Event and Achievement :: Part 1
Moirang and Ebuthou Thangjing :: Part 10
Hemamcha Shobha *
RKCS Painting at Ibudhou Thangjing, Moirang, Manipur – Pix :: Recky Maibram
Event and Achievement
Now the main historical events and achievements of some of the ancient Moirang kings and in whose regimes Salwons and Langwons had occurred are briefly summarised for vivid description in tune with historical events.
PHANG PHANG PONGLENHANBA (BC 52-AD 28)
Iwang Puriklai Phang Phang was the 8th king of Moirang as listed in the Moirang Ningthourol, a book of genealogy. Indeed, he may be called an epoch-maker. Because Phang Phang was the first human king of Moirang with whom the beginning of the history of history of Moirang could be recorded.
He was the first king to have introduced the coronation system in the kingdoom of Moirang by coronating himself over Keke Kangla. For becoming a mightier and greater expansion of Moirang kingdom, he introduced the expansionist policy of Moirang, which later on could be called coronation war. It is an extension of territory through invasion before and after the coronation.
The construction, expansion and decoration of Moirang Kangla were his main achievements. He constructed the homestead of Kangla as seven storeyed building known as Kangla Thon Taret Tholangmei along with the expansion of its campus. Phang Phang was a good and efficeint administrator as was shown by the division of Moirang kingdom into eight Leikais (Present ward or sector system) with nine Keithels or market places in each Leikai or sector.
An important episode worth of mentioning during his period was the invasion or infiltration by seven Yakhamlois (Goddess) at Moirang. It is known in history as Khuyol Leikhong Kaiba which really occurred in accordance with the wills and wishes of Thangching Koirel Lai who was neglected and forgotten by the king and his subjects.
The king knew it after a great suffering and as such called upon the renowned Mori Maiba to negotiate and drive away the Goddesses by praying and worshipping them. Subsequently, Phang Phang started the practces of offerings and prayings at other religious places viz, Keke Kangla, Thanga Karang that altogether was by then in the name of Keke Pari Puri Latpa with special respect and devotion to Lord Moirang Thangching. Thus, later on, happy and prosperous life was bestowed upon the kingdom of Moirang.
IWANG PURIKLAI TELHEIBA (28-78)
Telheiba did follow the system of coronation ceremony of ancient Moirang by invading the southern hilly regions, thereby defeated the Nungtek king. During his ‘Telheiba Hakthakta Henchuka Thongnang Lailou Lempika Sheisaknaye‘ – the first and the foremost romantic love story in the Salwon and Langwon series of Moirang Kangleirol – “Henjunaha-Thongnang Lairourembi” occurred.
The story reveals that even death cannot separate the true love of Thongnang Lairourembi from her dearest Hinjunaha, and finally the pang of separation of the two from death was conquered. The Moirang Kangleirol Puya does not mention who were the two incarnated and by whom but simply wrote the story as a Langwon.
In the Puya-Thirel Layatlen it is written that Eputhou Thangching wished to start His play; ordered two divine birds-one as male and other as female to be incarnated as the two lovers or suitors they may so called as Salwon. Because they were changed from birds to human being or mankind.
IWANG LAIPHACHENG (78-130)
He too continued the territorial expansion of Moirang kingdom by intruding and subduing the neighbouring hill Chieftains of Tangkhul and Songpu-Khuroi Village. Laiphacheng could keep good relationship with the Kanglei kings through intermarriages and matrimonial relationships.
URA NGANGOIBA (URA KHUNDABA) (130-185)
He was the 11th king of Moirang and became so powerful that he could extend territory far and wide around the Loktak Lake. Ura Ngangoiba defeated Yenkhoiba – the king of Haokha-Lokha twice; once on the request of the Khuman king Chingkhong Thongraiba and on the other, for a betrayal done away by the king of Haokha-Lokha.
When Thongai Yangkhuba, the Lambu (Tax Collector) of Moirang went to meet Yenwaiba, the king of Haokha- Lokha for collection of annual taxes his wife tried to kill the Lambu of Moirang by offering poisonous water. It enraged the king of Moirang; invaded and conquered Lokha-Lokha.
