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| Meitei people | |
|---|---|
| Group | Meitei people |
| Native name | ꯃꯤꯇꯩ ꯂꯥꯢꯕ |
| Population | ~1.5 million (est.) |
| Regions | Manipur, Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar |
| Languages | Meitei language (Manipuri), Hindi, English |
| Religions | Sanamahism, Hinduism, Christianity |
| Related | Naga people, Kuki people, Tangkhul people, Burmese people |
Meitei people are an ethnolinguistic group primarily inhabiting the Imphal valley of Manipur in Northeast India, with significant diasporas in Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar. They speak the Meitei language (also called Manipuri) and maintain a distinct cultural corpus expressed through performing arts, martial traditions, court chronicles and religious rites tied to indigenous and syncretic practices.
Scholars debate the derivation of the ethnonym; colonial records and regional chronicles contrast terms used in the Cheitharol Kumbaba with exonyms appearing in Burmese chronicles, Assamese Buranjis, British India administrative reports and missionary accounts. Alternate names appear in diplomatic correspondence involving the Kangla seat, correspondence with the Ahom Kingdom, treaties with the British East India Company and references in the Yuan dynasty and Ming dynasty travel accounts. Modern standardisation reflects language planning in institutions such as Manipur University and recognition under the Indian Constitution.
Prehistoric archaeology in the Imphal Valley and stratigraphic research at sites linked to the Manipur River show continuity into the protohistoric era documented by the royal chronicle Cheitharol Kumbaba and inscriptions found near the Kangla Fort. The medieval period features interactions and conflicts with the Ahom Kingdom, diplomatic exchanges with the Mandalay Kingdom, incursions recorded during the Second Anglo-Burmese War, and colonial reorganisation under the British Raj. The twentieth century saw political mobilisations during the Indian independence movement, state formation with the Indian Constitution and insurgent episodes involving groups that negotiated ceasefires mediated through the Government of India and regional interlocutors. Contemporary history involves participation in electoral politics at the Manipur Legislative Assembly and cultural revival via institutions like the Druženje-style cultural societies and performing troupes touring New Delhi and international festivals.
The Meitei language is a member of the Sino-Tibetan languages family and is officially recognised in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India. Literary heritage includes ancient court chronicles such as the Cheitharol Kumbaba, poetic and dramatic compositions collected in royal archives, and modern laureates who have received awards from bodies like the Sahitya Akademi and participated in forums at Jawaharlal Nehru University and Shillong Literature Festival. The indigenous script, historically used on bark manuscripts known as puyas, experienced revival movements in educational curricula at Manipur University and publications by regional presses; script debates engaged scholars from University of Calcutta and Delhi University comparative departments.
Cultural practices are expressed through classical dance forms performed at venues such as the Kangla complex and during festivals like Yaoshang and Lai Haraoba. Martial arts traditions were transmitted via guilds and families and showcased in demonstrations linked to the Kangjei polo heritage that attracts attention from Royal families in the United Kingdom and touring teams from Myanmar. Textile arts produced by artisan cooperatives supply markets in Imphal Bazaar, exhibitions at the National Museum, New Delhi and handicraft fairs supported by the Ministry of Textiles. Music, mask-making, and indigenous theatre engage troupes that have collaborated with ensembles from Sangeet Natak Akademi and toured in Bangkok and London.
Religious life combines indigenous Sanamahism rituals preserved in family shrines, temple rites at historic sites like the Kangla and syncretic forms of Vaishnavism introduced during medieval court reforms. Sacred narratives are preserved in puyas and oral epics that reference deities and heroes encountered in interactions with neighboring belief systems represented in the Burmese Buddhist sphere and folk cults shared with the Naga people and Kuki people. Missionary-era conversions introduced Christianity to segments of the population, generating denominational institutions active in social services and theological scholarship linked to seminaries in Shillong and Imphal.
Kinship and lineage systems are organised around clan (sagei) and lineage (yumjao) identities recorded in family genealogies and registered with local panchayats and municipal bodies in Imphal West and Imphal East. Population data from census operations administered by the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India show urban concentrations in Imphal and rural settlements across the Manipur valley, with migration flows to Guwahati, Kolkata and Yangon for education and employment. Social institutions include traditional councils that coexist with elected bodies such as municipal corporations and state ministries.
Economic life combines agrarian practices in paddy cultivation along the Imphal River basin, artisanal industries producing handlooms and bamboo crafts sold at regional markets like Paona Bazaar, and service-sector employment in administrative centres of Manipur Secretariat and educational institutions including Manipur University. Historical commerce involved trade routes connecting Sylhet and the Burmese markets; contemporary enterprises participate in inter-state trade regulated by institutions such as the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs and benefit from schemes administered by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
Category:Ethnic groups in Manipur