The forms of Agricultural practices: pre-colonial Manipur, India

Abstract

Agricultural practices are not just a way to make a living in Manipur; they also represent a vital element of the region's cultural history. Agricultural practices can be traced back thousands of years to the inception of early human habitation. In India, agricultural practices can be traced back its origins to the Indus Valley Civilization and even earlier in certain regions of southern India. Since the dawn of human Civilization, the domains of agriculture and human settlements have been deeply interconnected. However, most historians and scholars have focused more on political history than on social and economic developments. Nevertheless, a robust economy is essential for the establishment of a strong and prosperous nation, thereby necessitating a thorough analysis of Manipur’s economic history. Historically, the economy of India relied heavily on agriculture, with revenues generated from agricultural practices supporting infrastructure, defense, and territorial augmentation. Similarly, the inhabitants of Manipur exhibited a significant dependence on agricultural practices, highlighting the need for in-depth research into its agrarian systems to understand the region’s medieval society better. The paper attempts to present a particular configuration of the agricultural practices and its economy that prevailed in Manipur from the early times to the pre-colonial period.