A shared destiny: The indestructible bond between Meitei and Meitei Pangal communities
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Dr Abul Khair Choudhury (Moijing Mayum)
The true story of any community is not about where its ancestors began, but where its civilization was nurtured and shaped. This principle lies at the heart of the enduring relationship between the Meitei and Meitei Pangal (Mani-puri Muslim) communities, a bond forged over centuries on the sacred soil of Manipur.
Discussions about where a community came from are less important than understanding where that commu- nity truly evolved. It doesn’t matter from which direction the Meitei Pangal ancestors arrived many centuries ago — what truly matters is that their society was born, nurtured, and shaped on the sacred soil of Manipur.
Human history is fundamentally a narrative of migration, adaptation, and settlement. Even the Meitei people—who today stand as the cultural and civili-zational heart of North East India—once journeyed from the northern highlands, possibly through the Upper Myanmar–Yunnan–Kabaw–Makhel corridor, before settling permanently in the Imphal Valley. Yet, their identity today is unequivocally indigenous, a testa- ment to the fact that history is not about where we started; it is about where we became.
The Meitei community has long been defined by its intellectual refinement, cultural richness, and extraor- dinary capacity to absorb and adapt the good from others. It is this spirit of openness—this willingness to embrace diversity—that made a deep and respectful coexistence with the Muslim (Pangal) community possible from the earliest historical period. The story of the Meitei and Meitei Pangal is, in essence, a single, shared civilization.
Roots of Shared Status and Respect
According to historian B Kulachandra Sharma in works such as Khri. 1891 Gi Mamangda Leiramba Meitei Pangal (2010), both communities shared the same social category and status in Manipur’s medieval and pre-Hindu periods. Even as religious differentiation emerged later, the mutual respect and cooperation between Meitei and Pangal communities remained intact in art, language, and daily life.
The contributions of the Meitei Pangal community were vital and numerous: from the making of swords and boats for the Meitei kings to significant roles in the royal cavalry. They also enriched Manipuri life through their expertise in music, poetry, weaving, and various crafts. Their story is interwoven with every chapter of Manipuri civilization—a civilization built on coexistence, not separation.
A Symbol of Unwavering Loyalty
A timeless symbol of this profound human and historical connection can be found in the tumultuous era of the Seven Years’ Devastation (1819–1826). During his exile in Cachar (Assam), Maharaj Gambhir Singh found one of his closest and most loyal friends in the Muslim nobleman, Nawab Gulu Miya.
This friendship, a bond that transcended faith, was put to a tragic test. As beautifully dramatized in Sanasam Bindod’s play Induprabha, Nawab Gulu Miya stood by the Maharaj with unwavering support. For this loyalty, he was imprisoned by King Gobinda- chandra of Cachar and ordered to suffer a slow death by starvation. The play also highlights the respectful relationship between Gulu Miya and Induprabha, the daughter of the Manipuri King Madhuchandra and wife of Gobindachandra.
The depth of the Maharaj's commitment is seen in his actions: to save his friend, Maharaja Gam-bhir Singh personally travelled all the way from Imphal to Silchar (Cachar). Though he could not rescue him in time, the tragedy reached its climax when historical accounts note that on the very day Nawab Gulu Miya was martyred, King Gobindachandra himself was killed, marking the immediate end of the Cachar kingdom. This simultaneous event, where the loyal friend and the opposing king met their fates, signifies a powerful moral recko- ning in the history of the region.
This episode is more than a tragedy; it is a timeless symbol of trust that defined the moral fabric of Manipuri history, where friendship and honour stood above faith and power.
An Organic Branch of Civilization
The role of the Meitei Pangal community has always been significant—not as an external addition, but as an organic branch of Manipuri civilization. They have served as a "cultural bridge" between the Meitei world and the larger surrounding region, contri- buting richly to administration, social harmony, and the intellectual and artistic growth of Manipur. Over the centuries, they have become native in every sense: in language, lifestyle, and loyalty to the land.
Recognizing this bond is not just a matter of pride; it is an acknowledgement of historical truth. The Meitei Pangal community is not an external addition to Mani-pur—it is an organic branch of the same tree, sharing the same roots, soil, and sunlight.
The story of Manipur is not the story of one people or one faith. It is the collective journey of all who grew from its soil, nourished its civilization, and kept its spirit alive.
The writer is an Independent Researcher on Manipuri Folk and Modern literature
References
1. Bindod, Sanasam. (1964). Induprabha (Dra-ma). 2. Sharma, B Kulachandra. (1991). Meitei Pangal Hourakpham. Imphal
3. Sharma, B Kulachan-dra. (2010). Khri. 1891 Gi Mamangda Leiramba Meitei Pangal. Imphal
4. Singh, M Iboton. (2010). Ethnic Integration in Manipur: A Historical Perspective. Imphal: Mani-pur University Press
The true story of any community is not about where its ancestors began, but where its civilization was nurtured and shaped. This principle lies at the heart of the enduring relationship between the Meitei and Meitei Pangal (Mani-puri Muslim) communities, a bond forged over centuries on the sacred soil of Manipur.
