Meitei people The Meitei people, also known as Meetei people,P.20: "historically, academically and conventionally Manipuri prominently refers to the Meetei people."P.24: "For the Meeteis, Manipuris comprise Meeteis, Lois, Kukis, Nagas and Pangal." are a Ti ...

(), also known as

Manipuri people The Meitei people, also known as Meetei people,P.20: "historically, academically and conventionally Manipuri prominently refers to the Meetei people."P.24: "For the Meeteis, Manipuris comprise Meeteis, Lois, Kukis, Nagas and Pangal." are a Ti ...

(), is one of the minority ethnic groups of

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

. They live mostly in the

Sylhet division Sylhet Division () is a northeastern Divisions of Bangladesh, division of Bangladesh, renowned for its lush tea gardens, rolling hills and vibrant cultural heritage. Covering an area of approximately 12,298 square kilometres, it is bordered by t ...

of the country. The Meitei of Bangladesh's population reached 15,000 in 2020

History

Meiteis moved from

Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...

at different times because of wars, conflicts, and other reasons. They started moving during the rule of Meitei King

Ching-Thang Khomba Bhagya Chandra (also known as Ching-Thang Khomba and Jai Singh) (1748–1799) was a king of Manipur (princely state), Manipur in the 18th century CE. He was the grandson of Gharib Niwaz (Manipur), Gharib Niwaz and ruled Manipur for almost fort ...

, also known as

Rajarshi Bhagyachandra Bhagya Chandra (also known as Ching-Thang Khomba and Jai Singh) (1748–1799) was a king of Manipur in the 18th century CE. He was the grandson of Gharib Niwaz and ruled Manipur for almost forty years (1759–1798). During his rule, he faced ...

(1764-1789). The Manipuri-Burmese wars (1819-1825) made more people move. After the war, the Burmese ruled Manipur for about seven years ( Chahi Taret Khuntakpa). During this time, King

Chourjit Singh Chourjit Singh, also known as Charajit Singh, was a Meitei King and a Maharaja of , who ruled between 1806 and 1812. See also *List of Manipuri kings *Manipur (princely state) The Manipur Kingdom, also known as Meckley, was a ...

and his two younger brothers,

Marjit Singh Marjit Singh was a king of Manipur kingdom between 1812 and 1819 as a vassal of Burma, but was eventually expelled by the Burmese.: "Marjit ruled over Manipur for seven years (1812-1819) as a vassal of the Burmese King." The Burmese devastated ...

and

Gambhir Singh Chinglen Nongdrenkhomba (1788–1834), also known as Raja Gambhir Singh, was a ruler of the Manipur Kingdom. Biography He was a son of Chingthang Khomba. He succeeded his nephew Yumjaotaba in April 1821 during the seven years devastation. H ...

, went to

Sylhet Sylhet (; ) is a Metropolis, metropolitan city in the north eastern region of Bangladesh. It serves as the administrative center for both the Sylhet District and the Sylhet Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Surma River and, as o ...

. Many Manipuri people followed them. A palace was built for them in Mirzajangal,

town. During this time, Meitei people settled in Kasba of Brahmanbaria, Durgapur of

Mymensingh Mymensingh () is a metropolis, metropolitan city and capital of Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh. Located on the bank of the Old Brahmaputra River, Brahmaputra River, about north of the national capital Dhaka, it is a major financial center ...

, and Tejgaon of

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

. But now, these places are not special Meitei settlements. Most Meitei people now live in

town and its nearby areas, and in Kamalganj, Sreemangal, Kulaura, and Barlekha areas of

Maulvibazar District Moulvibazar District, () also spelled Moulavibazar, or Maulavibazar, (previous name: South Sylhet) is the southeastern district of Sylhet Division in northeastern Bangladesh, named after the town of Moulvibazar. It is bordered by the Indian states ...

; Chunarughat area of

Habiganj District Habiganj District (; ), formerly known as Habibganj District (), is a district in north-eastern Bangladesh, located in the Sylhet Division. It was established as a district in 1984 as a successor to its ''subdivision'' status since 1867. It is na ...

; and Chhatak area of

Sunamganj District Sunamganj District (), is a district located in north-eastern Bangladesh in Sylhet Division. History In the ancient period, Sunamganj was part of the Laur Kingdom. After the conquest of Sylhet (Kingdom of Gauiurh) in 1303 by Muslims under the sp ...

. Banglapedia mentions, "According to the 1991 Population Census, there are about 25,000 Manipuris in Bangladesh. Of them about 13,000 are in Maulvi Bazar, 7,000 in Sylhet and 4,000 in Habiganj."

Language

There are possible signs of extinction of

Meitei language Meitei (; ) also known as Manipuri ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of northeast India. It is the official language and the lingua franca of Manipur and an additional official language in four districts of Assam. It is one of the scheduled ...

(also known as

Manipuri language Meitei (; ) also known as Manipuri ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of northeast India. It is the official language and the lingua franca of Manipur and an additional official language in four districts of Assam. It is one of the scheduled ...

) from use in the next generation as the Meiteis started becoming more fluent in speaking Bengali than their own language.

