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Pamheiba, the Meitei king of Manipur, who adopted Hinduism as a religion of his kingdom and gave it the Sanskrit name: All you need to know

In the lush green valleys of Northeast India, where mighty mountains touch the sky and rivers whisper ancient glories, there was a king called Pamheiba. His reign was as glorious as the land he ruled—Manipur. Born in 1690, Pamheiba, popularly known as Garib Niwaj (Garib Nawaz), was destined to steer his kingdom through a massive socio-political and religious transformation that would echo through the annals of Indian history.

Manipur, a picturesque state in India’s northeast, has been in the news due to the prevailing Kuki-Meitei ethnic violence. In the recent past, allegations of attempts to carve out a separate Christian nation “Zogam” or “Zalengam” for Kuki-Zo Christians including Kuki-inhabited areas of Manipur, Mizoram and certain areas in Bangladesh and Myanmar, have also emerged. Historically, however, Manipur was a Meitei kingdom.

In the lush green valleys of Northeast India, where mighty mountains touch the sky and rivers whisper ancient glories, there was a king called Pamheiba. His reign was as glorious as the land he ruled—Manipur. Born in 1690, Pamheiba, popularly known as Garib Niwaj (Garib Nawaz), was destined to steer his kingdom through a massive socio-political and religious transformation that would echo through the annals of Indian history.

The glory of King Pamheiba

The saga began in the early 1700s when Pamheiba became king in 1709. Back then, people called Manipur by the name Kangleipak. This name was tied to the native culture and beliefs of the Meitei people. The kingdom was home to customs based on the nature-worshipping religion of Sanamahism.

Succeeding his father Charairongba, Pamheiba took over the throne in 1709. Charairongba had started to build diplomatic connections with Hindu kingdoms in the rest of India and had begun to follow some Hindu practices. Yet, Pamheiba’s reign as king saw these ties grow stronger and more consolidated.

Map showing King Pamheiba’s (Garibaniwaj) sphere of influence (Source: ImphalReviews)

History remembers King Pamheiba’s reign for his firm leadership, military prowess, alongside administrative reforms. Under his leadership, the region of Manipur expanded significantly beyond the borders of the Imphal valley. His military campaigns against the Burmese, helped to keep the region secure and steady making sure that the Meitei kingdom ensuring that the Meitei kingdom would remain a formidable force in the region.

Pamheiba and Hinduism

Pamheiba’s reign was profoundly transformed when he embraced Hinduism, which in turn led to a very significant impact on the Meitei society. In 1717, King Pamheiba came into contact with Hinduism through the efforts of Shantidasa Gosain (also spelt Goshai), a Vaishnavite preacher from Bengal’s Sylhet, who was an adherent of the Chaitanya school of Vaishnavism. Under the guidance of Shantidas, Pamheiba embraced Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a Bhakti sect of Hinduism dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Krishna.

The fact that Hinduism was now the declared state religion of Manipur with the ambition to embrace Hinduism cascaded a religious transition in the area. Religious tolerance was non-existent in the kingdom when the Meitei people adopted Hinduism en masse. As a result, some traditional Meitei rituals underwent metamorphosis and were either replaced or intermingled with the Hindu customs. It is also said that Muslim immigrants gave him the name “Garib Niwaj”, however, King Pamheiba’s Hindu/Sanskrit name was Gopal Singh, built temples and adopted Hindu rituals in the royal court. Pamheiba was also known as Manipureswar after he renamed Kangleipak to the Sanskrit name Manipur.

Pamheiba constructed many Hindu temples including Shri Krishna Temple of Brahmapur Guruaribam Leikai in Imphal. The Court Chronicle of the Kings of Manipur: The Cheitharol Kumbaba, documents the construction of Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Krishna and other Hindu deities by Ningthouja dynasty rulers.

While it is true that under the reign of King Pamheiba, several temples dedicated to Lainingthou Sanamah and other local Meitei deities were either demolished or repurposed for the Hindu way of worship, and there was also a book burning event Puya Meithaba, Hinduism did not essentially make its way into Manipur for the first time.

In the book “Kirata-Jana-Krti: The Indo-Mongoloids; Their Contribution to the History and Culture of India” SK Chatterji writes, “The Meitheis or  Manipuris appear to have entered the Hindu fold at least as  early as the 8th century when Vaishnavism spread among them.”

Some historians are of the view that by the end of the 8th century A.D. Manipur came under the influence of Hindu culture as epigraphic evidence suggests. A copper plate inscription in archaic Manipuri script dated Saka 721 (A.D. 799) issued by King Khongtekcha (A.D. 765-799), which was discovered by Manipuri archaeologist Yumjao Singh from Phayeng village, about 9 miles west of Imphal, and also deciphered by him, testified to the prevalence of worship of Shiva, Durga, Hari, Ganesh and other Hindu deities.

King Pamheiba’s military campaigns against Burma

Not only was Pamheiba a religious reformer, but he also turned out to be an ambitious military leader. During his rule, Manipur extended its territories significantly, owing to successful military campaigns against the Burmese to the east, and smaller kingdoms in the west. Pamheiba’s most notable military achievement was his invasion of Burma in 1737 when Meitei forces seized wide swathes of Burmese land, including Ava, the Burmese capital, for a brief period. His operations against the Burmese were one aspect of a larger plan to protect Manipur from Burmese attacks, as these had been a snag in the kingdom’s safety that didn’t go away for very long. In addition to his military campaigns, the Hindu king brought glory, wealth and resources to his kingdom.

King Pamheiba’s military campaigns against Burma proved relentless, often employing artful stratagems. There is a famous story of how Gharib Nawaz, masquerading under the guise of a wedding party, ambushed and defeated Burmese forces; he took prisoners and treasures, strengthening his realm’s resources and prestige.

One of the major reasons behind Pamheiba’s campaigns against Burma was a promise he made to his father, Charairongba. In the “Samsok Ngamba” it is said that the Burmese king had allegedly dishonoured Pamheiba’s sister during his father’s reign, which Charairongba could not avenge because of political constraints. After ascending to the throne, Pamheiba vowed to retaliate and launched several successful military campaigns against Burma. His campaigns in the Kabaw valley against the Burmese and local shans also proved immensely successful.

Attributing the rise of Hinduism in Manipur to King Pamheiba’s decision to adopt it as the state religion, TC Hodson in his book The Meitheis wrote, “To the royal will of Pamheiba (Garibaniwaj), the monarch in whose reign the fortunes of the state reached their zenith, Hinduism owes its present position as the official religion of the state.”

Excerpt from TC Hodson’s The Meitheis

The service of Dharma initiated by King Charairongba, taken forward by King Pamheiba was further carried out by the latter’s successor King Bhagyachandra who popularised Hinduism through the introduction of Ras Lila and the construction of the Shri Govinda Ji idol.

Radha-Krishan worship through Manipuri dance (Image source: AusDance)

Transformation, conflict, and cultural fusion seem to summarize the story of King Gopal Singh/ Pamheiba or the Gharib Nawaz. He stands out as a figure who, in his quest for power and perhaps enlightenment, reshaped the identity of a kingdom, leaving behind a legacy where the echoes of ancient Sanmahi chants mingled with the hymns of Vaishnav Hindu dharma. Under his rule, Manipur became a jewel in the crown of Hindu kingdoms, yet never lost its unique shimmer, its own story, and its enduring spirit.

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