Thangjing Hill (also called Thangching Hill and Thangting Hill), Debanish Achom
Row Over Cross And Flag Atop Manipur's "Sacred" Hill, Police Case Filed
NDTV News, 6 October 2023. is a mountain peak in the Indian state of

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 ...

. It is in the

Churachandpur district Churachandpur District (Meitei language, Meitei pronunciation: ''/tʃʊraːˌtʃaːnɗpʊr/''), is one of the 16 List of districts of Manipur, districts of the Indian state of Manipur populated mainly by Kuki-Zo people. The name honours former M ...

, to the west of

Moirang Moirang () is a town in the Indian state of Manipur, best known for the tentatively listed UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Keibul Lamjao Conservation Area (KLCA), covering Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), the world's only floating nation ...

. The north–south-running mountain range on which it sits is also called Thangjing range or Thangjing Hills. The range forms part of the western border of the

Imphal Valley Imphal Valley ( /ˈɪmpɑːl/; ) or Manipur Valley () is located in the Indian state of Manipur and is an irregular almost oval shaped canyon that was formed as a result of the multiple small rivers that originate from neighbouring hill regions ...

. The Thangjing Hill is believed by Manipuris to be the abode of

Thangching Thangching or Thangjing is a primordial deity in Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. He is the ruling deity of the Moirang dynasty. He rules supreme on the banks of the landlocked sea, Loktak lake. He is one of the four cardinal ...

, the ancestral deity of Moirang. In the Meitei cosmology, the "body" of Manipur is represented with various natural features of the land, including the Thangjing hill as its right leg. The Meiteis of the Moirang region carry out an annual pilgrimage to the top of the hill.

Geography

The Thangjing Hill is at an elevation of about above the mean sea level. It is part of the western hill range that bounds the

. The entire hill is in the

, which is a hill district dominated by the

Kuki-Zo people The Kuki people, or Kuki-Zo people,Rakhi BoseIn Tense Manipur, Sub-Categorisation And 'Creamy Layer' Could Open A Pandora's Box Outlook, 11 September 2024. uoting general secretary of the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), Kangpokpi''At prese ...

. The peak of the hill and the western slopes are in the Henglep Subdivision (or "Henglep block"), while some part of the eastern slopes are in the Kangvai subdivision. Streams rising in the western slopes of the hill flow into the

Leimatak River The Leimatak River (or Leimata River)Irang River. To the south rises the Tuila River, which joins the Tuivai River, a major river of the

. (Tuila was once considered the "Manipur source" of the Tuivai River, but now the main source is taken to lie in the

Chin State Chin State (, ) is a state in western Myanmar. Chin State is bordered by Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the east, Rakhine State to the south, the Chattogram Division of Bangladesh to the west, and the Indian states of Mizoram to th ...

of Myanmar, and Tuila regarded as its tributary.) To the east of the Thangjing Hill rise the Loklai,

Torbung Torbung is a census village split across the Bishnupur district and Churachandpur district in Manipur, India. The Bishnupur part of the village has a population of 2781, and the Churachandpur part a population of 2358 in the 2011 census. Torbung ...

and

Kangvai Kangvai is a village in the Churachandpur district of Manipur, India, near its contested border with Bishnupur district. It is on the bank of the Kangvai stream that flows down from the eastern slopes of the Thangjing Hill into the Imphal Valley, s ...

streams, which water the villages named after them. To the southeast of the range rises the Lanva River, which flows south till

Songpi Songpi, at one time called "Churachandpur", is a village in the Churachandpur district, Manipur, India. It served as the headquarters of one of the first hill subdivisions established under the British Raj in the 1920s, which also came to be call ...

, whose ridge deflects the stream to the east, eventually draining into the

Khuga River Khuga River, also known as the Tuitha River, is a river in Manipur, India. It originates in the Churachandpur district and flows through the district for much of its course. It enters the Imphal Valley near Torbung, and flows east, joining the M ...

near the

Churachandpur Churachandpur ( IPA: ''/tʃʊRVːˌtʃaːnɗpʊr/),'' locally known as Lamka is the second largest town in the Indian state of Manipur and the district headquarters of the Churachandpur district. The name "Churachandpur" was transferred from ...

town.

Mythology

Meitei mythology Meitei mythology (or Manipuri mythology) () is a collection of myths, belonging to the religious and cultural traditions of the Meitei people, the predominant ethnic group of Manipur. It is associated with traditional Meitei religion of Sanam ...

