Khamba and Thoibi

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This article is about classical Meitei lore. For the traditional Meitei classical dance, see Khamba Thoibi Jagoi. For the Classical Meitei language epic poem, see Khamba Thoibi Sheireng.
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Khamba and ThoibiManipur
The capture the wild bull
Folk tale
NameKhamba and ThoibiManipur
Also known asKhampa Thoipi
Aarne–Thompson groupingno
MythologyMeitei mythology
CountryIndia
RegionManipur
Origin Date11th-12th century CE
Published inKhamba Thoibi Sheireng and many others
RelatedMeitei folklore (Manipuri folklore),
Meitei literature (Manipuri literature)

The ancient legend of Khamba and Thoibi (Meitei: Khamba Thoibi) is a classic,[1] as well as one of the epic cycles of incarnations of Meitei mythology and folklore, that is originated from Ancient Moirang kingdom[a] of Ancient Kangleipak (early Manipur).[2] It is referred to as the "national romantic legend of Manipur" by Indian scholar Suniti Kumar Chatterjee.[3]

Among the countless retelling editions of the epic story, is Khamba Thoibi Sheireng (Meitei: ꯈꯝꯕ ꯊꯣꯏꯕꯤ ꯁꯩꯔꯦꯡ) an eight-volume, 39,000-line epic poem composed by Hijam Angangha and published in 1940. It was written in Pena Saisak folk ballad style and has been called the national epic of Manipur.[4][5][6][7]

The classic tale of Khamba and Thoibi became an Assamese classic as well, after being translated into Assamese language as Khamba Thoibir Sadhukatha, by Assamese author and anthropologist Rajanikanta Bordoloi (1869-1939).[8][9][10]

Background[edit]

According to legend, Keke Moirang was created by the God Thangching. The first King of Moirang was Iwang Fang Fang Ponglenhanba, who was born of Moirang Leima Nangban Chanu Meirapanjenlei. He attacked tribal villages, brought Thanga under his rule, and fixed his boundaries to the north, where the Luwang King bore sway. He brought in captives, and buried the heads of his fallen enemies in the Kangla or Royal enclosure.[11]

After some time, the God Thangching began to think that the King and his subjects were so prosperous that they were likely to forget their duties to him, and on the advice of seven gods, the Yakhong Lai, he decided to frighten the King and his people. One night, there were mysterious sounds heard. At first, the King's soldiers found nothing, but when the sounds were heard again, they discovered that the Yakhong Lai, had raised a storm thta had destroyed the Khuyal Leikhong.

The King's advisors asked him to summon the famous maibi, Santhong Mari Mai Langjeng Langmei Thouba. She was working in the fields, but came running. The King demanded that she restore the Khuyal Leikhong, and threatened to kill her if she failed. The maibi persuaded the seven gods to teach her a hymn that would restore the Khuyal Leikhong, and they ordered her to convey a message to the King. When she went to the Khuyal Leikhong she met the god Pakhangba. She raised the edifice by singing the hymn and delivered message to the King, which directed that all the maibas and maibis of the country should sleep in the temple of Thangching wearing their sacred clothes, which they did. There, in their dreams, they were instructed to divide the people into sections, according to the duties they would perform. Then the village offices were created and their order of precedence fixed. The maibas chanted the name of the god and the maibis rang the bell. Then, when they had told the King about their dreams, they were bidden to do as the god had said.

The King then died and was succeeded by his son Telheiba. During his and subsequent reigns,there were raids against tribals and various villages.[11]: 131  Then we get into complications, for in the reign of King Laifacheng we are told, the Khumans were wroth with Konthounamba Saphaba and compassed his death. They took him into a wood and fastened him to a tree and left him, but by the aid of the Gods he broke the creeper and made his way to Moirang where he married and had a son. He left Moirang, and went to the land of the Meiteis. The King kept the child, who by favour of the God Thangching grew so strong that the folk of Moirang begged the King to rid himself of the lad, for he would supplant the King. So they put the lad in chains for seven years, and all that time there fell no rain in Moirang. Then the God Thangching appeared to the lad and told him to ask the King to take off his chains. Then the King set the lad free, and the rain fell, but many had died of fever and cholera. The King implored the lad to pardon him for his cruelty and promised him, that when he was dead the kingdom should be his for seven years, even as many years as the years of his bondage. So it fell out, and for seven years the lad reigned as King where he had been in chains.[11]: 132 

