Manipuri in Myanmar
- Part 1-

By: Mutua Bahadur *

Myanmar

Myanmar is one of the south-east Asian countries having India in the North and Bangladesh in the west. Manipur, a North-Eastern state of India, is a neighbour of Myanmar. It is encircled by China, Laos and Thailand in the east and Bay of Bengal and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the south. Manipuris knew Myanmar as Awa Leibak since early times. Awa comes from the word 'aawaa' used by Manipuris.

The eastern boarder of Manipur extended upto Ningthi (Chindwin) river during the reign of king Kyamba of Manipur (1467-1508). According to Henry Yule's map, the eastern boarder of Manipur was drawn beyond Ningthi river during 1500 and 1580.

The Kabo valley lies between Heirok or Yoma range of mountains, which bounds the eastern side of the Manipur valley, and Ningthi or Kyendwin (Chindwin) river. It commences from the foot of hills in latitude 24.30° North and extends to South in 22.30°, where it terminates on the left bank of the Kathe Khyoung, or Manipur river, which falls into the Ningthi river and marks the Southern limit of the Kale Raj's territory.

Before and after 1648, war continued between the two neighbours - Manipur and Myanmar. In 1735 Maharaja Garibaniwaj of Manipur collected cows and slaves from Myedu of Shwebo district after attacking it. He destroyed some villages and pagodas sending cavalry to the upper part of Myanmar. The Manipuri soldiers defeated Myanmarese soldiers.

Again in 1738, he was camping near Sagaing. According to the order of Maharaja Garibaniwaj, Kaunghmudaw Pagoda built by king Thalun of Myanmar was taken care of. The Maharaja entered the pagoda and put a sword mark on the eastern door of the pagoda. After that, in the month of July, 1757 king Alungpaya brought thousands of Manipuris as captive to Sagaing and Amarapura districts and settled them there within a short span.

Again in December 1764 Myedu (Hsinbyshim) of Myanmar invaded Manipur and took some Manipuris to Ava (it was the capital city between 1364-1555 and 1629-1752) as captives and settled them around the outskirts of the city. King Alungpaya developed a cavalry battalion out of Manipuri settlers. Then, king Alungpava

Kaunghmadaw pagoda:Eastern Gate of Pagoda, sword mark made by Marahaja Garibaniwaj 1738, Sagaing. Photo : Author, September 2004

invaded Siam (Thailand) with the help of 500 Manipuri cavalries. In 1780 king Bodawpaya brought some Manipuris from Manipur to Mogok for working in ruby mines. And again in 1812, this king brought more Manipuris and let them settle there.

During the reign of Marjit Maharaja (1813-1819), king Bagyidaw of Myanmar invaded Manipur and the Seven Years Devastation took place in Manipur during 1819-1826. During the Seven Years Devastation, king Bagyidaw brought some Manipuris to Myanmar by promising job opportunities. Under two instances, each numbering 30,000 of Manipuris were taken to Myanmar in the year 1820 and 1821. Gambhir Singh Maharaja of Manipur built up Manipur Levy with the help of the British and expelled the invaders from Manipur.

Manipuris settled at different areas of Myanmar according to suitability of their occupations. Those settlers were - skilled labourers of silk, weavers, carpenters, painters, goldsmiths, rowers, soldiers, cavalry, indigenous physicians, purohits and astrologers etc. The existing Myanmar Manipuris who had settled there since a historical period participated in many happy and sorrow moments, of Myanmar as Myanmar is their motherland in their hearts.

Myanmarese Manipuri women brought fame to their adopted country but also helped it economically. Untouchability, caste system, social ostracism and being merged with other communities have contributed to the slow extinction of the Manipuri community in Myanmar.

Terms used for Manipuris by the Myanmarese

Manipuris are identified with different names by the Myanmarese. Those Manipuri Brahmins are referred as 'Paona' while non-Brahmins are recognized as 'Kate'. The reason behind Manipuri Brahmins being called Paona was that they served as purohits (priest) under the king of Myanmar. The original word purohit came to be used as 'purna'. Due to non-avaibility of the intonation 'r' in Myanmarese vocabulary since earliest times, 'Tonna' was used for 'Purna'.

But it is pronounced as 'Paona' instead of ponna'. The Manipuri Brahmins served as the king's priests and counsellors and also practised the art of astrology. The Shans recognized Manipuris as Ka-tai or Ka-thai. Ka-tai or Ka-thai means a broken group of the Tai family. Because of the Britishers' unability to pronounce 'Ka-tai or Ka-thai', it became Cassay (Kase). Again from 'Kase' it became to be pronounced as 'Kate' by the Myanmarese.

Places settled by Manipuris

Manipuris remain scattered around different parts of Myanmar viz. Kachin state, Yangong division, Sagaing division, Shan state, Ayeyarwaddy division etc. Some of the old villages have vanished. Even the names of the settled areas remain forgotten by the new generations. Some of the existing Manipuri villages have been absorbed into Myanmarese society.

Manipuris have settled at Mytitkyina, Bhamo etc. of Kachin state. Different places of Mandalay division remain populated by Manipuris. Manipuris at present are settled around of Mandalay (Mandalay was the capital between 1857 - 1885). Just to the eastern side of the site is Nandawsae.

The word Nandawsae in Myanmarese does mean that it is on the eastern part of the original capital. Just to the western side of it is Minde-e-kin village. Those Manipuris settled at Myintut are the descendants of Manipuri cavalries that settled in this locality.

The word 'Myin' is for horse and Tut' is for army in the Myanmarese language. Around 15 km from Myintut is the village of Aheneitaw. The word 'Aheneitaw' stands for a village inhabited by very skilled medical

practitioners. Most of them are the descendants of those Manipuris who were forcibly taken to Myanmar to serve as medicine men. Just to the south-western side of the past capital arc villages - Kha-Kshetri, Awang Kshetri, Bamon Khunjao (Paonasu), Kshetri Khul, Ninglhem Purohit Khul (those inhabitants were serving Myanmarese kings as purohits), Lairikyengbam Leikai and Myint Mo Geve etc.

There is Dal Dale and Latthamar villages (the latter is known as Konjengbam Leikai) just near Amarapura (it was the capital of Myanmar from 1783 to 1823) of Mandalay division. A little distance away from Amarapura is Shrigram or Senga Manipuri village and also Gaave (Myanmarese know it as Yekyi pauk) village. Before reaching Sagaing, there is a Manipur village known as Shwekyet by the Mandalay road.

There is another Manipuri village called 'Hypi-kathe' (supplementary residents) in Mogok which is situated to the northern side of Mandalay. In 1780 king Bodawpaya settled Manipuris at Mogok to use them for ruby mining. And again in 1812 the king added another 45 families, and had to settle them there. There are more of Kate (Manipuri) villages near Kyatpayen due to an increase in their population.

In 1916, one written silver scroll was found near an old pagoda in Kathe (Manipuri town). In that scroll it was written that in 1785 the right of ruby mining was in the hands of so - Thungyi of Kathe, Mogok. The Kathe town is adjacent to Kyatpyen. In 1783, during Bodawpaya's time, Manipuri captives were used in the ruby mine. The place was known as Myaukywar by villagers during those days. They have identified themselves and the villages as Kathe for a long historical period. Lots of beautiful folk tales and man-made stories for those Kathes and Kyatpyen, settled around Mogok, were written in the parabaiks of Myanmar from an early time.

See a gallery photo of Manipur and Myanmar here.

To be continued ....

Mutua Bahadur

* Mutua Bahadur contributes to e-pao.net regularly. This article was webcasted on February 17, 2011.