The Kingdom of Pong or Pong Kingdom was an ethnically Tai state that controlled several smaller states along the frontier of what is now Myanmar , China and Northeast Indian states of Assam , Manipur , Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh .
71-660: Traditional Manipuri dance , also referred to as the Manipuri Raas Leela ( Meitei : Jagoi Raas/Raas Jagoi ), is a jagoi and is one of the major Indian classical dance forms, originating from the state of Manipur . It is one of the greatest cultural achievements of the traditional Vaishnavism adhering Meitei people of Manipur . Owing to the Meitei civilization , the classical dance form, first formally developed by Meitei Hindu king Ching Thang Khomba ( Meitei for ' Rajarshi Bhagyachandra ') of
142-760: A "first language" subject at primary level in 24 schools throughout the state. In December 2021, Tripura University proposed to the Indian Ministry of Education and the University Grants Council (UGC) , regarding the introduction of diploma courses in Meitei, along with international languages like Japanese, Korean and Nepali. The exact classification of the Meitei language within Sino-Tibetan remains unclear. It has lexical resemblances to Kuki and Tangkhul . The Meitei language
213-462: A compound from mí 'man' + they 'separate'. This term is used by most Western linguistic scholarship. Meitei scholars use the term Meit(h)ei when writing in English and the term Meitheirón when writing in Meitei. Chelliah (2015: 89) notes that the Meitei spelling has replaced the earlier Meithei spelling. The language (and people) is also referred to by the loconym Manipuri. The term
284-447: A folded shawl over the left shoulder, and the drum strap worn over the right shoulder. It is known as Pung cholom , and the dancer plays the drum and performs the dance jumps and other movements. Another dance called Kartal cholom , is similar to Pung cholom , but the dancers carry and dance to the rhythm created with cymbals. This is a group dance, where dancers form a circle, move in the same direction while making music and dancing to
355-514: A household. The Khencho ( ꯈꯦꯟꯆꯣ ), an early Meitei work of poetry was composed by the beginning of the 7th century CE. Although it is obscure and unintelligible to present-day Meiteis, it is still recited as part of the Lai Haraoba festival. One of the best-preserved early Meitei language epigraphic records is a copper plate inscription dating to the reign of King Khongtekcha ( r. c. 763 – 773 CE ). During
426-624: Is a Tibeto-Burman language of northeast India . It is the official language and the lingua franca of Manipur and an additional official language in four districts of Assam . It is one of the constitutionally scheduled official languages of the Indian Republic . Meitei is the most widely-spoken Tibeto-Burman language of India and the third most widely spoken language of northeast India after Assamese and Bengali . There are 1.76 million Meitei native speakers in India according to
497-412: Is a tonal language . There is a controversy over whether there are two or three tones. Meitei distinguishes the following phonemes : Consonants Vowels Note: the central vowel /ɐ/ is transcribed as <ə> in recent linguistic work on Meitei. However, phonetically it is never [ə], but more usually [ɐ]. It is assimilated to a following approximant: /ɐw/ = [ow], /ɐj/ = [ej]. A velar deletion
568-514: Is a 3rd-century narrative work describing the establishment of a colony in Kangleipak by a group of immigrants led by Poireiton , the younger brother of the god of the underworld. The Yumbanlol , a copper plate manuscript was composed in the 6th century or 7th century CE for the royal family of Kangleipak. It is a rare work of dharmashastra , covering sexuality, the relationships between husbands and wives, and instructions on how to run
639-537: Is based on Jaidev's Gita Govinda and the Brahma Vavairta Purana. Kunjaras is celebrated on Ashwin (October) in Autumn on a full moon night. Nityaras is celebrated any night of the year except for the previous three raas (Maharas, Basantaras and Kunjaras). The story is of the divine union of Radha and Krishna after Radha surrenders herself to Krishna. Dibaras is celebrated any time of the year during
710-555: Is derived from the name of the state of Manipur . Manipuri is the official name of the language for the Indian government and is used by government institutions and non-Meitei authors. The term Manipuri is also used to refer to the different languages of Manipur and to the people. Additionally, Manipuri, being a loconym, can refer to anything pertaining to the Manipur state. Speakers of Meitei language are known as "Kathe" by
