PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

Genocides have become an indelible scar in the history of humankind. These dark historical episodes epitomise power struggles between races and the perils of group identification. One such episode considered a unique occurrence in human civilisation is the Holocaust (1940-1945). Another seemingly forgotten historical episode is the Chahi Taret Khuntakpa or the Seven Years’ Devastation. It took place in the land of Poirei, now known as the state of Manipur, located in the northeastern part of India. The Seven Years’ Devastation refers to the atrocities committed by the Burmese against the Meitei civilisation from 1819 to 1826. This event, which led to the signing of the Yandabo Treaty of 1826, found a prominent place in the history of Southeast Asia. This paper examines the striking similarities and the cause of genocide between the Seven Years’ Devastation and the Holocaust. Moreover, the paper also studies the effects of violence in the Seven Years’ Devastation and the Holocaust.

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