Why Meiteilon deserves its rightful place in India’s classical pantheon
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Dr Abul Khair Choudhury (Moijing Mayum)
Language is the breath of a civilization. It is the vessel that carries the collective memory, wisdom, and identity of a people across the river of time. As India celebrates the expansion of its Classical Languages list to eleven—embracing Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali—a profound silence echoes from the valleys of the North East.
While the Nation honors the great Indo-Aryan and Dravidian traditions, the third great pillar of Indian civilization—the Tibeto-Burman family—remains unrecognized in the classical pantheon. Standing tall as the most qualified representative of this family is Manipuri (autonym: Meiteilon). The demand for its Classical Status is not merely a regional aspiration; it is a call for scientific validation and National completeness.
The Demography of a Shared Heritage
Manipuri is not just a dialect or a tribal tongue; it is an advanced, cohesive language that has served as a bridge between the Indian mainland and Southeast Asia for two millennia. Uniquely, it serves as the mother tongue for two distinct but culturally intertwined folk groups: the Meiteis and the Meitei Muslims (Pangals). For centuries, these two communities have nurtured the language, enriching it with a syncretic culture that is rare in South Asia.
Demographically, Mani-puri is the lingua franca that binds the diverse communities of the State. According to the 2011 Census and subsequent linguistic studies, it is spoken by approximately 1.8 million native speakers in India, with a significant diaspora in Bangladesh and Myanmar . When including second-language speakers from the Naga and Kuki communities who use it for trade and daily interaction, the language unites nearly 3 million people. However, its claim to classical status does not rest on population numbers, but on the depth of the civilization these numbers represent.
The Verdict of Experts: A Tibeto-Burman Gem
The Government of India’s criteria for classical status hinge on "high antiquity," "originality," and a "distinct literary tradition." Manipuri meets these with scientific precision.
The most compelling argument for Manipuri is its linguistic lineage. It belongs to the Tibeto-Burman sub-family of the Sino-Tibetan group. Unlike Assamese, Bengali, or Marathi, which trace their roots to Sanskrit and the Indo-Aryan family, Manipuri is a "genetic isolate" in the context of India's classical list. Its gra-mmar, agglutinative struc- ture, and tonal phonology are entirely original and not borrowed from any other speech community.
The eminent linguist and National Professor of India, Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatter-jee, recognized this distinc- tion decades ago. He famously stated: "Among the various Tibeto-Burman languages, the most important and in literature certainly of much greater importance than Newari, is the Meitei or Manipuri language."
He further noted that the beginnings of old Manipuri literature could trace back 1,500 to 2,000 years, placing it squarely within the timeline required for classical status.
Evidence in Stone and Metal : The Epigraphic Proof
A classical language requires history etched in more than just memory. Manipuri possesses undeniable epigraphical and nu- mismatic evidence:
The Coins of Antiquity (6th Century AD) : The discovery of coins from the reign of King Ura Konthouba (568–658 AD) bearing inscriptions in the archaic Meitei script is irrefutable proof of a sophis- ticated State economy and a standardized written language existing over 1,400 years ago.
The Yumbanlol Copper Plates : Dating to the 6th–7th century, these plates record social codes and administrative edicts. They serve the same historical function for Manipuri that the Halmidi inscription does for Kannada.
Stone Inscriptions : The stone edicts found at Khoibu and the ancient KonthoujamLairembi inscriptions provide lithic evidence of a literate society with a highly developed sense of law and governance .
The Literary Canon: From Myth to History
The revised 2024 criteria for Classical Languages emphasize "Knowledge Texts," specifically prose. Manipuri literature, preserved in ancient manuscripts known as Puyas, is a treasure trove of such texts.
The Oral-Written Continuum : The Ougri, a ritual song sung during the Lai Haraoba festival, dates back to the 1st century AD . It is not just a song; it is a sociopolitical institution used to control the fate of the society. Similarly, the Numit Kappa (1st Century AD), an epic about the shooting of the sun, is a powerful political allegory written in archaic poetic prose that requires expert interpretation today, proving the "discontinuity" criterion between old and modern Manipuri.
