Meitei confederacy

This article is about an alliance of seven Meitei groups. For the overall Meitei language-speaking populace, see Meitei people. For the similar septet system of other indigenous communities of Manipur, see Yek Salai. For the ancestor of each yek salai, see Ancestors of Meitei confederacy.

Meitei confederacy, or Meitei confederation, is the union of the seven Meitei clans (Meitei: yek salai). The seven clans of the Meitei confederacy are

  • Mangang (ꯃꯉꯥꯡ) or Ningthouja (ꯅꯤꯡꯊꯧꯖꯥ)
  • Luwang (ꯂꯨꯋꯥꯡ)
  • Khuman(ꯈꯨꯃꯟ)
  • Angom (ꯑꯉꯣꯝ)
  • Moilang (ꯃꯣꯏꯂꯥꯡ) or Moirang (ꯃꯣꯏꯔꯥꯡ)
  • Kha Nganpa (ꯈꯥ ꯉꯥꯟꯄ)
  • Chenglei, Sarang Leishangthem (ꯁꯂꯥꯡ ꯂꯩꯁꯥꯡꯊꯦꯝ), or Salai Leishangthem (ꯁꯂꯥꯏ ꯂꯩꯁꯥꯡꯊꯦꯝ)

Prior to unification and formation of the "Meitei confederacy," these groups were independent kingdoms ruled by their own kings. The Mangang, defeated the other clans and the Ningthouja king became the supreme ruler. Initially, the name Meitei referred only to the Ningthouja, but by the 15th century, it had come to refer to all seven clans. Over time, the seven groups united to form one nation but remained separate social entities. Today, clans still play an important role in the social structure of Meitei civilisation, especially in determining marriage patterns, as Meitei people do not marry within the same clan.

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