Socio-Cultural Insight: The Pangal In Pre Colonial Manipur

Manipur, which is located strategically in North Eastern part of India, represents a land of immense variety of climate, land-scape, inhabitants, culture and tradition. Known through various names in the region between South Asia and South-East Asia, history records its existence as a Sovereign Asiatic kingdom since ancient time. Known as Kathe to the Burmese, Meklee to the Ahoms, Mooglei to the Cacharies, Cassey to the Shans, the people of this land have undergone several ordeals in the course of its long drawn civilizational history. It is generally accepted that the history of Manipur begins from 33/34AD. The coming of Muslim in Manipur began right from the king Khagemba or prior to Khagemba and the continued up to the reign of king Chandrakirti (1850-1886) AD . The Muslims enter into Manipur from Bengal not as conquerors, nor as traders or preachers but as prisoners of war, in the year 1606. In course of time Muslim population was strengthened by Muslim immigrants from different parts of India.