Gambhir Singh’s Death Anniversary in Manipur Date in the current year: January 9, 2024

Gambhir Singh was born Chinglen Nongdrenkhomba in 1788. He became the king of Manipur in April 1821, succeeding his nephew Yumjaotaba. Sadly, his first rule was very short-lived. In October, Manipur was invaded by the Burmese Army. Gambhir Singh abdicated the throne, and the Burmese replaced them with his cousin Prince Jai Singh, who was merely a puppet ruler.

Gambhir Singh fled to the neighboring kingdom of Cachar, where he dethroned the king with the help of his elder brothers Marjit and Chourjit. Govinda Chandra, the king of Cachar, asked the British East India Company for protection, but to no avail. Determined to find aid elsewhere, Govinda Chandra approached the king of Burma, who sent an army to Cachar to capture Gambhir Singh and his brothers.

The Burmese army conquered Cachar and proceeded up to the territory controlled by the East India Company. Gambhir Singh managed to avoid capture and began negotiations with the British, who were alarmed by the Burmese presence. In March 1824, Lord Amherst, the then Governor-General of India, declared war on Burma. Gambhir Singh gathered a force of 500 men and joined the British army. Gambhir Singh Levy, later known as Manipur Levy, played a crucial role in driving the Burmese out of Cachar and Manipur.

The First-Anglo Burmese War concluded in February 1826 with a British victory. According to the peace treaty, Burma ceded Manipur to the British, and Gambhir Singh was reinstated as the ruler of Manipur (now a princely state in the British Raj). He ruled Manipur until his death on January 9, 1834 and was succeeded by his infant son with Raja Nara Singh (Gambhir Singh’s second cousin) as regent.

Raja Gambhir Singh is one of the most renowned rulers of Manipur, largely due to his contribution to liberating Manipur from the Burmese and defending the rights of the local Hindu community. To honor him, the government of Manipur declared Gambhir Singh’s death anniversary a public holiday. It is celebrated throughout the state with memorial ceremonies and other events.