Urbanization and Education in Imphal during the Colonial Period

In the late nineteenth century, Manipur became one of the princely states under the indirect rule of British Crown. A Cantonment and British Reserve was built in Imphal, the capital city of Manipur to accommodate the military and British officials. The old ancient Kangla fort was turned into a Cantonment; civil residential areas, new markets were established as a part of colonial urban development. Various institutions and offices were set up in the state which directly affected the lives of the people in this erstwhile small kingdom in the north east frontiers of British India. Introduction of western education in the state created new groups of educated people who were then absorbed in these offices directly or indirectly under colonial officers. To the colonial state, introduction of western education was a signifier of the ‘colonial modernity’ and ‘progress’. This paper traces the development of western education, establishment of schools, and how education shaped the lives of the city dwellers. How education created a niche of new ideas, perspectives, and intellectual growth making Imphal an arena of social and political awakening in the first half of the twentieth century.