evidence: Yazagyo (Rajgriha) was the capital of ancient Manipur – known as Kassay/Kathe – now located in the Kabaw Valley of Myanmar. The valley is located between the foothills on the eastern confines of Manipur and the Chindwin River. During the First Anglo-Burmese war (1824-26), Prince Gambhir Singh conquered the Kabaw Valley from Burma. But the Burmans were able to prove to the British Resident, Major Burney that the valley had been ceded to Burma by the former Manipuri king Marjit Singh in 1813. Facing severe economic headwinds following the war, Major Burney was persuaded to hand the valley back to Burma, on January 9, 1834, without the knowledge of the Manipuris, for a war indemnity of one million pounds sterling. [...] Manipur borders two regions of Myanmar: Sagaing region to the east and Chin state to the south. It is a gateway state for India to fulfill her ‘Look East’ dream. With the completion of the Trilateral Highway, India could usher into the era of ‘Acting East.’ Manipur is a gateway to a future of endless possibilities from hydrocarbons, timber, and minerals to regional trade over land and water which could emerge as a crucial node of a new Silk Route – a bulwark against China in Southeast Asia. Alongside hope and aspiration, there is anguish and anger as the state is constantly roiled by age old ethnic tensions along with an increasing clamour for the amalgamation of Naga populated areas of Manipur with the state of Nagaland.