Formation of Muslim Community in Manipur during the 17th and 18th Centuries
- Part 5 -

Md. Chingiz Khan *

Id-ul Adha celebration at Changamdhabi under Andro Kendra Majid, Manipur on 7 November 2011 :: Pix - Bullu Raj

Lastly, Clan system, unknown in the Islamic world and Sagei in Manipuri language, acted as an indispensable social engineering agent for the formation of Muslim community in Manipur during the 17th and 18th centuries.

First of all, this was the family title given by the King Khagemba to the Manipuri Muslims, which was transforming into lineage groups or clans with the rise of population after 1606 A.D. on the basis of their place of origins, occupations, place of settlements, skills etc. The importance of clan in the consolidation of Muslim community was that it was used as a determinant factor of identification of a person and as a social institution, it had helped them to the social unity in Manipur and became a similarity in norms with the social institution i.e. clans of the Meiteis. Their legitimized clan system given by the King of Manipur has been functionalized since their settlement in Manipur. Actually, clan, the basic social structure of Meitei community, influenced a lot in the social structure of Muslims in Manipur playing an important social engineering agent for the formation of community in Manipur.

Sagei can be closely knit or vice versa. A Sagei contained many families- 'Yumnak' of the same clan. These were further subdivided into Singlup or subclans. In a Sagei, there were normally 'Phurups', 'Singlups', 'Kangbu' or 'Khut' groups based on lineage, social and customary considerations (Irene 2010: 51). There was no hierarchical differentiation within the Sagei, based upon either economy or occupation (Shah 1998: 197). The Muslim clans have been invariably exogamous.

What is permissible under Islamic law- endogamy became almost a dead letter (Singh 1994: 29-30). But one thing is that they didn't adopt the prefix or suffix of the Sagei's like the Meiteis to their names i.e. Meitei community usually used the prefix or suffix in their names say for instance Thokchom Chandramani or James Lourembam, however, the point that they used generally the Muslim titles like Shah, Khan, Sayyid, Sheikh etc. without knowing the divisions.

The divisions like Sayyids, Sheikhs, Mughals, despite existing in the Islamic world, were not found in Manipuri Muslims. Simply, they used these as the title of the names without having divisions. Now how the formation of clan took place was also important to know. As I had already mentioned in the above, it was based on the occupations, skills, place of origins etc., say, for instance,
Muhammad Sani, the commander-in-chief of the Muslim forces, was given two Meitei girls by the King of Manipur Khagemba namely, Nongthombam Maitek and Chakpram Melei as his wives, two servants, 5 paris of good and fertile land (1pari = 2 and half acres) and he found residence in the area of Paka (Paka Leikai), nowadays called Yaishkul Leikai in Moirangkhom and his clan name was Khullakpam (Khullakpa means in Manipuri language, the head or the commander of the community) (Singh and Khan 1973: 34);

Nooriya Sheikh, an expert in pottery making, made a pot by using the technique of pottery wheel and provided it to the King Khagemba and being satisfied, he got one Meitei girl namely Peti from the Maharaj and his clan came to be known as Chaphusabam (Chaphu=pot; Saba=make in Manipuri language) (Singh and Khan 1973: 34);

Sheikh Juned, proficient in paper making and the third younger brother of Muhammad Shani, introduced the art of paper making in Manipur and his clan was called Chesabam Sagei (Che = paper; saba =make in Manipuri language) (Sharma 1999: 19);

Muslims coming from Makak, a place in Sylhet District in Bangladesh, were known as Makakmayum which had a further division into two namely Makakmayum Angouba and Makakmayum Amuba based on fair and dark flush persons.

In the similar manner, Mayangmayum group was divided into two Mayangmayum Ariba and Mayang Anouba (new and old, the former migrated in and Badaruddin 1996: 95-96). Puton Khan and his son, Salim Khan came from Gujarat to Manipur during the reign of King Paikhomba (1666-1697A.D.), who guarded thatch called 'Ee' in Manipuri language in the Ingkhol of the King of Manipur and their clan was known as Eepham Clan and so on.

Similarly, different clans like Ayekpam, Korimayum, Patsoimayum, Aribam, Yumkhaibam and others and their various lists were analyzed in detail (Khan 1972: 14-15; Singh and Khan 1973: 169-170; Khullakpam 1997: 65-198; Rafayattullah 1929: 16-22). Some of the clans were as same as those of Meiteis like Yangkhubam, Oinammayum (Singh and Khan 1973: 170).

Hence, Clan system (unknown in the Islamic World) played a crucial role in the formation of Muslim community in Manipur by functioning as a symbolic social engineering agent since their arrival in Manipur in 1606 A.D. It can be safely said that many socio-cultural practices of the Manipuri Muslims discussed above drawn from the local dominant community indicated a high level of assimilation and enculturation in their socio-cultural practices thereby keeping a unique place in the history of Manipur.

CONCLUSION:

The actual formation of Muslim community in Manipur was started from the reign of King Khagemba, despite having some claims prior to this reign, because in the early part of the 17th century, some thousands of Muslims started living on the soil of the valley of Manipur after the battle of 1606A.D. By realizing the importance of the skills in diverse fields possessed in those Muslims, King Khagemba patronized them by presenting Meitei women, land and servants for subsistence and victuals as a part of appreciation of their skills in different activities.

Like the Meitei, clan, an important social engineering agent for the formation of Muslim community, was conferred to them on the basis of origins, occupations, place of settlements etc. after transforming from the family titles.

In the socio-cultural contexts, some local elements (Meitei's socio-religious and cultural elements) were synthesized into the Muslims socio-religious and cultural systems which could be clearly witnessed in food systems, literature, language, belief systems, clan, marriage etc. It does not mean that they don't follow basic teachings of Islam but they hold the basic teachings of Islam in their activities though there were huge local influences over them.

In other words, the process of assimilation and enculturation was extremely high. One of the surprising things is that they have been staying as a unique distinct community in Manipur since 1606A.D. though they are a small community. In a nutshell, it can be concluded that the formation of Muslim community in Manipur during the 17th and 18th centuries was by assimilation, enculturation and intermixture with the local community politically, socially, economically, culturally which therefore provided them with a unique history.

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