Discussions about where a community came from are less important than understanding where that commu- nity truly evolved. It doesn’t matter from which direction the Meitei Pangal ancestors arrived many centuries ago — what truly matters is that their society was born, nurtured, and shaped on the sacred soil of Manipur.
Human history is fundamentally a narrative of migration, adaptation, and settlement. Even the Meitei people—who today stand as the cultural and civili-zational heart of North East India—once journeyed from the northern highlands, possibly through the Upper Myanmar–Yunnan–Kabaw–Makhel corridor, before settling permanently in the Imphal Valley. Yet, their identity today is unequivocally indigenous, a testa- ment to the fact that history is not about where we started; it is about where we became.
The Meitei community has long been defined by its intellectual refinement, cultural richness, and extraor- dinary capacity to absorb and adapt the good from others. It is this spirit of openness—this willingness to embrace diversity—that made a deep and respectful coexistence with the Muslim (Pangal) community possible from the earliest historical period. The story of the Meitei and Meitei Pangal is, in essence, a single, shared civilization.
Roots of Shared Status and Respect
According to historian B Kulachandra Sharma in works such as Khri. 1891 Gi Mamangda Leiramba Meitei Pangal (2010), both communities shared the same social category and status in Manipur’s medieval and pre-Hindu periods. Even as religious differentiation emerged later, the mutual respect and cooperation between Meitei and Pangal communities remained intact in art, language, and daily life.
The contributions of the Meitei Pangal community were vital and numerous: from the making of swords and boats for the Meitei kings to significant roles in the royal cavalry. They also enriched Manipuri life through their expertise in music, poetry, weaving, and various crafts. Their story is interwoven with every chapter of Manipuri civilization—a civilization built on coexistence, not separation.
A Symbol of Unwavering Loyalty
A timeless symbol of this profound human and historical connection can be found in the tumultuous era of the Seven Years’ Devastation (1819–1826). During his exile in Cachar (Assam), Maharaj Gambhir Singh found one of his closest and most loyal friends in the Muslim nobleman, Nawab Gulu Miya.
This friendship, a bond that transcended faith, was put to a tragic test. As beautifully dramatized in Sanasam Bindod’s play Induprabha, Nawab Gulu Miya stood by the Maharaj with unwavering support. For this loyalty, he was imprisoned by King Gobinda- chandra of Cachar and ordered to suffer a slow death by starvation. The play also highlights the respectful relationship between Gulu Miya and Induprabha, the daughter of the Manipuri King Madhuchandra and wife of Gobindachandra.
The depth of the Maharaj's commitment is seen in his actions: to save his friend, Maharaja Gam-bhir Singh personally travelled all the way from Imphal to Silchar (Cachar). Though he could not rescue him in time, the tragedy reached its climax when historical accounts note that on the very day Nawab Gulu Miya was martyred, King Gobindachandra himself was killed, marking the immediate end of the Cachar kingdom. This simultaneous event, where the loyal friend and the opposing king met their fates, signifies a powerful moral recko- ning in the history of the region.
This episode is more than a tragedy; it is a timeless symbol of trust that defined the moral fabric of Manipuri history, where friendship and honour stood above faith and power.
An Organic Branch of Civilization
The role of the Meitei Pangal community has always been significant—not as an external addition, but as an organic branch of Manipuri civilization. They have served as a "cultural bridge" between the Meitei world and the larger surrounding region, contri- buting richly to administration, social harmony, and the intellectual and artistic growth of Manipur. Over the centuries, they have become native in every sense: in language, lifestyle, and loyalty to the land.
Recognizing this bond is not just a matter of pride; it is an acknowledgement of historical truth. The Meitei Pangal community is not an external addition to Mani-pur—it is an organic branch of the same tree, sharing the same roots, soil, and sunlight.
The story of Manipur is not the story of one people or one faith. It is the collective journey of all who grew from its soil, nourished its civilization, and kept its spirit alive.
The writer is an Independent Researcher on Manipuri Folk and Modern literature
References
1. Bindod, Sanasam. (1964). Induprabha (Dra-ma). 2. Sharma, B Kulachandra. (1991). Meitei Pangal Hourakpham. Imphal
3. Sharma, B Kulachan-dra. (2010). Khri. 1891 Gi Mamangda Leiramba Meitei Pangal. Imphal
4. Singh, M Iboton. (2010). Ethnic Integration in Manipur: A Historical Perspective. Imphal: Mani-pur University Press