Indian Muslim Archives@Rustum_0
Hinduism does not belong to Manipur. It was forcibly imposed by King Pamheiba, around 1720, involving severe religious persecution of natives to force conversions.
Hindu radicals fool others by saying they never imposed their religioun upon others. Therefore, read this entire post carefully and in full.
It was in the coming of the third Hindu mission that sounded the death-knell of the old Meetei religion and customs. The leader of the mission was Shanta Das Gossai. He preached the doctrines of Ramanandi dharma of Hinduism to the king. The principal god of this faith is Rama, the hero of Ramayana. He came to Manipur at the head of a band of missionary in 1720.
Pamheipa appointed Shanta Das Gossai his guru. He also allowed him to baptize all those who wanted to embrace Ramanadi at his own free will. However, it did not win many adherents. Nimandi, Gaudiya and Sakhya faiths of Hinduism, being deprived of state patronage, could not evolve further but U-Mang-Lai continued to exist even when the King forbade worshiping them. Though it lost the patronage of the king, U-Mang-Lai worship continued its toleration.
The hopes of Shanta Das Gossai to convert the Meeteis to his faith were showing no prospect of fulfillment. He, therefore, urged the king to adopt anti-Meetei religion policy - demolition of U-Mang-Lai temples, dismissal of Meetei priests and shamans and discontinuation of the Meetei customs in the royal court.
After giving such recommendation, Shanta Das Gossai left for Sylhet for temporary stay there. As the chronicle records, "The year of Thoutapa Heiton 1643 Kum Sak... Friday, the 8th of Wakching (26th December 1721 CE), Guru Mahanta was escorted from Chinga to Thangpicharou."
The Sanamahi Laikan gives us interesting information about the iconoclastic zeal of Shanta Das Gossai, which led to the destruction of U-Mang-Lai temples and idols of Meetei ancestral divinities. Under his pressure, the king misused his imperial authority to convert his Meetei subjects to Ramanadi.
As Hinduism is against meat eating and drinking liquor the first step took up by the King was prohibition of cow-slaughter, meat eating, brewing wine, and domestication of pig and fowl in the capital
Before Manipur adopted Hinduism, meat eating was greatly favored and drinking was probably common among the people. The step of the king gave a very rude shock to the Meeteis.
The Cheitharon Kumpapa records the punishments inflicted to those who disobeyed the order,
"The year of Puthem Yithai 1644 Kum Sak...the first day of the month Langpan began on Friday (August/September 1722 CE )... On that day all the people of the seven sageis of the Keiroi and Leikais who ate beef were punished by flogging and Khungoinapa.... The year of Wamanpa Mupa 1645 Kum Sak... the first day of the month Thawan began on Monday (2nd August 1723 CE). On that day domestication of pig and fowl in the villages prohibited. All the piggeries in the capital were sent to Lawai... The year of Moirang Khoitong 1646 Kum Sak... the first day of the month Poinu began on Tuesday (16th November 1724 CE). On that day, all the disobeyed piggeries from the villages were punished by fine."
In August 1723 CE, the king officially forbade the worship of U-Mang-Lai. The Cheitharon Kumpapa records, "The first day of the month Langpan began on Tuesday (31st August 1723 CE). On that day, the Sangkais of the nine U-Mang-Lai gods and two Lamapis were dismantled to discontinue worshipping them".
In November 1723 CE, the orthodox Meetei priests and Shamans from the principal royal temples were replaced by the Hindu Brahmins.
As the Chronicle records, "Friday, the full moon day of Hiyangkei (12th November 1723 CE), the Pamons started managing the worship of Laiyingthou Nongsapa, Yimthei Lai, Panthoipi and Taipang-Khaipa."