, the hill is mainly associated with the deity

Eputhou Thangjing Thangching or Thangjing is a primordial deity in Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. He is the ruling deity of the Moirang dynasty. He rules supreme on the banks of the landlocked sea, Loktak lake. He is one of the four cardinal ...

who is considered the guardian of the mountain and the protector of the south of the Kanglei world. Mangancha Thoudam Laiba
What Meiei myths and legends say of Lainingthou Thangching Koyelellai, the reigning deiy of the Thangjing ranges
Imphal Review of Arts and Politics, 6 February 2021. The hill is also mentioned in the love story of

Khamba Thoibi The ancient legend of Khamba and Thoibi () is a classic, as well as one of the epic cycles of incarnations of Meitei mythology and folklore, that is originated from Ancient Moirang kingdom of Ancient Kangleipak (early Manipur). It is referr ...

History

Traditions

As per account of Pung Kanba Lon, Khuyon Khunda Hanba, the head of the Khuyons, a Meitei subclan of Moirang, initially occupied the Thangjing Hills. They were the first group to migrate and establish settlement in Moirang. According to the Moirang kings' chronicle ''Ningthourol Lampuba'', the

Koireng people The Koireng people are one of the ethnic groups inhabiting Manipur in North-East India. They speak the oireng language They are mentioned in the Meitei royal chronicle Cheitharol Kumbaba in the year 1404, one of the oldest tribes to be so ment ...

, an " Old Kuki" tribe, used to be settled around the Thangjing Hill. The

s under king Thingre Nachaoba raided them and defeated them. Historians believe that the Koirengs migrated away from the region due to the repeated incursions by the Moirang people. The Thangjing Hill was also deified by the Koireng people and the deity has since been adopted by the Moirangs, and eventually by the Meitei people in general. The

Chiru people The Naga people, Chiru people are a Naga people, Naga ethnic group, inextricably belonging to a unique ancestral kindred of the REM NAGA family or kinship of five tribes (Aimol, Kharam, Purum, Chiru, Koren) in the context of the Kangleipak K ...

, another Old Kuki tribe, have historical memory of having lived on the Thangjing Hill. The villagers later migrated to a new location in the present day

Kangpokpi district Kangpokpi district ( Meitei pronunciation: /kāng-pōk-pī/) is one of the 16 districts in the Indian state of Manipur. It was created in December 2016 from areas in the Sadar Hills region which were previously part of Senapati District. The ...

for better availability of agricultural land and named the new village "Thangjing Chiru". One of the

Kabui Naga The Rongmeis (also known as Kabui) are one of the Naga ethnic communities of North-East India. They are recognised as a scheduled tribe (STs) in the Constitution of India. They share similarity with their kindred tribes of Zeme, Liangmai ...

tribes, named Sungbu, also have a tradition of having originated from the Thangjing Hill. The Moirang people have a tradition of having been saved from a man-eater by the Kabui chief from Thangjing Hill during the rule of Thangtek Soinaiba.

British Raj period

By the time

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

arrived in Manipur (), the Sungbus had moved to the region around the Cachar–Bishnupur Road on sites that were previously occupied by

Kuki people The Kuki people, or Kuki-Zo people,Rakhi BoseIn Tense Manipur, Sub-Categorisation And 'Creamy Layer' Could Open A Pandora's Box Outlook, 11 September 2024. uoting general secretary of the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), Kangpokpi''At pr ...

(called "Khongjais" by Manipuris). According to British commissioner Pemberton, Kukis were in occupation of all the southern hills from

Tipaimukh Tipaimukh Sub-Division is located in south-western hilly region of Manipur bordering the Indian state of Mizoram. It is one of the six tribal development blocks of Churachandpur district in Manipur state. Parbung is the sub-divisional block ...

to Thangjing Hills. William McCulloch, British resident between 1844 and 1867, found that Kukis were living all around the Manipur valley, which was confirmed by later commentators. These descriptions suggest that the Thangjing Hill itself was under the occupation of the Kukis. A village called

Ukha Ukha ( ) is a clear Russian soup, made from various types of fish such as bream, wels catfish, northern pike, or even ruffe. It usually contains root vegetables, parsley root, leek, potato, bay leaf, dill, tarragon, and green parsley, ...

(also called "Loikhai" or "Luaikhai") on the western slopes of the Thangjing Hill is mentioned in the ''Gazetteer of Manipur'' (1886). It is described as being at an elevation of , with a population of 150 people belonging to the "Changput subdivision of the Kongjai Kuki tribe". Its current population per 2011 census is 418, and the elevation on modern maps is 1,500 metres. After the

Lushai Expedition The British Indian Army Lushai Expedition of 1871 to 1872 was a punitive incursion under the command of Generals Charles Henry Brownlow, Brownlow and George Bourchier (Indian Army officer), Bourchier. The objectives of the expedition were to r ...

of 1871–1872, Manipur received additional Kuki-Zo refugees from the Lushai Hills region, who were settled in the Thangjing Hills range and in the valley southwest of Moirang. Land and protection were provided by Raja

Chandrakirti Singh Chandrakirti Singh (1850 – May 1886) was a List of Meitei kings, Meitei monarch and the Maharaja of Manipur Kingdom. He was the son of Maharaja Gambhir Singh. Biography He was born in Imphal, and resided there till the end of his Regime in ...

