Brahmanism in Manipur : A Perspective on Social Stigma
- Part 1 -

Madhu Chandra *

'Kang Chingba' - Rath Jatra - in Imphal city , Manipur on June 21 2012 :: Pix - Bunti Phurailatpam

The Indian concept of racism cannot be understood without understanding caste and caste that includes the Manu Smriti, a sacred handbook for Brahmins. Racism is known as apartheid or xenophobia in western societies. This form of racism is based on one's class, race, and color, whereas in India, caste is based on Brahmanical philosophy and is religiously sanctioned. The changes in the economic, educational, and political condition in western societies led them to help eliminate apartheid in South Africa and similarly in America these conditions led to a beginning of social justice for the African Americans. Whereas, the changes of the economic, educational, and political opportunities in India have not made any difference for India's marginalised people.

In the western concept of apartheid and racism, no person is defiled or polluted by touching or being touched by a black, but in India even the shadow of an untouchable upon a person of the upper caste defiles. They need to go through a ceremonial cleansing ritual. No white home or church is polluted when a black person enters, but among Indian societies, if a Dalit enters the home of Brahmans then the upper caste is polluted. Caste runs and controls every aspect of Indian society from birth to death, and no one has been able to expunge its pervasive influence.

Caste is often spoken of as a social stigma in Indian society and people even consider it absent in the North East region. Renowned scholars have expressed at some length that the people of Manipur are lucky that they are free from the practices of caste and its stigma. Remarks such as these are surprising in the face of recent findings. Meitei communities are barred from entering almost all the Hindu temples where the Brahmins are the designated priests. The findings reveal that the practices of caste are seen in many walks of life among the Meitei societies who have converted to Hinduism.

Looking at the issue of singularity of India: integration, homogenization, and racism, it will be helpful to see how the state of Manipur became a part of Indian society and faces the issues and challenges that the nation as a whole is facing.

This paper attempts to connect the socio-religious and political life of Manipur with larger issues and challenges faced by the Indian nation. To address the issues and challenges, it will be worthwhile to review what happened when Hinduism, Vishnuvite religion, and Sanskrit became a part of the Manipur culture. What necessitated the Puya Meithaba of 1729, the burning of Meitei sacred scriptures?

The historians and scholars of Manipur have mentioned the advent of Hinduism in Manipur as Hindunisation, Sanskritisation, and Vaishnavaism, but failed to identify the emergence of Brahmanism. As a result, the caste became part of the society, yet the historians and scholars failed to identify it as one of the social stigmas within the society.

Ever since the emergence of Hinduism in Manipur and the accompanying rise of Brahmanism, the social stigma of caste prejudice and racism became a part of social life. This paper attempts to look at the concept of singularity in India: integration, homogenization and racism from the perspective of the historical account of the emergence of Brahmanism, particularly among the Meitei society

BRAHAMANISM – A Historical Perspective

Before attempting to look at the historical account of how Brahmanism emerges into the Meitei society, it will necessitate having a clear picture of the historical background of Brahmanism and how it has become a part of Indian society.

According to Manu Smriti, the Brahmins are created from the head of Brahma, who is the head all human races, of all knowledge, and ethnically should be of Aryan stock. This of course prevents anyone who is of non-Aryan stock becoming a Brahmin. They are also known as twice born, head of all humanity, and all other races are unequal to them.

ARYAN INVASION

In order to understand the origin of Brahmins, it will be necessary to understand the Aryan invasion of India. India has more than five thousand years of History. The cultural evidence unearthed by the excavation at Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro etc., helps us to know the real ancient history of India.[1] Generally, it is assumed that there are three races existing in India; Dravidians, who are considered the indigenous people of India, Aryans are the people who have been in Power in India for more than 3000 years, and the Mongolians in North Eastern and East India.