781-655: Is honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Manipuri annually. It is referred to as the "national dance" during the Armenia-India joint issue of postage stamps, as a part of the Armenia-India international relations . It is imbued with the devotional themes of Madhura Raas of Radha-Krishna and characterised by gentle eyes and soft peaceful body movements. The facial expressions are peaceful mostly expressing Bhakti Rasa or
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#1732780515308852-552: Is noted to occur on the suffix -lək when following a syllable ending with a /k/ phoneme. Meitei has a dissimilatory process similar to Grassmann's law found in Ancient Greek and Sanskrit , though occurring on the second aspirate. Here, an aspirated consonant is deaspirated if preceded by an aspirated consonant (including /h/, /s/ ) in the previous syllable. The deaspirated consonants are then voiced between sonorants. /tʰin-/ pierce + Kingdom of Pong It
923-409: Is the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text Natya Shastra , with influences and the culture fusion between various local folk dance forms. With evidence of Vishnu temples in the medieval era, this dance form has been passed down verbally from generation to generation as an oral tradition . At a time when other Indian classical dances were struggling to shake off the stigma of decadent crudity and disrepute,
994-811: Is the official language of the Government of Manipur as well as its lingua franca . There are nearly 170,000 Meitei-speakers in Assam, mainly in the Barak Valley , where it is the third most commonly-used language after Bengali and Hindi. Manipuri is also spoken by about 9500 people in Nagaland, in communities such as Dimapur , Kohima , Peren and Phek . Meitei is a second language for various Naga and Kuki-Chin ethnic groups. There are around 15,000 Meitei speakers in Bangladesh mainly are in
1065-697: Is very different to the varsha abhisarika who faces the thunderous downpouring rain. In other plays, the Manipuri dancers are more forceful, acrobatic and their costumes adjust to the need of the dance. Dozens of boys synchronously dance the Gopa Ras , where they enact the chores of daily life such as feeding the cows. In Uddhata Akanba , states Ragini Devi, the dance is full of vigor (jumps, squats, spins), energy and elegance. The classical Manipuri dance features unique costumes. The women characters are dressed, in doll-like Potloi costumes. The brilliant design of
1136-403: The pena and are usually aggressive sounding but they contain no lyrics. The traditional Manipuri Raas Lila is performed in three styles – Tal Rasak , Danda Rasak and Mandal Rasak . A Tal Rasak is accompanied with clapping, while Danda Rasak is performed by synchronous beat of two sticks but the dancers position it differently to create geometric patterns. The Gopis dance in a circle around
1207-882: The Armenia-India joint issue of postage stamps. The Manipuri classical dance is recognised as well as honoured in numerous international platforms, including but not limited to the International Classical Manipuri Dance Festival , the International Dance Day , the International Dance Festival-Silicon Valley , the Samarpan, an international classical Manipuri dance festival , the International Indian Classical Dance festival (INDICLAD) ,
1278-679: The Burmese people , "Moglie" or "Mekhlee" by the people of Cachar , Assam ( Dimasas and Assamese ) and "Cassay" by the Shan people and the other peoples living in the east of the Ningthee River (or Khyendwen River). "Ponna" is the Burmese term used to refer to the Meiteis living inside Burma . The Meitei language exhibits a degree of regional variation; however, in recent years
1349-509: The Ethnologue , the alternative names of Meitei language are Kathe, Kathi, Manipuri, Meetei, Meeteilon, Meiteilon, Meiteiron, Meithe, Meithei, Menipuri, Mitei, Mithe, Ponna . The name Meitei or its alternate spelling Meithei is preferred by many native speakers of Meitei over Manipuri. The term is derived from the Meitei word for the language Meitheirón ( Meithei + -lon 'language', pronounced /mə́i.təi.lón/ ). Meithei may be
1420-939: The Goshtha Bhangi Pareng and the Goshtha Vrindaban Pareng . King Chandrakirti Singh (r. 1849–1886 CE), a gifted drummer, composed at least 64 Pung choloms (drum dances) and two parengs of the Lasya type, the Vrindaban Bhangi Pareng and Khrumba Bhangi Pareng . The composition of the Nitya Raas is also attributed to these kings. In 1891, the British colonial government annexed Manipur into its Empire, marking an end to its golden era of creative systematization and expansion of Manipuri dance. The Manipuri Raas Leela dance
