Colonialism and Resistance

Part of the 'Transition in Northeastern India' series, this volume critically explores how Northeast India, especially Manipuri society, responded to colonial rule. It studies the interplay between colonialism and resistance to provide an alternative understanding of colonialism on the one hand, and society and state formation on the other. Challenging dominant histories of the area, the essays provide significant insights into understanding colonialism and its multiple effects on economy, polity, culture, and faith system. It examines hitherto untouched areas in the study of Northeast, and discusses how social movements are augmented, constituted or sustained. This book will be of great interest to researchers and scholars of modern history, sociology and social anthropology, particularly those concerned with Northeast India.

Arambam Noni is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science, Moirang College, Manipur, India, and Executive Editor of Alternative Perspectives. Kangujam Sanatomba is a Post-Doctoral Fellow with the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi, and Research Associate at the Centre for South East Asian Studies, Manipur University, India.

Introduction. Part I: Framework, Administration and Democratisation 1. Cast of Colonialism: Constructing the Peculiar North East India Arambam Noni 2. Colonial Administration, Knowledge and Intervention: Colonial Project of Ethnicisation in Manipur Homen Thangjam 3. Revisiting the Kuki Rebellion and Nupi Lan Lisham Henthoiba 4. Colonialism and Movement of Democracy in Manipur Konthoujam Indrakumar Part II: Literature, Popular Culture and Religion 5. Religious Revivalism and Colonial Rule: Origin of the Sanamahi movement Khuraijam Bijoykumar Singh 6. Politics, Society and Literature in Modern Manipur Arambam Noni 7. Desire, Disgrace and Colonialism: A Reading of Bor Sahib Ongbi Sanatombi Rajkumari Smejita 8. Jesters of Popular Genres as an Agent of Resistance through Reflexivity Ksh. Imokanta Singh Part III: Imperial Strategies and Distinct Political Histories 9. Situating Manipur in the Geopolitics of Imperial Powers Laishram Churchil 10. Consolidation of British 'Indirect Rule' in Manipur Naorem Malemsanba Meetei 11. Interrogating into the Political Status of Manipur Kangujam Sanatomba 12. Christian Missionaries and Colonialism in the Hills of Manipur Lianboi Vaiphei Part IV: Post-Empire Manipur, Organisational Politics and Frontier 13. Organisational Politics in 20th Century Manipur: Trajectories and Footprints Arambam Noni 14. Polemics of the Manipur Merger Agreement, 1949 Kangujam Sanatomba 15. Centrality of Body Politics in Thockchand's Script and Cultural Revivalism in Manipur Naorem Malemsanba Meetei 16. Recasting Space: Politics of Frontier Making Thingnam Sanjeev. Bibliography