Pangal

The Pangals, also called Pangans, Pangahal or Manipuri Muslims, are an ethnoreligious group found in the Indian states of Manipur, Assam, Tripura and Nagaland, as well as the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh.

Pangals
Total population
approx. 323,000
Regions with significant populations
 India300,000
 Bangladesh23,000
Languages
Meiteilon, English
Religion
Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Meitei

History

Muslims of Manipur, known as Pangal, have existed (formerly Poirei or Meitrabak or Mekhli/Mughlai or Kathe) since the seventh century. "Pangal" simply means "Manipuri Muslims", as they follow Islam. Various historical sources have different dates for when Islam first entered Manipur. Some sources place the date at around 930 AD. However, the date all sources seem to confirm as definitive is 1606 AD. The origin of the Pangal community is equally varied. In the early-seventeenth century, Mubariz Khan was on an expedition and came across a tribe which lived in between the lands of the Khasis and the Kacharis, who referred to themselves as Mughals. The Mughal books claim that this tribe was indeed a descendant of the Turco-Mongol Timurids. They have said that during the reign of Timur in the late 12th century, the emperor had reached this extreme point and left a group of Mongols to protect the land before returning to his capital in Baghdad. Members of this tribe were white-skinned, spoke a Sino-Tibetan language, ate all sorts of animals and vegetables, and wore large turbans and big brass earrings (tunkal). Mubariz managed to defeat this tribe with a lot of difficulty, and annexed some of their land to the Bengal Subah.[1]:324–325 It is considered that this tribe were Manipuri as they speak Meitei, which is a Sino-Tibetan language. In Assam and Greater Sylhet, Manipuris used to be referred to as "Mei-Moglai".[2]

In the sources that place their entry prior to 1606, they entered as gun makers or to extract salt from the brine springs. However, the events of 1606 state that they settled after Prince Sanongba requested aid from Cachari King Dimasha Prataphil to defeat his brother Chingsomba. Dimasha Prataphil was aware of Chingsomba's military strength and knew that his forces alone could not win. Hence, he requested the Nawab of Taraf, Muhammad Nazir to send forces to his aid. After the war with his brother Sanongba, Maharaj Khangemba and the Muslim soldiers from Taraf signed an agreement and allowed the Muslim soldiers to settle in the valleys of Manipur. In the meanwhile Burmese army broke a war against Kangleipak in Kabaw valley. King Khagemba asked the brave soldiers to help Meetei army to fight with Burma (Myanmar), agreed and fought the battle alongside Meetei army. Fortunately, Meetei army won the battle. King Khagemba was very happy with that and his highness gave the name Pangal (Pangal= Strength in Meetei lenguage ) Through marriage, adopting the Manipuri language and various local practices, which did not violate Islam, the Muslim soldiers were eventually naturalised as the Pangals. The etymology of the name is also interesting as some say it account from a Persian source states that the name Pangal was given due to their fortitude in battle, and the Pangal means ‘strength’ in Meiteilon.

The Muslims of Manipur were result of two Muslim migrations in 1606 and 1724. Manipur provided shelter to Shah Shuja, the Mughal prince who fled (and was pursued) to save himself from the wrath of his brother Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. According to Henry Rule Kathe, Muslims are the result of intermixing (melting pot) of Muslims coming in different eras from different directions – Bengal, Arakan, Cachar and Manipur itself. Silk-spinning was a trade widely practised by them.[3]

The Muslim Pangals of Manipur devastated and were taken as slaves by the invading Burmese armies.[4]

While some Muslims were already living in Manipur, there was a significant influx of Muslims from 1660 onwards, as refugees followed the deposing of the Mughal Shah Shuja (Shangkusum) of Hindustan, who lost a war of succession to Aurangzeb. Shuja's flight is significant in the Islamic folklore of both north east India and Bangladesh.

On 6 June 1660, Shuja fled from Dacca (Dhaka), initially intent on travelling, via Chittagong to Arakan (Rakhine).[5][6] Arakan, capital of the Mrauk U Kingdom, was the destination, because Sanda Sudamma (Thudamma) had reportedly promised to provide ships to take Shuja and his entourage to Mecca for haj (pilgrimage). Shaju travelled with his wife Piari Banu Begum (a.k.a. Praveen Banu, Piara Banu, or Pai Ribanu) and her sister Sabe Banu, his sons Zainul Abidin (Zainibuddin, Bon Sultan or Sultan Bang), Buland Akhtar and Zain-ul-Din Muhammad (Zainul Abedi), and daughters Gulrukh Banu, Roshanara Begum and Amina Begum,[7] as well as two vessels of gold and silver, jewels, treasures and other royal trappings, on the backs of half a dozen camels, while about 1,000 palanquins (carriers) transported Shuja's harem. After staying for some time at Chittagong, Shuja took a land route (still called Shuja Road) southward. Shuja prayed the Eid prayer at a place called Edgoung (meaning eidgah) in Dulahazra. The part crossed the Naf River, half a mile north of Maungdaw, which is sometimes still known as "Shuja Village". The final leg was a sea voyage to Arakan where Shuja was received by an envoy of king Sanda Sudamma and escorted to quarters provided for him. However, after Shuja arrived in Arakan, Sudama reportedly reneged on this promise and confiscated some of Shuja's treasure. In retaliation, Zainul Abidin and another brother led a Mughal attack on Sudama and almost succeeded in setting fire to the royal palace. Two or three of Shuja's sons died in subsequent fighting and/or the Mughals' flight into the jungle. Many other Mughals were massacred. Shuja's daughter Gulrukh reportedly committed suicide after being captured and raped by Sudama. The surviving members of Shaju's party, helped reportedly by Mughals and Pathans resident at Arakan,[8] travelled north with Portuguese mariners, at a high cost in gold and jewels.

