The Tangkhul Naga Traditional Custom of Marriage
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© 2019 JETIR March 2019, Volume 6, Issue 3 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) The Tangkhul Naga Traditional Custom of Marriage. ABOUT THE AUTHOR DR.Ringkahao Horam (Associate Professor) is the second son of Mrs. Lateola & Thikatai Horam of Tusom Christian village, Ukhrul District Manipur state. He has done B.A (H) in political science from Delhi University and M.A. Political Science from JNU New Delhi. In 1993, he finished M.Phil from Manipur University. In 2012 he was awarded Doctor of Philosophy (Ph:D) from the Manipur University (Department of Political Science) for the research work ‘The Naga Political Movement: 1946- 1964’.He has to his credit several articles of National and International Journal and has participated many seminars and conferences as a resource person. He has published book on 1. “The Genesis of the Naga political Movement” 2.”Customary Laws of the Nagas of Manipur” .3. “Undeclared War: The Naga Political Movement. 4. The Tangkhul Folk Poetry in Song.5.Naga Festivals. 6. My Roots. 7. Ideology: influences and Trends of Naga political Movements. He joined government service in the college in 1990.Now he is Associate Professor and HOD. Department of Political Science, Modern College, Imphal He is passionate with Traditional Culture and Custom. He has been actively involves in many social, cultural and Environmental campaigns in different forums. He is also a Human Rights activist who has participated in trainer training course on “Fact finding and Documentation of Human Rights violation” held in Manila, Philippines in 1994. At present, he is the coordinator of Human Rights Education cell, Modern college Imphal. He is also a founder president of ‘Naga Cultural Development Society’ since 1992. ABSTRACT Marriage is natural institution which is ordained by God. It is not only for procreation of human being but also for relationship building through family ties of marriages so that human being can live with love harmony unity and integrity. The Tangkhul Naga in particular is serious about this matter for they know that their future well being depends much on choosing right partner. Thus they have minute customary laws which are strictly follow. Any citizen who breach such custom are severely punish even banish from the village and ostracize from their clan. They believe that wrong marriage particularly incest bring misfortune to the whole villagers. They also have preferential types of marriage while choosing partner this is to continue their bloodline relations but not too close to be incest. KEY WORDS: BANE OR BOON THROUGH MARRIAGE. Introduction Tangkhul is one of the major tribe of the Nagas who lives mostly in north eastern part of Manipur state. It has unique and very rich cultural heritage. We do not know when and where the customary laws of the Tangkhul begin but one thing we do know for sure is that, the Tangkhul customary laws are a growth contributing from different sources from generation to generation. Through research, it is amazing to know that the Nagas particularly, the Tangkhuls have such minute extensive customary laws that governed them JETIR1903089 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 600 © 2019 JETIR March 2019, Volume 6, Issue 3 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) their entire life. Today they still cherish the values of it and practices in many ways. They are more humane, more practical and even more scientific than what we have now so called ‘modern laws’. For the Tangkhul Marriage is not only for the procreation but it is one of the most important things to create family ties with pure blood line so that the family clan in particular and village nation in general are descended well through marriage. The main sources of the customary laws of Tangkhul Naga are: 1. Social Custom: 2. Public opinion: 3. Order of Awunga (Village King) 4. Religion Marriage Ngala kakhui/ Rasa Kasa (marriage) Marriage or getting married is an avoidable part of life. This is one of the oldest practices of human being. As this is the foundation and beginning of life, ceremonial rites and rituals are performed strictly. Various omentations and divination through, harkho khayang (chicken leg movement divination), kappa khayang( Bamboo split behavior divination) etc. are observed. Only after the result is favorable the marriage proposal and marriage ceremony took place. Some of the important things of marriage related are: i. There is usually matchmaker to go between the boy and the girl before engagement. In the engagement she is given a shawl. ii. On the day of engagement half the amount of the bride price (manho) is given. Any other person accepts his engaged man if they have physical relation it is taken as adultery. iii. On the day of wedding, the bride will carry rice and meat in a basket and enter in the bridegroom’s house by stepping. On the spot the mother-in-law by relieving the basket and they eat together. Usually the newly wedded couple will eat first. iv. When the bride and her relatives arrived in the bridegroom residence the priest will cut the neck of a chicken and the blood is smeared in the forehead of the bride. v. For precaution in case of following evil spirit with them. It is purified by sprinkling the blood of dog on the banana leave and the bride is to step on the blood which is on the leave and allowed to enter in the new home. vi. For the pure and undoubted women she entered by breaking and stamping on the egg. vii. For the royal and status women (Achonva) they came by hoing (a sound produces by the group in mouth with unified and synchronize high and low pitch) till the bridegroom’s residence. Ordinary family girl cannot do hoing in the open ground, or throughout the journey. viii. Usually Achon and Amei prefer to get married. (Royal family or elder family). Vahong and Vahongnao (younger or lower social strata). If Achon married Vahongnao than the title Achon is lost. But if Vahongnao married Amei Vahong became Achonva married to vahongnao the son do not bear Amei title. Marriage is unavoidable part of our life. The Tangkhul follow patriarchal system as such, for betrothal usually it is the male side, which initiates the engagement. The lover boy either directly talk to the parent or relatives of the girls family or he let his friends or relative let know the desire for betrothal. If there is positive sign from the girls side, the priest or the father do some divination to obtain a sign of prediction for the future events. The two most important divinations they practice for such occasion was Kapa khayang (Bamboo splitter behavior observation) and, JETIR1903089 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 601 © 2019 JETIR March 2019, Volume 6, Issue 3 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) Harkho khayang (Observation of the chicken leg movement). After all this divination is positive and after both side agreed for the marriage proposal, then they fixed a day for engagement. On the day of engagement the marriage price (pride price) which is call “Manho” is also settled and usually half of the amount is paid on this day. And they openly disused and declared the landed properties or movable properties of the share of the son. After that a particular date is fixed for the marriage. Broadly speaking there is two type of marriage among the Tangkhuls. The ritual and procedures are the same but the differences lies in mode of ornamental adornment of the bride, mode of escorting the pride to the grooms place, mode of feast and animal killed for consumption. Usually “Amei-Achon” (higher strata in the society) and Royal family have grand and complete costume wedding. The two type of marriage are. Kharak shakzat: (Royal type of marriage) It is mostly done by rich and wealthy family or Amei-Achon or Royal family. Here the pride price (Manho) is very high. The pride is adorned with complete set of ornaments and costumes. Like Zeithing (scepter) Kongsang (necklace Huishon (brass ornament hanging down from head) Khormasim (ornament worn around the waist down to buttock) etc. After the marriage ceremony when the pride is escorted to the pride grooms residence all the villagers will escort with khamahon (it is a kind of song without words ,which is not permitted to do in ordinary people’s wedding) .Lots of buffalo ,pigs etc. are killed for the marriage and all the villagers and invitees feast on such day. Vahong shakzat: (Ordinary marriage) Such marriage are mostly done by poor or a social status in the lower level like Achui-Ayai and Achei etc.Here the adornment of ornaments and dress are less show off. Only cow and pig are slaughter for the feast, and when the bride is escorded to the groom’s residence khamahon is not allowed, otherwise the rest are more or less the same. Apart from this, there is another type of marriage this is the outcome of elopement. As both have gone without the consent of the parent, a feast call Vasum is initiated and fixed the day, usually the groom bears all the expenditure and the feast is held at the pride residence. This is a kind of officially declaration and recognition of husband and wife by the family members and the villagers. Preferential form of marriage God created human being, man and women so that they live together, to procreate and continues generations. God also make man and women to be united as one to have marital bliss and create happy family and relatives.