According to the Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT) it is believed that the Aryans were foreigners, who migrated from Eastern Europe. "They insisted that the Harappan were a pre-Vedic (and non-Vedic) people who were defeated by the invading Aryans and forced to migrate en masse to South India, later to be known as Dravidians speaking languages that are supposedly unrelated to Sanskrit."[2]

US-based Genome Research Journal reports. "Published in a recent edition of the US-based Genome Research Journal, a path breaking research paper concluded that higher caste Hindus are closer to Europeans, particularly East Europeans, while lower caste Hindus are more similar to Asians."[3] Basham states that the Aryans are migrants. "They migrated to bend westwards, southwards and eastwards, conquering local populations and inter-marrying with them to from a ruling caste. They brought with them their patrilinear family system, their worship of sky gods and their horses and chariots."[4]

Chentharassery tells us that the Pre-Aryan indigenous people of Indus Civilization had a rich culture and they were well to do people. "The Inhabitants of the Indus Valley were cultured and civilized while the people of rural areas led an agricultural life."[5]

B. R. Ambekar said that the Hinduism is the religion of Indo-Aryan developed by Brahmins. "Hinduism is nothing but Brahmanism in a new garb."[6] Ram Charit Manas quotes from Tulsi Das, "The entire universe is under control of Devtas, Devtas are under control of mantras, and mantras are under the control of Brahmin."[7]

The origins of Brahmins are Aryans who migrated to India from Easter Europe, invaded the indigenous people of India, and became the dominant race in Indian society ever since. The caste system was developed to serve the purposes of keeping their bloodline pure. It became the most powerful tool to benefit them and to suppress the lower castes.

R. P. Harch tells that the Brahmins developed the caste system and Brahma is not a god but it is a caste identity of Brahmins. The Brahmins still use this jatwala Brahma to promote casteism or racism.[8] Bal Krishna Sharma defines caste as, "The word Varna means colour and the characteristic physical different between the Aryans and the non-Aryans (Dasyu or Dasa) was that of colour. The former being the Aryan or fair colour and later black."[9]

The Construction of the "Manu Smriti" – "Law of Manu"

Hindu literature falls into Sruti and Smriti forms, both are distinct in their content and nature. Monier defines Sruti this way, "Sruti that which is directly heard or revealed includes the three portions of the Veda, viz. Mantra, Brahmana, and Upanishad, the last being the source of the Darsanas or systems of philosophy. It is equivalent to direct revelation, and is believed to have no human author."[10] Whereas the Smriti is of human, author "Smriti, that which is remembered and handed down by tradition though believed to be founded on this direct revelation, is thought to have been delivered by human authors."[11] Manu Smriti is the one authored by human beings believed to have received the divine revelation.

One will not understand caste and Brahmanism without reading the Manu Smriti" or "Law of Manu." A Non-Brahmin cannot read this sacred book. If any lower caste member hears a Brahmin reading it, the molten lac or tin will be poured into the ears and the tongue will be cut off. It is one of the oldest Vedic books, written mysteriously during the period around the 5th century B.C.[12]

Manu was a man, who claimed to be Brahma, a solemn god, creator all of systems, one who has supreme knowledge, none can dare to question his knowledge and become the maker and the writer of Smriti, the law to be followed by all human beings. Not much detail is available about him, but Monier's work suggests he, "is a metrical version of the traditional observances of a tribe of Brahmans called Manavas, who probably belonged to a school of the black Yajurveda and lived in the north-west of India, not far from Delhi, which observances were originally embodied in their Grihya-sutras."[13] However, Monier fails to pin point the argument.

By referring to Manu Smriti, one will be able to understand socio-religious setup of Indian societies. Manu is a man who claimed to be god, one who is the absolute knowledge and named Brahma. The book itself suggests about the author, "The great sages approached Manu, who was seated with a collected mind, and, having duly worshipped him, spoke as follows:" (Ch 1:1)

What connection has the creation narrative of Manu have with spirituality? Kancha Ilaiah calls Hinduism based on Brahmanism and Manu Smriti a spiritual fascist religion. This book sanctions the practices of the caste system. The instructions given by the Manu Smriti sanctions all forms of caste based atrocities and crimes within India.

Manu Smriti degrades womanhood and does not consider then as equal human beings. Although women are included in Manu's creation story, he still classified women separately as pleasing and auspicious beings. "The names of women should be easy to pronounce, not imply anything dreadful, possess a plain meaning, be pleasing and auspicious, end in long vowels, and contain a word of benediction." (M.S. Ch 2:33) Woman is perceived from the Manu Smriti view as a pleasing and auspicious creature and child bearer.

