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Influence of Namandi vs Ramandi Sect of Hinduism among the People of Manipur

Impacts of Hinduism upon the people of Manipur have been documented by many scholars at a great length. The impacts are huge in social, economic, religious, arts and culture, education, and politics.

Yet what sect of Hinduism has impacted the most upon the people and the state? This piece is an attempt to differentiate between the Namandi and Ramandi sects of Hinduism. These sects were recorded in the historical account of Manipur.

Cheithārol Kumbaba, the Royal Chronicle is the historical account of Manipur. The historical account of Manipur is recorded in the Royal Chronicle, the records believed to be from 33 AD. It was originally written in old Meitei languages and the Meitei script. Later it was transliterated into Bengali script by Khelchandra and Ibungngohal. Saroj Arambam and John in English, and later by Nepram Bihari.

In the history of Manipur, the word Hinduism was not used in the Royal Chronicle. Instead, a few other words were used for Hinduism. Some of them are Mayāng Lāining, Namadi, and Ramandi. Three of them fall within the same religion, which is known as Hinduism today.

Not much is looked at these three sects of Hinduism found in Manipur. It will be worth looking at these sects and how did they influence the people of Manipur.

The people of Manipur had their own religion from the beginning before the emergence of these sects of Hinduism. For Meiteis, the majority had their own religion, it is known as 'Sanamahism'. It is a religion of worshiping the ancestors. Similarly, the hill people of Manipur had their own, worship the spirits of their ancestors and natures, quite similar to Meiteis. These ancestor's religions are replaced by Christianity in the hills and in the valley, a combination of Hinduism and Sanamahism.

Coming back to those three sects of Hinduism emerged in the history of Manipur. First, the Mayāng Lāining, lāining is the word for religion in Manipuri. The word Mayāng is a term debated hotly without any conclusion of its origin. Any people from mainland India, outside of Manipur are derogatorily used as Māyang. Its word meaning is believed to mean an outsider. Many words like this, when adopted in Manipur, are used with wrongly pronounced or used out of context. For instant Pangal is the word for Muslim taken from the word 'Bengal'. If the word Pāngal derived from the word Bengal, then it might suggest Bengal is Muslim, which is not. Whereas, the word "Mayāng" can be closely linked with the Urdu word "Miya", meaning 'Mr'. Miya is used in different parts of North East India, referring to Muslims. There are scholars linking the term 'Mayāng' rooted from the Chinese word 'Mi-Yang' meaning many people. Comparatively, the Sanskrit has influenced more than the Chinese on the people of Manipur and state.

There seems to be messed in the usage of these two words in Manipur. 'Mayāng' could have been more closely linked to Muslims, whereas Pāngal if derived from Bengal would have been the right word for any outsiders. Bengal (Pāngal) can refer to any people, Muslim or Hindu.

For the matter of the subject, Mayāng is believed to be those outsiders from the rest of India. The religion they brought to Manipur is used as Mayāng Lāining, recorded in the historical account. It will be important to find out what sects of Hinduism, the Mayāng Lāining followed at that time.

Namandi sect of Hinduism is hardly remembered in Manipur these days. The Royal Chronicle did not fail to record them in the historical account.

The historical period for Namandi and Ramandi sects of Hinduism is clear, but the period for Mayāng Lāining is not very clear or it could be the general term referring to any religious groups from the outside Manipur.

Namandi sect of Hinduism is found recorded in the Cheithārol Kumbaba, they were completely destroyed at the emergence of the Ramandi. The Cheithārol Kumbaba records, "Namandi chatpa wākong" in 1731 (people who follow Namandi were punished with fines). This suggests that Meiteis have already adopted the Namandi sect of Hinduism before the coming of Shantidas Gosai. This also suggests people of Manipur at the time, have not adopted Namandi religion. ‘Wākong’ is the word for punishment with the imposition of a fine. ‘Wākong” is the royal term of punishment. The king of Manipur recorded punishing people, who have adopted the Namandi sect of Hinduism.

Again, what sect of Hinduism, the Namandi adopted, is not very clear! Not much is written about them. Not seen doing any damage done in the social and religious aspect of life in Manipur, as done by the people who brought the Ramandi sect of Hinduism later in Manipur.

It will be worth reflecting on these sects, specifically how they impacted the social and political life of Manipur.

A question has been asked ‘Why one non-Meitei scholar, Konok Tengra inducted among the Manipur's most sacred seven Māichou(s) - the Seven Meitei Scholars of the history. Some scholars have suggested Māichou Konok Tengra could be a migrant from North India by referring to his second name. Not sure the social background of Tengra, definitely it does not suggest the origin of Brahmin or any higher caste.

Māichou Konok Tengra might have been from the Namandi sect of Hinduism, a non-Brahminical sect of Hinduism. No record is also found of any social and religious changes brought by the Namandi sect of Hinduism. If any damage is done to the people of Manipur in social and religious life, the historians might have pointed out those and the people of Manipur might have not accepted him as one among the seven Māichou(s).

During the period of the Namandi in Manipur, there is no record heard about burning Meitei Holy Scripture like it was done after the emergence of Ramandi. What could have been differences among the pioneers of Namandi and Ramandi sects of Hinduism?

No references of Brahminical characters are seen in the Namandi sect, whereas Shantidas Gosai and after him, Atamaram Narasingh Thakur, who brought the Ramandi sect of Hinduism, which is known today as the Vaishnavism sect of Hinduism. They were Brahmins.

What was done to the people of Manipur has been written in many volumes in the past, will not need to repeat here. Two taboos that people of the state cannot forget, done after the emergence of the Ramandi sect of Hinduism – are the burning of Meitei sacred writings and imposition of Bengali over the Meitei script. Bengali was so powerful in those days, it was like English as it is today. Those who know how to speak and write Bengali were equally considered with people, who master English today.

All sects of religion have impacted on the social and political life of Manipur, but the burning Meitei Puyas (sacred writings) and destroying the Meitei script took place after the the emergence of the Ramandi sect of Hinduism brought by a Brahmin Hindu missionary.