Bisnupriya Manipuri Society

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1 The people
2 Affinities with the Meiteis
3 Certainly Manipuris
4 The culture
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] The people

The Bishnupriya Manipuris are a group of people live mainly in parts of Assam, Manipur, Tripura and Bangladesh. They are believed to have occupied Manipur at a very early date and their headquarters were at a city called Bishnupur of Manipur. They speak a language of Indo-Aryan origin which is quite different from Bengali or Assamese. The most distinctive feature of the language is it replete with Tibetan-Burmese (Meitei) elements.The culture of the people is almost identical with that of the Meiteis, with the exception of a few folk practices which are prevalent among the Meiteis.

[edit] Affinities with the Meiteis

The Meiteis entered Manipur from the east, and they are a yellow-skinned Kuki-Chin people by race. On the other hand the Bishnupriyas entered Manipur from the west and so their feature is Aryan and dark-skinned. As regards the name Meitei and Bishnupriya, there is a story prevalent and found in a purana or puya called "Khumal Purana". This purana states that conversion of Meiteis in Hinduism by Shri Santidas Babaji in 19th century at the instance of the king Shri Pamhaiba was aimed at linking the with the Aryans, the mainstream of people of Manipur and their language too with Sanskrit. The Aryans, the followers of Lord Vishnu denied to accept the initiation by Shri Santadas Babaji and the others(accepted). And thus the Manipuri people Aryan and Kuki-chin group have been classified and renamed as Bishnupriya and Meiteis.

[edit] Certainly Manipuris

Bishnupriyas living in the political boundary of Assam, Tripura, Myanmar and Bangladesh are a fraction of the people who migrated from Manipur during 18th and 19th century due to political insecurity and Burmese attack. After Seven years devastation(1819-1826) some went back to their land and those who couldn't, settled in there new places. The major settlements are Silchar in Assam, Komolpur in Tripura and Sylhet in Bangldesh. For about 200 years Meiteis and Bishnupriyas living in their newly settled places with a very close relationship and harmony as Manipuri- as an undivided community.

In the post Sixties, with the power of the Manipur State behind them, the Meitei clan has been waging an organized campaign to discredit and disown the Bishnupriya counterparts. There have been suggestions that Bishnupriya was never the language of Manipur and Meitei is the "Real" Manipuri language. These assertions are contradicted by historical and anthropological evidence.

Even a few years back, a Bisnupriya would identify himself not as "bishnupriya manipuri', but as Manipuri. After a few years of India's independence the term 'manipuri' has been chosen for 'Meitei' by the Government of Manipur, as there was not a respectable number of indigenous Bishnupriya speakers found in Manipur by census. But the Bishnupriyas outside manipur, in pursuance of their tradition, call themselves and their language 'Manipuri' even now, and use the term 'Bishnupriya' to distinguish themselves from 'Meitei'. Just as the meiteis use the term 'Meitei' to distinguish themselves from use the term 'Bishnupriya'. Even today, no Meitei introduces himself to Bishnupriya as 'Manipuri'.

Keeping aside the question of the prehistoric position of the land and people of Manipur, we may put forward the following historical, linguistic, socio-cultural, religious and legal points to show that the Bishnupriyas, like the Meiteis, are verily Manipuris -