, as well as food for subsistence till they could grow their own crops. The ''Gazetteer of Manipur'' lists over 20 Kuki villages in the valley of the Tuila River, which flows south from the Thangjing Hills range. After the British took over Manipur as a princely state in

1891 Events January * January 1 ** A strike of 500 Hungarian steel workers occurs; 3,000 men are out of work as a consequence. **Germany takes formal possession of its new African territories. * January 4 – The Earl of Zetland issues a ...

, they decided to administer the hill regions directly, outside the control of the Manipur State Darbar. Thangjing Hill came under the Southwest Subdivision, initially administered from Moirang. During the

Kuki Rebellion of 1917–1919 __NOTOC__ The Kuki Rebellion or Anglo-Kuki War, was one of the major tribal revolts in India before Indian independence, tribal revolts during the British Raj, British colonial rule in India. It was a rebellion by the Kuki tribes of Manipur ...

, the Thangjing Hills and the Ukha village played key roles. In early 1917, the local chiefs met at Ukha and

Henglep Henglep is a village in the Churachandpur district in the Manipur state of India, populated by about a thousand Kuki-Zo people. Henglep is also the headquarters of the Churachandpur North subdivision (or Henglep Subdivision) with a population of ...

to discuss the emerging conflict with the British authorities. Kuki Inpi Manipur, Anglo-Kuki War (1917-1919), Imphal Free Press, 29 September 2019. After

Mombi Mombi is a fictional character in L. Frank Baum, L. Frank Baum's classic children's series of Oz Books. She is the most significant antagonist in the second Oz book ''The Marvelous Land of Oz'' (1904), and is alluded to in other works. Mombi play ...

was burned by the British, an all-Kuki War Council was called by the chief of Chassad, and the chiefs received a signal to resist and fight. War preparations were begun in October after another gathering of chiefs. The British attack came in December, led by the

Political Agent Political Agent or political agent may refer to: *Political Resident, a representative with consular duties and political contacts with local chiefs * Political officer (British Empire), an officer of the British imperial civil administration, also ...

J. C. Higgins. The Ukha Kukis staged an able defence of the Thangjing Hill, with sniper attacks and home-made leather cannons, causing several casualties on the British troops, but no Kuki was captured. Ukha was reportedly burnt down, and the Kukis escaped into the forests. The failure of the operation and a similar one at Mombi stunned the British officers. Another attack with a larger force was launched in February 1918, with similar results. Eventually the rebellion was suppressed only by wholesale destruction of villages, including their livestock and foodgrains, driving the people into the woods to starve, along with women and children. After the Rebellion, the British reorganised their hill administration by establishing a new headquarters for the South-West Subdivision at

(then called "Churachandpur"). The Churachandpur Subdivision eventually became the

in independent India in 1971.

Post-independence history

In 1966, the Government of Manipur included the entire Thangjing Hills range in Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest under Section 29 of the

Indian Forest Act, 1927 The Indian Forest Act, 1927 was largely based on previous Indian Forest Acts implemented under the British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the ...

. Forest Department Manipur
An eight-point response showing tribals are not threatened in Manipur
EastMojo, 13 March 2023. "Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest was notified under Section 29 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 by the Government of Manipur with a well-defined schedule of boundaries vide Notification No. 55/10/66-M (2) dated 17.09.1966 and Manipur Extra Ordinary Gazette No.124-EI00 dated 21.09.1966." As per the law, the pre-existing settlements in the designated area are meant to be excluded from the protected forest. An (Assistant) Settlement Officer reportedly issued a settlement order for the Ukha-Loikhai village, excluding it from the protected forest areas.BJP MLA Paolienlal Haokip Slams BJYM’s Attempt To Plant Trees On Thangjing Hill
The Frontier Manipur, 17 May 2022. "The MLA said that so far as the Thangjing Hills are concerned, the Chief of Ukha (Loikhai) has clear orders of the settlement officer, excluding the land belonging to Loikhai village, which includes Thangjing Hills, from the Churachandpur Khopum Protected Forest."