Raids against Luwangs on the west against tribal villages, which the historian observes still pay tribute to Moirang, are all we have for a brief space covering some hundred years. The God Thangching kept his interest in the fortunes of the kingdom, and visited the King in his dreams and instructed him in many matters. The village grew and spread, so much so that in the reign of King Thanga Ipenthaba, the small hill of Thanga was broken and the water let out. Then at the instance of two Khuman women the King slew the King of the Khumans whom he met by chance hunting. In a later reign, Moirang is invaded by the Khumans who assembled a force in boats. This force was defeated, and in return the Khuman villages were fired. In the reign of King Chingkhu Telheiba (skilful archer of the hill village), a Khuman, Aton Puremba, shot nine tigers with his bow and arrows and took their skins to the King, who sought a gift worthy of the hunter's prowess. He would not give him clothes or such things. He had no daughter, so he gave him his wife, and by her the bold hunter had two children

Khamnu and Khuman Khamba. Both their parents died, and by dint of begging from door to door, Khamnu got food for herself and her baby brother. Day by day the lad grew in strength and courage. So swift was he that none could race against him. So strong was he that he and he alone dared to seize a mad bull that was raging in the land. Then Chingkhuba Akhuba, brother of King Chingkhuba Telhaiba, ordered his men to seize Khamba and have him trampled to death by the elephant. His sin was that Thoibi had made a coat which she gave to Khamba, for she loved him. The God Thangching warned Thoibi of the peril in which her lover was, and she arose and threatened to kill her father so that Khamba escaped. Then it befell a hunting party that a tiger killed a man in full sight of the King, but Khamba killed the tiger single- handed, and as a reward the King gave him the Princess Thoibi in marriage.[11]: 133 

Editions[edit]

In popular culture[edit]

Manmohan Singh, the then Prime Minister of India

, being presented a memento of a painting depicting Khuman Khamba capturing the Bull, by Dr. Shivinder Singh Sidhu, the then Governor of Manipur and Okram Ibobi Singh, the then Chief Minister of Manipur, on the occasion of the foundation stone laying ceremony of three projects, National Sports University, Convention Center and Manipur Institute of Technology, 2 December 2006]]

  • Kao Faba (Meitei: ꯀꯥꯎ ꯐꯥꯕ) is a 2020 Meitei language Shumang Kumhei, based on the story of the capture of bull by Khuman Khamba, produced by Western Cultural Association in Manipur.[13][14]
  • Kao, the sacred bull] is a 2011 Meitei opera produced by the Laihui Ensemble, based on the story of the capture of the bull by Khuman Khamba.[15][16]
  • Khambana Kao Phaba (painting) (Meitei: ꯈꯝꯕꯅ ꯀꯥꯎ ꯐꯥꯕ, lit. 'Khamba capturing the bull'), an oil painting by Manipuri artists, M Betombi Singh and Gopal Sharma.
  • Khamba Khamnu (Meitei: ꯈꯝꯕ ꯈꯝꯅꯨ) is a 1995 Meitei language feature film, produced by Chandam Shyamacharan for C.S.Films Imphal Produuctions, written by Th. Nodia and directed by Ch. Shyamacharan.[17][18][19]
  • Khamba Thoibi (Meitei: ꯈꯝꯕ ꯊꯣꯏꯕꯤ) is a 1997 Meitei language feature film, based on the epic story by Hijam Anganghal, produced by Moirangthem Nilamani Singh for Anjana Films, and directed by M. Nilamani Singh.[20][21]
  • Langon (Meitei: ꯂꯥꯡꯉꯣꯟ) is a Meitei language feature film, based on the epic of Khamba and Thoibi.
  • Moirang Sai (Meitei: ꯃꯣꯏꯔꯥꯡ ꯁꯥꯏ) is a traditional form Meitei performance that tellss the story of Khamba and Thoibi in song and dance.
  • Festival of Moirang Shai (Meitei: ꯃꯣꯏꯔꯥꯡ ꯁꯥꯏ ꯀꯨꯝꯍꯩ) is a cultural event that aims to popularize the unique culture of the Meitei people at grassroots level, particularly in preserving and promoting Moirang Sai.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Moirang was an independent kingdom in early times, though later became a province of a unified kingdom, called Manipur Kingdom.