Creation of the Caste System

James Massey in his book "Dalits: Indigenous People of India" identifies that leaders of Aryan invasion were the Brahmans. Kancha Ilaiah says that Brahmans had to develop a system so that they could dominate forever. The Importance of keeping pure the Brahmin race was realized at the early stage of the Aryan Invasion and so the implementation of the caste system was invented. Kancha Ilaiah connects the Hindu child marriage and Sati system with the Brahman's intention to keep their race pure. Any race is polluted through cross-marriage and social mingling. Child marriage is to ensure that the children born to the man is of his pure blood by engaging and marrying the girl child before she reaches puberty. The Sati system is also to ensure that wife will not remarry another man after her first husband dies. This ensures that no children will be born thereafter, which could result in cross-breeding that would pollute the pure Brahman race.

Manu created human beings into four categories, "But for the sake of the prosperity of the worlds he caused the Brahmana, the Kshatriya, the Vaisya, and the Sudra to proceed from his mouth, his arms, his thighs, and his feet." (MS Ch 1:31) In Manu's creation history, Dalits the oppressed and outcaste are not included, which means they are not part of god's body, treated like sub-human beings. These four castes are further divided with designated professional assignments, "Let (the first part of) a Brahmana's name (denote something) auspicious, a Kshatriya's be connected with power, and a Vaisya's with wealth, but a Sudra's (express something) contemptible." (M.S. Ch 2:31)

Manu further classifies them, "(The second part of) a Brahmana's (name) shall be (a word) implying happiness, of a Kshatriya's (a word) implying protection, of a Vaisya's (a term) expressive of thriving, and of a Sudra's (an expression) denoting service." (M.S. Ch 2:32). Monier's work in the early stages of discovering the Hindu figures out, found that Brahmins were superior after the classification of caste system. "In short, the distinction of caste and the inherent superiority of one class over the three others were thought to be as much a law of nature and a matter of divine appointment as the creation of separate classes of animals, with insurmountable differences of physical constitution, such as elephants, lions, horses, and dogs."[14]

Reserving education to the Brahmans was a cunningly crafted tool. They have used their knowledge to keep others in ignorance. Kancha puts it this way, "The most powerful instrument that human beings discovered to transform their selves is education. This instrument – both reading and writing – was not only under Brahmanical control for a long time, but also misused by the Brahmans to their own advantage."[15]

THE EMERGENCE OF BRAHMANISM IN MANIPUR

The historians fixed Santidas Gosai coming to Manipur in 1717 AD and the burning of the Meitei Puya in 1729 AD. These events are termed as the emergence of Hinduism in Manipur. However, the fact is, that the term "Hinduism" was not known to the world. The usage of the term "Hinduism" began only from the 19th century. Monier's work in the late 19th century tells us that the terms were not known to the natives during that period, "Looking at it in its pantheistic aspect, we may call it Brahmanism; in its polytheistic development, Hinduism; but these are not names recognized by the natives."[16] This does not suggest that Hinduism as a religion never existed, but the religion was not defined as Hinduism as it is known today. The religion existed but the religion as Hinduism was strange to the society. The Manu Smriti, the Vedic scripture, which describes the creation of caste and distribution of occupation based on race, does not mention the word "Hindu" nor "Hinduism," similarly, one will hardly find the usage of these words. However, for the people of Manipur, the term and concept was totally foreign.

If there was no usage of the term "Hinduism," then what was the religion that the Meitei king Pamheiba was adopting from Shantidas Gosai? What then necessitated the burning of Meitei Puyas? It will be unfair for the academicians and the historians to state, without examining the background that Hinduism emerged into the soil of Manipur.

In the context of Manipur, the concept of Brahmanism or the Brahmin is understood completely different from the rest of world. The Brahmin men are known as Bamons and Brahmin women as Thourani in Manipur. Both names are tonally corrupted words for Brahmins and Thakuranis. Thakur or Thakurani are derived from the rich landlord or landowners, who are known as Thakur, who are upper caste but not Brahmin.

Brahmins are of pure blood origin in their race. They do this by not allowing any inter marriages to occur with other peoples or other caste. The Meitei Brahmins are the product of cross race through inter-marriage of Meitei women married to Mayang (outsider) Brahmins. Their decedents are segregated as the Bamons in Manipur.

The profession of Bamons in Manipur is different from the Brahmins in the rest of the world. In Manipur, they controlled the activities of the temple, performed rituals, and lived in the temple known as Mantop Campus. Their primary job is to cook food for festivals and any party among the Meitei society. Their wages are paid without a fixed rate and are higher than normal wages Meitei labourers.