1491-612: The International Folk-Lore Festival , the Opening Ceremony of Asian Games , Seoul , 1986 as well as the 5th International Theatre Festival , London, 1989. Meitei language Meitei ( / ˈ m eɪ t eɪ / ; ꯃꯩꯇꯩꯂꯣꯟ , Eastern Nagari script : মৈতৈলোন্ , [mejtejlon] ( IPA ) , romanized: meiteilon ) also known as Manipuri ( ꯃꯅꯤꯄꯨꯔꯤ , Eastern Nagari script : মণিপুরী , [mɐnipuɾi] ( IPA ) ),
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#17327805153081562-639: The Kingdom of Manipur , is considered to be the highest spiritual expression of the worship of Hindu deity Krishna . Owing to its huge influences on the diverse cultural heritages across the Indian subcontinent , it is recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi of the Ministry of Culture of the Government of India as one of the few primary classical dance forms of the Republic of India , and
1633-540: The Manipuri Sahitya Parishad (Manipuri Language Council). It also invested ₹ 6 crore (equivalent to ₹ 7.1 crore or US$ 850,000 in 2023) in the creation of a corpus for the development of the Meitei language. The Department of Manipuri of Assam University offers education up to the Ph.D. level in Meitei language. Since 1998, the Government of Tripura has offered Meitei language as
1704-600: The Manipuri Sahitya Parishad and the All Manipur Students' Union demanded that Meitei be made an official language for more than 40 years, until Meitei was finally added to the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India in 1992. Meitei became an associate official language of Assam in 2024, following several years of effort by the Meitei associate official language movement to protect
1775-755: The Moirangs , the Angoms , the Luwangs , the Chengleis ( Sarang-Leishangthems ), and the Khaba-Nganbas . Each had their respective distinct dialects and were politically independent from one another. Later, all of them fell under the dominion of the Ningthouja dynasty , changing their status of being independent "ethnicities" into those of "clans" of the collective Meitei community . The Ningthouja dialect
1846-806: The Patkoi Hills , entering Assam through the Namrup river, a tributary of the Burhi Dihing . Chukapha took the name of 'Aham' meaning 'without equal' and name his subjects 'those without equal' giving origin to the Ahom people and the country of Assam. The king of Pong, Khek Khomba, together with king Senbi Kiyamba of Manipur, invaded Kyang Khambat in the Kabaw Valley in 1467. Cf. 1 to 6 with table of Mao Kings; 12 to 21 with that of Merng-gong (Bur. Mogaung) - assuming that from 1334 onwards that Pong
1917-450: The Pung (a barrel drum), a singer, small kartals ( cymbals ), sembong , harmonium, and wind instrument such as a flute . The drummers are male artistes and, after learning to play the pung, students train to dance with it while drumming. This dance is celebrated, states Massey, with the dancer wearing white turbans, white dhotis (for Hindu dummers) or kurtas (for Muslim dummers),
1988-429: The 2011 census , 1.52 million of whom are found in the state of Manipur , where they represent the majority of its population. There are smaller communities in neighbouring Indian states, such as Assam (168,000), Tripura (24,000), Nagaland (9,500), and elsewhere in the country (37,500). The language is also spoken by smaller groups in neighbouring Myanmar and Bangladesh . Meitei and Gujarati jointly hold
2059-561: The Kamarupan group—a geographic rather than a genetic grouping. However, some still consider Meitei to be a member of the Kuki-Chin-Naga branch . The Meitei language has existed for at least 2000 years. According to linguist Suniti Kumar Chatterjee , the ancient Meitei literature dates back to 1500 to 2000 years before present . The earliest known Meitei language compositions is the ritual song Ougri ( ꯑꯧꯒ꯭ꯔꯤ ), which
2130-527: The Krishna character in the center. The Manipuri dance comes in two categories - tandav (vigorous dance for the dancer who plays Krishna) and lasya (delicate dance for the dancers who play Radha and Gopis). The Manipuri Raas Leela dance style embodies dreamy wavelike movements where one movement dissolves into another like the waves of an ocean. The dance features rounded soft movements of women, and occasional fast movements by male characters. Unlike
