Polo and indigenous ponies of Manipur
- Part 1 -

Waikhom Damodar Singh *

Pana Kangjei / Sagol Kangjei- an indigenous game from Manipur at Mapal Kangjeibung :: November 2011 :: Pix - Jinendra Maibam

Polo, a game played with a long handled mallet made of cane stick and wooden ball, actually from the horseback, which in its modern form was originated some one and half century ago, and which has become by now an International game, has been an "Indigenous Game" of Manipur from its primeval days. The interesting thing to find is that there are aslo other three games under the very name "Polo", namely "Water Polo", "Cycle Polo", and "Elephant Polo" (regularly played in Thailand) come up very recently.

However, what Manipur concerns with very much is only with the game of "Horse Polo". The word Polo seems to be not at all a local Manipuri word though there is a very nearly resembling word, "Pal-Ollo" - change direction or side. According to some views it was the British who adopted the word "Polo" which is a Balti word and also a word nearly akin to the Tibetan word, "Bo-Lo", meaning ball, but the modern form of international game of horse Polo is the game which they (the British) had invented and played for the first time at Silchar, Cachar, Assam in the year 1859 as a game modified and copied from the Manipuri indigenous game, the "Sagol Kangjei", sagol for horse and kangjei for stick and they continued playing of the game there, and therefore one can not but really wonder as to how the game so originated from the Manipuri indigenous game had been given a non-Manipuri name. Anyway it may be taken that there is no more dispute or controversy over the matter or issue since it has been now accepted and clearly recorded in the English Guinness Book of World Records saying that "Manipur is the Home or Place of Origin of the so called Horse Polo".

The indigenous game, the "Sagol Kangjei" of Manipur may be discussed to be a game which continued its existence right from the Mythological period till date, i.e. it may be discussed to be a game survived in three periods - one during the mythlogical period, the second during the Mediavel pre-British period and the third during the modern period (beginning from the British period from the middle of the 19th century till today).

According to the Mythology of Manipur, the hilly-land was once under a great deluge and God Nongpok Ningthou Ipuba Panganba drained out the bulk of water by his powerful weapon after making a great tunnel through the ranges of the high mountains on the southern side and established a "heaven like virgin-land" and 360 sylvan deities performed songs and dances as a mark of their "merriments" on the cosmic creation taken place. The merriments came to be known as "Lai Haraoba", merriment of god and deities and it became a religious function still observed annually and indispensably by the valley people of the State.

Rejoiced with the great event taken place, Pakhangba who resides eternally very deep underneath Kangla, the central place of the Land added to the merriment of the deities by illuminating the entire land by his "divine jewels". The sylvan deities made Pakhangba, the king of the land who was coronated in the afternoon of Wednesday of the month of "kalen" (jesta) on its full moon day during the period of "khunung-chak" .

The name of the Land had since been given as "Manipur", Mani for diamond and Pur for bearing. Pakhangba then sent out 8 leading and prominent deities to 8 directions far establishing human habitations there and for defending the land -
(1) Haoga Sararen Nongpok Ningthou to the eastern side
(2) Irum Ningthou to the south- eastern side
(3) Wangbren to the south
(4) Thangjing to the south-western side
(5) Khoriphaba to the western side
(6) Loyalakpa to the north-western side
(7) Marjing to the north and
(8) Chingkhei Ningthou to the north­eastern side.

The deities accompanied with them the ancestors of the indigenous tribal and hill peoples - the Mao-Marams with Marjing to the north, Tangkhul with Chingkhei Ningthou to the north-east, Marings with Nongpok Ningthou to the east, and also with Irum Ningthou to the south-east, Khongjais and Anals etc. with Wangbren to the south, Koirengs, Koms, Lamkangs etc. with Thangjing to the south-west, Chirus, Chothes etc. with Khoriphaba to the west and Kabuis with Loyalakpa to the north-west.

