Khwāirākpā

Khwairakpa () was a royal prince of Manipur during the reign of Meidingu Khagemba (1597 - 1652 CE). He is mentioned in historical accounts that detail the political turmoil of the early seventeenth century. Additionally, his figure appears in the Manipuri historical novel Labanga-Lata, authored by Khwairakpam Chaoba Singh. Most of what we know about Khwairakpa comes from literary sources rather than from a wealth of historical documents.

 Family and Background 
Khwairakpa was one of the half-brothers of Khagemba, sharing the same father but different mothers. He was the father of Latasana, a princess central to a significant personal and political dispute involving the royal family.

 Conflict with Sanongba 
Khwairakpa is associated with the conflict involving Sanongba (Yaiskullakpa), his younger half-brother, who later rebelled against King Khagemba.

In the story of Labanga-Lata, conflict arises when Khwairakpa refuses to allow his daughter, Kunjalata (Latasana), to marry Labanga. Labanga is a respected warrior and loyal supporter of Sanongba, who has proven himself in the Khagi campaign. Although Labanga has won Latasana's affection, Khwairakpa declines the marriage proposal from Sanongba and instead plans to marry her off to Madhu, another trusted royal supporter. This decision angers Sanongba.

The situation worsens when a rental boat belonging to Sanongba is damaged while being used by Khwairakpa. Although Khwairakpa offers to compensate for the damage or to replace the boat, Sanongba insists on either the restoration of the original boat or the surrender of the official responsible for the incident. This disagreement eventually starts the conflict.

 Role in Political Crisis 
Sanongba's rebellion ended with his defeat at the Battle of Toubul in 1606 CE. It all started with an issue over a damaged boat. When Sanongba refused the king's offers to repair or replace it, King Khagemba considered this as a challenge to his authority. Tensions grew further due to Sanongba's self-willingness and his desire to marry Khwairakpa's daughter to Labanga, which Khwairakpa opposed.

As the conflict built up, Sanongba was exiled from the kingdom. This exile made the political crisis worse and made him seek support from external forces, including mercenaries from Cachar, ultimately leading to his rebellion against Khagemba.

Literary sources, particularly the novel Labanga-Lata, portray Khwairakpa as an ally of the king in efforts to suppress the rebellion. The novel suggests that Khwairakpa and the king planned to request assistance from the King of Cachar to capture Sanongba and his followers. This shows the diplomatic relationships between Manipur and its neighboring regions during that era.

 Mentions in Literature 
Khwairākpā is depicted in two important literary sources. 

Nongsamei, a historical chronicle, presents Khwairakpa as a key figure whose personal and family conflicts lead to larger military confrontations with the Meitei kingdom and its neighbors. 

Labanga Latā (1940), a historical novella, dramatizes the personal and romantic tensions among Khwairakpa, Sanongba, and their families. In this story, Khwairakpa is shown as strong and determined, though he may lack the sensitivity to stop family conflicts from escalating.

 Character Assessment 
The way Khwairakpa is described in the story shows that he is a practical and direct person. He rejects Sanongba's offer to marry his daughter and does not back down in the boat argument, showing that he sticks to his decisions. However, this self-willingness also contributes to the tragedy in the royal family.

 Descendants 
His descendants are the people of the Khwairakpam family of the Meitei people, including Khwairakpam Chaoba Singh.

 Related pages 

 Meitei people in Assam
 Khagemba
 Modern Meitei novel

 References 

Category:History of Manipur
Category:Meitei people