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How Manipur got positioned as NOT the land of Mahabharata?


By RK Rishikesh Sinha

1908: TC Hudson in his book “The Meitheis” published in 1908 sowed the seed that the Manipuri Meiteis has recently been converted to Hinduism.

(Meiteis is a jati and the culture is “Manipuri”. The same culture is shared by another Hindu jati Bishnupriya). Two jatis with two different languages share the same culture. Majority of the people find it a problem, but it is a beauty.

1919: Rabindra Nath Tagore is shown Manipuri Raas Leela in today’s Bangladesh in one of the Bishnupriya jati village. Tagore institutionalize the Raas.

1930: Intellectual Sepoys writes N Phullo in Assam started questioning Hinduism amongst Hindu Meiteis. Manipur’s Maharaja however doesn’t find any objection about his activity. N Phullo said, he is not against Hinduism but he performs “worship by using Manipuri language”.

The followers of Phullo started calling themselves as “Apokpa Marup”. The God Apokpa fits in Hindu cosmology.

1940: The message reaches Manipur. But in a different name and concept: “Meitei Marup”. The core idea: Ancestors of Meiteis Hindus had a different religion before Hinduism came to Manipur. [In congruence with 1908 published Hudson’s core message.]
Notice: In Assam it was name of the God and in Manipur it became on the name of the Jati Meitei.

Till 1960s:
(1)    The outsiders have taken control over the traditional itihaskar saying students of puranas.
(2)    The outsiders have equipped themselves with western theories and concepts.
(3)    Attempts been made saying : Manipur is not the land of Mahabharata.
(4)    Hinduism is shown as destructive force. But took pride in Ras Leela.

Till 1970s-1980s
(1)   The buyers of old religion (now called Senamahi) reach its peak. They have occupied political power, academics, and now land. Yes lands. They started contesting Hindu worship places. They forcibly occupy the places. Temples and murtis are destroyed. After 1980, the movement slowed down. Since there is nothing to achieve more.

In 2000s

Brahmins are attacked intellectually. The core idea is: they are not true Brahmins.

Western Lens
Dharmic Dhristi
A fire in King's palace destroyed the documents of old religion. The fire was intentional.
Accidental fire.
In 18th century, Manipur was declared a Hindu state.
In 20th century, Manipur was declared a Christian state. Had it been Hindu state in the Christian/ Islamic template. The jatis in the hills would have been Hindu.
In 18th century, Hinduism came to Manipur.
Myth & Propaganda. Manipur goes back to the days of Mahabharata.
Lallup System was a slavery / feudalism.
Lallup System was a Rashtra Dharm. Every person in Manipur kingdom had to work in King’s administration in different categories.
Hinduism/ brahmin is responsible for Hill vs Plain divide.
It is actually Christianity that divided Hill vs Plain divide.
Hindu kingdom was oppressive.
Ram Rajya with council of learned ministers (Navratnas)
Brahmasabha was a Hindu orthodoxy.
Brahmasabha gave direction to directionless samaj.


Silent Death of Hinduism in Manipur (Part 1)
https://youtu.be/kTwtxUbXzcE
Silent Death of Hinduism in Manipur (Part 2)
https://youtu.be/lW_wTitiJ7Y 

Please read:

1. Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines
2. Being Different : An Indian Challenge To Western Universalism
3. Indra's Net - Defending Hinduism Philosophical Unity
4. The Battle for Sanskrit: Is Sanskrit Political or Sacred? Oppressive or Liberating? Dead or Alive?
5. Academic Hinduphobia: A Critique of Wendy Doniger’s Erotic School of Indology

[1] The Meitheis
by Thomas Callan Hodson
Publication date 1908

[2] History of Manipur
By Jyotirmoy Roy
Publication date 1958

[3] Revivalist movement among the meiteis of Cachar Assam and Manipur (PhD Thesis)
Researcher: Maibam, Ratankumar Singh
2008

[4] Advent of a caste _ the emergence and role of Brahmans in Manipuri society (PhD Thesis)
Researcher: Bebita Devi, S
2013
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