Historical Points:
1. The people of Manipur comprise both the migrants of East and West who came to Manipur in different periods of history. During the earlier period migrants were in general assimilated and assigned to one or other to the clans, no doubt according to the area in which they settled. There origins were remembered by the terms Nongpok Haram (The Mongoloid migrants from the East, mainly the Shans, Kabaws and Pongs, a little of Chinese and Burmese) and Nongchup Haram (The Dravidian and Aryan migrants from the West, mainly the Bishnupriya's, the Brahmins etc.). The history of Manipur witnesses the process of racial fusion undermining the geographical features. So the mass people of Manipur is a composite one to which the Mongoloids, Dravidians, Aryans, Pongs, Chinese, Siamese, etc, were contributory.
2. Though the Bishnupriyas never identify themselves as Mayangs, the Meiteis sometimes call them Mayang Kalishas and the written history of the Mayang Kalishas in Manipur goes back to the 7th century A. D. if not earlier, when kamrupi people entered Manipur in the company of Mayang Leima chingurembi who was married to king Naothing khong of Manipur (667 AD) as per the manuscript Mayang Leima Chingurembi Nayaun.
3. The land was known as Manipur towards the 17th century, and the people were called Manipuris after that time. The term 'Manipur' was attributed to the land, in all Probability, after this period, i.e., towards the 17th century when the land was on way to full Aryanisation, in consequence whereof the term 'Manipuri' was attributed to the people of Manipur. So, when the terms of 'Manipur' and 'Manipuri' came into use, both the Meiteis and the Bishnupriyas had 'equal right' to them as the Bishnupriyas were living in the valley of Manipur from centuries before the period of Aryanisation.
Socio-Cultural Points:
1. The Bishnupriyas and the Meiteis have formed a homogenous culture. Their kirtana, Rasalila, dance, music, dress, style of living, food-habit, marriage-system, birth and death rituals and all other socio-cultural matters are identical in nature. For centuries, the same songs and ragas of Kirtana and Rasa are sung uniformly by the people of both these sections living anywhere-whether in Manipur, Assam, Tripura or Bangladesh.
2. The Bishnupriya and Meitei Bamons have regular and formal matrimonial relations. In fact there is no bar to matrimonial relations between these two sections of people, although in actual practice it is a rare occurrence.
3. Bishnupriyas never allow any person of any other community to take part in their socio-religious feasts, but they not only allow but also invite the Meiteis to take part in such feasts. In religio-cultural functions, artists like singers, drummers, dancers etc. of both these sections of people jointly take part without the least sense of 'otherness'.
Legal points:
1. That the Bishnupriyas have been legally accepted as 'Manipuris, by the Govt. of India both of the British regime and of the Independent India - can te attested by the following facts -
2. G.A Grierson,s in his Linguistic Survey of India (the only basis of India's language classification) has described the Bishnupriyas as 'Bishnupriya Manipuris.
3. In the statistics of students of the School Board, Cachar, during the British regime, the main heading 'Manipuri' was sub-divided into 'Meitei' and Bishnupriya'
4. In the Census Report of India, 1961, also the main heading 'Manipuri' was Subdivided into 'Meitei' and Bishnupriya.
5. In the census Report of India. 1971, the nomenclature 'Bishnupriya Manipuri' has been strongly defended.
6. The Assam and Tripura govt. introduced Bishnupriya Manipuri Language at the Primary stage of education as a medium of instruction since 1983.
7. The High court of Gowahati gave a ruling that Manipuris includes Bishnupriyas, Manipuri Bamons and the Pangans too, in 1999.
8. The supreme court of India recognized Bishnupriya Manipuri language and community in a landmark judgement in March 8, 2006.

[edit] The culture

The religious customs and traditions of Bishnupriya Manipuris are unique. They are organized in such a manner that in temple institutions those reveal the real festivity and reflect the curious character of socio-religious life of the valley.

Fine Arts: During the reign of king Bhagya Chandra, towards the 18th century, Vaishnavism became very popular in Manipur. As a result Vaishnav Palakirtan with Mridanga and Kartalaa became the most prominent factor in Bishnupriya manipuri fine arts. Rasleela is the most important aspect of their culture. Here in Ras-dance the philosophy of the manipuris is the basis on which the philosophy of the Vaisnavism is the body and plot of the dances with the essence of the Bhagavata philosophy.

Festivals: To Bishnupriya Manipuris, festivals are the symbols of their cultural, social and religious aspirations which, besides removing the monotony of life by providing physical diversions, mental recreation and emotional outlet, help them lead a better and fuller life. Bishu, Rathyatra or Kang-Festival, Kartika festival, Maharas Purnima, Phaguwa or yaosang festival etc. are their major festivals.

Marriage: Marriage in society is based on the Hindu pattern and mostly Aryan and non-Aryan elements having certain traditional customs. Marriage is restricted within the sub-clans or gutros in BPM community.

Food: Rice, vegetable and fish are principle foodstuffs of both the Bishnupriyas and Meiteis. Meat and Drinking is strictly prohibited in the society. In religious and social feats even, fish is never used.

Dress and Ornaments: Traditional dress used by the males is called Pachhati - a about five feet long cloth manufactured by themselves which worn round the waist. Females usually wares blouses with traditional Lahing/Fanek or Chakshabi (a coarse cloth with length wise stripes and embroidered on both sides length wise) with an Enaphi ( Single or multicolor coarse cloth with laces on both ends) and a Angei or blouse.

Religion and observances: Mass propagation of Hindu customs and traditions in the society is the indicator of their reverence towards the Hindu deities and temples. In addition to the hindu deities the Bishnupriyas have their own Gods, Deities, Rites and Rituals. The traditional ancestral god Apokpa and other lais like Pahangpa, Sanamahi, Soralel, Githaipung, Panthoibi, Wangbaren, Koubru etc are worshipped along with the Hindu deities. Worship of the deities by the help of music and dance to ensure the community welfare is part of their belief.