INTRODUCTION

Manipur

Manipur is situated in the extreme corner of the North Eastern region

of India between latitude 24.50(E) and 2504(N) and longitude 9302 and

94047. There is Nagaland in the North, Assam in the West, Mizoram

and Burma(Myanmar) in the South and Myanmar(Burma) in the East. The
total boundary length is about kilometers out of which 352 kilometers is
international with Myanmar. Although the state was much bigger in the
past history, its existing area is 22,356 sq.km. Out of this only 1843 sq.
km. is the fertile valley area and the remaining are hill surrounding the
valley geographically giving the bowel-shaped. There is a lake called
Loktak Lake, the largest fresh water lake in the North East India, through
there are many lakes all over the valley. The average attitude is 800
meters in the Valley and 2000 meters in the hill area. The Central small
area of 1834 sq.km is the home of Meitei, the bearers of Thang-Ta
martial tradition.

From the time immemorial, various hill tribes and valley tribes have
been inhabitation together in the various parts of Manipur. In historical
view, there were many more kings before the reign of king Nongda Lairen
Pakhangba in 33 A.D. like Haorok Konthou, Urok-Usai Thanga –
Kambong, Khunpham – Ngangjeng, Heiram – Khunjan etc reigning their
won kingdom. Moreover there were 7 yek’s/Salai’s viz. Ningthouja,
Luwang, Khuman, Angom, Moirang, Khaba Nganba, Sarang Leishangthem
that had their own independent kingdom. As time rolls on and on and on
all those yek’s yet intermised and formed a common group which now we
known as Meitei community. All those groups were always in ready to
fight war with one another to get strength over other and to get total
kingship as a whole. And of course, they were masters in martial arts and
the Thang-Ta art was mixed in their bloods. Especially Meite’s had a
strong believe on Lords and ritual cultures and sword and spears and
other tools were believed to be the very toes used by the Lords
themselves. And all the images of the ritual activities are shown in this
Thang-Ta Art. The origin of the Thang-Ta art is believed to the ‘Theng-
gou’ which is nothing but the processes by which, as its believed, whole
the universe, the living begins and non-living components is created.
Theng-gou is very tough subject to be studied having both superficial
and underlying meanings. It is believed that all the activities from the
birth to death are based on the Thang-Ta art. Meitei considered the
sword and spear as Mother and Father and Shield is also considered as
Mother as it protects us in War. In our society, the place of Thang-Ta is
great. Every social activity is base on this art. In older days, each house
had one sword and one spear as Gods.

As Meitei were master on hunting and War, every man and women
went to learn and Thang-Ta and Sarit-Sarat and they were skillful in
these arts. One interesting fact is that Meitei were in practice for the war
while the year in Games and Sports. They are mukna, khong kangjei, yubi
lakpi etc. Apart from the special Thang-Ta and Sarit Sarat shot Arts. But
Meitei Thang-Ta is knowledge which is associated with various
underlying activities of our society and many more. In short Meitei
Thang-Ta art is the mother face of the culture of this community.
 ORIGIN OF MANIPURI THANG TA
Since the ancient, the Manipuri’s have been accompanying
with the thang ta as an inseparable weapons. The Meitei’s
depend upon thang ta in any ceremony usually. It should never
ignore the thang ta from birth up to death. We the human
beings have to need the thang ta using in a day. The story of
inseparable becomes a legend from generation to generation.
In other civilized countries of the world the story of legend has
been assumed as a gradual story from generation to
generation. Supporting the story William R Bascon stated that
“Myth prose narrative which in the society in
which they are told considered being truthful accounts of what
happened in the remote past”.
 According to the experienced teachers and Gurus the Thang
has been used in our society since the times immemorial as an
early ancient writing on the old boos of “Leithak
Leikharol”,”Pudin”,”Thengourol” and “Sanamahi Lamhui”. The
movements of Thang ta(sword and spear) have reflected on the
creatures and human beings. The Origin of Thang is the
Thengou; the Thengou is used in the Creation. The legend of
Thengou was very difficult. There was nobody on the universe
where we do live now. As living further one Lord has appeared.
He was known as Kuru (Heaven). The lord Achiba was also
appeared from Kuru. Achiva created the universe. The Lord
Harava had disturbed as broken. But the Kuu appearing the
“Nongthangleima” to lull the Harava in the movement, the
Achiva Finished the creation, measured the limits and pegged
the boundaries. The three Gurus finished the creation Knocking
and kicking alike. The name of the used Thang of the Chingu
Shingburen Atiiya Guru was known as “Manik Chumthangpai
Nngthangpai” and was also named as “Hung Ping –Ta-Thang
Kup treng Mirat Thang”. The visage was the right figure of lord
Maru. The name of the used Thang of the mother Goddess Ema
“Leimarel Sidava Leisibi Leipunbi” was “Hung Here Manik
Thang’. The visage was the sever layers of Lord Chingkhei and
the left sward of Lord Maru. The Thang used by Ema Leimarel
Sidavi were the Khabomba, “Heijrang”, “Nungshangba Naoban
Thang”, and Yethang. The Thang was known as Kateng in the
past. In the Thengou skipping the name of Thang as “Tubi
Chirong Hainaba Thangaklen Yasgaba”. Thus the origin f Thang
was Thengou as described by the reputed persons. In the last
movement of Gurus demise. In the surrounding of the throne
seven times by the Lord”Komjin Tupthokpa” (Harava)
conferring the thorn to him was written in the “Pudin”.

