The Lions of Manipur

The Last Stand of Bir Tikendrajit & Thangal General

Patriots' Day | August 13th

A solemn remembrance of the heroes who sacrificed all for sovereignty.

A War for Sovereignty

The Anglo-Manipur War of 1891 was not a simple rebellion, but the final, desperate stand of a proud kingdom against the inexorable advance of British imperialism. It was a saga of courage, defiance, and martyrdom, culminating in the public execution of two of Manipur's greatest heroes on August 13, 1891, a day that forever marked the end of its independence.

Pillars of the Resistance

Yubaraj Bir Tikendrajit

The Lion of Manipur (1856-1891)

The charismatic and militarily adept Senapati (commander-in-chief), Tikendrajit was the face of the defiance. His forceful personality, love for freedom, and suspicion of British intentions made him the natural leader of the nationalist faction.

Thangal General

The Veteran Statesman (c. 1811-1891)

An octogenarian warrior and statesman, Thangal General's life was interwoven with Manipur's history. He provided the historical perspective, political wisdom, and unwavering resolve forged over a lifetime of service.

Timeline of the 1891 War

March 22: The Deception

Chief Commissioner J.W. Quinton arrives in Imphal with 400 Gurkha soldiers, planning to arrest Tikendrajit under the guise of a formal Durbar. Tikendrajit, warned of the plot, refuses to attend.

March 24: The Attack & Reprisal

At dawn, British forces attack the Kangla Palace. The Manipuri army fiercely retaliates, besieging the British Residency. That night, five captured British officers are executed.

April 25: The Battle of Khongjom

The British declare war and launch a three-pronged invasion. At the hillock of Khongjom, the Manipuri army makes its final, heroic stand but is overwhelmed by superior firepower.

April 27: The Fall of Imphal

British columns capture the capital, Imphal, and hoist the Union Jack over the Kangla Palace, marking the end of Manipur's sovereignty. A manhunt begins for the leaders.

August 13: The Gallows of Pheidabung

After a controversial trial, Tikendrajit and Thangal General are publicly hanged. The execution, intended to crush the Manipuri spirit, instead immortalizes them as martyrs.

An Immortal Legacy

Though their kingdom fell, the memory of their last stand ensures that the spirit of an independent Manipur was never truly conquered. In death, Bir Tikendrajit and Thangal General were transformed from defeated leaders into immortal symbols of courage, sacrifice, and an unyielding love for freedom.

Shaheed Minar at Bir Tikendrajit Park, the site of the execution, is now a place of solemn remembrance.

The Khongjom War Memorial Complex honors the warriors of the last battle for Manipur's independence.

• "1891 Anglo-Manipuri War And Rarely Known Manipuri Heroes." Journal of Positive School Psychology.
• "A brief note on Anglo Manipuri War." E-Pao.
• "Anglo-Manipur War." Wikipedia.
• "Bir Tikendrajit, the hero of Manipur." Imphal Times.
• "Cause and Impact of Anglo-Manipur War 1891." Imphal Times.
• "Documents of Anglo-Manipur War, 1891." Google Books.
• Keen, Caroline. An imperial crisis in British India: the Manipur uprising of 1891. Dokumen.pub.
• "The Lion of Manipur: The Defiant Legacy of Bir Tikendrajit Singh..." Times Now.
• "Role of Thangal in anti-British movement." E-Pao.

A tribute to the indomitable spirit of the Manipuri people.

© 2024. All rights reserved.

Kinship Beyond the Seven Clans

An Interactive Study of Non-Yek Salai Communities in Manipur

Introduction

The social fabric of Manipur is a complex tapestry woven from diverse ethnic, religious, and historical threads. At its core lies the ancient kinship system of the Meitei, organized around seven exogamous clans known as the Yek Salai. This system has historically defined lineage, marriage, and socio-political structure.

