System of reckoning time, space and weight of the Zeliangrong of NE

Budha Kamei *

Zeliangrong Festival 2013 at Ragailong in October 2013 :: Pix by Arishrona Longjam

"Weights and measures may be ranked among the necessaries of life to every individual of human society. They enter into the economical arrangements and daily concerns of every family. They are necessary to every occupation of human industry; to the distribution and security of every species of property; to every transaction of trade and commerce; to the labors of the husbandman; to the ingenuity of the artificer; to the studies of the philosopher; to the researches of the antiquarian; to the navigation of the mariner, and the marches of the soldier; to all the exchanges of peace, and all the operations of war. The knowledge of them, as in established use, is among the first elements of education, and is often learned by those who learn nothing else, not even to read and write. This knowledge is riveted in the memory by the habitual application of it to the employments of men throughout life."
John Quincy Adams - Report to the Congress, 1821

The present article attempts to examine the traditional method of reckoning time, space and weight of the Zeliangrong of North east India. No civilization can escape the need for a system of measurement. Weights and measures were among the earliest tools invented by man. The expression "weights and measures" is often used to refer to measurements of length, mass, and capacity or volume, thus excluding such quantities as electrical and time measurements and thermometry.

Primitive societies required rudimentary measures for many tasks such as constructing dwellings of an appropriate size and shape, fashioning clothing and bartering food or raw materials. Man understandably turned first to parts of his body and his natural surroundings for measuring instruments. Early Babylonian and Egyptian records, and the Bible, indicate that length was first measured with the forearm, hand, or finger and that time was measured by the periods of the sun, moon, and other heavenly bodies.

When it was necessary to compare the capacities of containers such as gourds or clay or metal vessels, they were filled with plant seeds that were then counted to measure the volumes. With the development of scales as a means for weighing, seeds and stones served as standards. For example, the "carat," still used as a mass unit for gems, is derived from the carob seed.

How would we measure time without a clock? We know that the Sun moves across the sky during the day. Can we tell what time it is by looking at the position of the Sun?

In present times, precise time measurement is very important. So many people depend on knowing the 'right time' to go about their daily business. Industrialized societies necessitate accurate regular time measurement to function. Does everyone on Earth live in such a society? No, in some parts of the world people still live much as they did many years ago. Even our industrialized societies are fairly new when compared to most of human existence. Only a few hundred years ago telling time exactly wasn't so important. But, it was still helpful to get a rough idea of what time it was.

The Zeliangrong people reckon the time by looking at the sun; the day begins with the first cock's crow and with the rising of sun. With the sunrise, they start for the day's work and go to the fields. When the sun does lower and goes down to the west, they return from the field, and usually, before the sun set they all reach home. Those living in the remote villages still have the practice of reckoning the time with the rise and fall of the sun, particularly the sunrise, noon and the sunset.

The long periods of time are usually measured in terms of generation.

In general, there are two main division of the year—the hot and cold periods. The cold period begins when the dew is first seen and the days are becoming shorter. When the time of day becomes longer and the voice of Cuckoo is herd the hot period begins. There are four distinct seasons, namely Charek (spring), Tun (summer), Chakan (autumn) and Tingshei (winter). Moon is the earth's natural satellite and nearest heavenly body. By analogy, the satellites of other planets are sometimes also called moons.

The moon revolves around the earth from west to east (It seems to travel from east to west because of the earth's daily rotation) in an elliptical, almost circular, orbit and provides it with reflected sunlight. The moon was once believed to have much greater influence on the earth and on man himself. Sleeping in the moonlight was thought to cause madness or lunacy (from luna, Latin for moon).

People used to wait for a certain phase of the moon before ginning new enterprises or ventures, such as building a house, planting or harvesting crops, or starting on a journey. Months are reckoned successively by the Zeliangrong with the occurrence of new moon and agricultural occupation carried on during the period.

All the festivals and important functions or ceremonies, building a house are performed in between the commencement of new moon and full moon, never after the full moon day as it is considered bad luck. There are twelve months in a year namely Laothaobu/Gaan-Ngaibu, Rih-Ngaibu, Nanubu, Laophunbu/Ginkibu, Guduibu/Malengbu, Bunakeisa, Pokphabu, Changdan-Ngaibu/Tungaibu, Laotaibu/Ten-Ngaibu, Gaanbu/Laothakbu, Chagabu/Dongjaobu, and Lhotbu/Baanrubu.

The length is the most necessary measurement in everyday life, and units of length in many countries still reflect humanity's first elementary method. The inch is a thumb. The foot speaks for itself. The yard relates closely to a human pace, but also derives from two cubits (the measure of the forearm). The mile is in origin the Roman Passus- a thousand paces approximating to a mile because the Roman define a pace as two steps, bringing the walker back to the same foot.

In other words, the ancient Romans marched in paces, which were the length of a double step, about 5 feet; 1,000 paces was a mile. As early as the middle of the tenth century, it is believed that the Saxon king Edgar kept a "yardstick" at Winchester as the official standard of measurement. A traditional tale tells the story of Henry I (1100-1135) who decreed that the yard should be "the distance from the tip of the King's nose to the end of his outstretched thumb."

Usually, the Zeliangrong expresses the distances in terms of smoking pipes which a traveler would smoke and generally one tobacco pipe is consumed while they are covering a distance of about two miles. They usually stretch out their arm for shorter length. The depth of water is reckoned a man's height while the height of tree is expressed in terms of ladder steps. Directions are expressed distinctly as Liang (north), Rong (south), Neipat (east) and Neikeilou (west).

In ancient times, the body ruled when it came to measuring; the length of a foot, the width of a finger, and the distance of a step were all accepted measurements. For measurement of weight, the human body provides no such easy approximations as for length. But, nature steps in. Grains of wheat are reasonably standard in size. The early unit was a grain of wheat or barleycorn used to weigh the precious metals silver and gold.

In other words, weight can be expressed with some degree of accuracy in terms of a number of grains a measure still used by jewelers. Rice is the staple crop of Asia not exception to Manipur. Among the Zeliangrongs, the volume of rice is measured in the basket locally called Napdat. It is the standard either for loan or for sale. A Napdat is generally equivalent to three kerosene tins of rice. Rice is the only crop which is usually lent or sold; every one keeps such a standard basket in his house.

In conclusion, like many other communities of the world, the Zeliangrong people also have their system of reckoning time, space (length and direction) and weight, but all are now given up except Napdat system. In the valley of Manipur, Sangbai system is in use till today.