Manipur's contribution to Indian Culture : Manipuri Music
- Part 1 -

Laishram Birendrakumar Singh *

Festival of Classical and Creative music organized by Manipur State Kala Akademi at MDU Hall, Imphal in January 2012 :: Pix - Bullu Raj

Manipur, a small state lying on the north eastern border of the Indian Sub-continent is girded by range of hills. Being a land locked region with only a small valley area, in the middle, she had a slender link with the outside world. But, she is credited with a rich store of affluent culture heritage, and now boasts of international recognition by virtue of her exuberant wealth of cultural potentialities.

The inhabitants in the hills of the state are predominantly the Nagas and the Kukis, which are composite groups characterised by heterogeneous tribes. Each of these communities had its own custom, dialect, folk art culture, traditional beliefs and practices. The Manipur valley which is located centrally is inhibited by the Meiteis which form the bulk of the State's population. They have beautiful landscapes, flowery lakes, rivers which make them indulged in the field of creativity of beautiful music. How did this people originate? Are they all the early settlers of this region?

Regarding migration of People, there are routes across the eastern hills of Manipur connecting the Manipuri valley with upper Myanmar. Mongoloid people from upper Myanmar came by these routes and settles in Manipuri valley. (Nongpok haram-eastern section) According to Dr. G. A. Grierson in his historic work, the linguistic Survey of India (Vol III) emphatically mentions the Manipuri as belonging to the family of Tibeto-Chinese speakers and their origin from the upper courses of the Yangtse and the Hoyang-Ho rivers in China.

Another group from the Western hills, the Indo-Aryans came and settles in the Manipur valley. The Mangoloid people settle in Manipur valley before the Indo-Aryans. The migration of the Mangoloid was followed by the arrival of the Indo-Aryans, which we place around about the 4th century B.C. According to Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatterjee, the noted linguist, "The Meitei people belong by race and language to the Kirata or Indo-Mangoloid section of the Indian people. They are related by race and language to the Tibeto-Burman religion with the workship of their own god and goddess.

"Manipura is a Sanskrit word, why this name was put for a Mangoloid land? Yes, that Manipura is a new name, the narrative of Symes and the maps of that period give the name 'Cassay' to the country. In Rennell's Memoir and maps of India it is mentioned as "Meklee". The name 'Makhelee' as used for Manipuri is mentioned in the Mahabharata and Skanda-Puran (Sin,Dr. Kirti-1980-9) and even in 1763 A. D. the king of Manipur used this term as the name of his kingdom in the document of treaty with British Government. In the Allahabad stone pillar inscription of Samudra Gupta (4th Century A.D.) there is no mention of Manipur, thought the neigbhouring kingdom of Samatata, Dovako,Kamrupa and Nepal have been mentioned. (Nath, Rajmohon1978-82).

All these divergent accounts are sought to be reconciled by some scholars who hold that the origin of the word Manipur is different centuries. Then, where is Manipur?

Let the name 'Manipur' be anywhere on earth, but the Manipur, the beautiful and lovely Manipur that shines on the north-eastern mountainous border of India like 'Kohinooe' the precious stone is a charming land, a Mangoloid land, singing Mangoloid music.

What is Manipuri Music?

The Music that evoked in the Manipur and imbibed the spirit and atmosphere of the spiritual Manipur is known as Manipuri Music.

The eastern section of the state ise their original Swaras as Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa-dha, like that of the Chinese swaras (Krishnadhon Bandopadhyana-1885-73), as their original forefathers came through the routes across the eastern hills of Manipur east, they are from China. These Mangoloid people settle in the Manipur valley before the Indo-Aryans. The group, according to Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatterjee, the Meiteis belongs by race and language to the Kirata or Indo-Mangoloid section of the Indian people. They are also related by race and language to the Tibeto-Burmans. The original musical swaras of these sections include 'Ma' (Madhyana), in their music. They follow the Saman ganas because the Saman Says:

"Jo samaganang prathama swara
So Benur Madhayam Swara".

Meaning:

The first Swara of Samagana is the Madhyama Swara of the later Benur. That is 'Ma'. So this section is known as Indo Mangoloid.

All racial groups of people have their own distinctive style of music epitomising the socio-economic as well as the aesthetic background of the people of a region. The following are few section scales adopted among the Meiteis in Manipur.

(1) Meitei : Ya-Ra-Hei-Rei-Thei (Khongthok manga)
Indian : Sa-Re-Ga-Pa-Dha (Oudob/Aurav)
English : C-D-E-G-A (Pentatonic)

(2) Meitei :Ya-Ri-Hei-Ru-Rei (Khongthokmanga)
Indian : Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa (Oudob/Aurav)
Maluha Kedara in old raga.
English : C-D-E-F-G (Pentatonic)

(3) Meitei : Ya-Ri-Hei-Rei
Indian : Sa-Re-Ga-Pa
English : C-D-E-G (Pre-Pentatonic)

(4) Meitei : Ya-Ri-Hei-Ru
Indian : Sa-Re-Ga-Ma
English : C-D-E-F (Pre-Pentatonic)

(5) Meitei : Ya-Ri-Hei
Indian : Sa-Re-Ga (Tetra tonic-shamanistic style)
English : C-D-E (Pre-Pentatonic)

(6) Meitei : Ya-Ri-Hei-Ru-Reithei Yi (Yi)
Indian : Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa-Dha-Ni (ni)
English : C-D-E-G-A-B (Bb)

Khamaj Group (Hari Kambodhi)-This is a modification of the Bilawal group by the changes of Suddha N;to Kamal (ni). The Principal ragas under this are: Jhinjhoti, Tilanga, Khambavati, Tilak-Kamboda, Jayawanti. Some of these ragas use both varieties of Ni-(H.A. Popley). The last scale was developed and introduces only during King Chandrakriti's time.

