Meitei traditional games
Open-knowledge reference entry
Meitei traditional games or Meitei indigenous games are an important part of the Meitei intangible cultural heritage. Originally developed by the Meitei people (also known as Manipuris) in Manipur, Assam, Tripura as well as in Bangladesh and Myanmar, these games are not just for fun; they are closely connected to social, spiritual, and community life. These often use Meitei traditional toys. They have ancient roots and show the values, skills, and beliefs of the Meitei civilisation, often focusing on agility, teamwork, strategy, and endurance. Played during different seasons and festivals, these games encourage unity, a sense of belonging, and respect for nature, while also helping pass down knowledge to future generations.
Multigenerational games
Arambai Hunba
Arambai Hunba (ꯑꯔꯥꯝꯕꯥꯏ ꯍꯨꯟꯕ) is a traditional Meitei practice that involves riding ponies, especially in villages near breeding areas. Young boys ride ponies without saddles, sometimes using a rope instead of a bridle and branches of small trees as Arambai weapons. This practice helped develop the Arambai force, a martial art that was crucial for military operations, including advancing and withdrawing forces.
Hiyaang Taannaba
Hiyang Tannaba (/hiyaang taannaba/), or boat race (ꯍꯤꯌꯥꯡ ꯇꯥꯟꯅꯕ), is a traditional Meitei game held in November. It was introduced during the reign of King Khunjaoba, the son of King Khagemba, who built the Kangla Fort moat in 1660.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Meitei traditional games” is open-knowledge reference entry. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Meitei, traditional and games, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “open-knowledge reference entry” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 23, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q132672495. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1660.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Meitei traditional games”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Meitei traditional games primary sources, Meitei traditional games archive and Meitei research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Meitei traditional games”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Meitei traditional games” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.