Poireiton Khunthok
ancient Meitei literary narrative work
The Poireiton Khunthok, also known as the Poireiton Khunthokpa, is an ancient Meitei language classical epic allegorical literary text, describing a historical migration and colonisation of a group of people led by Poireiton to ancient Kangleipak civilization (present day Manipur) from a distant land (metaphored as coming from underworld, the land of death) unknown to the then Meitei people of Kangleipak. The event was believed to have happened around 1st century BCE to 1st century CE, and the text was composed in between 1st century CE and 3rd century CE. Poireiton was a younger brother of Thongalen, the king of Khamnung kingdom (often described as the netherworld by the Meiteis).
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Quotes
edit- The Poireiton Khunthokpa, is the most conspicuous one of all pre-Garibniwaz manuscripts. From a linguistic point of review, it seems to be much earlier than any of the books yet come under our view. Circumstantial and other incidental evidences would confirm that the book might have been of the time of the third century A. D. It describes the colonization of the valley by a band of prople from the land of Death under Poireiton. They first established their colony near the Langol Hill; probably the vast area between the Koubru Hill and the Langol Hill was their kingdom.
- Yumjao Singh's Report on the Archaeological studies in Manipur Bulletin No. 1, in: pp 18-19. (Singh, Khelchandra Ningthoukhongjam. "Poireiton Khunthokpa". History Of Old Manipuri Literature (in English and Manipuri). Manipur University Library, Imphal. India: Digital Library of India. pp. 121, 122.)
- Poireiton Khunthokpa (Immigration of Poireiton), an epic about the migration of Poireiton and his people to Manipur. He was invited to rule a small principality under the control of the Ningthouja clan.
- The Poireiton Khunthokpa gives a clue to the origin of Yum Laikhal Taba. It mentions that houses with foundations were in use by the second century A.D and they were constructed with bamboo, covered with thatch and had walls made from a mixture of earth and straw chips. This style of housing continued even today except introduction of modern R.C.C structures in urban areas and to some extent in rural areas.
- In the archaic Meitei manuscript Poireiton Khunthok it is written that chakhao was one of the things brought by the immigrant Poireiton and his group when they came and settled down in Manipur after traversing many areas of Myanmar. He is regarded to be a contemporary of Pakhangba the first historical king of Manipur who ascended the throne in AD 33.
- M.C. Arunkumar, Sanjenbam Yaiphaba Meitei, Sarit K. Chaudhuri, The Cultural Heritage of Manipur. United Kingdom: Manohar, 2020. p. 206
- ...as early as 33 AD narrated in the text Poireiton Khunthok, where a tribe from Khamnung Sawa headed by its chief, Poireiton, migrated and settled in the north-western part of the Imphal valley.
- The Poireiton Khunthokpa associates the fire-worship with Poireiton the leader of a batch of immigrants who are supposed to arrive in Manipur about A.D. 33 according to the traditional calculation.
- The beginnings of this Old Manipuri literature may go back to 1,500 years or even 2,000 years from now. The late Yumajao Singh thought that Poireiton Khunthok, a prose work describing the settlement of some Meithei tribes, is the oldest work in Manipuri going back to the third century...
- This text gives an account of the long journey taken by Poireiton and a horde of men on their coming to Manipur. Although, initially the book seems like mythology, it contains historical facts of people and place names. Further, Nongda Lairen Pakhangba, the first historical king is said to have married Laisna, the sister of Poireiton. This Puya also finds mention in the Cheitharol Kumbaba.
- Dipankar Banerjee, Priyam Goswami, Ranju Bezbaruah, North-East India: Interpreting the Sources of Its History. India: Indian Council of Historical Research, 2008. p. 145
- Poireiton Khunthokpa is also the precursor of the Manipuri prose literature. Poireiton, the leader of the colonisers, a contemporary of king Nongda Lairen Pakhangba, arrived at the Manipur valley before 33 A. D.
- A historical text called Poireiton Khunthokpa (Immigration of Poireiton) in Manipuri refers to the three Naga tribes, Kabui, Tangkhul and Anal living in Manipur in the first century.
- According to Poireiton Khunthok, an old manuscript, there was a reference to the cultivation of paddy and to the chakhao and the variety he brought to Manipur was known as Chakhao poireiton, This happened sometime in the 1st century BCE...