They are considered holy people and are called "Eiga", a corrupt tonal word for Igya in Hindi, which means Give Your Order. Many Meiteis do not know the connotation of these terms. Theses designations caused the people to become angry and they refused to use the term any longer saying, "Why should we pay such high respect to other fellow human beings." This kind of reaction became severe after the Meiteis in the early 1980's began renouncing Hinduism and adopting their old, indigenous religion known as Sanamahi.

In the context of Manipur, attempting to understand the meaning of proselytizing the Meitei through the "Puya Meithaba" is not possible without an understanding of the Manu Smriti. It was an attempt to bring these hardcore ideologies of Brahmanism, coined and knitted upon the very genres of the Manu Smriti and the caste system, into the Meitei societies. It was much beyond the attempt of Hindunisation or Sanskritisation or Vaisnavitisation, rather it was an act of the Brahmanisation of the Meiteis.

One must understand that before the emergence of the Hinduism in Manipur, the state had allies in the neighbouring kingdoms. Rena quotes Pemberton; describing the visit of Samlong a brother of the King of Pong in 777 A.D.[17] The historians also inform us that Manipur was invaded by various Kingdoms from Thailand in 707 A.D. and latter from Burma in 1702 and 1764 A.D.

The difference between the invasion from the neighbouring kingdoms and the emergence of Hinduism is a contrasting picture. Theses kingdoms did not attempt to dismantle the social organizational setup of the Meitei Pantheon; ritual, ritual expertise, religious belief systems, and practices of the Meiteis, whereas the Brahmins did through the "Puya Meithaba".

To be continued...

REFERENCES:

[1] T.H.P. Chentharassery, History of Indigenous (New Delhi: APH Publishing Corporation, 1998), 1.
[2] N. S. Rajaram, The Hindu, Hyderabad, January 22, 2002, OB-1.
[3] The Christ Word; Volume 2, Issue 7, September 2001, 18.
[4] A. L. Basham, The Wonder that was India (Culcutta: Pupa and Co. 1988), 30.
[5] Chentharassery, History of Indigenous, 10.
[6] Dalit Voice; Bangalore, Vol. 21 No. 2, Jan 16 – 31, 2002, 20.
[7] Dalit Voice, 20.
[8] Dr. R. P. Harch, Dalit Voice; Bangalore, Vol. 21 No. 2, Jan 16 – 31, 2002, 20
[9] Bal Krishna Sharma, The Origin of Caste System in Hinduism and Its Relevance in the Present Context (New Delhi: ISPCK, 1999), 3.
[10] Monier Williams, Hinduism (London: SPCK, 1885), 14.
[11] Williams, Hinduism, 14-15.
[12] Williams, Hinduism, 53.
[13] Williams, Hinduism, 53.
[14] Williams, Hinduism, 58.
[15] Kancha Ilaiah, Post-Hindu India,(New Delhi: Sage Publication, 2009), 183.
[16] Williams, Hinduism, 13.
[17] Rena Laisram, Early Meitei History (New Delhi: Akansha, 2009), 2.
[18] Williams, Hinduism, 15-16.
[19] N. N. Bhattacharyya, Religious Culture of North-Eastern India (Manohar, New Delhi: 1995), 50, cited S. N. Sarma, The New-Vaisnavite Movement and the Satra Instituion of Assam, Calcutta, 1966, IX.
[20] Naorem Sanajaoba, ed, Manipur Past and Present – Volume 4 (New Delhi: Mittal, 2005), 453-454.
[21] Sanajaoba, ed, Manipur Past and Present, 454.
[22] Laisram, Early Meitei History, 10.
[23] Laisram, Early Meitei History, 10.
[24] Laisram, Early Meitei History, 11.
[25] Laisram, Early Meitei History, 11.
[26] Laisram, Early Meitei History, 19-20.
[27] Laisram, Early Meitei History, 67.
[28] Laisram, Early Meitei History, 67-68.
[29] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Manipur#Sanskritisation (accessed 15 January 2013)
[30] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Manipur#Sanskritisation (accessed 15 January 2013)
[31] Laisram, Early Meitei History, 36.
[32] Laisram, Early Meitei History, 208.
[33] Laisram, Early Meitei History, 125.