Khuman dynasty

The Khuman dynasty (Meitei: Khuman Ningthou Mayum/Sagei) was a family of rulers or dynasts of the Khuman group of people (Meitei: Khuman Salai/Khuman Yek) in ancient Kangleipak (early Manipur).^[1][2][3][4] It was descended from the Khuman-Luwang common ancestral royal lineage. It had 32 kings in the independent lineage. It had 9 predecessor kings from the shared Khuman-Luwang ancestral line, which if counted together with the independent lineage rulers, then the total number of kings became 41. If King Thawaren, the brother of King Poireiton, was also added, as was done in many sources, then the total number became 42. Similar counting pattern was seen in case of the Luwang dynasty too.

For this reason, various sources stated early kings such as Poireiton and his elder brother Thongalen (also mentioned as Thawaren) as the foremost rulers or founders or ancestral deified figures of either or both the Khuman dynasty and the Luwang dynasty. Khuman dynasty was founded by King Aalong, the son of Singtapung, and the grandson of Poireiton. His brother Pamingnapa founded the Luwang dynasty.^[5][6][7][8] The last sovereign ruler of the Khuman dynasty was King Lamyai Kaikhinpa and was a contemporary of King Kongyaamba of the Ningthouja dynasty. His two sons chose the life of ordinary people, thereby finally giving opportunity for annexation to the Meitei confederacy, led by the Ningthouja dynasty to fully control the Khuman dominion. Afterwards, Khuman group became one of the seven clans (or sub ethnic group) within the Yek Salai social stratification system of Meitei civilisation.^[5][6][7][8]

In 575 CE, King Khompa Ningthoupa's son as well as successor, King Laiphangpa (Modern Meitei: Laiphangba) developed Mayang Imphal as another capital city of the Khuman kingdom, besides the already established capital city of Thoubal, thereby maintaining two capitals simultaneously. During the reign of King Punsi Yumoipa (Modern Meitei: Punshi Yumoiba), the son of King Laiphangpa, the prominence of Mayang Imphal as a capital city grew stronger than that of Thoubal.^[5][6][7][8]

The kings of the Khuman dynasty maintained close political and cultural ties with the Ningthouja dynasty—the ruling family of the Meitei kingdom—through a series of diplomatic marriages. These matrimonial alliances strengthened relations between the two dynasties, whose administrative capital was based in Kangla, in present-day Imphal.

• King Aton Kacheng Waayenpa (c. 400–450 CE) married Princess Leilum Chengpi, daughter of Ningthouja King Pengsiba. She was made the chief queen consort (Leimalen) of the Khuman kingdom.

• King Aton Nongpa Khompa married Princess Leilum Lempi, daughter of Ningthouja King Naokhamba. She also became his chief queen consort.

• King Khompa Ningthoupa (also spelled Khomba Ningthouba) took Princess Laipi, daughter of Ningthouja King Naophangba, as his chief queen consort.

• King Siyalong (c. 930–960 CE) married Princess Thongngaikhong, daughter of Ningthouja King Chenglei Ipan Thaba. She became the chief queen of Khuman.

• King Punsi Pulenhanpa (c. 1230–1270 CE) married Princess Apaanphapi, daughter of King Thawan Thaba. She also became the chief queen consort.

• King Lamyai Kaikhinpa (c. 1330–1400 CE), the last sovereign Khuman ruler, married Princess Kaangchaampi, daughter of King Kongyamba of the Ningthouja dynasty.

• They had two sons:
  • Khuman prince Khamba, who later settled in Nongmeibung and founded the Laikhuram lineage of Nongmeibung.
  • Prince Ompu, who chose not to ascend the throne and founded the Laikhuram lineage of Yairipok.

Following Lamyai Kaikhinpa’s reign, the independent Khuman kingdom ceased to exist. Its territory was incorporated into the expanding domain of the Meitei confederacy, led by the Ningthouja kings.^[5][6][7][8]

Khuman kings were noted for engaging in diplomatic matrimonial alliances with the kings of the Moirang dynasty, who ruled from their administrative capital of Moirang Kangla of Moirang.

