Churachand Singh

{{Infobox royalty

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| name = Churachand Singh

| title = Maharaja

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| reign = 1892–1941 AD

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| predecessor = Kulachandra Singh

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| successor = Bodhchandra Singh

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| birth_place = Kangleipak

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| death_place = Kangleipak

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| burial_place = Kangleipak

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| issue = M. K. Binodini Devi
Bodhchandra Singh

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| royal house = Ningthouja dynasty

| father = Chowbi Yaima

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| religion = Hinduism

}}

Maharaja Sir Churachand Singh {{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCSI|CBE}}, also known as Churachandra or Chura Chand{{Cite web |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V17_192.gif |title=Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 17, p. 186. |access-date=20 February 2021 |archive-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507160645/https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V17_192.gif |url-status=live }} (1886–1941), was a ruler of the princely state of Manipur under the British Raj. He was a great-grandson of Raja Nara Singh who had ruled up to 1850 prior to Raja Chandrakirti. Churachand Singh's investiture followed the quelling of the Manipur Rebellion of 1891, when the entire ruling family was convicted. Churachand Singh enjoyed a long reign till 1941, but his power was nominal.

Investiture

After quelling the Manipur Rebellion of 1891, the British imprisoned Raja Kulachandra Singh and took full control of Manipur, but eventually decided to "regrant" it to Manipuris as an "act of mercy".{{sfnp|Moyon, Insights of the Western Missionaries Legacy in Manipur|2021|pp=24–25}} Churachand Singh, who was the youngest son of Chowbi Yaima, in turn a grandson of Raja Nara Singh, was selected to be the next Raja.{{sfnp|Moyon, Insights of the Western Missionaries Legacy in Manipur|2021|pp=24–25}}{{sfnp|Lokendra, The Unquiet Valley|1998|pp=36–37}} The investiture ceremony took place on 28 April 1892. Churachand Singh was five years at that time. During his minority, the British Political Agent to Manipur acted as the Superintendent and administered the state.{{sfnp|Lokendra, The Unquiet Valley|1998|pp=36–37}}

Singh was sent Mayo College in Ajmer for education in 1895. He returned in 1901.{{sfnp|Lokendra, The Unquiet Valley|1998|pp=38–39}} The administration of the state was handed over to him in 1907.{{sfnp|Lokendra, The Unquiet Valley|1998|pp=38–39}}

Rule

Churachand Singh ruled the state between 1907 and 1941, under British supervision exercised by the Lieutenant Governor of East Bengal and Assam. A Darbar was established with three Ordinary Members (who held government departments) and three Additional Members (as councillors).{{sfnp|Sudhirkumar Singh, Socio-religious and Political Movements|2011|pp=49–50}}{{sfnp|Singh, History of the Christian Missions in Manipur|1991|p=9}} Initially, Churachand Singh served as the President of the Darbar, and a British-appointed ICS officer served as the Vice-President.{{sfnp|Lokendra, The Unquiet Valley|1998|pp=38–39}} This arrangement was terminated in 1916, when the British officer became the President of the Darbar.{{sfnp|Sudhirkumar Singh, Socio-religious and Political Movements|2011|loc=pp. 49–50: "He was just outwardly decorated to exercise veto to any Durbar resolution, but, if so, reasons thereof of his veto should be furnished to the Assam Governor. It was a clear indicative of decorated 'hollow crown'. In the next step, he was removed from the Durbar presidentship. The Governor of Assam, as an agent of the Crown, [had] the final say and his decision was binding on both the Durbar and the Maharaja."}}{{sfnp|Sinha, The Politics and Government of Manipur|1987|p=487}}{{sfnp|Ibochou Singh, British administration in Manipur|1985|p=146}}

Irrespective of the arrangement, the administration of the state was to be conducted according to the 'Rules for the Management of the State of Manipur', which were in force till 1947. The real executive power rested with the Political Agent.{{sfnp|Sanatomba, Interrogation into the political status of Manipur|2015|p=164}}{{sfnp|Singh, History of the Christian Missions in Manipur|1991|pp=9–10}}{{sfnp|Sudhirkumar Singh, Socio-religious and Political Movements|2011|pp=113–114}}

