Life History Of King Kuurkam - Part 1
Chingtam Tinna Wari 1981

R. Thoma *

Picture: Moyon on Facebook

Long time back king Ngoruw Kuurkam reigned in the Khongjon village. The King was very very handsome. He had an extraordinary long hair. That is why the Meetei Kings gave him the title of "Moyon Samshang Shakphaba". (The handsome Long-Haired Moyon).

King Kuurkam, for the first time, introduced the system of taking census report of his population. It was a simple but accurate system of census; the system was that it was mandatory that all the villages and families within his jurisdiction were required to bring one maize-seed each of every person in the village or in the family to the king. Thus by counting the number of maize-seeds received he could know the number of his people.

After the census is over the King constructed three forts within his kingdom (Chiefdom) and kept his forces in the campus of these forts. One Laikhut Sembung (a kind of gong) each was also kept in each fort. At the approach of any enemy attack at his kingdom there would be a loud beating of the gongs to warn the villagers of an imminent enemy attack on the kingdom. On hearing the warning gong all the abled bodied villagers would collect their weapons and rush to the village gate for the protection of their land. Because of such effective arrangement of defence in the hill villages enemies could hardly attack them.

The Names Of The Forts/Camps:

1. Wangoba Hill-top Fort:- It was an important army camp of the king on the strategic southern side of the Charangching khullen village. Because of its strategic position there still remain camps of army on the said hill-top.

2. Angkher Chaiyang Camp:- This camp is on the western side of Angkher Chaiyang village on a high hill-top. There is a stone erected at the side of the camp and a white strip in painted on the stone. On the northern side of the camp an artificial stream was dug up, and it was known as Shija Eeshing Khong (Shija stream). The Angkher Chaiyang villagers are still using this stream.

The place is a dense forest and people generally are afraid of entering the place. It is said that during a war time a man kept the Laikhut Sembung (Laikhut Gong) hidden among the broken chips of stone. After his death the said gong could never be found. There is still a traditional saying that the pounding sound of the gong can still be heard by the hunters going for hunting game there. But all their search for the said gong have still been in vain. Anyone can be assured of this strange happening if he or she asks the Angkher Chaiyang villagers about this matter.

3. Tangreen Hill-top Camp:- The Tangreen Hill-top Camp is on the mound of this hill-top on the southern side of the Purum Khullen. It was said that a multi-branched big tree grew by the side of the camp. A beautiful wooden shed was constructed on the leveled branches of the tree. One could see the western valley and hills on the western side from this shed. Any enemy movement also could be easily visible.

One day on his royal tour the king climbed up the tree-shed and had a sight of the surrounding lands and hills. The king cut off two small branches of the big tree. After the death of Kongkam Ningthou his sisters entreated the crows not to perch on the said tree. In their songs the sisters asked the Uchek Langmei ( a kind of beautiful bird) which is as nice as the handsome Kongam Kurkam Ningthou to perch on the tree. The song they sang is given at the end of their story.

One day King Kurkam went for a long de-tour on a sedan in the Thoubal area. He found that Khuman Chaoba ( a Khuman Noble) hired an elephant from the Moirang king for the marriage of Khuman Chanu Shakphabi (the beautiful Khuman girl) and the Khuman girl was riding on that elephant on her way to the house of her new husband. At this impertinence (here king Kuurkam might consider that the Khumans and the Moirangs were his tributaries), King Kurkam was furious and shouted at Khuman Chaoba how dare he let the girl ride an elephat before his eyes. He drew out his sword and cut off both the right and left feet of the elephant.

Thus a fierce quarrel ensued between King Kuurkam and the Khuman and Moirang Kings. The Moirang king tortured with a revengeful grudge made plan to kill Kuurkam Shakpha Samshangba. He consulted with his royal priest to find out an oppotune time to kill Kuurkam. The priest revealed the langpham (the unlucky hour), he told the Moirang king that king Kuurkam would be under a fatal ill star after completion of six months from the day the prophesy was made.

The priest furthur cautioned the Moirang king that if the Moyon king overcame death on that fateful day he would live quite long. The anxious Moirang king made an earnest appeal to the nobles in his royal council to wage a war with Moyon king. At his request the Khuman noble Nongyai Chakhangamba volunteered for the attack on the Moyon king.

Subsequently the Moirang king ordered for a "Meihum Morok Paojel", that is public declaration of a war to be waged against an enemy. It was the tradition of the time to make such public declaration by a relay-runners carrying a stick with a tuft of burning chillis on top of the stick. Its symbolic meaning is that a king's order is as hot as burnt chillis.

Thus the Moirang king and Nongyai Chakhangamba along with their army set out for the campaign. They crossed the Ithai river, cut short through Sarik Chingkon and reached Waikhong. Then the forces reached the western fringe of the Japhou valley and made their camp on the hills there. They dug up 'langkhong' or defensive moat around their camps and remained their ready for the attack.