However, a true understanding of Manipuri society requires looking beyond this central framework to the communities that, while integral to the state's culture, are genealogically distinct. This study delves into the social organizations of the Meitei Bamons (Brahmins) and Meitei Pangals (Muslims), and contrasts them with the parallel clan systems of the Naga and Kuki-Chin-Zo hill tribes, illuminating a nuanced reality of co-existence, hierarchy, and cultural exchange.

The Foundation: Yek Salai & Yumnak

The Yek Salai is not merely a social structure; it's the politico-cosmological charter of the traditional Meitei state. Its principles of lineage, exogamy, and hierarchy have defined indigenous Meitei identity for millennia.

The Seven Clans (Salai Taret)

The Meitei confederacy traces its origins to the consolidation of seven clans under King Nongda Lairen Pakhangba in 33 AD. Each clan traces its lineage to a divine primordial ancestor (Apokpa) and is associated with sacred symbols, colors, and elements.

The Seven Yek Salai of the Meitei Confederacy

Yek Salai (Clan)	Mythical Ancestor	Sacred Color
Ningthouja (Mangang)	Pakhangba	Red
Luwang	Poireiton	Light Blue/White
Khuman	Thongalen	Black
Angom	Pureiromba	White/Yellow
Moirang	Ngangningsing	Yellow/Dark Red
Kha Nganpa	Khamchingkon	Green (striped)
Chenglei	Nung-ngou Yumthangba	Green/Sky Color

Key Principles

• Exogamy (Yekthoknaba): A strict taboo prohibiting marriage within the same Yek Salai, considering it a form of incest. This compels inter-clan alliances.
• Kinship Hierarchy: A segmentary structure descending from the largest unit to the family: Yek/Salai (Clan) → Yumnak (Surname/Lineage) → Sagei (Sub-clan).

Integrated Yet Distinct: Valley Communities

The Manipur valley's history involved integrating migrant groups who adopted Meitei culture but were not incorporated into the Yek Salai system, creating unique social entities.

The Meitei Bamons (Brahmins)

Arriving from the 15th century, Brahmins were integrated as priests and scholars. The Meitei kings granted them Meitei-style surnames (Yumnaks) but did not assign them to any Yek Salai. This created a dual kinship system:

• Socially: Use Meitei Yumnak for identification.
• For Marriage: Adhere strictly to Hindu Gotra exogamy.

The Meitei Pangals (Muslims)

Descendants of Muslim soldiers who settled in 1606 AD, the Pangals were also kept genealogically distinct. The Meitei kings created a parallel system of exogamous clans for them, known as Sagei. This system is a remarkable instance of a state engineering a kinship structure for a minority community.

Their life-cycle rituals blend Islamic law (Sharia) with Meitei traditions, such as adopting Meitei-style exogamy and post-natal confinement customs.

Selected Meitei Pangal Sageis and Their Origins

Sagei (Surname)	Documented Origin / Derivation
Phundreimayum	From the profession of lathe workers.
Ayekpam	From the profession of artists ("one who paints").
Baseimayum	Descended from the Basa/Pasha kingdom in Sylhet.
Makakmayum	Traces heritage to Mughalpur, Makkah, and Mughal officers.

A Comparative Perspective: Clan Systems of the Hill Tribes

The indigenous Naga and Kuki-Chin-Zo tribes of the hills possess their own ancient and diverse kinship systems that evolved independently of the Meitei Yek Salai.

Naga Clan Systems

Characterized by strong village autonomy and loyalty to the clan. Political systems are often described as republican or acephalous.

• Tangkhul Naga: Organized into a multitude of exogamous clans (e.g., Zimik, Keishing).
• Zeliangrong Naga: Founded on a dualistic clan structure (moiety system) of two primary clans: Pamei and Newmei.
• Mao Naga: Society is divided into several exogamous clans known as Opfuta.

Kuki-Chin-Zo Clan Systems

Political structure is often centered on hereditary chieftainship, an autocratic system at the village level.

• Thadou-Kuki: Numerous clans (e.g., Sitlhou, Haokip) tracing descent from a mythical ancestor, Chongthu.
• Paite (Zomi): Chieftainship is drawn from one of two ruling clans: Guite or Sukte.
• Hmar: Divided into a complex system of clans (Pahnam) and sub-clans, practicing strict clan exogamy.

