Sagon Kangjei (Polo)
- Part 1 -

P. B. Singh *

2nd Manipur Statehood Day Women's Polo Tournament on 17th January 2017 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

The Britannica Encyclopaedia mentions that the name polo is derived from the Tibetan word 'Pulu', meaning ball. The game of ball and stick on horseback was played in Persia since the time of the King Darius the Great (486 — 522 B.C.). From that country it spreads to the north and to the east. In Persia, it is known as 'chougan' and we are told that to this day stand stone posts that had served as goal posts. Muslim writers mention that Muslim invaders brought the game into India.

Kutubuddin Aibak died from a fall from his horse during a game of chougan. We have paintings of Moghul nobles playing polo. Akbar was considered a very good player and he celebrated the suppression of the revolt of Khan Ajam of Jaunpur on 3rd March 1566 by playing a polo match. The Britannica Encyclopaedia further mentioned "Then for 200 years there are no records of it in India proper though the game continued to be played in feudal states on the north western and the north eastern frontiers.

The first western polo players were the British tea planters in Assam who learned the game in nearby Manipur on the Indo-Burmese Border. They formed the first European's polo club in 1859 at Silchar and drew up the first rules". Tea gardens were started in various parts of Assam. The management of these gardens were run by young Britishers. They were given ponies to go to town as communication to the gardens was bad. Silchar in Cachar and Dibrugarh in Upper Assam were District Headquarters with clubs.

Having to live in isolation and with their strong clubbing habits, these young British garden managers in Cachar rode into Silchar to attend club. Thus, these young men became expert horsemen. They later formed the irregular cavalry which came to be called Surma Valley Light Horse. Britishers are keen sportsman and when the Manipuris plaved exhibition matches of their fast no-rule 'sagon-kangjei' (polo) in 1859 at Silchar, these tea garden managers were completely taken with the game. They formed the first polo club and made a set of rules as stated above.

Since all the Head Offices of the tea gardens were in Calcutta, the news of the game with no-rule quickly reached them and a team of Manipuri polo players were invited and they played at Calcutta in 1860. The uncouth, unknown adventurer, Robert Clive rose to be twice the Governor of Bengal. In 1759, he raised a small force of irregular cavalry of Britishers to frustrate any Dutch designs on Calcutta. Later this irregular cavalry came to be known as the Calcutta Light Horse.

The British businessmen at Calcutta had plenty of time on their hands: and most of them were members of the irregular cavalry When they saw the Manipuris play their sagon-kangjei, they wasted no time and started playing it, as per the rules framed at Silchar. Army officers stationed at or near Calcutta joined in. The game was taken to England by the 10th Hussars who played against the 9th Lancers in the first polo match at Hounslow Heath in 1871. There were eight players to a side. From England it spread to the America, rest of Europe and other countries.

The history of sagon-kangjei is vague. It is held that the playing of sagon-kangjei started in the time of Kangba, who is believed to have ruled in Manipur before Christ. The only reference we have of sagon kangjei is the mention made of the match that was played at the 'loukhatpa' (acceptance) of Laisana the wife of Nongda Lairen Pakhangba by the family members and relatives of her husband. Leisna and her brother Poiriton were considered aliens.

It is not certain from where Poireiton had migrated. The manuscript, Poireiton Khunthokpa' is the description of the travel through the hills surrounding the valley, until he finally settled down on the banks of Luwangli (head stream of Nambul river) near Phumlou. To celebrate this occasion (loukhatpa), a sagon kangjei match was played; seven a side of the important chiefs and patriarchs of the time. The members of the teams were: -

1 Marjing	1. Thangjing,
2 Khamlangba,	2. Khongriphaba,
3 Irom Ningthou	3. Wangbren,
4 Ikop ningthou	4. Yangou Ningthou.
5 Irum Ningthou	5. Mayokpa,
6 Nongsaba	6. Okneran
7 Pureilomba.	7. Loya Lakpa.

It was most appropriate that they should decide to celebrate the occasion, playing sagon kangjei. Horsemanship was a noble accomplishment. The ball and stick game played on foot would have been too rustic, and hunting too exclusive. Sagon kangjei gave pleasure both to those that played and those that watched them play. It can safely be presumed that these leaders of their men and communities did not devise the game on that occasion. The game was already in vogue and was played as the game fitted the occasion, which is reckoned to have taken place in 33 A.D. Nongda Lairen Pakhangba was the originator of the Ningthouja sagei (the ruling clan).

As it has happened in the history of communities, the chiefs, the patriarchs and the leaders were later defied and worshipped. All the fourteen have become 'Umanglai' (deity of the wood-groves). The grove is of oak trees and none may be cut, the groves are presumed to be their abodes. There is an open space in the middle of the grove where the "Chaklon-Katpa" (the feast) before the commencement of the "Laiharaoba" (merry-making of the deity) lasting for a week or more takes place annually. The conversion of this valley to Hinduism did not affect in any way to their continuing the worship of the Umanglai and the performance of the Laiharaoba.

Now a days, temples and fairly sized sheds have been erected in these groves. Unlike the groves in pagan Europe where the golden bough used to be jealously guarded by the priest, here the attendants are present only during festivities. The deities are addressed as "Eebudhou" for "Him" and "Eebendhou" for "Her", meaning Great Grand Parents. Of the articles of offerings made to these deities 'kangjei' (polo stick) is one. On the penultimate day of the Laiharaouba ceremony, the 'maibi' (priestess) performs a dance sequence wherein she mimics sagon kangjei.

There is a popular folk saying, "Leira macha sagon tongba tammu eenak khunba macha phousuba tammu" (sons of poor men should learn to ride, and sons of well to do should learns to use the rice husking pestle). In the feudal days, the male subjects on reaching the age of sixteen had to render free services of ten days in every forty days (known as Lallupkaba). A youth good in sports, especially horsemanship, did not escape the attention of his liege.

Further, it is easier to serve in the cavalry rather than as a foot soldier. Ponies were plentiful - except for the very few who kept their ponies stall fed, the rest let their ponies loose in the nearby pats' (jheels), that dotted the entire valley; to name a few, Lamphel-pat, Yaral, Waithou, Ikop, Charang pat, Pumlen, etc. In the thirties, this writer remembered of a colt of six to eight months being bought for four annas.

Youths used to catch any ponies that came their way and rode bare back with improvised reins. Bare back riding was quite normal. Manipuri youths loved sports and manly activities. Everyone knew 'mukna' (Meitei wrestling). In the game of 'khong-kangjei' (Meitei hockey), one had to wrestle to free himself should his opponent grab hold of him. Each player was paired with his opposite number and since grabbing hold of the opponent was permissible, one had to wrestle to free himself.

In actual play, two players are wrestling with the ball a few feet away and while so engaged, they may find that someone free had got the ball and run away in which case the two calls a truce. When this ball and stick game played on foot is played on ponies it becomes 'sagon kangjei'. 'Khong' is a Meitei word for foot and 'sagon' for horse/pony. When one is on a pony, he could hardly wrestle with his opponent number. Barring for this the placement of the players, the few or no rule is the same, indicating that 'sagon kangjei' evolved from 'khong kangjei'.

To be continued....

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* P. B. Singh wrote this article which was published as part of 2nd Manipur Statehood Day women's Polo Tournament 2017.
This article was webcasted on January 29, 2017.

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