Discovery of Kangleipak
- Part 4 -
- Kangleipak : The name of this land, up to 2nd half of the 18th century A.D. -

Wangkhemcha Chingtamlen *

The name of this land, now called Manipur, was Kangleipak up to 2nd half of the 18th century A.D., up to the time of king Bhagyachandra Jai Singh. This requires no much introductions.

Now the question before the people of this land is that : who named this land Kangleipak? At what time?

Regarding the answer of the first part question is very clear and certain. Regarding the time of naming of this land Kangleipak may have some + years, but may be not doubtful.

The present indigenous people called the Meetei are the descendants of a group of people called the Lai People. This Lai People were the first inhabitants of the Koubru mountain ranges. There are certain evidences in the scriptures called the Puya by the Meetei Race.

In a traditional unwritten song:

Awang Koubru Asuppa,
Leima-Lai Khunda Ahanba,
Nongthrei Ma-u Lingliba,
Irik Mapan Thariba,
..... Lainingthou !

In this traditional song, the second line 'Leima - Lai Khunda Ahanba' is certainly a historical part of this seemingly an invocational song to the God-creator, the Father of all creations on the Earth.

At page 45 of the Puya, Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Ama-Ilon Pukok, it is written:

"Ipung Loiki Yathangna Oikhipa Malemna Laiyamsingna Halaole;
Yaphapaki Matikpu Laiyamsingna Penchale;
Asum touna loipi chingki chingtonta
mapham mapham yengtuna tuka waka patuna;
Nungai thoina Pankhale, Wakon pungpu sakhale."

This clear statement of the Puya, along with our present traditional song given above is clear indication that a group of peoples called the Lai inhabited the Koubru (Koupalu in the Puya) mountain ranges many many thousand years ago.

As corroborative evidences of these scriptural and traditional evidences, we have upto this day, one Lai Pukhri Achouba, Seven Lai Pukhri Macha, Imoinu Pukhri etc. (Pukhri is a word came with Hinduism in 18th century, up to 18th century Lai Ikom or Ikon, Imoinu Ikom etc. were called). In the Koubru mountain ranges, we have still Lai Khun, a village peopled by the Lai, Lailouching (Lairouching), a hill cultivated by the Lai people.

A further corrobotative evidence is that present Meetei indigenous people every year in March, April came in groups to the top of Koubru mountains to offer prayers and their gratitude to their God-creator, Lainingthou and to see their first habitation areas on the Earth. The indigenous Meetei Race do not forget their first habitation on the Koubru mountains up to this day.

The group of people called the Lai settled many many thousand years on the Koubru mountain ranges. The Lai People, on the Koubru mountain ranges, developed a settled civil society in the status of a civil society as we know to day in the 21st century A.D.

The present world famed Lai Haraoba Dance of the Meetei Race was first started on the Koubru mountain ranges and secondly, performed the Lai Haraoba on the Nongmaiching Hill (please see page 3, Silver Jubilee Souvenir , J.N. Dance Academy, 1999).

After several thousand years' settlement on the Koubru mountain ranges, a small group of the Lai people came down to the valley of Kangleipak, now called the Imphal valley.

Please examine the following Xerox copy of the Puya page 53 of the Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Ama-Ilon Pukok for your complete understanding of the fact :

Click here for a larger resolution image

Please see the actual words of the Puya in the English alphabets :

"Lainingthouti Pangkalpana Huttang-nga Saion Toutuna chingpu huttoktuna Chingnunghut Haina Koukhipa mapham Atuta Laicha Isingpu chithok-khipana, Kangpa Halle Haituna Kangla Thenpung Haina Koukhale;

Kangla Thenpung Maphamta Laiyamsingna lepnapa maphamta kayatlon yengtuna Im sale, Mapham Atupu Kangla Impham Koukhale;

Kangla Impham Maphamta Leilon Nonglon Kayat 14 ki Laipham Semkhale; Semkhalapa Maphamta Laiyamsingna Panpa Maphamne Haituna Laipham Haina koukhale;

Laipham Koupa Maphamna Leipa Leipakpu KANGLEIPAK haina koukhale."

Translation is from the 3rd line of the Xerox, the word 'koukhale', the last word of the transcription is in the page 54 (not in the Xerox).

Free English translation of the above Puya page, transcribed, is the following :

"Lainingthou Pangkalpa incarnating as Huttang-nga made a hole through the mountains, and drained (the valley) at Chingnunghut, the place that dried up first has been called Kangla Thenpung.

As decided by the Laiyam, at Kangla Thenpung, selecting proper situation, dwelling places had been constructed. The place had been named Kangla Impham (Kangla residential area). Divine places, examining 14 Leilon Nonglon, had been made at Kangla Impham.

The places so made, being the dwelling places of the Laiyam with their temples, had been called Laipham. The land (country), where Laipham situated, had been called Kangleipak."

From this very clear and unambiguous statement of the Puya, we may straight infer that the first inhabitants of Kangla, the present Kangla, are the Lai People coming down from the Koubru Mountain ranges. After some thousand years, most probably, after occupation of the Imphal valley by the Lai People, Ipu Athoupa Konchin Tukthapa Pakhangpa established the Monarchy, capital at present Kangla.

Konchin Tukthapa Pakhangpa married 7 Lai Nura (7 Lai ladies) and gave birth to 7 Salais and the descendants of the 7 Salais are the present Meetei Race. The Meetei genealogy is started only since Ipu Athoupa Konchin Tukthapa Pakhangpa. This is a common home tradition and history. We require no much introduction.

The name 'Meetei' is only some thousand years old, given to a small group of the Lai People. Before becoming the Meetei, the forefathers and foremothers of the Meetei are the Lai People, inhabiting the Koubru mountain ranges for thousands and thousands years and then a small group to the Imphal valley. The name Kangleipak was named by the Lai People, before the name 'Meetei' was born.

At page 54 of the Puya mentioned above

"Kangleipak koupa maphamta Lainingthou Sitapa Salailel ki huksang kayatki nungpung wakhanna tatuna thok-khipa Lailup 7 mapu Pakhangpana Pannatuna.... Mangang mingthon phangcheiye, ...."

From this we know Kangleipak was named by the Lai People before Konchin Tukthapa become Monarch of Kangleipak and gave birth to 7 salais.

The Kabui people claim their first habitation area on the Earth is Koubru. They claim 'Koubru' is their word. The 'Kanglei' is their word, having almost the same meaning with the Meetei word 'Kangla'. The writer never dispute such assertions. Rather their claims prove the Ethnic Homogeneity with the Meetei People.

Please see some corroborative evidences that the Lai people inhabited the Imphal valley starting from Kangla. There is a Lai Pukhri at Kangla not connected with Hinduism. This is the Lai Ikom, dug by the Lai people when they first came down from the Koubru mountain ranges.

In the Puya on the bank of the 'Nungseng' (Not written as Nungseng Ikon or Ikom, only Nungseng is written in the Puya), the Salai Leisangthem, the 7th son of Ipu Athoupa Konchin Tukthapa Pakhangpa once settled, is written.



to be continued...

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* Wangkhemcha Chingtamlen contributes regularly to e-pao.net . The writer is President, Kangleipak Historical and Cultural Research Centre, Sagolband Thangjam Leirak, Imphal, Kangleipak (Manipur). The writer can be contacted at chingtamlen(at)gmail(dot)com
This article was webcasted on May 08th, 2009.

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