Culture

Meiteis enjoy

polo Polo is a stick and ball game that is played on horseback as a traditional field sport. It is one of the world's oldest known team sports, having been adopted in the Western world from the game of Chovgan (), which originated in ancient ...

boat racing Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water body, water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and ...

, drama and

dancing Dance is an art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire of movements or ...

Agriculture

Most Meiteis of Bangladesh are farmers and grow rice,

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

, tobacco,

oranges The orange, also called sweet orange to distinguish it from the bitter orange (''Citrus × aurantium''), is the fruit of a tree in the family Rutaceae. Botanically, this is the hybrid ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis'', between the pomelo (''Citrus m ...

and

pineapples The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many cent ...

. They usually built their houses near the riverbanks.

Clothing

Handloom is common among the Bangladesh Meiteis. Moirang Phee is a common clothing of the

Meitei women Women have significant roles in different elements of Meitei culture, including Meitei dances, Meitei festivals, Meitei folklore, Meitei folktales, Meitei literature, Meitei mythology, Meitei religion, etc. Women as goddesses Besides natural ...

. A new type of women's clothing was developed from banana fibres, and was named as "Kalabati". It was also recognised by the

Prime Minister of Bangladesh The prime minister of Bangladesh (, : Bāṅlādēśēr Prôdhānmôntrī), officially prime minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh (, : Gôṇôprôjātôntrī Bāṅlādēśēr Prôdhānmôntrī), is the head of government of the Ba ...

Cinema

Cuisine

Meiteis do not consume meat, except fish. In other words, they practise

pescetarianism Pescetarianism ( ; sometimes spelled pescatarianism) is a dietary practice in which seafood is the only source of meat in an otherwise vegetarian diet. The inclusion of other animal products, such as eggs and dairy, is optional. According to ...

Festivals

Meitei festivals Meitei festivals are an integral part of the cultural heritage of the Meitei people, an ethnic group native to the Indian state of Manipur. The festivals often celebrate events from Ancient Kangleipak, Ancient Manipur and often coinciding with ...

Lai Haraoba Lai Haraoba (, ), also known as Umang Lai Haraoba, is a classical,———— ritualistic, theatrical dance and music festival, annually celebrated by the Meitei people, to please the Umang Lai deities of the traditional Meitei religion (San ...

and Ningol Chakouba are celebrated by the Meiteis of Bangladesh.

Matrimony

Meiteis do not marry a person of their own clan (). So, they marry people of other clan.

Monuments

Manipuri Rajbari

Meitei kings built many shrines dedicated to

traditional Meitei deities Sanamahism is the indigenous religion of the Meitei people. It originated in the Kingdom of Kangleipak, and is still practiced in modern Manipur, India, distinct from both the Indosphere and the Sinosphere. Sanamahism is a polytheism, polytheistic ...

, including those of God Nongshaba, God Pakhangba and Goddess Yumjao Lairembi notably in the ''Manipuri Rajbari'' () in Lama Bazar of Bangladesh. Moreover, there are palaces and tombs of the Meitei royalties in the ''Manipuri Rajbari'' of Lama Bazar.

Proposed monuments

The construction of a statue of Meitei King

at Rajbari, Sylhet, and a museum for Meitei King

at Kamalganj, Moulvi Bazar, are proposed by the United Committee Manipur to the

Chief Minister of Manipur The Chief Minister of Manipur is the head of government, chief executive of the Indian state of Manipur. As per the Constitution of India, the Governors of states of India, governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive auth ...

Performing arts

Dance is an important part of the Meitei cultural heritage. Traditional dances include

, Khamba-Thoibi, Maibi Jagoi and Leisem Jagoi. Classical dances include

Manipuri Raas Leela Manipuri dance, sometimes also referred to as the Manipuri Raas Leela (), is a jagoi and is one of the major Indian classical dance forms, originating from the state of Manipur. It is one of the Meitei intangible cultural heritage. The "Ma ...

, Gostha leela, Udukhol and Mridanga.< Thabal Chongba is also common among the Bangladeshi Meiteis.

Religion

Bangladeshi Meiteis are mostly

Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

but also practise

traditional Meitei religion Sanamahism , also known as Meiteism , or Lainingthouism is an ethnic religion of the Meitei people of Manipur, in Northeast India. It is a polytheistic religion and is named after Lainingthou Sanamahi, one of the most important deities of t ...

. Meitei rulers built many temples for

, especially those of God Nongshaba, God Pakhangba and Goddess Yumjao Lairembi in the soils of Bangladesh. The

Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple Board The Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple Board (LSTB) is a temple development board of the Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple, Haying Khongban Uphong Yumpham, Imphal West district of . It is dedicated not only to God Lainingthou Sanamahi and Goddess Leimare ...

(LSTB) is about to build a temple dedicated to traditional Meitei deity, Sanamahi, in Kunagaon of Bangladesh.

Sports

Bangladeshi Meiteis enjoy

(),

boat race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. It is also known as the Uni ...

(), among many.

Groups

* Bangladesh Manipuri Sahitya Sangsad

References

External links

{{Authority control Meitei people Ethnic groups in Bangladesh Wikipedia Privacy policy Terms of UseDesktop