The Economic History of Manipur: Some Explorations

Manipur, an erstwhile princely state of northeastern India, suffered in the hands of Burmese during 1819-25 and again in the hands of British in 1891. Since 1891, the state had been under the control of the British government of India. With the change in hands of the seat of administration, the economy of the state underwent drastic changes. Following pure economic history approach, we analyse the salient features of the economy of Manipur during the feudal and colonial era. It was observed that the otherwise self-sufficient food economy of the feudal era was distorted during the colonial period. The colonial policy not only robbed the rice economy but also shunned the paths of industrialisation, thus preventing the natural transition of an economy. The policy of monetisation and commercialisation of agriculture led to export-led-retardation of the people and de-industrialisation of the economy with feeble trends towards tertiarisation of the economy.