A need to rethink Meitei in sub-section of Chin group in Myanmar census code 402
- Part 3 -

Maheshsana Rajkumar *

A group of Meitei Family in Mandalay, Myanmar in October 2014 :: Pix - R.K. Shivachandra

The Meiteis would like to make a fervent appeal to the Myanmar Government to rethink on Myanmar census code 402 in the regrouping of Meiteis in Chin sub-section and show sensitivity on the policy of granting citizenship to the Kathes and Ponnas.

The war extracts Kathes and Ponnas have played immense role for centuries at the times of war and peace. Their vital contributions in the making of present Myanmar economy should be acknowledged and due recognition be given for their loyalty and services offered to the nation.

A fresh appeal in regard of regrouping of Meiteis in the sub-section of Tai tribes, the Myanmar authorities should consider taking the factual account of Meitei affiliations with Tai/Shan ethnic. Several western writers and Myanmar scholars have shown affinity of Meitei with Tai/Shan ethnic in their write ups namely;
Major Simon Fraser Hannay, Ney Elias, Edward Harper Parker, G.E. Harvey, Gazetteer J. George Scott, Mrs. Leslie Milne, Sai Saimong Mangrai and notably Sai Aung Tun,
who detailed the migrations of Tai/Shan in Myanmar, Manipur and Assam in 6th century CE.

Some other Tai sources also hints at probable arrival of Tai/Shan migrants in Upper Burma before Common Era and its highly probable the existence of Tai/Shan settlements in Kabaw Valley of Manipur in that period.

In the Tai Journal in new Shan script, "Tai in the World" written by Mahamung (Muse), 2005, there is mention of 83 Tai sub-tribes in the world and Meitei/Meetei of Manipur as one of the Tai sub-tribes known by the name "Tai Moy or Kassay".

Meitei belongs to Southwestern Tai people's Northern branch. The term Pong is used by the Manipuris to denote Mao Shan. Tai Khamti/Khamti Shan refers to the Manipuri Meitei people as "Katai" or "Kathai". The meaning behind this word is the race that broke away from wider Tai group.

The kingdom of Manipur was Tainized/Shanized by the dominant Tai ethnic with other ethnicities living in Manipur from ancient period. The settlements of Tai/Shan in ancient Manipur had an overwhelming influence and impact on the various aspects of her culture. The Tai people brought wet rice cultivation technology known as 'Na' culture from Yunnan.

My communication with renowned Shan scholar Dr. Sai San Aik of Yangon, yielded valuable information on Manipur and has thrown much light on Tai/Shan Meitei (Tai Moy/Kassay), in his words Kassay (Manipur) was greatly influenced by Thai Lanna (present Chiangmai) of Northern Thailand since 6th century CE and Tai Khamti/Khamti Shan (once Tai Mao) started in 14th century CE also left much influence on Kassay and Tai Phake.

Now looking at the relevant history of Chin people migration in Mizoram, India it is mentioned in the writings of Mizo scholar Lalrimawia (1981: 28-31) as follows:

Khampat in Myanmar/Burma is believed to be the oldest Mizo town, where an earthen rampart is still visible. Mizo lore recalls that famine compelled their ancestors to migrate the Indo-Burmese hill tracts a.k.a. the Chin hills in the 14th century AD. Some early settlements from this period are still in existence, e.g. Seipui, Suaipui Saihmun, Bochung, all toponyms which are actually also clan names.

In the 16th century, the Mizo arrived at present-day Mizoram after crossing the Tiau River. This last wave of migrants from the Chin Hills is also called Lushai. In fact, such dispersal may have been the inevitable result of a lifestyle in which jhum cultivation played a central role.

The settlements of old Kukis could be traced in Manipur from the time of King Gariba Niwaza (Pamheiba) in the first half of the 18th century. Sir Athelstane Baines in his report "Ethnography (Castes and Tribes), 1912, writes:

In 1720, the then Chief, called by the Muslim title of Gharib Navaz, was persuaded by some Brahmans at his court that he and his subjects were Ksatriya of the Lunar race. The monarch thereupon embraced their creed and was invested with the sacred thread, and with him a large number of his people.

Since then, not only have most of the Meithei become Ksatriya, but the rank has been conferred by the Chief upon a plentiful supply of recruits from the surrounding Kuki and Naga tribes. The result is that at the Census only 33 of the inhabitants of the State returned the tribal name, whilst the 33,000 Manipuri found on the record are Bengali enumerated in Kacar and its vicinity.

The great sovereign monarch of Southeast Asia Manipur King Gariba Niwaza, as a state policy had put different ethnicities of Manipur under one umbrella after adoption of Ramanandi Vaishnavism thereby encouraging Manipuri nationalism of the erstwhile kingdom.

Sir Athelstane Baines wrote on the adoption of Brahmanism by a large portion of the Mongoloid population of Manipur, the chief and his military retainers passed into the rank of Ksatriya, and to the number of about 1, 80,000, appear under that title in the last census returns.

The men's were enlisted in the Manipur royal army and the ranks were conferred by the Chief to draw military strength to counter the religious warfare of Theravada Buddhism religion of the mighty Burmese empire.

The nation building tasks involved changing the country name from Kassay/Kathe to Manipur. The Burmese royal book namely Lokyabyuha-kyam mentioned the name Manipur was only adopted when a faction of the Manipur court openly favored the changes promoted by the immigrant Bengal Brahmins in 1742.

The much awaited time has come now to revisit the relevant histories of India particularly Manipur and Myanmar and bring rightful solution even at the cost of amending constitutions of the respective countries if required. The divide and rule policies of the British and legacies left in the form of draconian colonial laws had done great injustice to the Meitei people of Manipur.

The history won't forgive the greatest blunder committed by British, the treacherous act of transfer of Kabaw Valley to Burma (Myanmar) for 1 million pounds sterling war indemnity and the subsequent loss of ancestral boundary Ningthee River (Chindwin River) the dividing marker between both the kingdoms of Manipur and Burma hence resulting in the loss of economic lifeline of the ancient kingdom of Manipur.


(Concluded ....)