2201-436: The Manipuri classical dance was a top favorite with girls of 'respectable' families. This Manipuri dance drama is, for most part is entirely religious and is considered to be a purely spiritual experience. It is accompanied with devotional music created with many instruments, with the beat set by cymbals (kartal or manjira ) and double-headed drum (pung or Manipuri mrdanga ) of sankirtan . The dance drama choreography shares
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2272-479: The Manipuri dance celebrates its more ancient artistic local traditions, fused with the spiritual themes of prema bhava of Radha-Krishna found in the tenth book of the Bhagavata Purana . The Huyen langlon dancers, however, typically wear costumes of Manipuri warriors. The costume varies depending on their gender. The musical accompaniment for Manipuri dance comes from a percussion instrument called
2343-806: The Manipuri dance style, launching the golden era of its development and refinement. He composed three of the five types of Raas Leelas , the Maha Raas , the Basanta Raas and the Kunja Raas , performed at the Sri Sri Govindaji temple in Imphal during his reign and also the Achouba Bhangi Pareng dance. He designed an elaborate costume known as Kumil (the cylindrical long mini-mirror-embellished stiff skirt costume, that makes
2414-568: The Meitei King Gareeb Niwaz ( Meitei : Pamheiba ) converted to Chaitanya style devotional Vaishnavism, which emphasized singing, dancing and religious performance arts centered around Hindu god Krishna. In 1734, devotional dance drama centered around Hindu god Rama expanded Manipuri dance tradition. Meitei King Rajarshi Bhagyachandra ( Meitei : Ching-Thang Khomba ) (r. 1759–1798 CE) of Manipur State adopted Gaudiya Vaishnavism (Krishna oriented), documented and codified
2485-711: The Potloi was conceived in a dream by Vaishnavite Meitei King Rajarshi Bhagyachandra, in which he saw his daughter dancing in a Potloi. The Potloi costumes for women are tailored such that it is avoids arousal of any unhealthy stimulus in the audience. Kumin is an elaborately decorated barrel shaped long skirt stiffened at the bottom and close to the top. The decorations on the barrel include gold and silver embroidery, small pieces of mirrors, and border prints of lotus, Kwaklei orchid , and other items in nature. The dancers do not wear bells on ankles but do wear anklets and foot ornaments. Manipuri dance artists wear kolu necklaces on
2556-452: The body language and hand gestures of the Gopi display their feelings such as longing, dejection or cheer. The rhythmic depiction form of abhinaya [acting] is to show the ashtanayika [eight shades of a heroine] in every nayika , which are colored by the scenes of the season in which the "abhisarika" expresses her love for Krishna; so that a kuaasha abhisarika who dances in the foggy winter
2627-503: The broadening of communication, as well as intermarriage, has caused the dialectal differences to become relatively insignificant. The only exceptions to this occurrence are the speech differences of the dialects found in Tripura, Bangladesh and Myanmar. The exact number of dialects of Meitei is unknown. The three main dialects of Meitei are: Meitei proper, Loi and Pangal. Differences between these dialects are primarily characterised by
2698-437: The choreography of several of his dance-dramas. The Manipuri classical dance form, which is a masterpiece of Meitei Hindu king Ching Thang Khomba ( Meitei for ' Rajarshi Bhagyachandra ') of the historical Kingdom of Manipur , is regarded as the highest spiritual expression of the worship of Hindu deity Krishna . Native to the Meitei civilization of Manipur, India , having significant cultural influences on
2769-515: The conquests of Anoratha , the king of Pagan . Some scholars also identify the Kingdom of Pong with Mong Mao as well as with the kingdom of Lu-chuan/Ping-mian mentioned in Chinese chronicle Ming Shilu . In the 13th century there was a dynastic squabble among different princes. Chukapha , one of those who had been prevented from becoming the ruler of Pong, left the country and found refuge in
2840-447: The dance performance center around the love and frolics between Radha and Krishna, in the presence of Gopis named Lalita, Vishakha, Chitra, Champaklata, Tungavidya, Indurekha, Rangadevi and Sudevi. There is a composition and dance sequence for each Gopi, and the words have two layers of meanings, one literal and other spiritual. The longest piece of the play focusses on Radha and Krishna. The dancer playing Krishna expresses emotions, while
