Imphal Times Supplementary issue 2 Editorial Myth making and imagining a Brahmanical Monday, April. 2, 2018 Manipur since 18th century CE By Deepak Naorem when it is pointed out to them that 1954, which deals with the reign of Aryans. Grierson’s Linguistic RIP Tamo Khelen: You will Courtesy: http://raiot.in the region developed a written Raja Chandrakirti, Surchandra, Survey of India and Hodson’s The literary culture between 14th and 15th Kulachandra and Tikendrajit. Meitheis published in 1908 CE It is absolutely not farfetched to century CE. It is definitely not to It is important to remember that created quite a scandal in the royal be always in our heart argue that Manipur was imagined say that oral traditions are less Bijoy Panchali texts are court after they classified Manipuri It is natural - if you are born you will have to die one day. in the 18th century, some 250 years important, and in fact oral traditions commissioned and composed as a Tibeto Burman language and not Thousands are born every day and thousands died each days. ago. I must, however, caution myself continued to remain the foremost within the court, and written by an Aryan. This started a historical Among the people die everyday – few are remembered for the here lest my arguments are form of knowledge transmission in Bamon pundits. New narratives debate, perhaps the first one in the kind of service they provided for the people and humanity. Their misconstrued as denying the the region. Texts which are locally were introduced through these region, on the question of origin of names are engraved to the heart of every right thinking people. existence of state/states or known as Puyas were written mostly texts, such as a Brahamanical Manipur. Pukhrambam Parijat wrote And their names continue to shine in the future too. communities with distinct social, within the confines of the royal narrative of the creation/origin of Manipur Purabrita in 1917, under Among the few, Senior Journalist Khelen Thokchom, who political or cultural identities in the court. Likewise, Bijoy Panchalis the kingdom whose name Manipur the patronage of Maharaja left us all for heavenly abode yesterday, is one. To the younger region which is called Manipur were also commissioned and written appears in these texts prominently Churachand Singh as a response to journalist fraternity he was a mentor, an advisor and an today, one of the many provinces in the royal court. However many and a new genealogy of the kings Hodson’s work and reiterated the inspiration for all. To the people he was a critic, a messenger of of Indian ‘state….nation’. The do not consider it as a Puya of Manipur also emerged in these Aryan and Hindu origin of the truth. When he got free time he wrote satirical words at social states in this region were referred to depending on how one defines a texts. In Bhagyachandra Charit, it is kingdom and its people. As a result networking site Facebook. His every post at FB makes his friends by many names. Puya. If we are referring to all the mentioned that the kingdom was of the efforts of the Nikhil (Hindu) who are known either physically or virtually, ‘smile’. In 1799 CE, Francis Buchanan wrote written texts as puya, it is definitely created by lord Shiva in the last Manipuri Mahasabha, a Historical When he spared times with journalist colleagues, he made an article about the languages and a puya since it was commissioned Satya yuga. Lord Mahadeva, Research committee was formed, and no difference between young or old, new comers or experienced people surrounding the Burmese and composed in the court by the according to these texts was in investigations of materials on the one. He would make jokes that carry thousand meanings. He empire, and he wrote in the article of Pundits/Maichous. However many search of a place for the divine history of Manipur were started. indirectly inspired every one near him to stand up for truth and a rebellious people who inhabited scholars refrained from using the dance with his consort and they Under the guidance of the truth only. He redefined kitchen gardening not only for living the region between Sylhet in Bengal word Puya for Bijoy Panchali, found a place which was flooded. Mahasabha, Shri Mutum Jhulon but for own pleasure and for saving the environment. and Ava. He wrote that the people because in their understanding They could only see the tip of studied Bijoy Panchali, which Before his visit to Gujarat on journalists’ tour organized by inhabiting in the valley called Puyas are associated with pre- Nongmaiching hill, the abode of carried the ethos of the Meitei elites. the Manipur Legislative Assembly, something started disturbing themselves as ‘Moitay’, and those Hindu or