About Six or seven decades before the Bishnupriya Manipuri community was quite different from what it is today: Firstly, they used to identify themselves as Manipuri; only on further query as to whether Kalachaiya or Meitei, they used to identify themselves as Kalachaiya Manipuri or Bishnupriya Manipuri, or only as Kalachaiya or Bishnupriya, because it was taken for granted by other communities like Bengali and even by the Meiteis that they are a distinct section of the Manipuris, which is borne out by the Return of the Census of India 1961 Report published by Office of the Registrar General, India, Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi, in which under the general head of Manipur is two communities viz. Meithei and Bishnupuriya were entered as two sub-heads: P.103, "The general population of Manipur deserves special mention. The people of the plains of Manipur are called Manipuri or Meithei. Hodson considers that Meithe is have common origin with the Nagas. Their language, however, shows closer affinity with the Burmese and Tibetan than with the Kuki-Chin group of languages. Their script is Bengali. It is believed that it was introduced during the reign of Charairongba at about 1700 A.D. The archaic form of Manipuri script is also found but there is no publication in it. There are different sections among the Meitheis. Among them particular mention is to be made of the Bishnupuriyas who live in Ningthoukhong, Nachau, Ngaikhong Khulen, Ngaikhong Khunou near the Logtak lake and in Wangjing, Heirok, Nkhangabok, south of Thoubal. Previously they were known as Mayangs. They are considered to be the descendants of the prisoners of war brought by Khagenba from Cachar in the early 17th century. They do not marry with the Meitheis. Their head is the headman of Ningthoukhong, earlier known by the title of Kalaraja. More than half the words of the language spoken by this community are Sanskritic with a strong affinity with Assamese and Bengali."
That they were the descendents of the prisoners of war brought by Khagenba from Cachar in the early 17th century is nothing but a distorted and concocted information dished out by the hardcore Meiteis to the less and ill-informed officers from outside Manipur, to spite the Kalachaiyas who at a later stage came to be known as Vishnupriya Manipuris. It may be true that some prisoners who have been brought might have been gradually absorved in the Kalachaya community because of ethnic and linguistic affinity.
They were very conservative. It was a taboo to take food, drink, etc. from non Bishnupriya Manipuris. In this regard the author likes to describe an episode, which took place in his childhood; while returning from the school with a classmate the author was persuaded by his friend to go to his house, which happened to be a bakery. The fresh aroma of the baked biscuits was very tempting and when he was offered some, he refused. But on the assurance that it would not be divulged to anybody, the author accepted and ate it. But the young boy was burdened with a guilty conscience ever since. Probably because egg is one of the ingredients of biscuit.' Bishnupriya Manipuris were not allowed to take any non-Manipuris i.e., Mayangs inside their house, especially in their kitchens. Low caste people including the Mohammedans were not allowed to step on their verandah or to drink water in any utensil of the house. Usually water was poured into their cupped palms. Today, when the author recollects those idiosyncrasies of the community he cannot help being ashamed. They used to consider themselves superior to all other castes, which put the author in many embarrassing situations.
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