2911-470: The dancer appear to be floating). The Govinda Sangeet Lila Vilasa , an important text detailing the fundamentals of the dance, is also attributed to him. Rajarshi Bhagyachandra is also credited with starting public performances of Raas Leela and Manipuri dances in Hindu temples. Meitei King Gambhir Singh ( Meitei : Chinglen Nongdrenkhomba ) (r. 1825–1834 CE) composed two parengs of the tandava type,
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2982-581: The day besides the periods of Maharas, Basantaras and Kunjaras. The performance comes from the chapters in the Shri Krishnaras- Sangeet Samgraha , Govinda Leelamritya, Shrimad Bhagavata and Sangitamahava. Manipuri classical dance is illustrated in a postage stamp issued by Armenia in 2018, where it is referred to as the "National Dances" (of India and Armenia respectively), along with the Armenian Hov Arek , in
3053-437: The different civilizations across the Indian subcontinent , the Manipuri classical dance is recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi of the Ministry of Culture of the Government of India as one of the few primary classical dance forms of the Republic of India . At the same time, it is annually honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Manipuri . According to Banglapedia , the national encyclopedia of Bangladesh ,
3124-649: The districts of Sylhet , Moulvibazar , Sunamganj and Habiganj in the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh. In the past, there was a Meitei speaking population in Dhaka , Mymensingh and Comilla also. Manipuri is used as a second language by the Bishnupriya Manipuri people . Myanmar has a significant Meitei speaking population in the states of Kachin and Shan and the regions of Yangon , Sagaing , and Ayeyarwady , among others. According to
3195-708: The educational institutions in Manipur. It is one of the 40 instructional languages offered by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), controlled and managed by the Ministry of Education . Meitei is taught as a subject up to the post-graduate level in Indian universities, including Jawaharlal Nehru University , Delhi University , Gauhati University , and the University of North Bengal . Indira Gandhi National Open University teaches Meitei to undergraduates. Meitei language instruction has been offered in
3266-747: The efforts of the Noble Laureate Rabindranath Tagore . In 1919, he was impressed after seeing a dance composition of Goshtha Lila in Sylhet (in present-day Bangladesh ). He invited Guru Budhimantra Singh who had trained in Manipuri Raas Leela dance , as faculty to the Indian culture and studies center named Shantiniketan . In 1926, Guru Naba Kumar joined the faculty to teach the Raas Leela . Other celebrated Gurus, Senarik Singh Rajkumar, Nileshwar Mukherji and Atomba Singh were also invited to teach there and assisted Tagore with
3337-428: The emotion of devotion, no matter if a dancer is Hindu or not. The dance form is based on Hindu scriptures of Vaishnavism and is exclusively attached to the worship of Radha and Krishna . It is a portrayal of the dance of divine love of Krishna with goddess Radha and the cowherd damsels of Vrindavan, famously known as the Raas Leela . The roots of the Manipuri Raas Leela dance, as with all classical Indian dances,
3408-470: The extensions of new sounds and tonal shifts. Meitei proper is considered to be the standard variety —and is viewed as more dynamic than the other two dialects. The brief table below compares some words in these three dialects: Devi (2002) compares the Imphal , Andro , Koutruk, and Kakching dialects of Meitei. Meitei is the sole official language of the Government of Manipur , and has been an official language of India since 1992. Meitei language
3479-442: The head) and Meikhumbi (a transparent thin veil) thrown over the head to symbolically mark elusiveness. Men wear Leittreng (Kajenglei) (golden headdress around the head) and Chura (made of peacock feathers, wired on top of the head). The male characters dress in a dhoti (also called dhotra or dhora ) – a brilliantly colored broadcloth pleated, wrapped and tied at waist and allowing complete freedom of movement for
3550-407: The identity, history, culture and tradition of Manipuris in Assam. The Meitei language is one of the 13 official languages of the India used to administer police, armed services, and civil service recruitment exams. The Press Information Bureau of the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting publishes in 14 languages, including Meitei. Meitei is a language of instruction in all in
3621-437: The importance of Manipuri classical dance in Meitei civilization is described as follows: “Dance and music play a vital role in the life span of Manipuri people . The most flourishing branch of Manipuri culture is dance. The Manipuri synonym of dance is jagoi and in this dance, body movements create either circle or ellipse. Rasa dance is the finest product of Manipuri culture. Maharaj Bhagyachandra innovated it and it
