The legend has a touching story about the relationship between the Thangals and the Meeteis of Manipur. The Thangal tribes were created by God from the beginning of the earth and continued to live here. They are one of the most important tribes in Manipur with indigenous culture and traditions. In the Constitution of India, they have been recognized as Koirao in the scheduled tribe lists, which does not make the Thangal people happy. This often led to confusion of racial identity and status among historians, social anthropologists, and sociologists. Later, they were diluted into the Naga group, losing their own identity as Thangals for generations to come!
During the British period, these tribes were known as the Kolya, Koirao, and Mayangkhang. Brown (1873) in his monumental book “Statistical Account of the Native State of Manipur and the Territory of the Hill under the Rule of it” cited that this community inhabited a large part of the present-day Sadar Hill areas of Senapati district in Manipur. They covered Tangal, Mow, Murram, Purul, Turengba, Meitheipham, Meeyang-khang and Tokpo-khool. Oral history of the Thangal tribes indicates that they used to live throughout the region of the Sardar Hills Subdivision, which was known as the Thangal Hills.
Today, the Thangal are found to live in Mayangkhang, Tumuyon Khullen, Tumuyon Khunou, Tumnoupokpi, Thangal Surung, Makeng Thangal, Mapao Thangal, Mayangkhang Nigthoupham and Angkailongdi. They covered from Angkailongdi in the north, Mapao Thangal in the south, Imphal-Dimapur Road in the west, and the Iril River in the east. According to the 1981 census report, the population of Thangals was 918 (468 men and 450 women). It increased to 1,691 (850 men and 841 women). The community had a well-established administration among themselves. Its social, economic, cultural and religious system are also unique and organized.
Folk tales from the community tell that the Thangals were the descendants of the eldest of the three brothers while the second was the progenitor of the Tangkhuls and the third of the Meeteis. It was previously believed that they lived together in a large house called the Gonkai (chief’s house), somewhere in present-day Senapati district.
When they grew up, the second brother expressed his desire to establish his own separate settlement area. The older brother had advised him to carry an anthrop on his back while he searched for a new land. He too was told to wander until his basket broke into pieces and fell on the pebbles and sand. After crossing mountains, rivers, and forests, the basket was broken at a place now known as Hungdung (in Ukhrul district). There he established his new settlement and became the ancestor of the Tangkhul tribe. This story suggests that the Tangkhuls have their first dwelling places in the Hundung caves.
As time passed, the third brother also expressed his innate desire to establish a new settlement somewhere. This time, the older brother did not allow it. The younger brother was his all of him. He had a strong love and affection for the youngest. Despite all his objections, the younger brother decided to start his own settlement area. Finding no other ways to circumvent the will of his younger brother, he gave her a magic stick made of reed, ‘tou’, and told her to keep going until the stick became a reed plant. In this way, the three brothers were separated and only the older brother continued to live in his original home.
The younger brother also left Gonkai with the magic wand to discover the new land. After traveling a long distance, he came to a place where the magic wand had turned into a reed plant. Today, the place is known as Toupokpi (tou – reed, pokpi – birth). After staying in Toupokpi for a few years, he moved to Kangla, the capital of the Meetei kingdom. At that time, he was surrounded by water on all sides. Despite all the odds of natural calamities, he managed to maintain his settlement area in and around Kangla. In due course of his time, he became the ancestor of the Meeteis.
It was believed that at first the three brothers maintain a cordial relationship and help each other. Kangla was surrounded by water, so they managed to ship vegetables and other edible products grown on its hills. In due course of his time, the younger brother became strong and powerful and demanded gifts from his two older brothers in the form of Loipot (tribute). Hostilities began between the brothers that their relations became increasingly weak. However, the older brother always loved his younger sister in times of trouble.
Of all the Thangal villages, Thangal Surung (cave) is the most popular village located near the Saikhul block and subdivision headquarters. Thangal Surung village was established by the Anthangmi clan of the Thangal tribe. The Surung has divine and marital relations with the Kangla. The village was highly respected and was granted royal privilege and status by the king of Meetei Leibak or Kangla.