Synthesis & Conclusion

The examination of communities without Yek Salai reveals a multi-layered social landscape. Kinship structures and surnames are not passive labels; they are condensed histories encoding origin, religion, and social boundaries.

Surnames as Markers of History and Status

Across Manipur, surnames signify one's place in the social order. For the Meitei, it's a marker of indigenous status. For Bamons and Pangals, it reflects a dual identity of integration and separate origin. For hill tribes, it's an emblem of their own sovereign ethnic identities.

A Comparative Framework of Kinship Structures in Manipur

Feature	Meitei (Yek Salai)	Meitei Bamon	Meitei Pangal	Naga (Zeliangrong)	Kuki-Chin-Zo (Thadou)
Core Unit	7 Yek Salai (Clans)	Yumnak & Gotra	Sagei (Clan)	Moieties & Sub-clans	Clans
Origin	Mythological	Historical Migration	Historical Migration	Mythological	Mythological
Exogamy Rule	Yek Salai Exogamy	Gotra Exogamy	Sagei Exogamy	Clan/Moiety Exogamy	Clan Exogamy
Political System	Federated Monarchy	Integrated into Monarchy	Integrated into Monarchy	Autonomous Village Republics	Hereditary Village Chieftainship

• Yek Salai. (n.d.). In Wikipedia.
• Singh, K. B., & Lai, T. (n.d.). Lai-thang. Antrocom.
• Singh, K. I., & Devi, T. D. (n.d.). The Social Structure of the Meiteis. ResearchGate.
• Meitei confederacy. (n.d.). In Wikipedia.
• The People of Manipur. (n.d.). The Manipur Page.
• What has spurred ethnic violence in India’s Manipur? (2023). Al Jazeera.
• Hodson, T. C. (n.d.). The Naga tribes of Manipur. Archive.org.
• Kuki people. (n.d.). In Wikipedia.
• Shimrah, K. (2016). The Social structure of Tangkhul Naga.
• Social Structure of Zeliangrong Society. (2018). Rongmei Encyclopedia.
• The Institution of Kuki Chieftainship: A Study.
• Yumnak Sageis of Meitei Pangals by John Comyn Higgins, 1930. Imphal Times.

Yek Salai - Interactive Meitei Clan Heritage System

Yek Salai

Meitei Clan Heritage System

860+ Surnames

Discover Your Meitei Clan Heritage

Explore the seven sacred Yek Salai of Manipur, check marriage compatibility, and preserve your family legacy through digital genealogy.

Find Your Clan

Search through 860+ surnames across all seven Yek Salai

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Compatibility Checks

Marriage Compatibility Checker

Check if marriage is allowed between two surnames according to traditional Meitei customs.

First Surname

Second Surname

Browse by Clan

Explore surnames organized by their respective Yek Salai.

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About Yek Salai System

The Yek Salai system is an ancient Meitei social organization that divides the community into seven distinct clans. This system has been integral to Meitei society for centuries, governing marriage customs, social interactions, and cultural identity.

Traditional Marriage Rules:

• Yek Tinnaba: Marriage within the same clan is strictly prohibited
• Shairuk Tinnaba: Marriage between certain inter-clan relationships forbidden
• Pen Tinnaba: Matrilineal marriage restrictions apply
• Mungnaba: Cross-cousin marriage regulations within specific generations

The Seven Yek Salai:

1. Mangang (Ningthouja): The ruling clan, associated with leadership
2. Luwang: Known for administrative skills and scholarly traditions
3. Khuman: Warriors and protectors, associated with night time
4. Angom: Skilled craftspeople and artisans
5. Moirang: Ancient principality, merchants and traders
6. Khaba Nganba: Merged clan from Khaba and Nganba groups
7. Salang Leisangthem (Chenglei): Connected to agricultural traditions

This digital platform preserves and makes accessible the traditional knowledge of Meitei clan heritage, ensuring that cultural customs are maintained for future generations while adapting to modern needs.

