The Rulers of Kangla and Ethnic Tribes of Manipur
- Part 4 -

Naoroibam Indramani *

View of Kangla - The sacred place of Manipur in May 2013 :: Pix - Tiken Thockchom

5. Direct Relation between the Kanglei Kings and the Hill-People :

Besides the relation as that of a king and his subjects or tributaries, there are many accounts about the Kanglei kings having had direct involvement with hill villages.

6. Meidingu Irengba and Chingdai Village:

Irengba was the king of Kanglei from 984 to 1074. He took as second wife Chingdai village Chief (Ningthou), Khayingba's daughter, Pidongnu Nuphabi. This Chingdai rchief (king) Khayingba was the second son of Thingol Likmaba of the Khuman principality. He went up to the hill to become a hillman and later became the chief of Chingdai village.

It is a very rare occasion in the history of Manipur that a Kanglei king married a tribal girl as a second queen. This historic relation between the Kanglei king and Chingdai village of Awang Mongbiching will ever remain unforgettable.

7. Meidingu Tabungba and Chingsong Village:

Meidingu Tabungba reigned from 1309 to 1314. When Khamlangba, the Khullakpa (headman) of Chingsong, learnt that, Haonu Lashangnu Shaphabi (Lara Lashangnu), the queen of Chingsong hill village, had made a vow of love with Tabungba for a liaison, he wished to settle a score with the Meitei king. So, he stopped paying the annual tribute of cotton, turmeric, cloth, etc. Thereupon, the Meitei king, along with his nobles and officials and heroic warriors and followers, marched against Chingsong.

When Khamlangba, the Khullakpa of Chingsong village made ready to fight the Meitei king in a dual, the Khullakpi of Chingsong interposed to suspend the fight for that night. But, in the meanwhile, king Tabungba's servant, Akangjam Tonkheiba, overestimating his strength and worth, fell upon the Chingsong tribal. But Tonkheiba was beheaded and there ensued a hard fighting. King Tabungba lost his life in the battle of Chingsong.

8. Meidingu Paikhomba and Maram Village:

Paikhomba was a king from 1666 to 1697. His mission to retrieve his father's skull to the Maram hill village of the north is a memorable event in the history of Manipur. King Khunjaoba sent Paikhomba's father, Tonaba Khongphenthouba and elder brother to Maram to realise tribute when the latter failed to pay the annual tribute of Phibong Chamiloi and Wangol Pukkeiloi. But in that mission Tonaba and his son were killed and beheaded.

As soon as Paikhomba became king, he set out alone for Maram and arrived in disguise at the residence of Maram headman (Khullakpa). On seeing Paikhomba's handsome, charming and lovable physique and appearance, the Khullakpa took him and adopted as his own son.

After along stay at the Khullakpa's residence, there grew up a strong bond of love between Paikhomba and Ingallei (Makinai), daughter of Maram Khullakpa. At last Paikhomba revealed his true identity to Ingallei and divulged that he had come to draw back his father and brother's skulls. With the help of Ingallei, Paikhomba secured the skulls of his father and brother and left Maram together with Ingallei and reached the Kanglei palace.

Though Paikhomba had promised that he would sit on the throne with her as chief queen at the coronation ceremony at Kanglamen, all the nobles and officials of the kingdom stood against it on the ground that it would amount to a breach of convention and custom.

When Paikhomba had gone to war against Makeng Thangal hill village, in the absence of the king, Ingallei's residence was set on fire at the dead of night and she was driven out with harsh words and maledictions. Ingallei disappeared in the Langol hill, near the abode of god Muwaningthou (Langol Ningthou).

The romantic relationship between the Meitei king Paikhomba and Maram tribal woman Ingallei, and the tragic end of Ingallei are soul stirring episodes in the personal relation of a Kanglei king with the hill people. The abode of Ingallei is still located at the Langol hill, and the deity of the abode is known as Tarung Lairembi.

(d) Meidingu Pamheiba and Thangal Village:

Pamheiba was a mighty king of Manipur and reigned from 1709 to 1748. The birth of this king had a firm connection with the tribal village of Makeng Thangal. Before Charairongba's becoming king while Pamheiba was in the womb of his mother Nungthilchaibi, there was a Maibi Laiphao (divine revelation conveyed by traditional priestesses) that, if the child was born a male, his father would lose his life at the hand of the son.

So, there was a close watch all eyes and ears, over Nungthilchaibi to destroy the child in case it was born a boy in order to pre¬empt the prediction. However, Nungthilchaibi forestalled the design, by entering into a conspiracy with her close confidants and spreading the rumour that the child was born as stone. The child was secretly switched to the Khullakpi of Thangal village. Nungthilchaibi died after giving birth to another son Loiyamba after Pamheiba, before Charailongba became king.

After becoming king, Charairongba went to Thangal tribal village as it had not paid its annual tribute. At the residence of the Thangal headman, Charairongba took to Pamheiba and loved him heart and soul. So he begged him from the Khullakpa (headman) and brought him with some of his tribal companions to the palace at Kangla. For Pamheiba's sake, an office of tribal youths, Haomacha Loishang was established, and Pamheiba was appointed its Lakpa, the head of the department.

Some time later, on the way home from Tusuk campaign, while king Charairongba was taking rest by leaning against a pipal tree, a thunderbolt hit the tree and vertically split it. While Charairongba was lying unconscious, being shocked by the heat of the thunderbolt, his son Pamheiba, at the instigation of Haobam Sellungba, speared him to death. This legend of Pamheiba's birth shows the connection between the Kinglei ruler and the Thangal hill village.

Conclusion:

Though physical features divided Manipur into hills and valley, and made a semblance of two distinct entities, hill people and valley people, with diverse cultures, dresses, habits and religious beliefs,etc., since Kangla of Imphal, the heart of Manipur valley had been the centre of administration, there was bound to arise a relation, direct or indirect, between the Kanglei rulers and the several subsidiary hill tribes and valley people, in all respects.

Also,, it was quite natural for a relation to spring up among different sections of people both hill or valley, having lived under the aegis of Kanglei rulers for ages. As long as the current of Manipur's history flows on, the relation between the hills and the valley will remain unbroken.

Concluded....