It was believed that if sesame seeds were poured into the Thangal Surung cave, the same seeds would come out of the mouth of the surung located in Kangla. Similarly, if a rooster were thrown into the kangla surung, it would come out of the mouth of the thangal surung. It was treated as a secret passage for the Meetei kings. The Meetei kings and the Thangal people also carried out religious rituals with pomp and grandeur.
The Thangal caves were as closely associated with the legendary tale of Meetei kings as Charairongba and his successor, Pamheiba. There was a strong friendship between King Charairongba and a khullakpa (chief) of the Surung village. The khullakpa and his wife, khullakpi, had regularly visited the royal palace. When they were in the royal palace, one of the queens of Charairongba, Nungthil Chaibi, gave birth to a boy. It was the custom and rule of the royal palace to kill all the children who were not the children of the main queen. Fearing that he would lose her son, Nungthil Chaibi concealed the news of her newborn son in the royal palaces. She then persuaded the Thangal couple to take the child with them. The khullakpa who had regarded the queen as his own sister was determined to adopt the girl into his village. Hiding the secret, he covered the child with leaves from the trees that grew near him and put him in his wife’s basket.
On his way, the baby cried with hunger. As divine destiny, upon hearing the crying of the child, the khullakpi’s breast filled with milk. She fed the child milk at that place. Nowadays, the place where the foster mother gave milk to the child was known as Khomidok or khom-inthok(khom – milk, inthok – to suckle).
After traveling a long distance from Kangla, the khullakpi asked her husband to rest for food. They kept the farce (basket) under a tree to protect the boy from the scorching sun. When they started taking food from the chakyom (tiffin bearer), the faker and the boy were about to fall to the ground. Fortunately, the khullakpi ran to the spot and saved the boy from falling. The place where the boy and the fake were saved from falling was known as Shampei (false – basket, pei – inclined to fall).
When they reached the village, the khullakpi was feeding the boy sitting near a large fireplace in his room. Suddenly, he saw a small hole in the corner of his room. The khullakpa tried in vain to close the hole. He ordered his people to cover the hole with all the land they had in the town. However, they failed to close the hole. Seeing no other way, they began to worship the hole, which seemed to be a cave.
Several years later, the khullakpa had paid a visit to King Meetei. Nunthil Chaibi was anxious to know about her son who was in Thangal village. “Oh brother, how old is the rooster I gave to my friend, the khullakpi?” Understanding what the queen meant, the khullakpa replied, “Oh, sister, the Meetei earth rooster begins to crow.” Overhearing his conversation, the king suspected a plot against him. Fearing a conspiracy, he decided to punish the Thangals.
Consequently, Charairongba invaded Thangal village. The king led the attack riding a dolai (palanquin). While they were crossing the Iril River, all the horses were lost. Since then, the place was known as Sagolmang (sagol – horse, mang-lost).
When they were near the village of Thangal, a mysterious clod had engulfed the entire mountain range, hiding the village. The king realized that it was the will of God, blocking his way to the people with evil designs of war. He promised himself not to invade the town of Thangal any more and got down from the palanquin to go no further. The place was known as Dolaithabi (dolai-palanquin, thabi-stop). To his surprise, the cloud disappeared and the sky cleared up.
The king kept his promise and he alone advanced towards the town without any soldiers following him. On the way, he felt exhausted and started looking for a shady tree. When the search for him was in vain, the king cursed the hills of Thangal to be barren for having no trees to provide shade. Today, the Thangal hills are not fertile as people believe, in reference to that curse.
At last, the King entered the village of Thangal, who warmly welcomed him with love and respect from the people. The king was moved by the divine austerity and resourcefulness of the boy staying at the khullakpa’s house. When he wondered about the child, the khullakpa narrated everything to King Meetei. It was a happy reunion between father and son. Thus, the people of Thangal adopted a prince and a new relationship was established between the two communities.
However, with the coming of Christianity and Hinduism to the land, the bond between Thangal and Meetei turned into a love-hate relationship. Now, we need to remember our rich cultural histories for a united future. Religion is just an adulteration of our body from the outside. He cannot alter the blood relationship between the three brothers: Thangal, Tangkhul and Meetei.