In another incident, Phantek Soknaiba, the king of Luwang plotted to kill his father-in-law, the king of Khuman by inviting him to attend at a function. But Khuman king narrowly escaped with the help of a song sung by his daughter. In this way, enmity grew up between Khumans and Luwangs.
Both kings of Khuman and Luwang, invited the king of Moirang Ura Khundaba, for help to invade Khuman by Luwang a vice-versa. The invitation or request of Khumans received earlier than that of the Luwangs. So on moral ground Moirang king agreed to help the Khumans. The combined forces of Khuman and Moirang invaded and devastated the Luwang kingdom. As a result, Luwangs and Moirangs were at dagger’s drawn since then and lasted for many years.
On the otherhand, the Khumans and the Moirangs had good relationship, and extended helping hands to each other. For a more strengthened relationship, both kings enjoyed a boat race at Loktak as a recreation and a water festival in which Ura Ngangoiba, the king of Moirang won and arrived first the destination at Karangthen.
Hence he was entitled as Karang-Lamlokpa, the winning of Karang, and as Nongchup Kongyang Ngamba-conquerer of west; as Lokha Netpa means devastation, Haokha Chaiba – Chaos.
The Second in the series of the famous love stories of Salwon and Langwon – “Nganba-Sanglourembi” – according to Chairel Chakparol Puya, – was associated and occurred during the reign of Ura Khundaba. To fulfill the making stories of Moirang Kangleirol. Eputhou Thangching, as a key role to play, incarnated Himself as Nganba; while his married wife Heiyainu – the daughter of Chairel king; and later Sanglourembi – the daughter of Khuman king- all were the incarnations of Nongthangleima respectively for pleasing and pleasure of Eputhou in elaborating the story. It is a Langwon by God and Goddess.
SANA LAKHWA (185-236)
During the reign of Iwang Puriklai Sana Lakhwa the kingdom of Moirang flourished by leaps and bounds witnessing some significant historical events. The first episode was about the secret and deep rooted love relationship between his daughter Leima Yoiren Tompokpi with Meitengoo King Yoiren Tompokpa.
On the other hand, the king thought her daughter to be bethroded to Awang Pakhang Yoiremba, as such he feigned as if having no daughter. In due course, with the permission of the father, king Sana Lakhwa the daughter had a travel and tour of Loktak Lake from where Meitinggoo king eloped her by defeating the limited guard army of Leima Yoiren Tompokpi in the water battle at Chinghou Leingang on the north west oj Lokrak.
Next important achievement to be mentioned was the preservation, protection and cleaning of Tabi-Tesa Wa (Bamboo) which was to be conducted in accordance with Eputhou‘s Laipao – means message through Amaibi-Priestess. Thus the king ordered to call upon Khuyol Haoba – the only rightful survivor by searching him from the concealment and fishing site of Khuyol Ngoubi Soi of Loktak to clean the site of Tebi-Tesa Wankhong-(bamboo garden) and to offer the ritual prayers for the welfare and uplift of the Moirangs.
During Sana Lakhwa’s regime the 3rd romantic love story of ‘Haoba-Konu‘ as stated in Kanglei Lamthon Puya took place with the key role in the story divinely steered by Lord Thangching. In the episode, Lord Eputhou Thangching wished Konu to call upon Khuyol Haoba from his hiding shelter in the Loktak Lake and ask him to repair her fishing net (Een in local language).
Accordingly, Khuyol Haoba came out and repaired her fishing net. It was a divine incident for both Khuyol Haoba and Konu to fall in love each other thereby Haoba-Konu story or Seishaklon was continued to be narrated in verse form in Moirang Kangleirol.
To be continued….
About the Book:
Source Author: Hemamcha Shobha (b.1941), President of Moirang Thangjing Yageirel Marup [Register No: 1025/1972] and Chief Editor of ‘Yageirol’.
Reproduced from Chapter – 2 of his book ‘Moirang and Ebuthou Thangjing‘
for public reading by: Shanjoy Mairembam, London (UK), shanjoym (at) gmail (dot) com
* Shanjoy Mairembam , resident of UK, regularly contributes to e-pao.net.
He is sharing this book for public consumption and can be contacted at shanjoym (at) gmail (dot) com
This article was webcasted on May 30 2012.