The Meiteis adopted the first scale 'Sa-Re-Ga-Pa-Dha' since early days, particularly in Laiharaoba, and in many other ceremonials, narratives and seasonal songs. While making a comparative study with the Indian raga music, this scale has a close resemblance with raga Bhupali of Kalyan group. There are two other ragas under this scale; they are raga 'Deshkar' and raga 'Pahari'. The vadi-samvadi relationships of these two ragas do not agree with that of the Meitei 'Sa-Re-Ga-Pa-Dha' which has a close relationship with the raga 'Bhupali' in its vadi-relationships. For further verifications and justifications, the working method and system under 'Sanyal' 1959 had been adopted in the analysis.

The two scales 'Sa-Re-Ga-Pa' and 'Sa-Re-Ga-Ma' mentioned at the 3rd and 4th are very simple in expressing their different moods. 'Sa-Re-Ga-Pa' is mainly on mood expressing joy or gay, where the main swara is 'Pa' which is used Vadi and 'Ga' as the Samvadi, helping the Swara 'Pa'. The scale is mainly used in 'Khullang Eshei'. The other scale 'Sa-Re-Ga-Ma', 'Ma' is the main swara 'vadi' expressing mood in sad and pathos or anxiety, gets its help from 'Sa' as samvadi. It is mainly used in 'Sikaplon' and 'Tengtharol'.

The second scale 'Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa' is the combination of the 3rd and 4th which give a blended mood of the two and thus aroused a passionate and melancholic mood. The 5th scale is tetra tonic which is sung by the Maibas and Maibees only before the deities. Such scales are known as Shamanistic style in Indian Music.

Dr. G.A. Grierson in his historic work, the Linguistic survey of India (Vol-III), emphatically mentions-the Manipuris as belonging to the family of Tibeto-Chinese speakers and their origin from the upper courses of the Yangtse and Hoyang-Ho in China. They moved out from their ancestral places and arrived at the head-waters of the Irrawaddy and the Chindwin, and finally to Kangleipak.

Regarding the science and history of Chinese music, it appears that the scale, as commonly used, consisted, however, of only five notes, xxxx corresponding with the European F.G.A.C.D. xxxx F was considered the principal or normal Key, just as C is regarded in European music. Converted into the 'C' scale, the Chinese would stand C.D.E.G.A. i.e. the notes F and B would be avoided (Raja Sir S.M. Tagore, 1963-27). From the above, it is clear that the Chinese sing in the high pitch, since 'F' was considered the principal or normal key same as that of the Indian 'madhyama grama'.

The Chinese scale would be C.D.E.G.A. i.e. Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa-Dha of the Indian scale. The Meiteis also had a habit of singing in high pitch since early days even to this day. Unfortunately, then society, could not measure their pitch level by any method, however, since there were only two pitch level 'F' and 'C' i.e. Madhyama grama and Sadja grama, presumably the Meiteis had to assume 'F' or Madhyama grama as their original mode. The original of the Meiteis is 'Sa-Re-Ga-Pa-Dha', like that of the Chinese.

In Manipur, during the reign of Maharaja Chandra Kirti Singh, under his patronage, a new wave of music systems including the musical instruments as well were introduced in royal music section (Bajaj Loisang). With the result the old musical mode madhyama grama, had to come down to Sadja-grama, naturally the music become very low, and the highest note with this grama is 'Dha', like this:
Mamang Leikai thambal Sat-le
Khoimuna ille khoiraba
Sabi lao lao Chatsi lao
Kallakpa yammi kanjaoba yammi
Mangda tharo lao.

At this juncture, one clever and experienced music composer Oja of the Bajaj Loisang modified the scale of the music with the addition of the following:
Lansonbi gi lamyaida
Monnuna Ware Pot-thaba
Ipam lamdam yenglubadi
Pammuba lamdam tamhoure

The Notation system of the additional song is like this:-
Pa Dha - Dha Pa - Dha Sa - Sa - -
Ga - R'e S'a Ni - Dha - Ni Pa - -
Ga - Dha Dha Dha - Dha - Pa Ma Ga
Ga - Pa Ma Ga - - Ga - Re Sa -

Thus, Pandit Ningthoukhongjam Khelchandra Singh, Padmashri, told me something about the old Manipuri music more than 30 (thirty) years ago while discussing about old music system of the Meiteis in early days.

Now, with the additions of one Suddha 'Ni' and Komal'ni' and one more 'Ma' to the original Scale 'Sa-Re-Ga-Pa-Dha' we get a new scale as Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa-Dha-(ni). This scale is known under Khamaj group (Hari kambodhi). This is a modification of the Bilwal group by the changes of Suddha Ni to Kamal Ni. The principal ragas under this are -Jhinjhoti, Tilanga, Khambavati, Tilakkambada, and Jaya Jawanti. Some of these ragas use both varieties of Ni. (H.A. Poplay). This scale is a very popular music among the Meities either in vocal or instrumental music. This is the 6th scale.

To be continued...