Historically, the area that is now Churachandpur was inhabited by various indigenous Kuki-Zo tribes who practiced shifting cultivation in the dense, forested hills. The settlement originally grew around a junction of roads, earning it the traditional local name "Lamka." During the British colonial period, the area was formally named Churachandpur in 1921 in honor of Maharaja Churachand Singh, the then-ruler of the princely state of Manipur.
The region played a strategic role during World War II. The Tiddim Road, which connects Churachandpur to Imphal and stretches toward Myanmar, was a critical military supply route and the site of significant engagements between Allied forces and the advancing Japanese army. After India's independence and Manipur's integration into the Indian Union in 1949, Churachandpur steadily developed from a remote outpost into a prominent district headquarters.
In modern times, Churachandpur has evolved into a vibrant center for tribal education and politics in Manipur, with a strong civic movement to officially revert the town's name to Lamka. The town's recent history, however, has been marred by episodic ethnic tensions over land rights, resource distribution, and political representation. In May 2023, Churachandpur became the epicenter of severe ethnic violence between the Meitei community (predominantly from the Imphal Valley) and the Kuki-Zo tribes of the hills, an event that led to deep geographical and demographic segregation in the state.