The making of a hydrosocial polity: water, ritual and state formation in pre-colonial Manipur

The management of water resources is a cornerstone of state formation; a concept famously explored in the discourse on hydraulic societies. Manipur, a state of India, which was ruled by the dominant community, Meitei, located in the northeastern part, presents a distinct model. The present study employs a critical historical methodology, drawing upon a multidisciplinary corpus of primary sources to reconstruct Manipur’s ‘hydro-history’. The analysis is grounded in the transliteration and interpretation of Meitei puyas (manuscripts) and royal chronicles such as Cheitharol Kumpapa. These textual accounts were corroborated with archaeological evidence, including Thermo-luminescence dating of the artefacts, soil horizons, and paleo-climatic proxy data, offering a holistic understanding of the interplay between environmental constraints and societal development. This paper argues that the control and management of water resources constituted a fundamental, continuous factor in the economic evolution, political consolidation, and ritual life of Manipur from prehistoric times to the pre-colonial period.