In tracing the origin of sword, spear weapons etc in our land it

requires to link up and study the available archeological materials,
historical records and handwritten books of ancient period of Manipur
VIZ. Thanglon Thongchat, Pudin, Leithak – Leikharon, Thang – Ta are
required for studying the source of the equipments utilized in ancient
time. These hadwritten books intimates that axes, swords, daggers, knife
are using from ancient time.

In has been believed that the creator of the universe had ordered to
keep ‘Konjin Tuhekpa’ in capture till the completion of creative work of
the universe and in honor of the order of the Creator, “Goddess of
Lightning” step out with a dressing of supreme incomparable brilliantly
beautiful attractive dress and then Haraba has entice. The Goddess of
Lightning played an incomparable supreme form of beauty dance to
fascinate/charm ‘Khonjen Tuthekpa’ with well decorated brilliant
weapons. Such subject is found to have been mentioned in an old
handwritten book ‘Pakhangba Laihue’. Hence it has been believed that
many kinds of decorated weapons i.e. sword etc. are produced by the
meiteis under the follow up way of the sword dance for ‘Goddess of
Lightening’. In the cosmogony story, it has been mentioned that, after
having completion of the creation work of the whole universe the ‘Deity
of Death’ of the universe had travelled the whole area of universe by
holding spear. So, it has been believed that weapon say, “Spear (Taa)” has
been utilizing from the time of creation to till day.
 An essential vision on historical and archeological way in view of
legendary and mythological regarding martial arts of kangleipak
(Manipuri) is required.

While proceeding the process in archaeological principles for digging out

of places of land of Kangleipak(Manipuri) reports regarding the
availability of pre-historic period design of Pots, Stone weapons are on
met. For example, while excavating on the land area of Napchik at
Wangoi, broken pieces of three footed Pots, weapons of martial arts come
across. On dating the mentioned materials in the Physical Research
Laboratory at Ahmedabad a prove has been obtained that those material
had been used 3450 years ago.

Various Weapons of Lords

The thoughts of reputed persons and their opinions and according

to the LD books (myths and lore) of “Thanglons Thangchat”, “Sala
Thounilon” and “Thengourols” are describes as follows.

It has believed that the Lord Pakhangba had appeared as the

envisage of Knife. The Lord Tin Sidava growing up with his teeth
everyday like as anthill mode the cutting axe iron and was named
“Chakhapa”. Chakhapa had born “Arok-Arai”. “Arok-Arai” had born
“Ngaite Ngamba”. One day Ngaite Ngamba had entered into the “Sora
Lu Khongnang Ningthou”. The Lord entered into the fishing den was
refused to believe together with others and was dead. Then His bones
and skeleton changed into many kinds of “Knives like Kabak Thang”
and the name of the knife was known also “Hai Kuplen Phirok Thang-
His” tail was made of kins known as “Thang Ten Shaba”. His tongue
was made of Pukak Thang, His joints was made of Thangjou (Dagger),
His paws were made of “Khoiren Thang”, His jaws were made of
“Khangshu Ta” and His Fingers were appeared of born and arrows.