Thus Nongpok Ningthou founded the land, called Manipur and celebrated the occasion of the cosmic creation (Leishemba) by singing songs originated ever since as -
"Ho hoi ha ha !
Hoi hoi ha ha ha !
Herilo lila herila herila.
Hayute khulaite heiya he,
Adubu thoina haraoba leibaneda,
Hou he hou hayanakeda".

The words, "ho, hoi, heiya he etc." are still indispensably used by the Meiteis, the Tangkhuls, the Kabuis and all the tribes in the singing of their indigenous folk-songs and dancings and also while pulling, carrying or lifting up something of heavy weights by way of deriving their strengths from the calling out of the words showing clearly of the fact of having their very close ancient kindred relationship of being from the same stock of origin.

The celebration of merriment of the sylvan deities continued for seven days including playing of indigenous games of "sagol kangjei", Boat race, Tug of war type of a game known as Pou-chingnaba using light bamboo instead of rope, Race, Wrestling, Khong-kangjei (rude-hockey game) etc. Sagol Kangjei was played by two teams of the deities consisting of 7 players to a side on the rules invented by deity Marjing.

The team positioned on the north and attacked towards south consisted of
(1) Marjing as Panngakpa (goal keeping)
(2) Khamlangba as Panngakchang (back)
(3) Irum Ningthou as Pallakchang (half back)
(4) Ikop Ningthou as Langjei (centre half)
(5) Irong Ningthou as Pallakchang (forward)
(6) Nongsaba as Panjenchang (forward-in)
(7) Panthoiba as Panjenba (scorer),
and the team positioned on the South and attacked towards north consisted of
(1) Thangjing as pangakpa
(2) Khoriphaba as panngakchang
(3) Wangbren as pallakchang
(4) Yangoi Ningthou as Langjei
(5) Nambul Lakpa as pallakchang
(6) Oknaren as panjenchang
(7) Loyalakpa as panjenba.

Thus Sagol Kangjei is one of the indigenous games of Manipur ancestral deities which had then been invented and played first by its handed down as a traditional game from generation to generation of the people of Manipur and played as one of the compulsory items of indigenous games on the occasions of Lai Haraoba and other customary festivals and also on the occasions of coronations of the kings.

For the purpose of determining the Mediaeval period (pre-British period) related to the game it begins from the year 3108 of the so called Kali-yuga or the early 1st century of the christian era with the advent of Pakhangba who ascended the throne of Manipur from the same year, with Laisna as his queen-consort. Pakhangba ruled the kingdom established by him for 120 years quite peacefully. On the request of the queen, Laisna, Pakhangba invited the sylvan dieties to a "get-together luncheon-party" held at Kangla pala in the forenoon of Saturday of Lamta month (Chaitra) in the year 3175 of the Kali yuga or 74 A.D. Before the lunch 14 deities out of the several deities asembled as were invited played sagol-kangjei, riding 14 indigenous ponies (yangoi sagols - very fast horses) at the open public gathering ground located in the premises of the Kangla palace (yuren khundin Lamhang).

The deities formed two teams, each consisting of 7 a side and played the game on the same pattern and rules invented by Marjing and played during the mythological period. After the game the deities were entertained with lunch which had a menu of several items of very delicious food including milk, banana etc. Fully enjoyed with the programme the sylvan deities requested the king and the queen to hold the same every year in which they promised to attend and play the game of sagol kangjei to mark the auspicious occasion.

Thus the game became a National game of the State which had since been playing as an annual feature on the occasions of religious and customary functions and also of coronations of the kings of the State.

It was from the time of Pakhangba that the "Pana-system" of divisions of areas into units came to exist, particularly for the purpose of defence of the land from outside invasions or intrusions.

The unit covered by the deities came to be called as "Laipham Pana", the unit covered by the group of Thongaren as "Ahallup", by the group of Poirei­ton as "Naharup" and by the group of Poinaota as "Khabam".

To be continued..