Meitei folklore is the folklore and mythology of the Meitei people of Manipur, India.
Such folklore is traditionally passed from generation to generation. [1] Currently, the government of Manipur is planning to preserve the folklore of the Meitei people through primary education in government institutions. [2]
Manipur is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanmar, Sagaing Region to the east and Chin State to the south. The state covers an area of 22,327 square kilometres (8,621 sq mi). Manipur has been at the crossroads of Asian economic and cultural exchange for more than 2,500 years. It connects the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia to Southeast Asia, East Asia, Siberia, regions in the Arctic, Micronesia and Polynesia enabling migration of people, cultures and religions.
Meitei, also known as Manipuri, is a Tibeto-Burman language of northeast India. It is spoken by around 1.8 million people, predominantly in the state of Manipur, but also by smaller communities in the rest of the country and in parts of neighbouring Myanmar and Bangladesh. It is native to the Meitei people, and within Manipur it serves as an official language and a lingua franca. It was used as a court language in the historic Manipur Kingdom and is presently included among the 22 scheduled languages of India.
The Meitei Pangals, also known as the Pangals or the Meitei Muslims or the Manipuri Muslims, are a group of Muslims who speak Meitei language as their native tongue. They live mainly in Manipur. The term "Pangal" simply means "Muslim" in Meitei language. Various historical sources have different dates for when Islam first entered Manipur. However, the date all sources seem to confirm as definitive is 1606 AD. The origin of the Pangal community is equally varied.
Bishnupriya Manipuri, also known as simply Bishnupriya, is an Indo-Aryan language belonging to the Bengali–Assamese linguistic sub-branch. It is a creole of Bengali language and Meitei language and it still retains its pre-Bengali features. It is spoken in parts of the Indian states of Assam, Tripura and Manipur as well as in the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh. It uses the Bengali-Assamese script as its writing system. Bishnupriya Manipuri, being a member of the Eastern Indo-Aryan languages, was evolved from Magadhi Prakrit. So, its origin is associated with Magadha realm. The Government of Tripura categorized Bishnnupriya Manipuri under the "Tribal Language Cell" of the State Council of Educational Research and Training. Its speakers are also given the "Other Backward Classes" status by the Assam Government and notably, there is no legal status of the Bishnupriyas in Manipur. In the 2020s, the Bishnupriya speaking people started demanding that the Assam Government should give them the status of “indigenous people” of Assam and treat the same like other indigenous communities of the state.
The Meitei script, also known as the Meetei script, is an abugida used for the Meitei language, the official language of Manipur state and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also popularly known as the Kanglei script and the Kok Sam Lai script. Its earliest known evidence of existence dates back to the 6th century AD coins, engraving the Meitei letters, as verified by the various publications of the National Sahitya Akademi. It was used until the 18th century, when it was replaced by the Bengali alphabet. A few manuscripts survive. In the 20th century, the script has experienced a resurgence, and is again being used. Starting from the year 2021, Meitei script was officially used by the Government of Manipur, along with the Bengali-Assamese script, to write the Meitei language, as per "The Manipur Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2021".
Sanamahism or Meiteism or Lainingthouism, is an ethnic religion of the Meitei people of Manipur, Northeast India. It is a polytheistic religion and is named after God Lainingthou Sanamahi, one of the most important deities of the Meitei faith. Sanamahi is the eldest son of the supreme god Yaibirel Sidaba and the supreme goddess Leimarel Sidabi. Traditionally every Meitei household, irrespective of the religion, worships Sanamahi and Leimarel Sidabi. The importance of Sanamahi in the religion is also emphasized in the name itself which means Liquid Gold. Sanamahism does not have a religious head but has a body, Maru Loishang that oversees the main religious activities and govern all affairs pertaining to the religion including conducts of priest and priestess. The Maru Loishang also acts a court for religious disputes. There are three main departments under the Pandit Loishang, namely, the Amaiba Loishang, the Pena Asheiba Loishang and the Amaibi Loishang. These departments have existed since the reign of King Meidingu Hongnemyoi Khunjao Naothingkhong of Manipur in 662 AD.