Despite having the common ancestral royal lineage with the monarchs of the Luwang dynasty, the Khuman kings continued to maintain diplomatic marital alliance with the Luwang regal household. Khuman King Punsi Yumoipa's daughter, princess Khayoilon Ngaanpi (Modern Meitei: Khayoiron Ngaanbi) was married to Luwang king Luwang Ningthou Punshiba, where the Khuman princess became chief queen consort (leimalen) of the Luwang kingdom. With this union, they had a son named Senpa Mimaapa (Modern Meitei: Shenba Mimaaba). Later, she got divorced from her husband and she returned to her parental Khuman realm, bringing her Luwang son, with her. Later, the Luwang king got reunited with his son, in a hunting incident.^[5][6][7][8]

According to tradition, the cult of goddess Imoinu was deeply associated with the Khuman religious and cultural sphere, starting from the reign of Khuman King Punsi Yumoipa, who ruled his dominion, prominently from Mayang Imphal as his capital. He established the cult in the Khuman royal palace in Mayang Imphal. Punsi Yumoipa was a contemporary of Luwang King, Luwang Ningthou Punshiba.^[5][6][7][8]

The uncrowned Khuman princes founded notable independent houses of their own lineages, which maintained their influence, power and status in the kingdom. However, it should be noted that not all the families within the Khuman clan (Khuman Salai) traced their origin from the royal blood of the Khuman dynasty. Some are from the Khuman commoners' lineages.^[5][6][7][8] The following is a list of few of the Khuman royal families:

• House of Laikhuram family^[5][6][7][8]
  • Laikhuram of Nongmeibung - founded by Khuman prince Khamba, the eldest son of King Lamyai Kaikhinpa^[5][6][7][8]
  • Laikhuram of Yairipok - founded by Khuman prince Ompu, the younger son of King Lamyai Kaikhinpa^[5][6][7][8]
• House of Oinam family - founded by Khuman prince Laikhangba, the son of uncrowned prince Athingba, and the grandson of Khuman King Thongleilom (Thongleirom)^[5][6][7][8]
• House of Thoidingjam and Yanglem lineages - founded by uncrowned Khuman prince Haoramhan, the eldest son of King Yoithong-ngai (Prince Haoramhan was assassinated by his younger brother Haoramton, who later became king)^[5][6][7][8]
• Other lineages branched from the Khuman dynasty include Mongbijam, Langtem, Ngangbam, Thingujam, Pangkhaijam, Chandam, Telem, Taorem, Asem, Sougaijam, Wareppam, Ipushangbam (Ipusangbam), Haobijam, Kabrabam, Taibangjam, Maimom, Laipakhram, Ahongsangbam, Heikrujam, Chabungbam, Thongram, Kharam, Pukhrem, Kairenbam, Chungkham, Thangjam, Thingbaijam, Atom, Sinam, Karam, Laishangbam, Thangshabam (Thangsabam), Thongbam, Hanglem, Wangnureibam, Hawaibam, Pallujam, Akangjam, Maibam, Meitankeishangbam, Likmabam, Thingom, Charoibam, Khumanthem, Soram, Panggabam, Moirengjam, Sapam, Sappam, Hentakpam, Haobam, Lamabam, Yaithingbam, Thong-ngam, Taobam, Puyam, Shantham, Shamom, Sangkhom, Nepram, among others.^[5][6][7][8]

Maniwood film Shaaphabee depicts the historical love story of Khuman prince Loyaa Nahaa Shaaphaba and Moirang princess Haorang Leirang Shaaphabi. Khamba Thoibi epic, with its adaptations, notably the Khamba Thoibi Sheireng epic poem, and the Khamba Thoibi Jagoi dance drama, depict the historical love story of Khuman royal scion Khamba and Moirang princess Thoibi.

• Mangang Luwang Khuman
• Luwang dynasty