Gharib Niwaz (Manipur)

Migration and new settlement

In 1716, the Tekhaos (Ahoms) were made to settle in Thongju. In the same year, Pamheiba gave a royal audience for the Tekhaos.

In 1745, the Purum chief and his villagers were made to shift to TaraoKhunman. Kapeng Khongbantaba, and people from Koutruk and Phayeng were moved to settle at Khampat.

Relationship with tribes

In 1717, Pamheiba become allied with Lairam Tangkhuls to fight against the Samsok region.

In 1727, Pamheiba announced that all the hill male tribes also to join the Lanlup which was an army reserve of that time. All the Tangkhuls inhabited in the mountains revolted against his Pamheiba's reign. Many valley people fought and lois people defended the revolt and finally the revolt was subjugated. As a goodwill, the revolted Tangkhuls presented one mithun, one goat, plates and a steel pan to the Pamheiba. In 1733, military expedition was sent to subjugate Ukhrul. But the mission failed killing a total of 70 lives.

In 1728, Pamheiba and his guru attack Maring of Khunpi, Lamlong, Karongthen and Machi.

In 1740, Marings revolted and burnt down villages of Thumkhong, Pallel, Langathel, Kakching and Heirok. During that period 105 people were killed. Pamheiba retaliated and In 1741, Marings were settled with Huirin Thatpa.

Military conquests

His reign lasted 39 years. During his peak conquests, the realm of Manipur extended from the Irrawaddy River in the east to Cachar and Tripura in the west. At some points during his reign, his realm extended into the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Burma

The conflict between the Kingdom of Manipur and the Kingdom of Burma, also known as Awa, was sparked by a series of events rooted in familial ties and political grievances. Following the demotion of his sister, who was married to the Burmese King as Awa-Leima, Manipur King Charairongba harbored deep resentment. Before his demise, he tasked his son Pamheiba (Garibaniwaz) with avenging this slight against their family. The tensions escalated when a delegation from Burma, accompanied by Samsok emissaries, arrived in Manipur seeking a Meitei princess's hand in marriage. Despite King Garibaniwaz's courteous reception, the presence of the Samsok people further fueled his anger, setting the stage for further hostilities between the two kingdoms.

Instead of a princess, the King of Burma was met by cavalry, led by Pamheiba that massacred the Burmese army, and brought many prisoners of war to Imphal. The Burmese sent an expedition in revenge, but it was ambushed in the swamps near Heirok, southwest of Thoubal, and losing heavily retreated in haste. In 1735, Pamheiba invaded Myedu in Shwebo district and carried off loot, cattle and a thousand people. In 1737, Pamheiba again invaded Burma, killed two-thirds of a royal levy, including commander, who came to oppose the invading Manipuris, and swept down to Tabayin in Shwebo district, burning everything they met. Again in 1738, Manipuris went and camped in Thalunbyu west of Sagaing, burnt every house and monastery up to the walls of Ava, stormed the stockade built to protect the Kaunghmudaw Pagoda, slaughtering the Burmese troops like cattle in a pen and killing the commandant, a minister of the Hluttaw Council; the old door-leaves of the pagoda's eastern gateway show a gash made by the sword of Maharaj Pamheiba when he was forcing an entrance.

Tripura

In April 1723, King Dharma Manikya of Tripura dispatched Commander Satrajit Narayan to invade Manipur. Satrajit Narayan's invasion saw initial success, capturing seven posts and defeating the Manipuri army, led by Pamon Hanchpa and Naharup Sanglen Rakpa. King Gharib Niwaz responded by sending reinforcements under Akong Haopamcha, eventually repelling the Tripuris and forcing them out of Manipur by June 1723. King Dharma Manikya of Tripura formed an alliance with the Burmese. Two forces, totaling 30,000 men, attacked Manipur from different directions. The Manipuris faced challenges but ultimately triumphed, winning battles against both the Burmese and Tripuris in a series of engagements. King Gharib Niwaz launched a retaliatory invasion against Tripura, led by his son Khamlang Pamsapa and Guru Santa Das Gosai. While peace was initially achieved through diplomacy, Gharib Niwaz later overran Tripura in 1734 CE, assuming the title of 'Takhen Ngampa' or Victor of Tripura. In Pamheiba's Tripura campaign, 1100 prisoners were captured, who were absorbed into the Meitei community.

Shan States

With the help of Burmese, the chieftain of Hsawnghsup declared independence from Manipur. It took 7 years to crush them along with Chanta, Mwang and tongmon Nammon. In 1717–18, the Manipur king led his forces against the Samjok Shans, known as Panga, who were descendants of the Awa ruler of the Pagan Dynasty. He devastated Chanta, a village supplying food to Samjok, and pursued and killed its fleeing inhabitants. Afterward, he attacked Samjok, cutting off its supply lines. Starved and desperate, the Samjok people surrendered to the Manipur king, who agreed to feed them but took their chief and son as captives.

On account of rise of Burmese Kingdom, the Shan Kingdom of Pong was in danger. In March 1739, the Shans requested Manipur to help them. The envoys from Pong returned to their country after about 19 days. Pamheiba started for Burma to invade Sagaing. After the Battle of Sagaing, Pamheiba made the elder brother of the king of Pong king.

Mon

According to Ningthourol Lambuba, the king of Ava, named Mangdra, sent an emissary to King Pamheiba's court, expressing a sincere desire for a matrimonial alliance. Mangdra specifically requested Princess Satyamala's hand in marriage and invited Pamheiba to visit Ava. Pamheiba, considering the sincerity of the request, agreed and crossed the Irawaddy river. Upon reaching Ava, he learned that Mangdra sought Manipur's friendship to strengthen his forces against the Mons. In response, Pamheiba crossed Irawaddy river and assaulted the Mons where he captured two prominent chiefs of Mons, destroyed the revolting Mons of Koi, he also presented several chopped heads of Mon rebels to his son-in-law king Mangdra.

Death

Gharib Niwaz and his eldest son Sham Shai went to Burma to settle some political affairs there, his second son, Ajit Shai suspecting that his father intended to place Sham Shai to the throne of Manipur, secretly organized the murder of both of them on their way back to Manipur. He is also believed to be murdered by Ajit Shai at Brahmaputra because Gharib Niwaz also murdered his father Charairongba when the tribes of the hilly areas launched an attack on the Meiteis and Charairongba could not do anything but pray to God. When he was stabbed, he cursed Gharib Niwaz that he will also be murdered by one of his children when he is about to place his eldest son to the throne. Before Charairongba died, he ordered Gharib Niwaz to get revenge on the Burmese for insulting his younger sister.

Religious policy

During the early 18th century, Hindu priests from Sylhet arrived in Manipur to spread Gaudiya Vaishnavism. They were led by Shantidas Adhikari and his associate Guru Gopal Das who succeeded in converting the King from the old Meitei religion to Vaishnavism in 1710. Later during his reign, Pamheiba made Hinduism the official religion, and converted nearly all the Meitei people to Hinduism.

Family

Pamheiba had eight wives, and a large number of sons and daughters. His eldest son, Samjai Khurai-Lakpa, was assassinated by his younger son Chitsai, who came to power after Pamheiba's grandson Gaurisiam. The reign was then followed by Ching-Thang Khomba.