Competing Landed Interests: Customary Claims, Land Titles and Formal Law in Manipur, Circa 1890–1990

This article provides a long-term perspective on the history of land tenure for over a century in the colonial and post-colonial eras of Manipur, India. Modernisation theory assumes too rigid division between traditional and modern attributes of land laws. The article, however, endorses the view that ‘the Anglo-Indian legal system was distinctly Janus-faced and rested on two contradictory principles’ of public law and personal law (D. A. Washbrook, Modern Asian Studies 15, no. 3 [1981]: 653). The flagship land legislation of Manipur (MLR & LR Act 1960) has been framed within the hill–valley framework. But the hill–valley binary of this public law provided too rigid mechanism to understand the history of legal formalisation. In theory, statutory (public) laws in land apply to only the valley areas of Manipur and customary (personal) law applies to the hill areas. But in practice, there exist different degrees of legal formality.

Past and Present: Surveying Medieval India Amidst the Present Perceptions of the Past in Popular Medium

In today’s Indian cinema, there is a deluge of films based on historical background. One of the central themes of many of these movies is the description and the representation of the ‘other’. Padmavat is the quintessential example and sums up all the ideas served in movies of this genre which were released before and after it. Padmini, Ratan Sen, Alauddin Khalji as depicted in the movie are the tropes through which the idea about a particular period of Indian history is creatively visualised and presented. It also forms the perception of the past at the popular level and helps in the development of common consciousness and majoritarian common sense. In the light of this kind of cinema, this article tries to survey medieval India based on the reading of the historical sources to understand the nature of various kinds of binary and otherness through the multifarious representations of the other.

Changing Area, Shrinking Spaces and Struggling Species: History of Camels

The camel is a strange animal for various reasons. Historically, it was mainly used for transportation activities. The presence of this animal in the Indian subcontinent is not very ancient as suggested by few researchers. Throughout the medieval centuries, it was mainly used for transportation, travelling and military purposes. Camel troopers were an essential unit of the postal departments. Many kings and emperors had special affection and association with camels. The engagements of camels in the military units were very popular as evident through the Shutur-khanas of various medieval states. Participating in various military campaigns under the banner of united jack, the Bikaner Camel Corps—Ganga Risala—earned international fame. In the desert of Thar, camels are revered for their social and economic value that was maintainable with minimum efforts. A vibrant culture evolved around the animal due to its economic significance and utility. It is evident that with the introduction of the new modes of transport and warfare, this animal has lost the significant position attained in the history. The engagement of camels in alternate professions for earning livelihood has taken a heavy toll on the species. So much so that now it appears in the list of endangered species.