Indian Airlines Flight 257 Indian Airlines Flight 257 was an Indian Airlines domestic passenger flight operating on the Calcutta–Imphal–Dimapur route. On 16 August 1991, the Boeing 737-2A8 registered ''VT-EFL'' crashed into the hilly terrain of Thangjing Hill during ...

on 16 August 1991 crashed into Thangjing Hills range, killing all 69 people on board. Occasional disputes have arisen over the Thangjing Hill, with the Kuki-Zos claiming to be the inhabitants of the region and the Meiteis claiming it to be their holy site. In 2010, a clash occurred between Meitei pilgrims on their annual pilgrimage and the local residents, with two Kuki youth being killed and four injured. During 2014–2015, the Government of Manipur created a Thangting Subdivision in the Churachandpur district, using the Kuki spelling "Thangting" for the Thangjing Hill. The new subdivision was to include 66 villages, which were previously under the Churachandpur subdivision and the Henglep subdivision. The move was seen by the Meiteis as an attempt to rename their sacred hill, and led to protests and shutdowns. Ratnadip Choudhury
Cross Installed Atop Manipur's "Sacred" Hill Threatens Fragile Peace
NDTV News, 3 February 2024. Eventually, the government renamed the subdivision as the Kangvai subdivision.

Current disputes

In May 2022, Meitei activists under the banner of

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) (translation: Indian People's Youth Front) is the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one of the two major political parties in India, and formerly the youth wing of the dissolved Janata Party ...

(BJYM, the youth wing of the ruling party) organised a tree plantation drive in Thangjing hills, which was opposed by the local villagers.BJP MLA Paolienlal Haokip Slams BJYM’s Attempt To Plant Trees On Thangjing Hill
The Frontier Manipur, 17 May 2022. The

Kuki Students Organisation Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) is a generic name of an organisation comprising many Kuki student bodies in India. It functions under a general headquarters, with districts and other branches at different states and cities of northeast India ...

(KSO) of the Henglep block raised the issue and barred the entry of "outsiders" into the hills without the permission of the village chief of the area. The chief of the Ukha Loikhai village was mentioned as the "rightful owner" of the Thangjing Hill, whose permission was necessary for any such efforts.Loikhai village chief is owner of Thangjing Hill; Student body KSO Henglep Block stakes more claims
The Sangai Express, via e-pao.net, 17 May 2022. The Meitei community got organised under the banner of Committee on Protection and Preservation of Historical Rights of Koubru and Thangjing Hill Range (CPPKT) and announced counter-restrictions on the hill people from entering the valley areas. A confrontation was averted by the involvement of the Director General of Police, P. Doungel, who arranged a negotiated settlement. But the dispute also brought into focus the issue of ownership of the Thangjing Hill, and CPPKT asked the government for clarification. Soon afterwards, the Government of Manipur said it formed a committee to look into the settlement orders and, in November 2022, cancelled all the orders issued for the Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest on the ground that they were issued by Assistant Settlement Officers rather than a full-ranked Forest Settlement Officer. The Manipur cabinet also proposed to include four hectares on the Thangjing Hill under Manipur Ancient and Historical Monuments Act in order to protect it from encroachments. Thangjing Hill came to be contested again during the 2023–2024 Manipur violence. Within a few weeks of the onset of violence in May, the Meiteis and Kukis were separated into their own areas. In September, the Kuki community installed a Christian cross on top of the Thangjing Hill, which the Meitei community regarded as desecration of their holy site. It appears that the cross was later removed, presumably by Meitei activists. It was re-erected again in December–January, leading to loud protests from the Meitei community again. The Kukis have denied that the hill is exclusively a sacred site of the Meiteis. Responding to a claim by a Kuki-Zo body that the hill was included in village lands, the Government of Manipur issued a statement calling the claim "fabricated and concocted", citing its erstwhile cancellation of settlement orders in Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest. However, it also said that a fresh inquiry has been initiated. According to ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...

'', the

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) is an Indian Constitutional body (India), constitutional body that was established through Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003. History On the 89th Amendment of the Constitution coming into f ...

has also initiated an inquiry.Kuki village’s claim over Thangjing Hills ‘concocted’, says Manipur govt.; fresh inquiry under way
The Hindu, 19 February 2024.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * ** ** ** * * * *

External links

Terrain map of Thangjing Hill and vicinity
OpenStreetMap, retrieved 10 March 2024.
Leimatak River
OpenStreetMap, retrieved 13 February 2024.
Tuila River
OpenStreetMap, retrieved 13 February 2024.
Lanva River
OpenStreetMap, retrieved 13 February 2024.
Ukha Road
(between Henglep and Torbung), OpenStreetMap, retrieved 13 February 2024. {{Meiteimyth navbox long Hills of Manipur