📱 Access Different Versions

🚀 GitHub Pages Version

Latest features, family tree builder, and advanced functionality

📜 Original 2017 Version

Classic surname lookup with community comments

💻 Source Code

Open source project - contribute to the development

Meitei Yek Salai System and Genetic Science

Yek Salai & Genetics

The Meitei Yek Salai System

How an ancient seven-clan framework maps onto modern Y-chromosome inheritance—and why it still shapes marriage rules today.

Help Expand Our Database

We’re compiling the most comprehensive public list of Meitei Yumnaks and their parent Salai. If your surname isn’t in our tool yet, please consider contributing.

Take the 2-minute survey →

1 · Origins of the Seven Salai

The earliest royal chronicles (Cheitharol Kumbaba) trace the consolidation of disparate valley chiefdoms under King Nongda Lairen Pakhangba (33 CE). Over centuries of warfare, alliance, and marriage, smaller polities merged into the familiar septet [1][2]:

1. Mangang (Ningthouja)
2. Angom
3. Luwang
4. Khuman
5. Khaba-Nganba
6. Moirang
7. Chenglei (Sarang Leishangthem)

Each Salai contains hundreds of yumnak (surnames) that can—all things equal—trace their male line back to a single legendary ancestor [3][4].

2 · The Seven Swords of the Salai

Each of the seven clans is represented by a unique sword, or thang, symbolizing its history and character. Click on a sword to learn about its Salai.

Select a sword to explore its Salai.

3 · The Genetic Rationale: Y Chromosome

The Salai system's strict marriage rules have a direct parallel in modern genetics, specifically in the inheritance of the Y-chromosome. This chromosome, which determines male sex, is passed directly from father to son with very little change, creating a clear patrilineal signature for each clan.

3.1 Patrilineal DNA

Because the Y-chromosome is passed down almost exclusively from father to son, all males within a single Salai will share a nearly identical Y-chromosome haplotype, tracing back to a common ancestor. The exogamy rules, which forbid marrying within the same Salai, ensure genetic diversity by preventing these identical Y-chromosomes from being paired with closely related mitochondrial DNA from the mother's side.

4 · Brother- & Sister-Yek: The Rules of Intermarriage

The system becomes more complex when considering "brother" clans (shairuk tinnaba) or when a clan fissions into new lines. Marriage between these related lines is forbidden for a set number of generations. The diagrams below illustrate how "blood is changed" over generations of daughters marrying into other clans, eventually making a new union permissible.

Figure 2: A simplified marriage lineage diagram. Click to enlarge.

Figure 3: A complex multi-lineage diagram. Click to enlarge.

5 · Key Takeaways

• The seven-Salai matrix, symbolized by distinct clan swords, remains a living social regulator guiding marriage eligibility.
• Its patrilineal logic directly mirrors the biology of Y-chromosome inheritance, making it one of humankind’s earliest and most enduring population-genetic frameworks.
• Interactive tools and modern DNA studies can validate—or refine—clan origin myths and help catalogue endangered lineages for future generations.

6 · References & Further Reading

1. Singh, O.R. (2019). “Traditional Rules and Regulations with the Old Age Custom of the Meitei Marriage.” Review of Research, 8(5).
2. Kabui, G. (1991). History of Manipur: Pre-Colonial Period. New Delhi.
3. Hodson, T.C. (1908 / 1989 repr.). The Meitheis. Delhi.
4. Nature Communications (2024). “Patrilineal segmentary systems provide a peaceful explanation for the post-Neolithic Y-chromosome bottleneck.”
5. Smith, W.R. (1903). Marriage & Kinship in Early Arabia.
6. L. Anupama Singh (2018). “The Social Structure of the Meiteis of Manipur.” Golden Research Thoughts.
7. Wikipedia contributors. “Y Chromosome.” Last modified 2025-06-15.
8. Karmin et al. (2015). “Genomic Y bottleneck.” Science.

© 2025 Bani A.T. • Enhanced digital edition with interactive tools.

Content revised for clarity, interactivity & references.