The Kom are one of the oldest among tribes who had settled in Manipur alongside the Meiteis and they are defined later by British Indian government as Naga in their land records (administratively) but later after the entry of kuki from Burma during 1847, the anthropologist and historian considered them linguistically a kin to chin-kuki-mizo group. They are mainly found in Manipur of North-East India. Koms belong to kindred Chin-Kuki-Mizo people. Even though they are referred as "Kom", among themselves they refer to themselves as Kakom. Kom-rem consist of six subtribes: Chiru, Aimol, Kharam, Purum, Koireng and Kom. Kom-rem are found in the Northeastern states of Manipur and Tripura. The majority of the Kom population reside in Manipur. They are found in almost all the districts of Manipur and concentrated mainly in the districts of Churachandpur, Bishnupur, Chandel, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal, Thoubal, Kakching and Senapati.
Waikhom Gojen Meitei is an Indian poet and educationist from Manipur. The Government of India honored him in 2014 by bestowing upon him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his services to the fields of education and literature.
"Sidaba Mapu" or Salailel is the Supreme God, Creator of the universe and the Sky God in Meitei mythology and religion. According to Meitei mythology, Sidaba Mapu, being the Creator of the Universe, from a philosophical theory known as Leithak Leikharol Nongsemlon and Leisemlon.
Ningthoukhongjam Khelchandra Singh was an Indian writer, lexicographer and historian, known as the author of Manipuri to Manipuri and English, the first modern general dictionary in Meitei language, which was published in 1964. He was a fellow of the Sahitya Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1987.
The 1993 Pangal massacre refers to the Hindu-Muslim riot followed by the large scale deaths of the Meitei Pangals, an indigenous Muslim community, and the Hindu Meiteis, who are the majority ethnic group of Manipur, on 3 May 1993. In the past, there has been some land disputes and fear of Bengali Muslim influx.
Meitei nationalism refers to nationalism among the Meitei people. In the Meitei context this includes various movements throughout history to sustain Meitei cultural identity, political boundary, ethnicity and history to regain sovereign state status of Kangleipak.
The Loktak Folklore Museum or the Thanga Folklore Museum is a folk museum in Thanga Island in the Loktak lake of Manipur, India. It cares for and displays a collection of artistic, cultural and historical artefacts associated with the Loktak lake. The museum preserves the folk customs and beliefs, folk medicines, folk literature associated with the Loktak lake.
Pureiromba is a God in Meitei mythology and religion. He is the giver of rain and agricultural prosperity. He is one of the major Umang Lai deities. He is the Ancestor God of the Angom clan of the Meitei ethnicity.
Panam Ningthou is a God in Meitei mythology and religion. He is the protector of crops, especially paddy from hailstorm and thunder. According to legends, He ignited fire for the first time by rubbing flints. He is one of the Umang Lai deities.
Marjing is the God of horses, polo, hockey, sports and war in Meitei mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak. The guardianship of the north eastern direction is alluded to Marjing and the other directions to Koupalu, Thangching and Wangpulen. According to the legend, he invented the game of polo and introduced it as the national game. He and his divine creature, Samadon Ayangba, reside in the top of the Heingang Ching.
The social movement of Meitei language to achieve the officially recognised status of the "Classical language of India" is advocated by various literary, political, social associations and organisations as well as notable individual personalities of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Northeast India.
In Meitei mythology and folklore, the epic cycles of incarnations in Moirang is a cyclic epic of seven incarnations of two divine lovers in the kingdom of Moirang in the realm of Ancient Kangleipak.
The ancient legend of Kadeng Thangjahanba and Tonu Laijinglembi is one of the epic cycles of incarnations of Meitei mythology and folklore, that is originated from Moirang kingdom of Ancient Kangleipak. It concerns the fateful love of Kadeng Thangjahanba, a skilled blacksmith, for the beautiful Tonu Laijinglembi. Kadeng Thangjahanba was a highly talented and skilful royal chief metalsmith appointed by King Laijing Ningthou Punsiba of Moirang. Tonu Laijinglembi was the only daughter of Laijing Lakpa, a favourite nobleman of the King of Moirang.
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