Ningthou Ching-Thang Khomba (also Rajarshi Bhagya Chandra, Jai Singh Maharaja) (1748–1799) was a
Meitei monarch of the 18th century CE. The inventor of the
Manipuri Raas Leela dance, with his daughter ''Shija Lailoibi'' playing as
Radha
Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also d ...
at the first performance, he is a popular figure in
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a States and territories of India, state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It ...
, and much of his actions as King had been
mythologized. He is also credited with spreading
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
in
Manipur State
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
after his grandfather
Pamheiba
Gharib Nawaz (born Pamheiba, 1690–1751) was a Meetei king of Manipur,
ruling from c. 1709 until his death. He introduced Hinduism as the state religion of his kingdom (1717) and changed the name of the kingdom to the Sanskrit ''Manipur'' (17 ...
made
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or ''dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global po ...
the official religion and for creating a unified Manipur.
Early years
Maharaja Bhagya Chandra ascended to the throne of Manipur in 1759, a few years after the death of his grandfather
Pamheiba
Gharib Nawaz (born Pamheiba, 1690–1751) was a Meetei king of Manipur,
ruling from c. 1709 until his death. He introduced Hinduism as the state religion of his kingdom (1717) and changed the name of the kingdom to the Sanskrit ''Manipur'' (17 ...
and his father Samjai Khurai-Lakpa at the hands of his uncle
Chitsai.
In 1762, Manipur was attacked by the
Burmese
Burmese may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia
* Burmese people
* Burmese language
* Burmese alphabet
* Burmese cuisine
* Burmese culture
Animals
* Burmese cat
* Burmese chicken
* Burmese (hor ...
, assisted by the Chitsai. He, along with the Rani (
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
) and a few loyal attendants fled to
Ahom (modern-day
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
), where they lived under the protection of the Ahom ruler,
Rajeswar Singha.
Life in Assam
Bhagya Chandra's crafty uncle wrote a letter to the
Ahom king Rajeswar Singha saying that the person taking refuge at his court was not the true Bhagya Chandra. The uncle advised Rajeswar Singha to get rid of him. King Rajeswar Singha was somewhat persuaded by this letter and began treating Bhagya Chandra with suspicion.
In Meitei legends, the real Bhagya Chandra was said to have supernatural powers. To see whether the usurper was correct, King Rajeswar Singha designed a test at the behest of his court. In a public arena, Bhagya Chandra, while unarmed, was to catch and tame a wild
elephant
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...
.
First epiphany
Confronted with insurmountable odds, King Bhagyachandra prayed to Lord
Govinda (Krishna) for guidance. Govinda appeared to him in a dream and instructed him to enter the arena donning a garland while holding
japa beads. At the end of the instructions, Govinda assured him of victory.
The dream also stated that Bhagya Chandra would be the sole king of Manipur. Upon regaining the kingdom, he should install a Krishna
murti
In the Hindu tradition, a ''murti'' ( sa, मूर्ति, mūrti, ) is a devotional image such as a statue, or "idol" (a common and non-pejorative term in Indian English), of a deity or saint. In Hindu temples, it is a symbolic icon. T ...
. The Deity, Govinda, should be carved from a certain old
jackfruit
The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family ( Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...
tree growing on the slopes of
Kaina Kaina can mean:
* Kaina (Manipur), a small hillock in Manipur sacred to Hindu
* Kaina, Samastipur, a village in Samastipur district
* Kaina (singer)
Kaina Castillo (born January 22, 1996), known simply as, KAINA (stylized in all caps), is an Ame ...
hill.
After installing the Deity, Govinda said the king should arrange for the performance of a Rasa-Lila, in which Krishna would be worshipped with song and dance. Bhagya Chandra also received in this
vision
Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to:
Perception Optical perception
* Visual perception, the sense of sight
* Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight
* Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...
a complete plan on how to execute the Ras Lila.
The test of power
Bhagya Chandra entered the arena, donning the garland and japa he was instructed to in the vision. In the ensuing fight, the spectators noted that the elephant seemed to recoil as if struck by a ghost. King Bhagya Chandra said that he saw "Lord Krishna as the mahout".
Retaking of Manipur
First expedition
After the duel, Bhagya Chandra appealed to Ahom king
Rajeswar Singha for military assistance. Rajeswar Singha agreed to send an army to overthrow Chitsai and reinstate Bhagya Chandra. The expedition hit many snags in
Nagaland
Nagaland () is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in the northeast India, northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the ...
where they were attacked by
Naga tribesmen and poisonous snakes. Rajeswar Singha called off the unsuccessful venture in 1767.
