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Examining the relationship between people and their environment in Pre Colonial Manipur

Author Affiliations

  • 1Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

Int. Res. J. Social Sci., Volume 7, Issue (9), Pages 16-20, September,14 (2018)

Abstract

Manipur is situated in the eastern boundary of India, on the branch of the eastern Himalayas which protrude towards the south along the Indo-Burma border. The state can be physically divided into hilly tracts that surround the plain areas on all four sides and the flat alluvial valleys. The state is inhabited by various ethnic groups such as Meiteis, Nagas, Kukis etc. and has a diverse culture. Manipur is home to many natural landscapes and varied flora and fauna such as the Loktak Lake which is the largest fresh water lake in India with its vast biodiversity; Siroy lily and Dzukou lily which only blooms in the Siroy and Dzukou valley of Manipur. The Keibul Lamjao National Park of Manipur is the only floating park in the world which is home to the endangered brow-antlered deer locally known as sangai or the dancing deer exceptional for its long antlers. The objective of my paper is to study the relationship between people and their environment in Manipur in pre-colonial period. The manner in which the various communities and tribes of Manipur understood and incorporated nature in their day-to-day life will thus be examined. The paper will attempt to examine the different concepts of sacred groves as well as the role of various flora and fauna which played an important role in shaping society in Manipur. I have used various primary sources i.e. the Chronicles and Colonial accounts, archival materials such as Administrative Reports, Political Agent’s Diaries etc. as well as secondary sources which deal directly or indirectly with the ecological history of the region.

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