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#17327805153083692-494: The king of Manipur in the 15th century CE, arriving from Shan Kingdom of Pong . Further waves of Buddhists and Hindus arrived from Assam and Bengal , after mid 16th-century during Hindu-Muslim wars of Bengal Sultanate , and were welcomed in Manipur. In 1704, the Meitei King Pitambar Charairongba ( Meitei : Charairongba ) adopted Vaishnavism, and declared it to be the state religion. In 1717,
3763-466: The legs. Dancers wear a bright yellow-orange dhoti while playing Krishna and a green/blue dhoti while playing Balaram. A crown decorated with peacock feather adorns the dancer's head, who portrays Krishna. The Pung Cholom dancers wear white dhoti that covers the lower part of body from waist and a snow-white turban on the head. A shawl neatly folded adorns their left shoulders while the drum strap falls on their right shoulders. The costume tradition of
3834-474: The lower primary schools of Assam since 1956. The Board of Secondary Education, Assam offers secondary education in Manipuri. The Assam Higher Secondary Education Council of Assam offers both Meitei-language schooling and instruction in Meitei as a second language. Since 2020, the Assam Government has made an annual grant of ₹ 5 lakh (equivalent to ₹ 5.9 lakh or US$ 7,100 in 2023) to
3905-458: The modern era, and reliable records trace to early 18th century. Theories about the antiquity of Manipuri Raas Leela dance rely on the oral tradition, archaeological discoveries and references about Manipur in Asian manuscripts whose date can be better established. The Meitei language text Bamon Khunthok , which literally means "Brahmin migration", states that Vaishnavism practices were adopted by
3976-538: The month of Kartik (around November) on a full moon night. It is a story of the Gopis sorrow after the disappearance of Krishna. After seeing the Gopis disheartened, Krishna then reappears and multiplies himself so that he is dancing with each Gopi. The Basantaras is celebrated on Chaitra (around April) on a full moon night welcoming the spring season. During this time Holi is also celebrated where participants throw colored water or powder at each other. The story of Basantaras
4047-493: The neck and adorn the face, back, waist, hands and legs with round jewellery ornaments or flower garlands that flow with the dress symmetry. The face is decorated with the sacred Gaudiya Vaishnava Tilak on the forehead and Gopi dots made of sandalwood above the eyebrows. The symmetrical translucent dress, states Reginald Massey, makes " the dancers appear to float on the stage, as if from another world" . Koknam (gauze oveerhead, embossed with silver zari), Koktombi (cap covering
4118-404: The other classical dance forms of India, the Manipuri dance artists do not wear anklet bells and the footwork is subdued and gentle in the Manipuri style. The stage movements is part of a composite movement of the whole body. There are five types of accepted Ras Leela, they are Maharas, Basantaras, Kunjaras, Nityaras and Dibaras. The Maharas Leela is the most prominent. This dance is performed in
4189-458: The plays and stories of Vaishnavite Padavalis , that also inspired the major Gaudiya Vaishnava-related performance arts found in Assam and West Bengal. Though the term Manipuri Dance is associated with the Raas Leela , Manipuri dance consists of jagoi , cholom and huyen langlon . The first reliably dated written texts describing the art of Manipuri dance are from the early 18th-century. Historical texts of Manipur have not survived into
4260-452: The rhythm. Women dance too as groups, such as in the Manipuri dance called Mandilla cholom , and these usually go with devotional songs and playing colorful tassels-string tied cymbals where one side represents Krishna and the other Radha. Shaiva (tandava) dances are choreographed as Duff cholom and Dhol cholom . The songs in Huyen langlon can be played with any Meitei instruments such as
4331-466: The same time period, Akoijam Tombi composed the Panthoibi Khonggul ( ꯄꯥꯟꯊꯣꯏꯄꯤ ꯈꯣꯡꯀꯨꯜ ), an account of the romantic adventures of the deified Meitei princess Panthoibi . In 1100 CE, a written constitution, ( Meitei : ꯂꯣꯏꯌꯨꯝꯄ ꯁꯤꯜꯌꯦꯜ , romanized: Loyumba Shinyen ), was finalised by King Loiyumba ( r. c. 1074 – 1112 CE ) of Kangleipak . It