The backbone of “Ngaite Ngamba” appeared the “Tendang Thang”.

The small veins appeared “Kobak Thang Kiremba”. His right arm bone
appeared “Terung Thang “Skeleton as Thangjou, hand bones as
“Shingtum Shangai” and “Heijrang”. Then the organs of Lord Tin
Sidava appeared many weapons like knives, swords, spears and
arrows etc. The Lord Yucheng considering with fourteen workmen
preparing fire-ovens appearing the Timen Ta (Spear) and devoted to
the Lord Marun as their own weapons.

CONCLUSION
In this universe each and every moving and non-moving, living beings
and non-living things are having origin for each. However, it is not an
easy work to search the resource of each and every living beings and
non-living things having in the universe. The reason for this is that to
research the source of origin of a matter of the universe requires a long
step into the history of the matter/subject in search. In a Stream to study
regarding the present system of human character, discipline, way of
livelihood, character of living house, dress, technical skilful and
production etc. requires to have a macro and micro study of the
civilization manner of the peoples from the ancient time starting from the
migratory behavior of livelihood from one place to another then up to the
modern standard of civilization of human beings livelihood. Similarly, the
way of research in regard to the day by day utilizing materials,
equipments, weapons, sword, spear etc. from the pre-historic times to
the modern times are required an essential matter.

In ancient pre-historic period human beings behaved a habit of

migration from one place to another depending on the availability of
livelihood materials from a place to another place. During the stone-age
period human beings are having no knowledge of constructing domestic
house, cooking food, preparation of dress, irrigation works etc., the
people by that time stayed in caves, forests, drifts of river or lakes. They
eat roots, fruits, nuts and flesh of wild beasts. We came across various
kinds of implements of this periods e.g. axes, arrow-heads, spears,
digging tools, hurling choppers, knives, scrapers, hammer stones etc.
These implements when they are sharp edged were held in cleft bamboos
secured by strips of hide or vegetable fibre. Some of these implements
had thick butt ends which were used for digging edible or for hand to
hand fight. Since the very ancient time is having proofs for utilization of
stone axes, kabak thang (i.e., sword, saber, scimitar), dagger (thangou)
are found to have been replaced by equipments made of copper, alloy
etc. by the help of improvement of human being brain from time to time.
The referred matter is a line of historical way occurred on our global
earth. From this very spot stone weapons such as scraper-edge-ground
etc had been discovered, however no prove of proper time of beginning
the use of weapons made of iron available from the direction of
archeological direction, of course, a further consideration and research
work regarding the beginning time for use of iron made materials,
weapons are required. For the present situation, at the present view of
archeology it has become a difficult problem to fix starting time for use
of materials made of iron in Kangleipak.

There is a significant image of Thang-Ta Art on the cultural heritage

of our society associating our day to day life like Laiharaoba festival, Birth
and Death ceremony, day to day activities, settlements of new families,
condition any type of livelihood, Games and Sprts, physical exercised and
traditional and ritual worships etc. There is also a remarkable indications
of Thang-Ta Art in various ancient holly books Puya’s, Historical records
and accounts Cheitharol kumbaba, Ningthren Lambuba etc. change is
inevitable with the passage of time. Thang-Ta has seen refinements in
certain areas and under development in other areas. There was even time
when it was under the threat of being discontinued. The British occupied
Manipur in 1981. During this time, Thang-Ta was declared gorbidden.
But masters who cared for this knowledge safeguarded it and continued
teaching in Secrecy. With military advancement, gun, cannon, bomb, etc.
slowly replaced the tools of Thang-Ta. But even with all this progress and
instead of giving it up Thang-Ta gained importance.