Reinforcing Indigenous Identity: Dramatic Performances of the Trauma of Puya Meithaba

Authors

Cyrus Khumukcham

Abstract

In lieu of an abstract, the first paragraph of the essay follows:

In Manipur, Puya Meithaba refers to the burning of sacred manuscripts. Puya means the ancestors' words, specifically words written down in a manuscript, while Meithaba refers to the act of burning. Its origins can be traced back to the eighteenth century, when King Pamheiba (r. 1709–1748), also known as Garibniwaz of Manipur, undertook a massive religious reformation by radically imposing the Ramandi sect of Hinduism onto his subjects. King Garibniwaz disturbed the traditional socio-religious practices of the Indigenous people by imposing a strict Brahmanical code of conduct, which included the prohibition of rearing pigs and the consumption of meat. It is believed that Garibniwaz confiscated sacred native manuscripts from his subjects and burned them on a single day at Kangla Utra within the palace. Although some historians contest the claim that King Garibniwaz did, in fact, destroy native manuscripts, Meitei/Meetei revivalists argue that what has been recorded in history favors the monarchy.¹

Notes

1. Meitei and Meetei can be used interchangeably.

Recommended Citation

Khumukcham, Cyrus (2025) "Reinforcing Indigenous Identity: Dramatic Performances of the Trauma of Puya Meithaba," Comparative Drama: Vol. 59: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/compdr/vol59/iss1/4