Revisiting the life and works of MA Janab Khan
- Part 1 -

Dr Syed Ahmed *

Prof. M.A. Janab Khan felicitating Mohd. Sahid Chowdhury at Hafiz Hatta, in Imphal, in May 2015 :: Pix - Dr. Syed Ahmed

Professor Muhammad Ali Janab Khan, a renowned research scholar and a dedicated social worker, passed away on August 27, 2020 at the age of 80. He was popularly known for the book, Nongsamei Puya, which he edited with Oinam Bhogewor Singh. He was one of the founding members of All Manipur Muslims (Meitei Pangal) Welfare Association (AMPWA), a civil society organization of Muslims in Manipur.

I, the author of this piece, had the opportunity of working with him for the last seven years for the association. From 2014 to 2018, when he was the president of the association, I worked with him as the secretary general.

As a research scholar, Janab Khan started writing articles for several newspapers and journals from an early age. He wrote for the journal Ritu and daily newspapers Samanta Patrika and Paojel. He was the president of the editorial board of a journal called Khonthang started by well-known writer, Kayamuddin Pukhrimayum (1953-2003). However, the journal was short-lived.

He then joined Kayamuddin's new bi-monthly journal, Mingsel. The articles on the history of Muslims in Manipur which he published in Samanta Patrika were compiled as a book, entitled Manipuri Muslim, and released in 1972. It was the first book which chronicles the history and culture of Muslims in Manipur.

The publication of the book was followed by a serious debate among the scholars contesting some of his findings and opinions. an archaic indigenous text in old Manipuri language written. Further, Janab Khan edited Nongsamei Puya from old Manipuri language to the modern Manipuri in Bengali script along with O. Bhogeswor Singh. The work was published in 1973.

Late Bhogeswor Singh was a prominent research scholar associated with Manipur State Kala Akademi who edited several puyas, including Ningthourel Lambuba. A noteworthy account about the puya is given by the royal pandit, Thongam Madhab Singh, in the forward of the edited volume.

He recollects that Maharaja Sir Churachand (1891-1941 CE) gave him a copy of Nongsamei Puya with the instruction to read out to the Muslims. Accordingly, he went to the office of Pangal Panchayat (judicial Court for Muslims) at Lilong and informed Sanajaoba Kazi, the head of the office, about the royal order.

The Kazi collected many Muslims at the office and read out the text for 10 days. The Panchayat made further entries about Muslims who came and settled in the valley in later period. The copy was again submitted to the Maharaja, while another copy was handed to JC Higgins, ICS, who served as Political Agent in Manipur. The Pangal Panchayat also prepared and submitted a list of Muslim clans in 1932.

Nongsamei Puya is one of the old indigenous texts of the Meiteis written originally in Meitei Mayek. The puya is treated by many scholars as one of the khunthoklon texts written about the immigration and settlement of different communities in the valley of Manipur in the past.

The puya is named after Leirikyengbam Jag Singh (mentioned as Dhananjoy in the puya of the Leirikyengbam clan), an influential and courageous officer of King Khagemba (1597-1652 CE). Besides that, he was a learned man who knew several languages, including Bengali.

He took part in the battle between the Cachari-Muslim troops, brought by Prince Sanongba to overthrow his step-brother Khagemba, and the Manipuri forces in 1606 CE. As mentioned in Nongsamei Puya, he saved the life of Khagemba from the hands of the Muslims in the battle. He was also the man who communicated with the invading Muslims as he knew Bengali, the language of the Muslims.

For his act of valour and wit, he was given the title Nongsamei, which means lion-like man, by the king. Nongsamei Puya, according to research scholar Late B Kullachandra Sharma, was written around 1870-71 CE.

It has chronicled the history of Muslim settlement from the reign of King Khagemba down to King Chingthangkhomba, or Bheigyachandra (1759-1798 CE). The puya records the allotment of clans (yumnaksagei) by the kings to the Muslims, clan geologies, the establishment of their political institution (Pangal Sanglen), their knowledge and skills, and contributions in different fields.

The edited volume also incorporates, in the appendix, the role of Muslims during the reigns of Gambhir Singh (1825-1834 CE) and Nara Singh (1844-1850 CE), a list of Muslim clans with the names of their progenitors, the places in Assam, Tripura, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Saudi Arabia where Manipuri Muslims originally from Manipur are found settled, among others.

The publication of the edited volume popularised the puya among the research scholars. It became the main primary source for the history of Muslim settlement in the valley of Manipur. Since the publication, the puya became one of the most sought after texts for academicians and research scholars working on the history of Muslims in Manipur.

Still today, any research scholar, including M Phil or PhD scholars, working on the history of Muslim settlement in Manipur cannot think of completing his/her research work without reading the edited volume and quoting from it. The publication of this puya was followed by another important one, entitled Pangal Thorakpa, edited by Rajkumar Sanahal Singh in 1985.

However, Pangal Thorakpa is not rendered into modern Manipuri language. For many years, since the publication in 1973, the copies of Nongsamei Puya were not available in the market. As the text was in great demand by research scholars, Janab Khan re-published the puya in 2014. O Bhogeswor, by then, had passed away. The book release function was held on October 23, 2014.

The function was organized by AMPWA at Manipur Press Club, Imphal. Kullachandra Sharma had reviewed the book. It is important to note that Kullachandra Sharma had worked extensively on the history and culture of the Muslims in Manipur. Meitei Pangal Hourakpham (1991), which he edited along with Dr Badaruddin, and Christa 1891gi Mamangda Leiramba Meitei Pangal (Manipuri Muslim) gi Fibam (2010) are two of his important works.

In the reprint edition, MA Janab had incorporated in the Appendix a valuable paper, entitled "The Contributions of the Manipuri Muslims," written by Professor Md Riyazuddin Choudhury, besides a 1910 map of Sylhet, extracts from the royal chronicle Cheitharol Kumbaba which refer to Muslims indicating the page numbers, Muslim soldiers who served in the Manipur Levy that vacated the Burmese army from Manipur valley and Muslim soldiers who took part in the Khongjom War of 1891, etc. as new additions.

Janab Khan also contributed an important chapter, entitled "Muslim Fighters in the War of 1891," in Ch Manihar Singh's edited volume, One Hundred Years of Manipur's Last War of Independence (1891-1991) published by Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Government of Manipur, in 1991 in connection with the completion of 100 years of the historic Anglo-Manipur War of 1891.

In the chapter, he documented the role of Manipuri Muslim soldiers at the battle at Khongjom fought between the Manipuri troops, led by Paona Brajabasi, and the invading British army in April 1891. He listed 30 Muslims who fought at the battle. The particulars of the Muslim soldiers were gathered by a historical society named Manipuri Muslim (Pangal) Historical Society after an extensive and rigorous field work.

Janab Khan was the president of the society, while Abdul Halim, who was then a Section Officer in PWD, was the general secretary. Kayamuddin and Professor Md Riyazuddin Choudhury were also members of the society. As a social worker, Janab Khan endeavoured tirelessly for the welfare and progress of Muslims in Manipur.

He was particularly concerned about the educational backwardness of the Muslims and poor representation of Muslims in the Government jobs. On public platforms, he relentlessly urged the Muslim community to acquire modern education emphasizing that it will liberate the community from poverty, besides making the Muslims aware of their rights and opportunities provided by the Government.

He was actively involved in numerous educational awareness campaigns in the remote and interior Muslim inhabited areas in the State taken up by the Muslim civil society organizations and Government bodies, particularly Manipur State Minorities Commission.


to be continued ....