Churachand Singh received the title of Maharaja in 1918 and was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India in the 1934 New Year Honours, becoming Sir Churachandra Singh.{{Cite web |url=http://members.iinet.net.au/~royalty/ips/m/manipur.html |title=Manipur Princely State - (11 gun salute) |access-date=25 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402112924/http://members.iinet.net.au/~royalty/ips/m/manipur.html |archive-date=2 April 2015 }}

Personal life

Churachand Singh had six wives. He had six daughters and five sons from them. In addition, one son was adopted by the Maharani.{{sfnp|Moyon, Insights of the Western Missionaries Legacy in Manipur|2021|pp=22–23}}

Legacy

In 1921, the Kuki village of Songpi, which was then the headquarters of the southwestern hill subdivision, was named "Churchandpur" in honour of Churachand Singh.

{{citation |author=Sukrit Baruah |title=Amid ongoing violence, why there is an open challenge to the name of Manipur’s Churachandpur |newspaper=The Indian Express |date=10 July 2023 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-history/manipur-churachandpur-lamka-kuki-zomi-meitei-history-8820659/}}

The subdivision also acquired the name "Churachandpur subdivision", which continued even after Songpi ceased to be its headquarters. In 1947, the name was transferred to the present-day Churachandpur town, which was called "New Churachandpur" for a few years.

{{citation |title=The Manipur State Gazette, No. 103 |publisher=Government of Manipur, by order of H. H. The Maharaja |location=Imphal |date=8 June 1949 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.125717 |via=archive.org |quote=The Hon'ble Speaker to read out the Report on New Churachandpur Town as submitted by 3 Special Commissioners deputed by the Assembly.}}

At present, the name is contested by the local people who prefer to call the town by its original name "Lamka".

References

Bibliography

{{cite thesis |last=Ibochou Singh |first=Khwairakpam |title=British administration in Manipur 1891–1947 |publisher=Gauhati University |via=Shodhganga |degree=PhD |year=1985 |url=https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/10603/66697 |ref={{sfnref|Ibochou Singh, British administration in Manipur|1985}}}}
{{citation |last=Lokendra |first=N. |title=The Unquiet Valley: Society, Economy, and Politics of Manipur (1891-1950) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6FXEEd2muZoC |year=1998 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=978-81-7099-696-5 |ref={{sfnref|Lokendra, The Unquiet Valley|1998}}}}
{{citation |first=Rev. Dr. Koningthung Ngoru |last=Moyon |title=Insights of the Western Missionaries Legacy in Manipur |publisher=Blue Rose Publishers |year=2021 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0YUoEAAAQBAJ |ref={{sfnref|Moyon, Insights of the Western Missionaries Legacy in Manipur|2021}}}}
{{citation |first=Kangujam |last=Sanatomba |chapter=Interrogation into the political status of Manipur |editor1=Arambam Noni |editor2=Kangujam Sanatomba |title=Colonialism and Resistance: Society and State in Manipur |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OzjbCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA159 |year=2015 |publisher=Routledge |ISBN=978-1-317-27066-9 |pages=159–180 |ref={{sfnref|Sanatomba, Interrogation into the political status of Manipur|2015}}}}
{{citation |last=Singh |first=Karam Manimohan |title=History of the Christian Missions in Manipur and Neighbouring States |publisher=Mittal Publications |year=1991 |isbn=81-7099-285-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofchristi0000sing |via=archive.org |ref={{sfnref|Singh, History of the Christian Missions in Manipur|1991}}}}
{{citation |first=L. P. |last=Sinha |title=The Politics and Government of Manipur |journal=The Indian Journal of Political Science |date=1987 |volume=48 |number=4 |pp=487-493 |jstor=41855332 |ref={{sfnref|Sinha, The Politics and Government of Manipur|1987}}}}
{{cite thesis |last=Sudhirkumar Singh |first=Haorongbam |title=Socio-religious and Political Movements in Modern Manipur 1934–51 |publisher=Jawaharlal Nehru University |via=Shodhganga |degree=PhD |year=2011 |url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/10603/121665 |ref={{sfnref|Sudhirkumar Singh, Socio-religious and Political Movements|2011}}}}

{{succession box |

before= Kulachandra|

title=King of
Manipur |

years=1892–1941 |

after=Bodhchandra Singh

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Category:Meitei royalty

Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of India

Category:1886 births

Category:1941 deaths

Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Ningthouja dynasty