References[edit]

  1. ^ —Delhi, All India Radio (AIR), New (17 March 1968). "Some Classics of Manipur". AKASHVANI: Vol. XXXIII, No.12 ( 17 MARCH, 1968 ). India: All India Radio (AIR), New Delhi. pp. 7, 8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
    —KanglaOnline (4 April 2011). "The great Meitei Reconciliation Process: Revisiting the classical folklore on "Emoinu Chakhong Ngahongbi" by Late Shri Ningomabam Angouton Meetei – KanglaOnline". Retrieved 12 November 2023. ... The folklore of Emoinu Celebration from the story "Washak Ngakpa" meaning Keeping the Promise, written by Late Shri Ningombam Angouton Meetei and the classical love story "Khamba -Thoibi" are classical examples of successful reconciliation process of the old Meitei factions...
    —Bond, Ruskin (14 October 2000). "The Story of Khamba and Thoibi". The Penguin Book of Classical Indian Love Stories and Lyrics. Penguin UK. pp. 3, 4. ISBN 978-93-5118-814-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
    —Dalby, Andrew (28 October 2015). Dictionary of Languages: The definitive reference to more than 400 languages. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 399. ISBN 978-1-4081-0214-5.
  2. ^ Singh, Ch Manihar (1996). A History of Manipuri Literature. Original from:the University of Michigan. India: Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-81-260-0086-9.
  3. ^ Chatterji, Suniti Kumar (1951). Kirata-Jana-Krti the Indo-Mongoloids: Their Contribution to the History and Culture of India (April 1998 ed.). Calcutta: The Asiatic Society; Digital Library of India; Internet Archive. p. 189.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  4. ^ George, K. M. (1992). Modern Indian Literature, an Anthology: Surveys and poems. India: Sahitya Akademi. p. 258. ISBN 978-81-7201-324-0.
  5. ^ Das, Sisir Kumar (2005). A History of Indian Literature: 1911-1956, struggle for freedom: triumph and tragedy. Sahitya Akademi. p. 190. ISBN 978-81-7201-798-9.
  6. ^ Datta, Amaresh (1988). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Devraj to Jyoti (in en.). India: Sahitya Akademi. p. 1573. ISBN 978-81-260-1194-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  7. ^ Delhi, All India Radio (AIR), New (1975). AKASHVANI: Vol. XL. No. 35 ( 31 AUGUST, 1975 ). All India Radio (AIR),New Delhi. p. 1582.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Dalby, Andrew (28 October 2015). Dictionary of Languages: The definitive reference to more than 400 languages. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 399. ISBN 978-1-4081-0214-5.
  9. ^ Bardoloi Nirmalprabhya (1995). Rajani Kanta Bardoloi. Internet Archive; Digital Library of India. India: Sahitya Akademi. p. 14. His tale of Khamba and Thoibi entitled Khamba-Thoibir sadhukatha, a love story of a Manipuri youth named Khamba and a Manipuri maiden named Thoibi, appeared in 1932.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  10. ^ Bardoloi Nirmalprabhya (1995). Rajani Kanta Bardoloi. Internet Archive; Digital Library of India. India: Sahitya Akademi. pp. 32, 33, 34. Bardoloi's novel Khamba-Thoibir Sadhukatha (The tale of Khamba and Thoibi) is an adaptation of a Manipuri legend entitled 'Khamba-Thoibi-Givari'.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  11. ^ a b c d T.C. Hodson (1908). The Meitheis. London: David Nutt. p. 130.
  12. ^ Singh, Rajkumar Mani (2002). Khwairakpam Chaoba Singh. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-81-260-1519-1.
  13. ^ "Kao Faba displayed". e-pao.net.
  14. ^ "Kao Faba displayed". www.thesangaiexpress.com.
  15. ^ "KAO - A Glimpse of Manipuri Opera". e-pao.net.
  16. ^ ""Kao - the sacred bull" by Laihui on 6 March 2011". e-pao.net.
  17. ^ "Manipuri Feature Films 1972 1997 - E-rang Classic :: E-pao Movie Channel". 16 March 2016. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  18. ^ "খম্বা খমনু" (PDF). hueiyenlanpao.com (in Manipuri).
  19. ^ Khamba Khamnu (1995) - KLMDb, retrieved 31 December 2022
  20. ^ "Manipuri Feature Films 1972 1997 - E-rang Classic :: E-pao Movie Channel". 16 March 2016. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  21. ^ Khamba Thoibi (1997) - IMDb, retrieved 1 January 2023

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Khamba Thoibi.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Khamba Thoibi Sheireng.
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