harriet) being depicted in the Indian 20-rupee note (pre-2019 edition) India P-089A 20 Rupees Gandhi 2002, reverse.jpg
Mount Manipur (Mount Harriet) being depicted in the Indian 20-rupee note (pre-2019 edition)

The re-christening of the name of the mountain peak in honor of the Manipuri freedom fighters was given positive reactions from Manipur [10] [11] [12] [13] and Assam. [14]

Connection with the Britishers

Harriet and Robert Tytler HarrietRobertTytler-2.jpg
Harriet and Robert Tytler

The mountain peak's former name "Mount Harriet" was given in honor of Harriet Christina Tytler, a British artist and photographer, who was a good lady of Robert Christopher Tytler, a British soldier. The peak was one of the summer headquarters of the Chief Commissioner during British Raj. [15]

Connection with Manipur

The Mount Manipur of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of the Bay of Bengal has significant historical connections to the Manipur kingdom of Northeast India. [16]

Exile of the Manipuri warriors

After the end of the Anglo-Manipur War in the year 1891, many Manipuri warriors were exiled to the British penal colony in the Andaman Islands. Among the exiled warriors, Meitei King Kulachandra Dhwaja Singh, the Maharajah of Manipur, was one of them. During that time, the Cellular Jail (Kalapani) was about to be built. So, Kulachandra Singh and other prisoners were imprisoned on the Mount Manipur, in the South Andaman district. [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] In accordance to a document of the time of British Raj kept in the "Manipur State Archives", 23 men, including King Kulachandra and his brothers, were transported for life to the Andaman Islands. [23] [24]

Tracing the records of the pasts

In a long period of a decade between 2003 and 2013, experts and scholars from the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) visited Mount Manipur for the investigation into the information on the exiled prisoners. A. Mubi, the then Vice President of the AMWJU confirmed that Kulachandra Singh was house-arrested in the mountain. [25] [26]

Construction of a memorial site in the mountain

According to Ng. Uttam, the director of the Department of Art and Culture of the Government of Manipur, representatives from Manipur talked to the authorities of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to provide a piece of land for the construction of a memorial site for the Manipuri warriors in the mountain. In the year 2019, the A&N authorities agreed to the request. A piece of land was approved near the Cellular Jail. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the process of the construction was significantly delayed. [27] [28] The Central Government of India gave financial assistance to the Government of Manipur, regarding the construction of the memorial site in the mountain. [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] Before the onset of the annual Indian Independence Day celebration in the year 2021, the Government of Manipur unveiled a monolith in Imphal, commemorating the sweet memories of the Manipuri "unsung war heroes". [34]

See also

Notes

  1. According to WP:COMMONNAME, the most popular name of the mountain peak, "Mount Manipur", is the appropriate title of the article. According to Google Search, "Mount Manipur" gets about 1,13,00,000 results and "Mount Harriet" gets about 1,03,00,000 results.
  2. Yuvaraj Tikendrajit Singh and General Thangal were already publicly hanged in Imphal. So, the two freedom fighters were not included in the exile to the mountain of the Andaman Islands.

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Languages spoken in the Republic of India belong to several language families, the major ones being the Indo-Aryan languages spoken by 78.05% of Indians and the Dravidian languages spoken by 19.64% of Indians; both families together are sometimes known as Indic languages. Languages spoken by the remaining 2.31% of the population belong to the Austroasiatic, Sino–Tibetan, Tai–Kadai, and a few other minor language families and isolates. According to the People's Linguistic Survey of India, India has the second highest number of languages (780), after Papua New Guinea (840). Ethnologue lists a lower number of 456.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manipur</span> State in northeastern India

Manipur is a state in northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanmar, Sagaing Region to the east and Chin State to the south. The state covers an area of 22,327 km2 (8,621 sq mi). The official and most widely spoken language is the Meitei language. Native to the Meitei people, it is also used as a lingua franca by smaller communities, who speak a variety of other Tibeto-Burman languages. Manipur has been at the crossroads of Asian economic and cultural exchange for more than 2,500 years. This exchange connects the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia to Southeast Asia, East Asia, Siberia, regions in the Arctic, Micronesia and Polynesia enabling migration of people, cultures and religions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meitei language</span> Tibeto-Burman language of India

