Empowerment and Women in Politics: A Study of Queen Maisnam Kumudini in B.M. Maisnamba’s Ningthemnubee

In her book The Mothers of Manipur: Twelve Women Who Made History, Teresa Rehman (2017) quotes about the collective strength of Manipuri women – “Once we are out of the house and are with women, we don’t care about our family and mundane affairs. Ours is a community in itself. We don’t care what husbands, sons, or our daughters-in-law will think. We feel empowered to take our own decisions.” (p. 20) Women in Manipur have been known for their unique status and their representation in shaping the historiography of the state. Apart from their role as housewives and caretakers, they also took a prominent role in policy framing and governance of the family and the state. It has been witnessed that during the time, the administration of the state was influenced by the two Nupi Lan (Women wars) in 1904 and 1939 as “The Nupi Lan, which started as an agitation by the Manipuri women against the economic policies of the Maharaja and the Marwari monopolists, later on changed its character to become a movement for constitutional and administrative reform in Manipur” (Yambem, 1971, p. 325). The character of Maisnam Kumudini (Ponglenkhombi) in B.M. Maisnamba’s (2006,2023) Ningthemnubee will be analyzed to expose the power and representation of women in state formation and politics. Kumudini, the queen regent and mother of King Chandrakirti (1831-1886), is considered one of the most influential ladies in Manipuri History. Therefore, the paper will also focus on how women took responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in the kingdom, thereby analyzing the roles of mediator, ruler as well as a mother. Also, the analysis will delve further to bring out the status of women, their empowerment, and their representation in the histography of Manipur as represented in the novel.