PANGAL: The Muslims of Manipur –I (History of origin)

The Muslims of Manipur are locally known as “Pangal”. They are believed to be migrated from Bengal. The word “Pangal” comes from the word “Bangal”. But officially they are recognized by the name “Meitei Pangal”. They are the follower of Islam, constituting about 8% of the total population of Manipur. They had migrated to Manipur in different historical periods and settled down in different places of Manipur, primarily on the fertile river banks in the Imphal valley.

As recorded in the royal chronicle, the settlement of the Pangal population started in 1606 AD during the reign of king Khagemba. But the migration Pangal can be traced earlier as evidenced by the Puya (Anal) like Sakok Lamlen Ahanba (1992) and Kangleilangba Pakhangba (1955). The said Puyas assert that certain Muslim immigrants came to this land during the reign of king Naophangba (594-624 AD). Some local Muslim historian such as MA Rahman and K Khullakpam mentioned that Muslims began to settle in Manipur during the reign of king Mongyamba (1562-1597 AD), with the coming of three Musalmans (Muslims) from Sylhet as gun makers in the middle of 16th century. They had been regarded as the earliest Muslim settlers in Manipur who took Meitei’s sub-clan know as Aribam (Rahman, 1995 and Khullakpham, 1997). But these are not recognized as being part of the official recorded (Singh, 2007).

The most accepted history of Muslim coming to Manipur is recorded in the Royal Chronicle of Manipuri King. At the beginning of 17th century, there was a dispute between Khagemba Maharaj and his younger brother Sanongba on the issue of a broken boat of the later. Sanongba fled to Cachhar with his mother Changpombi. She requested the then king of Cachhar Pratha Phinanda to help them and attack Manipur. He agreed and requested Nawab Muhammad Nazir or Bayajid Karrani of Taraf (Sylhet) which is at present Bangladesh for help. Agreed to the request of Cachhar king, Nawab Nazir sent a Muslim contingent consisting of 1007 soldier under the generalship of his younger brother Muhamad Shahni in 1605.

Along with the troop of Cachhar, Muslim troop reach Manipur in early 1606.Cachhar troop make their camp on the upper hill slope of Khoupum, while Muslim troop stayed on the banks of Sarel Yangoi, which is now at Lamangdong (Bishnupur) (Singh, 1988). The Manipur king had well prepared for the battle (Sanahal singh, 1985). Knowing this, the Cachhar troop retreated back home without informing the Muslim troop in the plain. But on the way they were defeated by the Manipuri soldier. After the battle the king of Manipur realized that the strength of the Muslim solders could not be met with the force at his disposal and so he decided to defeat the Muslim troop through diplomatic maneuver. The two parties came to an agreement of withdrawing both their respective troops. But the soldiers of Manipur judiciously surrounded the Muslim troop and asked them to surrender or to die (Bhogeshor and Khan, 1973). The Muslim leader replied that instead of being killed they would rather settle in Manipur. The king of Manipur accepted their proposal; they were given Meitei ladies to marry to facilitate their settlement and integration into Manipur society (Pukhrimayum, 1998). The migration of Muslims in Manipur continued till the reign of king Chandrakriti (1850-1886 AD) (Singh, 2005).

Reference:
· Kh. Chandrashekkar (ed) Sakok Lamlen Ahanba, Imphal 1992. (Manipuri version)
· Kokngangsana Rajkumar, Kangleilangba Pakhangba, Imphal, 1955. (Manipuri version)
· Md. Abdur Rahman,: Asuppa Mityengda Manipuri Muslim”’ Ningshing Chephong, ICRA Award, Imphal, Nov. 1995
· Kheiruddin Khullakpam, Turko Afgan Chada Naoda, Lilong, Manipur, 1997.
· Oinam Ranjit Singh: History of migration in the valley of Manipur, (extract from the lecture in two day national seminar), Maram, Manipur, September 2007.
· Kayamuddin Pukhrimayum, manipurda muslim khumthorakpa, Manipur amsung Meitei Pangal, ed., A Somorendro Singh, Imphal, 1988.
· RK Sanahal singh, Pangal thorakpa, imphal, 1985.
· O. bhogeshor and Janab Khan (ed), Nongsamei, imphal, 1973
· N. Debendra Singh, identities of the Migrated people in Manipur, centre for Manipur studies, Manipur university, Imphal, 2005