Meitei, also known as Manipuri, is a Tibeto-Burman language of northeast India. It is the official language and the lingua franca of Manipur and one of the official languages India. Meitei is the most widely-spoken Tibeto-Burman language of India and third the most used language of northeast India after Assamese and Bengali. There are 1.76 million Meitei native speakers in India according to the 2011 census. Most of these, or 1.52 million, are found in the state of Manipur, where they represent majority of its population. There are smaller communities in neighbouring Indian states, such as Assam (168,000), Tripura (24,000), Nagaland (9,500), and elsewhere in the country (37,500). The language is also spoken by smaller groups in neighbouring Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Hmar is a Kuki ethnic group living in Northeast Indian state of Manipur, Mizoram, Assam and western Myanmar (Burma) and eastern Bangladesh. They use Meitei language as their second language (L2) in Manipur. They speak Mizo language as their L1 in Mizoram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cellular Jail</span> Indian island colonial prison

The Cellular Jail, also known as 'Kālā Pānī', was a British colonial prison in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The prison was used by the colonial government of India for the purpose of exiling criminals and political prisoners. Many notable independence activists, including Sardar Singh Artillery, Diwan Singh Kalepani, Yogendra Shukla, Batukeshwar Dutt, Shadan Chandra Chatterjee, Sohan Singh, Vinayak Savarkar, Hare Krishna Konar, Shiv Verma, Allama Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, and Sudhanshu Dasgupta were imprisoned here during the struggle for India's independence. Today, the complex serves as a national memorial monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Harriet National Park</span> A national park on the Andaman Islands, India

Mount Harriet National Park, officially renamed as Mount Manipur National Park, is a national park located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands union territory of India. The park, established in 1969, covers about 4.62 km2 (18.00 mi2). Mount Manipur, which is a part of the park, is the third-highest peak in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago next to Saddle Peak in North Andaman and Mount Thullier in Great Nicobar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tikendrajit Singh</span> Yuvaraj

Tikendrajit Singh, also known as Koireng, was a crown prince of Kangleipak in present-day northeastern India, which was a protectorate of British Raj at that time. Tikendrajit was the commander of the Manipuri army and engineered a palace revolution that led to the events known as the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891 or the Manipur Expedition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashangbam Minaketan Singh</span> Indian writer (1906-1995)

Padma Shri Ashangbam Minaketan Singh is regarded as one of the founders of modern Manipuri literature. He was born as the only child to Ashangbam Jivan Singh and Medhabati Devi on 2 May 1906. His grandfather Ashang Kut, also known as Ashangbam Phura Hongba, served as an Officer in The Maharaja of Manipur's army. In March 1891 he played a part in the assassination of British officials and was thereby sentenced for transportation on charge of murder. He was sentenced twenty five years of life imprisonment at Kalapani Jail, which is located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kulachandra Singh</span> Maharaja of Manipur kingdom

Kulachandra Singh was a Meitei monarch and the Maharaja of Manipur kingdom. He was a son of Maharaja Chandrakriti.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglo-Manipur War</span> 1891 Armed Conflict Between Manipur Kingdom and British

The Anglo-Manipur War or Manipuri Rebellion of 1891 was a short armed conflict between the British Colonial Forces and the dissenting royal princes of Manipur Kingdom, which was arguably a dependency of the British Empire in India. The conflict began with a palace coup staged by the general (Senapati) of Manipur, ousting its reigning king, and installing a half-brother in his place. The British government took objection to the action and attempted to arrest the general. The effort failed, with the Manipuri forces attacking the British residency and the resident and other British officials getting executed. The British launched a punitive expedition that lasted from 31 March to 27 April 1891. The general and other rebels were arrested and convicted. The British annexed Manipur and governed it as a princely state till 1947.

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Lourembam Bino Devi is a practitioner and a popularizer of the appliqué art of Manipur called Leeba in the Meitei language. The Leeba art is used in creating Monmai which is a decorative circular appliqué art piece used in covering both ends of the traditional Manipuri bolster pillow. In the olden days, Leeba was practiced at "Phiribi Loishang", which is a house for maintaining clothes worn by the deities and royals. The apparels used by the royals, including shoes, were mostly designed using the Leeba technique. Bino Devi has devoted her life to practice this art form and to revive it by trying to transmit her skills to younger generation of interested women. She has been providing this training in collaboration with the Heritage Foundation of Mankind, a Non-Governmantal Organization located in Imphal. She has also conducted several workshops at Imphal and at various other places in India.

