EARLY MEITE1 HISTORY : Religion, Society and the Manipur Puyas is a concerted attempt towards presenting an objective reconstruction of the religion and society in early Meitei history. Studies undertaken so far have been inadequate in terms of handling the mass of manuscripts called Puyas which are the only major written source for the study. Notwithstanding the existence of reliable historical material alongside mythical narrative, the problem has been the treatment of the Puyas by majority of the scholars as authentic historical records per $e. This book offers a fresh approach to the treatment of the subject. It integrates critical study of the Puyas, experiences of the living tradition archaeological evidence and secondary data sources to comprehend the subject from a wider perspective. The study focuses on ancestor worship; a critical study of which is crucial for understanding other aspects of Manipur history. The traditional religion passed through a long process of evolution and survived even after Vaisnavism was declared the state religion of Manipur in the 18Thcentury A.D. The book will serve its purpose if it contributes towards a meaningful interpretation of the history of the Meiteis. The work is also aimed at stimulating discourses on issues such as .identity, ethnicity and nationality affecting contemporary Manipur society. It is hoped that the study will provide a more perceptive understanding of the past, which is essential in order to understand the present and subsequent periods of Meitei history.

Manipur Remains An Unknown Area To Most Indians And One Reason For This May Will Be The Absence Of Good Books About The People And Problems Of Manipur. This Book Fills The Void.

This volume offers a fresh approach to the existing literature on religion in Early Assam, bringing together perspectives from the fields of archaeology, religion, history and heritage. For decades, the Naraka legend has been incorporated into history without due critical attention and analysis of the historical context, while archaeological studies in religion have been largely descriptive. The sacred landscape of the erstwhile Prāgjyotiṣa and Kāmarūpa kingdoms had linkages with the history of other parts of India, and beyond. This book offers a comprehensive reconstruction of religion in Early Assam based on an exhaustive use of archaeological sources. It opens with a useful overview of the conceptual and methodological foundations of religion, archaeology and history. Heritage conservation of sacred sites such as Kāmākhyā which face the impact of rapid urbanization illustrates implications for Assam’s history and identity.

The Manipuri writer Binodini's Sahitya Akademi Award-winning historical novel The Princess and the Political Agent tells the love story of her aunt Princess Sanatombi and Lt. Col. Henry P. Maxwell, the British representative in the subjugated Tibeto-Burman kingdom of Manipur. A poignant story of love and fealty, treachery and valour, it is set in the midst of the imperialist intrigues of the British Raj, the glory of kings, warring princes, clever queens and loyal retainers. Reviving front-page global headlines of the day, Binodini's perspective is from the vanquished by love and war, and the humbling of a proud kingdom. Its sorrows and empathy sparkle with wit and beauty, as it deftly dissects the build-up and aftermath of the perfidy of the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891. Binodini is the supreme stylist of contemporary Manipuri literature and an icon of Manipuri modernism, and her tale of a forbidden love and ostracism vividly brings to life the court and manners of a little-known Asian kingdom. In doing so, she recovers its little-known history, its untold relations with India and Great Britain, and a forgotten chapter of the British Raj.