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#17327805153084402-410: The same time, the Hinduised King Pamheiba ordered that the Meitei script be replaced by the Bengali-Assamese script . In 1725 CE, Pamheiba wrote Parikshit , possibly the first piece of Meitei-language Hindu literature , based on the story of the eponymous king Parikshit of the Mahabharata . The majority of Meitei speakers, about 1.5 million live in the Indian state of Manupur. Meitei
4473-410: The state of Pong has its origin in the legendary kingdom of Udiri Pale, founded in 58 BC. The Manipuri chronicle of the region, titled the Cheitharol Kumbaba , written much later, mentions an alliance between the Kangleipak State and the Kingdom of Pong. It also mentions that the King of Pong visited Imphal in 698 AD and resided for some time in the town. The Kingdom of Pong is also mentioned among
4544-404: The third place among the fastest growing languages of India , following Hindi and Kashmiri . Meitei is not endangered : its status has been assessed as safe by Ethnologue (where it is assigned to EGIDS level 2 "provincial language"). However, it is considered vulnerable by UNESCO. The Manipuri language is associated with the Ningthouja dynasty ( Mangangs ), the Khuman dynasty ,
4615-420: Was a codification of the proto-constitution drafted by King Naophangba in 429 CE. Before 1675 CE, the Meitei language experienced no significant influence from any other languages. Beginning in the late 17th century, Hindu influence on Meitei culture increased, and the Meitei language experienced some influences from other languages, on its phonology , morphology (linguistics) , syntax and semantics . At
4686-508: Was bounded on the north by the mountain ranges that divide present-day Myanmar and Assam State , in the south by Khambat , reaching to Yunnan in the east and the Chin Hills in the west. Its capital was Mogaung , known by the Shan people as Mongkawng . Like most of Tai Yai history, the history of the Kingdom of Pong is largely legendary and existing chronicles and traditions include conflicting names and dates which have led to different interpretations. According to ancient tradition
4757-527: Was first performed in Manipur in 1779 in the fullmoon of Kartik .” Chali or Chari is the basic dance movement in Manipuri Raas dances. The repertoire and underlying play depends on the season. The dances are celebrated on full moon nights, three times in autumn (August through November) and once again in spring (March or April). The Basanta Raas is timed with the Hindu festival of colors called Holi , while others are timed with post-harvest festivals of Diwali and others. The plays and songs recited during
4828-738: Was predominant, and received heavy influences from the speech forms of the other groups. Meitei is one of the advanced literary languages recognised by Sahitya Akademi , India's National Academy of Letters. Meitei belongs to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages. During the 19th and 20th centuries, different linguists tried to assign Meitei to various sub-groups. Early classifier George Abraham Grierson (1903–1924) put it in Kuki-Chin , Vegelin and Voegelin (1965) in Kuki-Chin-Naga, and Benedict (1972) in Kuki-Naga. Robbins Burling has suggested that Meitei belongs to none those groups. Current academic consensus agrees with James Matisoff in placing Manipuri in its own subdivision of
4899-459: Was the court language of the historic Manipur Kingdom , and before it merged into the Indian Republic. The Sahitya Akademi , India's National Academy of Letters, recognised Meitei as one of the major advanced Indian literary languages in 1972, long before it became an official language in 1992. In 1950, the Government of India did not include Meitei in its list of 14 official languages. A language movement , spearheaded by organisations including
4970-407: Was thereafter ridiculed as immoral, ignorant and old-fashioned, like all other classical Hindu performance arts. The dance and artists survived only in temples, such as in Imphal 's Shree Govindajee Temple . The cultural discrimination was resisted and the dance revived by Indian independence movement activists and scholars. The classical Manipuri Raas Leela dance genre got a second life through
5041-425: Was used in religious and coronation ceremonies of Kangleipak . It may have existed before the Common Era . Numit Kappa ( Meitei : ꯅꯨꯃꯤꯠ ꯀꯥꯞꯄ , transl: The Shooting of the Sun), a religious epic that tells the tale of how the night was divided from the day, was also composed in the first century. Poireiton Khunthok ( Meitei : ꯄꯣꯢꯔꯩꯇꯣꯟ ꯈꯨꯟꯊꯣꯛ , transl: The Immigration of Poireiton)
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