The origin, migration and settlement of the Moyons
- Part 2 -

R Angnong *

Picture: Moyon on Facebook

According to Dr M Kirti's "Manipuri Samaj Hougatlakpa', a treaty on Manipuri social formation, a chieftain from the hills descended to the valley and became the king of Moirang, that is in the kege land. By that time the Moirangs did not settle in the kege village. The first king of kege was Khuyol Tompok. Thus about half of the Moyons settled in the hills which the Meeteis called 'Houbi Ching'. The Moyons called the place as "Tashambung'.

After sometime the Moyons migrated to the hills east of the Tangjeng by the Imphal river. Thus, on the Maring Shambum mountain Moyon chief shamshang Shakphaba reigned as a great and powerful king. This King is said to be very handsome, tall and sturdy and his long hair reached the ankle of his foot. By that time the Moirangs settled at the Kakching Khullen, and the Khumans settled at the Wairi village.

Thus when the Moirangs lived in the Kakching Khullen, the Moirang Godhead Thangjing settled on Mantak hills. The Kakchings settled at Kherching by that time. Before the Mantak came to this place the Marings had settled in this area. So, after the migration of the Marings to other place, the Mantaks came to settle here. By that time the Godhead Thangjing remained in the shape of a 'tumba' (the outer hard body of a gourd), and the people started to worship it as a god.

The Moirangs requested the Mantaks to give back the image of Thangjing. But their request was rejected. Thus the womenfolk of the Moirangs started to worship the image of the female form of god as the image of Thangjing remains still buried in the secret custody of the Mantaks. No one is allowed to see it now.

In course of time the Moirangs migrated to Tentha and settled there. The Khumans also migrated to Wangjing by that time the Moyon King, the Moirang King and the Khuman king were friendly at lip-service and accosted as 'Pathoi' (dear brave friends). But however, in their inner core of their hearts they were in great rivalry, and each was looking for an opportune time to get the upper hand over each other for tributes they were envious of. Thus, in order to decide who the mightiest king was, the three kings agreed upon conducting a competition among themselves at Khongjom to decide who the strongest one was.

The Moyon king Kurkam (or Moyon Samsangba Shakphaba Sambum Khuntaba) was known as Kongam to the Meeteis. The Moirang king was known as Keirencha Tentha Khundaba. The Khuman king was known as Yaraba Wangching Khunta. In the competition of the three kings in strength and combat the chief of the Tumu village was invited to be the judge, and the chief along with his men erected an Urong post with a sparrow hanging down from the top of the post so that he could give an accurate judgement of the competition. Among the three combatants the Moyon king was the youngest. The items of the competition were (i) Spear Throw, (ii) Stone throw, (iii) Race, (iv) Horse race, and (v) Highjump over tree.

In all the competitions the Moyon king far outshone the other two. The Moirang and the Khuman kings were quiet ashamed of at their discomfiture. Out of shame, the two defeated kings made a proposal to the Moyon king to have another competition in tiger-capturing game. In that competition also the Moyon king easily won and the other two failed.

Subsequently, as per the terms of agreement or promise the two defeated king conceded to pay tribute to the Moyon king. In view of the outshining and excellent bravery and quality of the Moyon King, many nobles and learned scholars poured many titles upon the Moyon king like 'Laikashu Laijarel', 'Kangchiba', 'Komthouba', 'Eeshingkhai Angche', etc. Moreover, from this time onward the valley dwellers have been known as 'Shoibi', the highlanders as 'Lembi' and the Kabaw. Tumus as 'Shenbi' the Shenbis are the sentinals of the lands. The place where the three kings were in competition was given the name of 'Khongchong'.

After this event the Moirang Ningthou underwent a series of migrations and settled at 'Leirungthel', and the Khuman king also migrated to 'Thongja Then' and settled there. One day, when the Moyon king Samshang Shakphaba made a visit to the lands of the Moirang and Khuman he found that Khuman noble Chaoba hired an elephant from Khaba Langcha for the marriage of his daughter Khuman Chanu Shaphabi. But there erupted a quarrel between Khaba Langcha and Moyon Samshang Shakphaba.

The Moyon king made his argument that there was no other beauty than Loibi Chingchroi Chanu Tanu Leima, the royal princess whose beauty and modesty outshines in every land like Phana-pung, Maring Khutngampung, Shenbi Phana-pung, Thinglou Kong-hanba phana-pung, etc. That is why his sister was called Leima Chingjin-o. Her another beautiful name was 'Eenung Leima Makeithen'.

In this event the Moyon king sawed off the foot of an elephant of the Moirang King Sharei Telheiba. The elephant died at Kharungpat. After this the Khuman village Thangjaothel where the foot of the elephant was cut off was renamed as 'Kakmayai'. The event is mentioned in the 'Moi-Kangleirol' and the source material is obtained from Khunaijam Thambou Singh, the Pandit of Waikhong Ningthou. After the event the two angry kings of the Moirang and the Khuman were engaged in a combined invasion over the Moyon king.