The Hindu kings of Tripura and Manipur were more agreeable hosts – probably because they did not like the expansionist policy of Aurangzeb – and played a crucial role in concealing Shuja's whereabouts. He and his party arrived at Tripura on 16 May 1661,[5] and in Manipur in December 1661.[9] Conscious that Aurangzeb’s scouts and spies were searching for them,[10] misinformation was spread that Shuja had died at Arakan, or was travelling to Mecca, among other stories.[8] Among other precautionary measures, Shuja was sent by elephant to the hill country of Ukhrul.[11] Mir Jumla II came to know of the situation and sent three men to Manipur in late December 1661, to detain and retrieve Shuja's family.[12] However, the Qazi of Manipur, Muhammad Sani, detained the chief emissary of the Mughals, Nur Beg to ensure that the others, Dur Beg and Rustam Beg, did not provide information regarding Shuja’s presence in Manipur.[13] At that time, Shuja was in hiding at a cave known later as Shuja-lok ("Shuja Cave"),[14] Haignang, Kairang (east of Imphal). According to some accounts he later died at the cave.

The Manipuri Muslims are the descendants of the invaded soldiers from the Sylhet and the local women. The king of Manipur gave their surname based on their profession. For example, fundreimayum was the surname given to those who worked on lathe. Likewise, Chesam was given as surname to those who worked in paper industry. Among the Manipuri Muslims, Fundreimayum and Yumkhaibam Clan are Turko-Afghan descendants. Their ancestors were Pathans and they are the descandants of Kundan Khan and Zamman Khan who were Pathans. The First Chief Minister of Manipur, Alimmudin was from the Fundreimayum clan of Manipuri Muslims.

Population

Their present population is 239,886, making up 8.40% of the state of Manipur population as per 2011 census. Pangal mostly settled in the periphery of Manipur near River bank, near lake and foothills. The Pangals are mainly concentrated in and around Imphal, the capital of Manipur and Thoubal. There is large number of pangals live in Cachar in Assam, Hojai in Assam, Komolpur in Tripura and Bangladesh. It is believed that the ancestors of the Pangals settled in this region are migrated from Manipur during the seven years devastation also known as Chahi-Taret Khuntakpa, the black period in the history of Manipur when Burmese invasions of Assam and their conquest of Manipur around 1815 AD.

Culture

Today there are more than 50 Muslim family title names. They are an indigenous and peace-loving community. Traditional dress for men is Lungis and pajamas, and for women is Kurtis, Shalwar and phanek. Both also wear western attire. They maintained their own identity though they assimilated and intermixed with the other local communities.

Stratification

Pangals are divided into 77 clans or family titles.[15]

Discrimination

Violence and racism

Despite the fact the Pangals have had a long history in the area, share much cultural traits with their non-Muslim neighbors, and have generally lived in peace as a minority; they have faced discrimination, marginalization, and Islamophobia from the Manipuri government, other political actors and fellow Manipuris. Common stereotypes held by Meiteis and other non-Pangals is that the Pangals are anti-social and prone to theivery.[16] The 1993 Pangal massacre saw the death of around 130 Pangals and the burning of their homes. False rumors spread by Meiteis alleged that Pangals molested Meitei college students. This led mobs to kill and assault Pangal men and women and destroying Pangal-owned stores. The police were criticized for doing little to curtail the violence or stop the misinformation.[17]

The rise of the BJP in Manipur since 2016 has lead to a rise of hate crimes against Pangals. Attacks and lynchings on Pangals were reported.[17] Since the BJP got in power in Manipur in 2017, many Pangals have experienced discrimination and Islamophobia. Yumnam Devjit, the son of politicianYumnam Joykumar Singh, wrote in a facebook post that the Qurbani ritual done during Eid al- Adha "was nothing but training for Muslims to kill."[16]

