Maharaja Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and Medieval India, medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a pri ...

Sir Churachand Singh , also known as Churachandra or Chura Chand (1886–1941), was a ruler of the princely state of

Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...

under the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

. He was a great-grandson of Raja

Nara Singh Nara Singh (1792 – 11 April 1850) also known as Chingthanglen Pamheiba and Meetingu Lairen Nonglen Sendreng Manik Khomba, was a ruler of the Kingdom of Manipur. He ruled first as regent from 1834 to 1844 and then as king for a period of s ...

who had ruled up to 1850 prior to Raja

Chandrakirti Chandrakirti (; Sanskrit: चंद्रकीर्ति; ; , meaning "glory of the moon" in Sanskrit) or "Chandra" was a Buddhist scholar of the Madhyamaka school who was based out of the monastery of Nalanda. He was a noted commentator ...

. 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". Churachand Singh, who was the youngest son of Chowbi Yaima, in turn a grandson of Raja

, was selected to be the next Raja. The investiture ceremony took place on 28 April 1892. Churachand Singh was five years at that time. During his minority, the British

Political Agent Political Agent or political agent may refer to: *Political Resident, a representative with consular duties and political contacts with local chiefs * Political officer (British Empire), an officer of the British imperial civil administration, also ...

to Manipur acted as the Superintendent and administered the state. Singh was sent Mayo College in

Ajmer Ajmer () is a city in the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Ajmer district and Ajmer division. It lies at the centre of Rajasthan, earning it the ...

for education in 1895. He returned in 1901. The administration of the state was handed over to him in 1907.

Rule

Churachand Singh ruled the state between 1907 and 1941, under British supervision exercised by the Lieutenant Governor of

East Bengal and Assam Eastern Bengal and Assam was a province of British India between 1905 and 1912. Headquartered in the city of Dacca, it covered territories in what are now Bangladesh, Northeast India and Northern West Bengal. History As early as 1868, the go ...

. A Darbar was established with three Ordinary Members (who held government departments) and three Additional Members (as councillors). Initially, Churachand Singh served as the President of the Darbar, and a British-appointed ICS officer served as the Vice-President. This arrangement was terminated in 1916, when the British officer became the President of the Darbar. 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. Churachand Singh received the title of

in 1918 and was knighted as a Knight Commander of the

Order of the Star of India The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes: # Knight Grand Commander ( GCSI) # Knight Commander ( KCSI) # Companion ( CSI) No appointments ...

in the

1934 New Year Honours The 1934 New Year Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the United Kingdom and British Empire. They were announced on 29 December 1933. The recipients of honou ...

, becoming Sir Churachandra Singh.

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.

Legacy

In 1921, the Kuki village of

Songpi Songpi, at one time called "Churachandpur", is a village in the Churachandpur district, Manipur, India. It served as the headquarters of one of the first hill subdivisions established under the British Raj in the 1920s, which also came to be call ...

, which was then the headquarters of the southwestern hill subdivision, was named "Churchandpur" in honour of Churachand Singh. 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 Churachandpur ( IPA: ''/tʃʊRVːˌtʃaːnɗpʊr/),'' locally known as Lamka is the second largest town in the Indian state of Manipur and the district headquarters of the Churachandpur district. The name "Churachandpur" was transferred from ...

town, which was called "New Churachandpur" for a few years. At present, the name is contested by the local people who prefer to call the town by its original name "Lamka".

References

Bibliography