Torbung is a census village split across the Bishnupur district and Churachandpur district in Manipur, India. The Bishnupur part of the village has a population of 2781, and the Churachandpur part a population of 1047 in the 2011 census. Torbung is on the bank of the Torbung river, which flows down from Thangjing hills to join the Khuga River. It is a village of historical as well as current political significance.
Immediately to the north of Torbung is the village of Kangvai, on a stream of the same name. It is in Churachandpur district with a population of 939. Kangvai is also the headquarters of an eponymous subdivision of the Churachandpur district.
Geography
The Torbung village is at the mouth of the Khuga River valley (which is also known as "Lamka plain"), bordering the Imphal Valley. It is on the bank of the Torbung river, which rises in the eastern slopes of Thangjing hills, and flows down across the mouth of the valley to join the Khuga River. The Torbung river splits into several streams as it enters the valley plain, covering a wide area. The wider area may have also been called Torbung in historical times.
The Torbung census village is split across the valley district of Bishnupur and the hill district of Churachandpur. The division is practically significant since the valley and hill districts in Manipur have different land revenue regulations. The main Torbung village is in the Bishnupur district within the Imphal Valley. The Tedim Road (National Highway 2), connecting the Imphal and Churachandpur towns, passes through it. As per the 2011 census, it occupies area and has a population of 2781 people.
Churachandpur district's Torbung village appears to be in the foothills to the west of the main village just as the Torbung river enters the plain. In addition to the foothill village, the southern bank of the Torbung river has two census villages called S. Kotlian and Torbung Loklaiphai. Scholar Rohlua Puia points out that the hill tribes (here Kukis) living in border localities regard themselves as belonging to the hill districts (here Churachandpur), while the Meitei people in the same localities regarded themselves as belonging to the valley districts (here Bishnupur). As per the 2011 census, the Churachandpur's Torbung village has a population of 439 people, S. Kotlian 411 people and Torbung Loklaiphai 197 people. (Their areas are not mentioned.)
Immediately to the north of Torbung, about 1 km away, is the village of Kangvai, on a stream of the same name. The Kangvai stream turns north after passing through the village and drains into the Loktak Lake. Kangvai is said to be populated by a majority of Kuki tribal population. It is listed a census village in the Churachandpur district, but not in the Bishnupur district. The 2011 population is listed as 939.
History
Early history
Until late 19th century, the southern frontier of the princely state of Manipur was the southern end of the valley. The tribes inhabiting the southern hills were not under the control of Manipur. That would have made the Torbung region the frontier area of the Manipur state.
A location called "Torbung" is mentioned in Manipur's court chronicle Cheitharol Kumbaba in the year 1712. An official called Chantrasekhor, who was on his way to Tripura, was murdered at the location, which was described as being near "Khuka". The latter is a possible reference to the Khuga River, which is mentioned for the first time in this instance. In 1766, a village was apparently established at "Torpung" by the people of "Kyamkei" under the direction of the Moirang chief (Chantramani).
Scholar Pum Khan Pau believes that the Khuga River valley might have been traversed by Manipuris for the first time in 1857, when Maharaja Chandrakirti led an expedition to Tedim (in the present day Chin State of Myanmar), which was then the central base of the Kamhau-Sukte tribes. The Manipuri troops fled "in confusion" after facing the combined troops of Kamhau, Sukte and Sihzang tribes, and returned to the Imphal Valley via a previously "unknown route", which eventually formed the route of the present day Tedim Road.
In 1858, Torbung is mentioned as a region. The Maharaja of Manipur is said to have settled "Saitons" in a (new) village in Torbung. The Saiton Hills (the east–west-running range of hills on the southern boundary of the Imphal Valley) were invaded in 1789, but not fully subdued. In 1858 when the Maharaja came to Moirang to repel the Kamhaus (Aakam-Hao) tribes, a Haokip clan of Kukis apparently came down from Saiton hills to accept settlement in the Torbung region.