A fierce battle ensued between the combined force and the Moyon force. In that fierce battle both the two kings were summarily defeated by the Moyon king. The Moirangs fled across the Meitei river (probably the Imphal river) to the Moyon aged village (now kege Moirang) and took shelter there. The Khumans also fled to Mayang Imphal and settled there. The sword of Moyon Samshangba was so fearsome that when he unseathed the sword and tossed it the air both the Khuman and Moirang kings were frightened like a dog before a horrible tiger.

At this insulting defeat the fretful and resented Khuman king was looking for an opportune time to finish off the Moyon king. But he could not find any means. So the Khuman king joined hands again with the Moirang king and thus the duo started an intense search for a means to fulfill their aspiration. They went on searching for learned men and pandits to obtain a secret means.

Atlast they found a learned man called Kabui Tomba of Salang village. Kabui Tomba revealed the secret that the Moyon king Samshangba would reign for 12 chaks (Jugs). However, the Kabui scholar told them that at 6th chak and 6 months the Moyon king would suffer an ominuous Langpham (ie ill-luck), and further cautioned them that if they failed to destroy the Moyon king at this 'Langpham', then they would surely remain tributary kings under his suzerainty for 12 chaks.

The Moirang king offered a big mithun (Sandanglaba) to Kabui Salang Tomba and requested him to accompany him in the expedition against the Moyon king. From then onwards this scholar came to be known as 'Kabui Salang Maiba'. The Moyon king also migrated to the present 'Khongyon' and settled there. The Khongyon village can be visible from the present Japhou keithel. It lies on a flat ridge on a high mountain to the east of Japhou keithel.

At this time with the help of Kabui Salang Maiba the Moirang king made a number of expeditions on the chiefs of various hill tribes.

One day, the Moirang king Puriklai had a consultation with his two nobles, Ipu Thonglen and Ipu Nongyai Chakha Ngamba. The king expressed his displeasure at the failure of generations of Moirang kings to subdue the enemies. He further complained that his land would suffer a fatal end if the land remained subdued by the hill cheifs.

So he proposed to make a strong campaign against the enemies to subdue them. He even off erred very high posts if they would come out victorious in the said campaign. At this proposal Thonglen remained silent; actually he was in deep 'Heeri Konba' (deep meditation). However Nongyai cliakha Ngamba, looking at Thonglen in deep meditation, requested the king to reveal the hill chiefs that needed to be subdued.

The king mentioned the following: nine Songbung villages, Haokap chingsang, Anal Lanphou, Mahou tonsel, Khende, Chairel, Moyon and Monshang. The well prepared Nongyai Chakha Ngamba went for a long expedition against the enemies. During the course of the expedition Nongyai Chakhang Ngamba engaged the Moyon King in a fierce battle. However, the Moyon king was trapped in a hidded ditch prepared by Nongyai Chakha Ngamba. Taking this opportunity the Moirang king killed the Moyon king Samshangba.

The Moirang forces made preparation for the funeral service of the dead king by burning. However, being an extraordinary king the dead body of the Moyon king exploded like a devastating bomb and killed a large number ofMoirang sodiers. Nongyai Chakha Ngamba along with Kabui Salang Maiba left the funeral place taking the 6 feet long hairs of the Moyon king, and before their departure they told the soldiers that the Moyon king was a god.

So an order was issued to erect a stone-cross on the funeral site in reverence and memory of the great king. The memorial stone still remains on the top of a 'Phura' in the Japhou keithel valley. Nongyai Chakha Ngamba was given the highest post of Puremba (Prime Minister) by the Moirang king. However, Thonglen used to keep a secret grudge for the murder of the Moyon king and thus, after some years Thonglen killed his friend Puremba for just a mere offence.

After the defeat of the Moyons a large number of their population was killed by the marauding Moirangs. The Moyons fled for their life to different directions. Many of them remained hidded among the Meeteis in Meetei villages, and afterwards they were all merged into the Meetei fold. Some of them fled to Tumu and about 22 families ofMoyon still remain settling in Tumu.

It is said that the Kabaw Tumu people settled at the Kakching aerodrom by that time. These Moyons were driven out due to a series of war between the Meeteis and the Khumans and they settled at Laphupokpi near present Khongkhang. The Kabaw Tumu people and the Moyons exchanged their lands, and thus remained settled in future.



This is an extract from a book written in Moyon language and titled " Ngorun Kuurkam Moyon (Legendary King of Moyon)" and presented during the one day seminar on Moyon tribe at Komlathabi village on May 29. The piece is translated by Bujuur Anchu Puh (Moyon Apex Body).

To be continued .....