Immediately king Kuurkam also set out from Khongjon village along with his strong army, crossed over the Chakpi river and made a sweeping charge against the Moirang forces. The two kings were interlocked in a fierce combat. In the battle both sides suffered heavy casualties. However, when night approached the two rival forces retired to their camps.

During the subsequent long-drawn battles the provisions of the Moyon forces of king Kuurkam was exhausted. The king sent a team of his army to Khongjon for supply of foods. The queen of king Kurkam sent enough liquor for the king. On drinking the wine the king sang a song in remembrance of his queen.

The song runs in rhythm:
He aa ae Kathe Yutu o numbung aa
Aa shithim kiva o Eetheng ae he aa ae
Bungkhu num num mangee aa
Richii eenrun ning-ae.

The simple meaning of these lines is - " When I drink the wine, sent to me by my sweet queen, the sweet remembrance of my queen makes me cry".

When enough provision was in store both the two kings started to engage in a great battle. Both sides lost a large number of soldiers. King Kuurkam's younger brother General Darpham and Major Nungchim Wangjam were badly wounded and they were under medical treatment in the camp. King Kuurkam's anger knew no bound at this incident, and thus the infuriate king, with his sword in his hand, swooped down the Moirang forces; and subsequently the two kings were locked into a fierce titanic combat.

Hundreds of soldiers of both side fell to the ground. In the fearful combat Kuurkam Ningthou fell into a ditch, and taking this opportune moment the Moirang king jumped over the fallen foe and speared him to death. At his last moment of death king Kurkam cursed the Moirang king with devastation of his kingdom and no more reigns in Moirang any longer.

The angry Moirang king consigned the dead king in fire against their customary service. During the funeral the append ice of the king exploded and a large number of Moirang soldiers in funeral service were killed. At this mysterious incident the Moirang king declared in reverence that king Kuurkam was an extra-ordinary man and that he was a great divine incarnate.

So he got a big stone erected on the grave of king Kuurkam. The butt of the Sword of King Kuurkam also was left erected by the side of the stone. Later, the butt of the sword turned into a bamboo and grew tall. A collection of bamboos in still growing there. This place has now become a market place. The wounded brother of king Kurkam was taken to Moirang as a prisioner-of-war, and his descendents came to be known as changkam clan.

General Darpham and Major Wangjam along with their remaining forces crossed the Chakpiriver and returned to the Khongjon village. The place where the Moyon forces crossed the Chakpi river was later known as Lanbung Hiden Ching('Bung' means hill). All the wounded soldiers of the Moirangs were given treatment in a small gorge, and that place is still known as 'Natham Lok'.

On breakfast on a hill, and that hill is still known as Charang Ching. It is now Known as Charangching Khun (charangching village). On the return journey a large number of wounded Moirang soldiers died, and their dead bodies were given a burial service at a place. This place is still known as "Moirang Kom Khun".

Nothing is known about the descent of the queen of the Moyon great king Kuurkam. There was, and still is, no one among the Moyons who knew or knows about the parents and their residence or place where they lived.

Once the queen accompanied her husband in one of his excursion on a high mountain, and the foot impression of the queen left when she stepped on a big stone boulder still remains. This mountain top stands between Mitong and Japhou villages. Another foot imprression of the queen left when she stepped on a small boulder while drinking water at the foot of the Machi hills still remains. It is in Machi village now.

Shichar Queen had no offsprings, but the descendents of the younger brothers of king Kuurkam still live. They are still living in Monshang Pantha, Purum Khulen, Moyon Khulen, Liwa Heibunglok, Tumu, Naprum, etc. Their descendents are still among the Meeteis. Some of these people are in Khongyon, though small in number.

After the death of her husband no one knew how the queen vanished. No one knew where she died. After the defeat and death of the king the Moyons fled to Kabaw valley, but the queen was not among them. Simply she vanished.

Queen Shichar looked very beatiful and charming. Hers was a parrennial beauty and she remained always just like an exceedingly charming young maiden. The king treated her with great love. The king had no other wife except this queen. When the king made a detour in the valley she was brought as young maiden and was married with the king.

King Kuurkam was also very handsome and manly, and the Meetei kings gave him the title "Moyon Samshang Shakphaba". When he was a bachelor he took part in competitive games of horse race, foot race, wrestling, hockey, spear throw, swimming, etc., with Meetei princes.

According to Pandit Oja Thambou Singh as mentioned Kangleirons, it is said that "the queen of Moyon Samshang Shakphaba is Godess Phou-oibi, the youngest of the Helloi Taret (seven angels), and she comes from the Moirang valley".

Released by
Bujuur Aanchung Puh
(Moyon Naga Council)

To be continued.....