Second expedition
In November 1768, Bhagya Chandra and
Rajeswar Singha decided to make another attempt to invade Manipur. This time Bhagya Chandra led 10,000 Ahom troops across the
Kachari kingdom
The Dimasa Kingdom (also Kachari kingdom) was a late medieval/early modern kingdom in Assam, Northeast India ruled by Dimasa kings. The Dimasa kingdom and others ( Kamata, Chutiya) that developed in the wake of the Kamarupa kingdom were exa ...
to the Mirap river. Many battles ensued between the Ahoms and Meiteis on one side, and the Naga, Chitsai and the Burmese on the other. In 1773, Bhagya Chandra was reinstated as
Ningthou
Ningthou was a title used for the King of Manipur. The Ningthou was used to refer to the King after the reign of Pakhangba and was a title used until King Pamheiba. The subsequent Sanskritization undertaken by Pamheiba and Shantidas Adhikari c ...
of Manipur.
Dealings with the East India Company
In 1762, the British and Manipur signed a bilateral treaty with
Gaurisiam, which spelled that the British and Meiteis would encourage trade and commerce. The British gave necessary help for protection against the Burmese and Naga. Manipur gave up a village for an
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Sout ...
post. The name "Manipur" (assigned by the British for Ching-Thang's kingdom) for what was called "Meitrabak" came into being in 1774 when the
Governor General of India
The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...
Mr. Rendel, surveyed the area westward from
Ningthi to
Cachar
Cachar district is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. After independence the undivided Cachar district was split into four districts in Assam: Dima Hasao district (formerly North Cachar Hills), Cachar district alongsid ...
and Northward from
Chittagong
Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...
to the
Brahmaputra
The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, northeast India, and Bangladesh. It is also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, Luit in Assamese, and Jamuna River in Bangla. I ...
and renamed it.
Reign

In 1775 he established his capital at
Bishenpur and carved the Govinda murti at the hill of Kaina. On 11 January 1779 he was "re-crowned" amid many performances of his now-popular Rasa Lila.
During his reign, the Meiteis repelled the Burmese from Manipur. Though his exploits, did not equal Pamheiba's, his reign was characterized by security. He was a great patron of the arts and religion, and his strong
Manipuri Vaishnavism reflected on the Meiteis. He was an ardent devotee of
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (; born Vishvambhar Mishra) was a 15th-century Indian saint who is considered to be the combined avatar of Radha and Krishna by his disciples and various scriptures. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krish ...
and during his reign a statue of
Nityananda
Nityānanda (; born circa 1474), also called Nitai, was a primary religious figure within the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Bengal. Nitai was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's friend and disciple. They are often mentioned together as ''Gaura-Nitai' ...
was created.
In 1796 he moved his capital to
Kangla and a year later on 5 February 1798 he
abdicated the throne to his eldest son
Labeinyachandra
Rohinchandra, also known as Harshachandra Singh, Labeinya Chandra and Rabino Chandra (died 1801) was a Manipuri King who ruled between 1798 and 1801. He was the son of Bhagya Chandra.
See also
* List of Manipuri kings
*Manipur (princely state)
...
. His last few years were on pilgrimage top various Vaisnavit holy sites, including
Nabadwip. He died on 25 December 1798 in
Murshidabad
Murshidabad fa, مرشد آباد (, or ) is a historical city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River, a distributary of the Ganges. It forms part of the Murshidabad district.
Duri ...
, West Bengal.
Family
Ching-Thang Khomba was son of Samjai Khurai-Lakpa, who had two brothers
Mantri Ananda Shai
Mantri Ananda Shai (18th Century CE) was royal uncle to Ching-Thang Khomba of Manipur. He was the son of Pamheiba and brother to the usurper Chitsai. He started the Heigru Hidongba festival with his nephew Ching-Thang Khomba.
See also
*List of M ...
and Chitsai. Ching-Thang had many siblings, the most famous of whom was Gaurisiam, King of Manipur until his death in 1763.
Cultural works
The tradition of Rasa Lila in Manipur is attributed to Ching-Thang. The first ''Manipur Maha Rasleela'' was performed in 1777.
It was his daughter ''Shija Lailoibi'', who first took the role of
Radha
Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also d ...
in the
Manipuri Raas Leela dance. Under the influence of
Bengali missionaries, he also started the tradition of
Sankirtan in Manipur.
Literary works
*''Laithok Laikha Jogi''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandra, Bhagya
1748 births
1799 deaths
Meitei royalty
Devotees of Krishna
Gaudiya religious leaders
Hindu monarchs