Meitei people in Myanmar
ethnic group
The Meitei people, also known as the Manipuri people (Meitei: ꯃꯩꯇꯩ ꯀꯥꯡꯂꯨꯞ; Burmese: ကသည်းလူမျိုး, romanized: Kathe Lumyo, lit. 'Kathe people'), are a minority ethnic group in Myanmar. They are better known as the Kathe, Cassay, or Ponna in Myanmar. They number around 25,000 and reside mainly in the eastern states of Kachin and Shan, Yangon division, Sagaing division, and Ayeyarwaddy division.
The Government of Myanmar currently classifies the Meiteis as a sub-group under the "Chin" category. However, there have been proposals to reconsider and revise this classification.
History
Meitei settlement in Myanmar was a result of the Manipuri–Burmese wars of 1717 to 1749 as well as of the matrimonial alliance formed by the marriage of Meitei princess Chakpa Makhao Ngambi to Burmese King Taninganway Min in 1703.
During the reign of Meitei King Senbi Kiyamba (Meitei: ꯅꯤꯡꯊꯧ ꯀꯤꯌꯥꯝꯕ) (1467-1508 CE), the eastern border of Kangleipak extended to the Ningthee River. According to Henry Yule map, this border was drawn beyond the Ningthee River between 1500 and 1580 CE.
The Kabo Valley (Meitei: ꯀꯕꯣ ꯇꯝꯄꯥꯛ) is located between the Yoma mountain range, which forms the eastern boundary of the Manipur Valley, and the Ningthee River.
Before and after 1648, Kangleipak and Myanmar were at war. In 1735, Meitei King Garibaniwaj (Meitei: ꯅꯤꯡꯊꯧ ꯒꯔꯤꯕ ꯅꯤꯋꯥꯖ) attacked Myedu, in the present-day Shwebo region of Myanmar.
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