Hindu proselytization in Manipur 1

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E-Pao! Manipur - A Critique of Hindu proselytization in Manipur - 1

A Critique of Hindu proselytization in Manipur
— Ordeals and upheaval —
- Part 1 -

By: Dr. Thingnam Kishan Singh *

As the majestic Himalayas gradually loop and descend in size and altitude towards the Southeast Asian frontier, interspersed with green valleys and blue hills, before immersing in the waters of the sea lays the land of Manipur washed with the Barak basin on the west and the Chindwin River on the east.

History bears testimony to the travails of a civilization of the people of this land running through a course of two thousand years. Known as Kathe to the Burmese, Meklee to the Ahoms, Mooglie to the Cacharies, Cassey to the Shans, the people of this ancient Asiatic land presently called Manipur have experienced numerous upheavals as a result of encounters with different cultures and powers.

Situated along the Southern Silk Route, Manipur has been historically described as a meeting point of different peoples and cultures from the East, the South and the Southeast Asian region. [ 1 ]

Manipur is located between latitude 23050' and 25030' North and longitude 93010' and 94030' East, and consists of about 7000 square miles of hill territory, and of 1000 square miles of level country forming a broad valley.

The constant interactions resulting from trading activities between different peoples and the struggles for political domination among the various ethnic groups and migrating tribes have resulted in the intermingling of different cultures.

Constant interaction and assimilation of several ethnic groups in the valley resulted in the emergence of the Meeteis as the dominant group by the first century AD.

Recorded history of Manipur dates back to 33 AD with the ascent of Nongda Lairen Pakhangba of the Ningthouja clan to the throne at Kangla which remained the seat of power till British colonial conquest in 1891. [ 2 ]

The royal chronicle Cheitharol Kumbaba records the uninterrupted reign of the clan. It also recorded cultural encounters of the Meeteis with the Ava (Burmese), the Pong (Shan), the Khaki (South China), the Tai Ahom or Tekhao (Assamese) and Takhel (Tripura) etc.

The Cheitharol Kumbaba has three phases covering the long span of the history of this ancient Asiatic kingdom

the first phase covers the period of Nongda Lairen Pakhangba's ascension to 1484 A.D (the reign of Kyamba),
the second phase covers the period between 1484 A.D to 1780 A.D (the reign of Bhagyachandra) and
the third phase covering the period between 1780 A.D.

To the middle of the twentieth century. [ 3 ] Another chronicle known as the Ningthourol Lambuba provides a much more detailed account inspite of its lack of chronological documentation.

The long drawn historical process witnessed the evolution and emergence of a common faith, a philosophy, a cosmology, a system of complex cultural practices, a language, a script and a written code of conduct.

It is pertinent to note that the first written codified laws were promulgated during the period of King Loiyamba who reigned from 1074 to 1112 A.D. Known as the Loiyumba Sinlen it assumed the basis and form of a constitution through which the administration of the kingdom was carried out till British conquest in 1891.

Modifications and changes from time to time to engage the emerging realities were incorporated in the historical life span of the Loiyumba Sinlen. The present name of the land, Manipur, is relatively of recent origin dating from the eighteenth century only. [ 4 ]

It came with the advent of Hinduism. Sanamahi Laikan, a historical account, mentions that the name Manipur was first officially introduced in the early eighteenth century during the reign of the Hindu convert King Garibniwaz (1709-1748).[ 5 ]

It is clear that the name 'Manipur' does not appear in any of the pre-Hindu literatures more specifically in the chronicles of the Kingdom.[ 6 ] Prior to the advent of this name, Kangleipak, Poireipak and Meitrabak were used.[ 7 ]

Its geographical location - sandwiched between South Asia and Southeast Asia ----- played an important role in shaping history and cultural development.[ 8 ]

The Meetei faith prior to the advent of Hinduism in Manipur presented a distinct complex set of beliefs with its own cosmology, rites and festivals. Fused with a legacy of mythology and legends, the religion of the Meeties had marked similarities with the indigenous faiths of the surrounding hill tribes.[ 9 ]

An exposition of this faith underlines the association with nature, which exists in all its abundance in this part of the world. The deities worshipped can be broadly classified into three categories that come under the term Umang Lai.

Literally translated it means forest god', but the etymological sense has a wide difference from actual practice as the Umang Lai is not limited or confined to 'forest deities'.[ 10 ]

As seen from practice, it refers to four different forms of worship:

Ancestral deities transposed with human existence at some point of time in the past. These are linked with the mythical associations of defied ancestors.
Important deities associated with a clan or tribe.
Domestic deities that are worshipped inside the house. These are also 'possessions' of particular clans of families.

Hills, in particular, are considered sacred to the Meeteis with several important pilgrimage sites like the Thangjing hill in Moirang, Nongmaiching Hill, Mount Koubru, Mount Kounu, Cheirouching Hill, Kondong Leirembi etc.

Traditional Meetei religion is based on beliefs rooted in a cosmology evolved over the years in the pre-historic stages. This cosmology conceptualised a notion of cosmic evolution that has been part of the ancient Meetei tradition preserved through subsequent generations.

It was subsequently recorded in historical time as the society and culture developed. The cosmological frameworks are recorded in Leithak Leikharon, Pudil, Shakok Lamlen, Thiren Layat, Pakhangba Phambal and other works in the indigenous Meetei script.

Many other manuscripts in the Meetei script also give accounts of the cosmological traditions that speak of a beginning where there was only an empty darkness.

At this point, the supreme god, known by different names like Taipangpanba Mapu (lord of the Universe), Taibirel Sidaba (immortal soul), Atiya Sidaba (immortal lord of space), went on to create the Universe, gods and living beings. [ 11 ]

— to be continued

* Dr. Thingnam Kishan Singh is Assistant Professor of English in Manipur University. He taught earlier at Shyam Lal College (Delhi University) and D.M. College of Arts, Imphal. He is the author of the book "Rethinking Colonialism" (Delhi and Kolkata: Worldview Publishers). Besides contributing regularly in several journals across the country he is also editor of the quarterly journal Alternative Perspectives since 2005. He can be contacted at th_kishan(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)in . This article was webcasted at e-pao.net on February 8th , 2008.

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