In September 2018, a Pangal man named Mohamed Farooq Khan was lynched by a mob and the video of his lynching was soon spread throughout social media. He allegedly stole a scooter which was the mob's motivation for the lynching but there was also another more likely possibility that Khan was wrongfully framed for the theft. This incident had led many Pangals to fear for their safety.[17]

Political marginalization

Pangals have little political representation in the Manipuri government and institutions with very few Pangals holding political office. The Manpuri government refused to include a Muslim representative during the drafting of the for the Protection of Manipuri People proposed by the State Government on May 23, 2018. The bill was meant to prevent Rohingyas (and certain other migrants) from settling in Manipur. A common view held by non-muslim Manipuris is that the Pangals give asylum to the Rohingyas and place much blame on them for the imagined offense.[18]

The Inner Line Permit bill saw many Manipuris protest for its implementation. Some Pangals believed that the wording of the bill was vague about its definition of being a "original settler" of Manipur and that it excluded Pangals by not explicitly acknowledging them. According to advocates, this ambiguity can mean that Pangals can be targeted along with other Muslims from Assam, Bengal and Bihar.[16]

The Pangals have received a disproportionate amount of aid from the government compared to the Meiteis and other native groups in the area. The implementation of the KGBV program saw itself established among the Naga and Kukis but not in areas with sizable Pangal populations. The four percent reservation for government jobs is also poorly implemented for the Pangals.[16] Access to higher education, healthcare, and employment are also dismal.[18]

Displacement

According to a researcher at Mizoram University, the Pangals have experienced the loss of some of their land in a more frequent rate after the 1993 Pangal massacre.[19] There were some instances in where the Manpuri government forced Pangals to leave their residences in a allegedly reserve forest and paddy rice area and deployed the police and environmental laws to execute the evictions. The Pangals have noy yet been given compensation for these evictions. Advocates have also pointed out that comparable areas inhabited by Meiteis face much less scrutiny and evictions.[18][19] Chingiz Khan writing for Manipur Daily also stated that these actions by the state has encouraged other native groups in the area to threaten Pangals and their businesses to vacate the place.[18]

gollark: Abstraction is maybe harder to *implement*, but easier to *use* once it works.
gollark: Programming the interpreters and compilers used for higher-level languages is hard, but once they work it's easy to *use* them.
gollark: Or, well, "easy to use".
gollark: "Easy" doesn't mean "simple to implement".
gollark: You said easy, not simple.

See also

References
  1. M. I. Borah (1936). "Conquest of a hill tribe". Baharistan-I-Ghaybi – Volume 1.
  2. Nath, Rajmohan (1948). The back-ground of Assamese culture. A. K. Nath. p. 122.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  3. Pangali Musalman: Manipuri Muslims
  4. The Muslims of Manipur
  5. Niccolai Manucci, Storia do Mogor or History of Mughal India, translator William Irvine
  6. Suhas Chatterjee, 2008, The Socio-Economic History of South Assam.
  7. Stanley Lane-Pool, 1971, Aurangzeb, vol.1.
  8. Niccolai Manucci, Storia do Mogor.
  9. Cheitharol Kumbaba, 1989.
  10. Janab Khan, 1972, Manipuri Muslim also locally called "Moughlai Muslim".
  11. see also How Shuja, Brother of Aurangzeb died (sic) at Ukhrul; he actually died and was buried at Kairang Shujalok.
  12. A. Hakim Shah, 2008, The Manipur Governance
  13. Names of Mughal ambassadors can be known from P. Gogoi, 1961, The Tai and Tai Kingdoms who gave Dur Beg and Rustam; Kheiruddin Khullakpam, 1997, Turko-Afghangi Chada Naoda, Lilong: Circles, gives the Boggy clan ancestor as Noor Bakhsh that must be Noor Beg.
  14. Janab Khan, 1972, Manipuri Muslim.
  15. Makhjummayum, Imam Khan (16 December 2009). "Evolution of kinship and clan system among Manipuri Muslim". The Sangai Express.
  16. "What it means to be a Muslim in lynch-era Manipur". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  17. Mander, Harsh. "A Manipur Muslim family struggles to understand why a lynch mob thought their MBA-son was a thief". Scroll.in. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  18. Khan, Chingiz (7 April 2019). "Pangals victim of manufactured insecurity". The Pioneer. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  19. "JNU research scholar accuses Manipur of harassing Pangal Muslims in newspaper article, state government responds with author's arrest - India News , Firstpost". Firstpost. 14 April 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.

Bibliography

Further reading
  • Hui Legends of The Companions of The Prophet, China Heritage,20 Sep 2010, www.chinaheritagenewsletter.org/article.
  • For Muslim settlement since 7th century see History Of Migration In the Valley Of Manipur by Dr. Oinam Ranjit Singh.
  • Manipuri Muslims: Socially Speaking
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