non-Hindu traditions and many traditional deities. Mahadeva John Pratt argues that the first his mind very seriously. I went to his home to comfort him. We in the hills by many names. they find Bijoy Panchali lacking stood on this hill and dug a hole generation of the indigenous writers two of us sat together for a while. Instead of telling me what However, he argued the region was such attributes. Manihar Singh and with his trisul, a trident and drained (local scholars) 1 in Manipur actually disturbed him he taught me how to take decision at known by many names. The Jayanti Thokchom consider Bijoy the water. Thus the valley came into generally pursued an agenda which time of critical reporting. He suggested me how to extract the Burmese called it Kathee/Cussay, the Panchali as state chronicle which existence and a dance was saw Manipur as a part of the resource from experts while interviewing or anchoring Britishers in Bengal called it Meckley emerged with the adoption of performed in which all the gods Sanskritic Indian traditions and that programme like discussion hour at ISTV. I thought of spending and the Brahmins of the region Vaishnavism by the court in the 18th participated. According to the Manipuri had an Aryan origin. that whole day with him, but could not as I had another called it Munnypura. The existence century and J.B. Bhattacharjee calls narratives in the texts, the dance Similarly, Phurailatpam Atombabu assignment including a marriage ceremony of the daughter of of many names often confused the it a Bengali chronicle of Manipur. performed was the first Lai Haraoba. Sharma, a Brahmin scholar was a his close colleague (another senior journalist Irengbam Arun). Europeans so much that Rennel However, it did became the state The gods gifted the region with pioneering proponent of such views. Four days back we met again at ISTV discussion hour who prepared the first map of chronicle and did not replace many jewels to the region. Ananta, In 1940, he wrote Manipur Itihas, programme. Every time we met, he used to talking something Hindoostan and beyond laid down Cheitharon Kumpapa as the court the snake god also apparently took where attempts were made to show which made me happy and smile. That very day he sat quietly two Kingdoms, Cussay and chronicle. Bijoy Panchali comprises out his precious gem from his head that Meiteis were Aryans, and and again said that he was not feeling very well. Meckley in the first draft of his map. of five parts/volumes written over and granted it to the land, and hence Manipur was identified with As we started our programme discussing about the question He was also considering including 150 years between 1782 CE and 1954 it became covered with jewels. The Manipurna from the Mahabharata leak problem of CBSE, I was a little bit worried as I was told that Munnypura as the third kingdom CE. There are many manuscripts of text claims that from that day epic. The genealogy of the ruling he was seriously disturbed (personal problem I guessed). But to between Hindoostan and Burma. these texts; in Bengali in Bangla Lipi onwards the region came to be Ningthouchas were also linked to my surprised, when it came about issues he gave logical reply The two treaties signed with the and in Manipuri in Bangla Lipi. known as Manipur, or land of jewels. Brababohan, the son from the and also suggested many good things which could bring a change East India Company in 1762 and 1763 Then there are translations in These texts also traced the marriage of Hindu demi-god Arjun in the system. CE also referred to the region as Manipuri in Bangla lipi by L. Mangi genealogy of the kings of Manipur with Chitrangada, the princess of After the discussion hour, we stood together for a while at Meckley, and the king as Meckley Singh and L. Mani Singh and by to Babrubahana, the son of one of Manipurna. Atombabu’s work was BT road sharing a pub of cigarette in front of ISTV Network. He Raja. Moreover, revisionist Anganghal Singh in Manipuri the Pandava brothers Arjun and a indeed very popular during his times, never told anyone about his personal problem. But then I insisted historiography has also come up language in Bangla lipi which Manipuri princess Chitrangada. The and influenced many younger him to tell me what exactly, was that thing that made him unhappy with many names such as cannot be traced. text narrates how Babrubahana and historians. Such arguments are also and disturbed. Kangleipak and Meitei-leibak etc. Unlike Cheitharon Kumpapa, each his queen Urmila failed to conceive shared by Indian nationalist Well, the thing which he was worried was the rotten system These various names represent of the five volumes of Bijoy Panchali an heir to the throne.