- The oldest two books in Manipuri language are: Poireiton Khunthokand Numit Kappa.
- Poireiton Khunthok describes the pottery and neolithic culture of the Chakpas.
- Poireiton Khunthok is another precious chronicle of the Meetei nationality in the past. In the process of the settlement undertaken by Chingkhong Poireiton in Manipur, his progeny had been advised to spread over in the neighbouring countries of Manipur.
- During the old period we get, inter alia, two very important works, viz. Poireiton Khunthok (Emigration of Poereiton) and Numit Kappa (Shooting the Sun).
- It is conjectured in the manuscript Poireiton Khunthok is is one person or group that came to settle in the valleys and is the progenitor of the Chakpas of Andro, Sekmai, etc. Since in Ningthourol Lambuba he is also known as Chingkhong Poireiton (Poireiton of the foot-hill), indicating his settlement in the plains (mentioned in the English translation of CK in Arambam-Parratt, 2005:24). According to Arambam-Parratt, the texts here suggest that Poireitons were prior residents of the foothills, whereas the Pakhangba's group perhaps came down from the surrounding mountains...
- Tanmoy Bhattacharya, neScholar Magazine Vol 03 Issue 03. N.p.: NE Brothers Pvt. Limited , 2017. p. 63
- The Poireiton Khunthokpa is another work which traces Manipuri civilisation from the age of colonisation of the Manipur valley.
- Proceedings of the North East India History Association. India: The Association, 1982. p. 23
- Siba Pada Sen, Sources of the History of India: Bihar. Orissa. Bengal. Manipur. Tripura. India: Institute of Historical Studies, 1978. p. 431
- It is further narrated in the 'Poreiton Khunthok', Pakhangba Phambal and other ancient texts that Poireiton and his tribe before settling down in the north-western part of Imphal valley travelled through the surrounding hills visiting 85 villages of Shan, Tangkhul, Maring, Anal and Poirei. This shows the process of migration that has taken place in the region.
- Andro, a pottery-making village is about 27 km towards east of Imphal city. This is a village where the pre-Hindu Manipuris live. They worship fire, believed to be burning from the time of Poireiton Khunthokpa (34-18 B.C.) and also a big Pung (drum). They worship Chakpa Panam Ningthou Meihoupirol.
- Khomdan Singh Lisam, Encyclopaedia Of Manipur (3 Vol.). India: 2011. p. 587
- In Poireiton Khunthok an instance of cremation of the son of Chakpa Shangloulembi was recorded. Dedication to fire has been the prevailing practice of the Chakpas, the earliest Loi community of Manipur.
- In earlier literary works like Poireiton Khunthok, Panthoibi Khongul, Numit Kappa, Nungsamei Puya, Naothingthong Phambal Kaba, etc., the presence of loan words has not been noted, but with the introduction of Vaishnavism, the flow of loan words, mainly from Sanskrit and Hindi, increased to a considerable extent with the passage of time.
- Poireiton Khunthokpā MS; M. Chandra Singh wrote an article in the Khonthang magazine, December, 1969, where he quotes many lines from the original Poireiton Khunthokpä in order to prove that Poireiton did not introduce fire in Manipur.
- And among the hilly tracts surrounding the Manipur valley there are fires which are supposed to have been kindled in the time of Poireiton Khunthokpa.
- The Manipur chronicle Poireiton Khunthokpa records that a band of colonists came from "the land of death" to settle in Manipur. It is said that they were led here by the "Poireiton", whose king was one Khammung Thongaren. It is also written that these people brought "fire" with them.
- The historical text in Manipuri named Poireiton Khunthokpa, refers to the adventures of one coloniser from the East named Poireiton in Manipur. He visited many Shan villages in Kabaw Valley of Burma and the Eastern and Southern hills and Valley of Manipur. He came in search of fruits of immorality. This historical work refers to a number of tribes and communities living in Manipur. Poirei (Meitei), Chakpa. Naga... .
- Historical bases about the place of Manipur are recorded in such sacred texts like Poireiton Khunthokpa (Migration of Poireiton), Lamitlon (Lore of places), etc.