Secular Historiography: Unlike many ancient Indian traditions that mix myth with history, Manipuri possesses the Cheitharol Kumbaba (The Royal Court Chronicle). This text records the genealogy and events of the state with dry, chronological precision from 33 AD to the present day. (To be contd)
Language is the breath of a civilization. It is the vessel that carries the collective memory, wisdom, and identity of a people across the river of time. As India celebrates the expansion of its Classical Languages list to eleven—embracing Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali—a profound silence echoes from the valleys of the North East.
While the Nation honors the great Indo-Aryan and Dravidian traditions, the third great pillar of Indian civilization—the Tibeto-Burman family—remains unrecognized in the classical pantheon. Standing tall as the most qualified representative of this family is Manipuri (autonym: Meiteilon). The demand for its Classical Status is not merely a regional aspiration; it is a call for scientific validation and National completeness.
The Demography of a Shared Heritage
Manipuri is not just a dialect or a tribal tongue; it is an advanced, cohesive language that has served as a bridge between the Indian mainland and Southeast Asia for two millennia. Uniquely, it serves as the mother tongue for two distinct but culturally intertwined folk groups: the Meiteis and the Meitei Muslims (Pangals). For centuries, these two communities have nurtured the language, enriching it with a syncretic culture that is rare in South Asia.
Demographically, Mani-puri is the lingua franca that binds the diverse communities of the State. According to the 2011 Census and subsequent linguistic studies, it is spoken by approximately 1.8 million native speakers in India, with a significant diaspora in Bangladesh and Myanmar . When including second-language speakers from the Naga and Kuki communities who use it for trade and daily interaction, the language unites nearly 3 million people. However, its claim to classical status does not rest on population numbers, but on the depth of the civilization these numbers represent.
The Verdict of Experts: A Tibeto-Burman Gem
The Government of India’s criteria for classical status hinge on "high antiquity," "originality," and a "distinct literary tradition." Manipuri meets these with scientific precision.
The most compelling argument for Manipuri is its linguistic lineage. It belongs to the Tibeto-Burman sub-family of the Sino-Tibetan group. Unlike Assamese, Bengali, or Marathi, which trace their roots to Sanskrit and the Indo-Aryan family, Manipuri is a "genetic isolate" in the context of India's classical list. Its gra-mmar, agglutinative struc- ture, and tonal phonology are entirely original and not borrowed from any other speech community.
The eminent linguist and National Professor of India, Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatter-jee, recognized this distinc- tion decades ago. He famously stated: "Among the various Tibeto-Burman languages, the most important and in literature certainly of much greater importance than Newari, is the Meitei or Manipuri language."
He further noted that the beginnings of old Manipuri literature could trace back 1,500 to 2,000 years, placing it squarely within the timeline required for classical status.
Evidence in Stone and Metal : The Epigraphic Proof
A classical language requires history etched in more than just memory. Manipuri possesses undeniable epigraphical and nu- mismatic evidence:
The Coins of Antiquity (6th Century AD) : The discovery of coins from the reign of King Ura Konthouba (568–658 AD) bearing inscriptions in the archaic Meitei script is irrefutable proof of a sophis- ticated State economy and a standardized written language existing over 1,400 years ago.
The Yumbanlol Copper Plates : Dating to the 6th–7th century, these plates record social codes and administrative edicts. They serve the same historical function for Manipuri that the Halmidi inscription does for Kannada.
Stone Inscriptions : The stone edicts found at Khoibu and the ancient KonthoujamLairembi inscriptions provide lithic evidence of a literate society with a highly developed sense of law and governance .
The Literary Canon: From Myth to History
The revised 2024 criteria for Classical Languages emphasize "Knowledge Texts," specifically prose. Manipuri literature, preserved in ancient manuscripts known as Puyas, is a treasure trove of such texts.
The Oral-Written Continuum : The Ougri, a ritual song sung during the Lai Haraoba festival, dates back to the 1st century AD . It is not just a song; it is a sociopolitical institution used to control the fate of the society. Similarly, the Numit Kappa (1st Century AD), an epic about the shooting of the sun, is a powerful political allegory written in archaic poetic prose that requires expert interpretation today, proving the "discontinuity" criterion between old and modern Manipuri.
Secular Historiography: Unlike many ancient Indian traditions that mix myth with history, Manipuri possesses the Cheitharol Kumbaba (The Royal Court Chronicle). This text records the genealogy and events of the state with dry, chronological precision from 33 AD to the present day. (To be contd)