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Miss Manipur or Miss Manipur Queen is an annual beauty pageant that is run by the Manipur based Miss Manipur Committee (MMC). It is one of the most watched beauty pageants in North East India. It co-exists with Femina Miss India Manipur, Miss Kangleipak and Miss Meetei Chanu. The titleholder of Miss Manipur represents Manipur in the Miss North East, organised by Northeast Beauty Pageant Organisation (NEBPO) every year.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Manipur Memorial</span>

The Mount Manipur Memorial is a memorial site in the Mount Manipur of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Spanning over an area of more than 45000 sq ft, the memorial site is dedicated to the Manipuri freedom fighters and the martyrs of the Anglo-Manipur war. In the year 2022, the memorial site won the "International Muse Design Award 2022", through the designs of the "Huidrom Design Studios" from Manipur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 in Manipur</span>

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References

  1. "Mount Manipur alias Mt Harriet in Andamans". www.thesangaiexpress.com. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  2. "Explained: Why a peak in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is now named after Manipur". The Indian Express. 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  3. "Mount Manipur alias Mt Harriet in Andamans". www.thesangaiexpress.com. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  4. "Mount Harriet in Andaman to be named Mount Manipur in tribute to freedom fighters". Hindustan Times. 2021-10-17. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  5. NEWS, NE NOW (2021-10-16). "Tribute to Manipuri freedom fighters: Mount Harriet in Kalapani to be renamed as Mount Manipur". NORTHEAST NOW. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  6. Singh, Bikash. "Manipur breaks into celebration as Centre renames Andaman's 'Mount Harriet' as 'Mount Manipur'". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  7. Laithangbam, Iboyaima (2021-10-17). "Manipur residents celebrate renaming of Mount Harriet". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2022-09-13.
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  9. "Mount Harriet to be called Mount Manipur: Amit Shah". Imphal Free Press. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
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  11. NEWS, NE NOW (2021-10-16). "Tribute to Manipuri freedom fighters: Mount Harriet in Kalapani to be renamed as Mount Manipur". NORTHEAST NOW. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  12. Singh, Bikash. "Manipur breaks into celebration as Centre renames Andaman's 'Mount Harriet' as 'Mount Manipur'". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  13. Laithangbam, Iboyaima (2021-10-17). "Manipur residents celebrate renaming of Mount Harriet". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  14. NEWS, NE NOW (2021-10-17). "Assam CM welcomes move to rename Mount Harriet in Andaman as Mount Manipur". NORTHEAST NOW. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  15. "Explained: Why a peak in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is now named after Manipur". The Indian Express. 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
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  19. NEWS, NE NOW (2021-10-17). "Assam CM welcomes move to rename Mount Harriet in Andaman as Mount Manipur". NORTHEAST NOW. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  20. NEWS, NE NOW (2021-10-16). "Tribute to Manipuri freedom fighters: Mount Harriet in Kalapani to be renamed as Mount Manipur". NORTHEAST NOW. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  21. Singh, Bikash. "Manipur breaks into celebration as Centre renames Andaman's 'Mount Harriet' as 'Mount Manipur'". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  22. "Mount Harriet to be called Mount Manipur: Amit Shah". Imphal Free Press. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  23. "Explained: Why a peak in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is now named after Manipur". The Indian Express. 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  24. NEWS, NE NOW (2021-10-16). "Tribute to Manipuri freedom fighters: Mount Harriet in Kalapani to be renamed as Mount Manipur". NORTHEAST NOW. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  25. "Explained: Why a peak in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is now named after Manipur". The Indian Express. 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  26. "Mount Harriet in Andaman to be named Mount Manipur in tribute to freedom fighters". Hindustan Times. 2021-10-17. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  27. "Mount Harriet to be called Mount Manipur: Amit Shah". Imphal Free Press. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  28. "Explained: Why a peak in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is now named after Manipur". The Indian Express. 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  29. "Mount Harriet in Andaman to be named Mount Manipur in tribute to freedom fighters". Hindustan Times. 2021-10-17. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  30. NEWS, NE NOW (2021-10-16). "Tribute to Manipuri freedom fighters: Mount Harriet in Kalapani to be renamed as Mount Manipur". NORTHEAST NOW. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  31. NEWS, NE NOW (2021-10-17). "Assam CM welcomes move to rename Mount Harriet in Andaman as Mount Manipur". NORTHEAST NOW. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  32. Singh, Bikash. "Manipur breaks into celebration as Centre renames Andaman's 'Mount Harriet' as 'Mount Manipur'". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  33. "Mount Harriet to be called Mount Manipur: Amit Shah". Imphal Free Press. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  34. "Explained: Why a peak in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is now named after Manipur". The Indian Express. 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2022-09-13.