Draft:Chingkhu Telheiba

Chingkhu Telheiba led several successful military campaigns to extend Moirang's territorial control. One notable campaign was against the hill tribes of Kharam Tussem, who had refused to pay the traditional Loipot tax. The king personally led a punitive expedition, defeating the resisting chiefs and enforcing the kingdom's authority.{{Cite web|title=manipur channel >> Moirang Kangleirol ~ E-Pao! News About Manipur|url=https://e-pao.net/epPrinter.asp?src=manipur.Moirang_Kangleirol.Event_and_Achievement_Part_3_Moirang_and_Ebuthou_Thangjing_Part_12|access-date=2025-06-18|website=E-Pao.net}}{{cite web|title=Moirang Kangleirol Part 3|url=http://e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=manipur.Moirang_Kangleirol.Moirang_Kangleirol_Part_3|access-date=2025-06-18|website=E-Pao.net}}

He also launched an invasion into the eastern Chakpa region, defeating the local chief Ame Thangsaba and plundering nearby villages to reinforce Moirang's dominance.

His reign was marked by a period of drought and famine. To address the crisis, Chingkhu Telheiba organized state-led rituals performed by royal priests called Amaibas.{{cite journal|last=Salam Shantibala Devi|date=30 June 2018|title=The Role of the Amaibi in the Lai Haraoba of Manipur|url=https://www.granthaalayahpublication.org/journals/index.php/granthaalayah/article/view/1332|journal=International Journal of Research - Granthaalayah|volume=6 |issue=6 |pages=38–44 |doi=10.29121/granthaalayah.v6.i6.2018.1332|access-date=2025-06-18}} The ceremonies invoked rain gods from sacred hills, including Thangching Chingjao, Senloi Chingmaba, Langmai, and Namungba.

The celebrated epic of Khuman Khamba and Moirang Thoibi, one of the seven cycles of Moirang legends (Moirang Shayon), is traditionally believed to be set during Telheiba’s reign. He is remembered in literature and oral history as a visionary monarch who nurtured Moirang’s distinct cultural identity.{{cite web|title=History of Manipur|url=https://manipurtourism.gov.in/history/|access-date=2025-06-18|website=Manipur Tourism}}

He supported the growth of the classical dance form Khamba Thoibi Jagoi, performed in honor of the deity Thangjing.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QxB-DwAAQBAJ|title=Meitei Literature and Culture|last=Kamei|first=Gangmumei|publisher=Akansha Publishing House|year=2004|access-date=2025-06-18}} His administration also saw advancements in:

• Agriculture and irrigation systems
• Traditional sports such as racing, wrestling, and hockey{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=snFdDwAAQBAJ|title=Traditional Sports and Games of Manipur|last=Singh|first=N. Ibomcha|publisher=Notion Press|year=2018|isbn=978-7-5504-2763-1 |access-date=2025-06-18}}
• Legal codification, including the formalization of the Loiyumpa Silyel around 1110 CE{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LXFdDwAAQBAJ|title=Loiyumpa Silyel|publisher=Manipur State Archives|year=2010|access-date=2025-06-18}}

Chingkhu Telheiba had no direct heirs.{{Cite web|title=Moirang Thoibi|url=https://e-pao.net/epSubPageSelector.asp?src=Moirang_Thoibi_A_symbol_of_women_empowerment_By_Khelena_Gurumayum&ch=manipur&sub1=Folks|website=E-Pao.net}} He was succeeded by Laijing Punshiba, another important figure in the Moirang royal line. Telheiba’s niece, Thoibi, the daughter of Crown Prince Chingkhu Akhuba, became the heroine of the famous Khamba-Thoibi legend.

Chingkhu Telheiba is often described as one of the key architects of state-building in ancient Moirang. His contributions endure through ritual practices, folk performances such as the Khamba Thoibi Jagoi, and the continued retelling of epic traditions that form a core part of Manipuri identity.

• Khamba and Thoibi
• Moirang dynasty
• Thangjing
• Sanamahism