Maring Naga

The Maring are one of the small tribal groups of Manipur State in North East India. Their name is derived from mei meaning fire and ring meaning to start or produce. A mainly Christian people, they inhabit the hilly villages of the Tengnoupal subdivision of the Chandel District.The Maring Tribe is one of the Oldest Naga Tribe who settled in the South Eastern part of Nagaland and bordering Myanmar of Manipur. The Marings are mostly inhabiting in Chandel District of Manipur, India but also found scattered in other districts like Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Thoubal and Imphal East, etc. Marings are generous, simple, hygienic, heroic, etc. It is also said that "The features of the Marings approximate to those of the Myanmarese. Some of them have flat and others have well-shaped noses and their general expression is mild and intelligent. The height of the men of this tribe varies from lightly built to tall, sturdy finely proportioned. The Marings have multiple peculiarities and distinctiveness from any other tribes, which could easily differentiate from others. Their distinctiveness and peculiarities may be exemplified by "Blacken teeth" which is known as "Ha-sang" in local term, in the ancient times as common practices amongst the elderly people and the youths after they have been enrolled in the "Morung" (Rkhang in local term). But after the dawn of Christianity and the Modern educational lights entered into the Maring community, this practice of blackening teeth became unpopular. Knotted-hairs (Pagri/Turban/Coiffure) or Murshoom in local term, on the front side of all the menfolk's foreheads with several line of hard red beads strings (Rulshum in local term) around their murshoom is common, which give the peculiarity of the tribe from others as Hakkas or Laimies (Lais) of the central district of Chin State, Myanmar, and other Nagas of Tirap and Changtlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh, India, do have knotted hairs on their foreheads of all menfolk. Marings are also known for their innate skills in handicrafts, which is appreciated till today by people of Manipur in particular and also in all over India.

MARING-ORIGIN & HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The term "Maring" is derived from the word "Meiring" or "Meiringba" where "Mei" stands for "fire" and "ring" stands for "alive" which means "the people who keep fires unquenched or alive". The traditional oral history says that this people “Maring” or “Meiring” or “Meiringba” obtained fire from a traditional ways of making fire called “Meihongtang” using dry wood of a particular tree called Khongma-heeng with bamboo strips and dry bushes or grasses. The bamboo strips are rubbed with dry grasses/bushes against dry Khongma-heeng until fire produced due to friction. The fire thus produced is considered “sacred” (Meikhring) and were set up at sacred places like village altar called Malamun or Rlhamun, Village Gate called Palshung and Dormitories called Rkhang. The sacred fire is kept burning by feeding fire woods (Meirup heeng) and this practice of keeping fire alive/burning continued till the dawn of Christianity in Maring Land.

Classification Naga Maring (Language)

Properties:

Total number of speakers: 17361 people (2001 estimates)

Number of native speakers: 17360 people

Place with most speakers: India

Primary location: India

Writing system: Cyrillic alphabet

Language code: nng

Source: Wolfman mathematica (2001 estimates)

Today, the Marings are settled mostly in Chandel District in the South-Eastern part of the present State of Manipur (India) bordering Myanmar. Some of them are found scattered in places like Senapati, Ukhrul, Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Thoubal, Imphal East and West Districts of Manipur. But the oral legend of our forefathers that have been handing down from generation to generation says that the Marings were once living inside a cave called “Nungmuisho" in Kulvi-Shongshong under the rulership of Khopu-Rampu like 1) Charang: Purangmei (Rangmeithil) 2) Dangsha: Khalsherung 3) Makung: Kungkrung and 4) Tontang: Tangkirung (Phur'in-Phurkham/Tumpok-Khingmanchok) with full civilization. The legend further says that the life inside the cave or underneath the Earth was terribly difficult and hard. However they could not come out of the cave as there was a big stone gate called “Lungthung” sealing the gate of the cave. They tried to open the Lungthung (stone gate) using several means like pig, cow and buffalo but failed. According to the legend, the flattened nose of pig and the crack marks on buffalo's horns were received while trying to push open the Lungthung (Stone gate). After much consultation among themselves, Shirimpa Bungrang (a black male Mithun – white spotted) was sent and the Mithun opened the gate at last. Thus, the Marings who had been struggling to set free themselves from the terrible and hard life in Nungmuisho (Cave or underneath the Earth) at last could come out of the cave and thus the first settlement on earth begun there at Kulvi-Shongshong. It is also said that Mithun is therefore the only accepted animal for important rituals and ceremonies like naming of person (Minphuk-phalphuk), erection of monument stones (Thillai), ritual ceremony for erection of flower vats and poles (Paryao/halbu-bun), as Bride Price, etc. From Kulvi-Shongshong, the Maring people gradually scattered to different directions and established many settlements into villages.

The Oral legends of the forefathers that have been handing down from generation to generation tells that The Marings were living inside the cave called "Nungmuisho" in "Kulvi Song Song" under the rulership of Khopu-Rampu like (1) Makung: Kungkrung (2) Tontang: Tangkirung (Phur-in Phurkham/Tumpok-Khingmanchok), (3) Charang: Purangmei (Rangmeithil) (4) Dangsha: Khangshelrung etc with full civilization.The Oral legends also says that the life inside the cave or underneath the Earth was terribly difficult and hard. However they could not easily come out of the cave, as there was a big stone called Lungthung in local term which means a huge stone gate, sealing the gate of the cave. They tried to open the stone gate using several means and ways like sending pig, cow and buffalo one after another but failed. The legend also says that the flattened nose of pig and the crack marks on buffalo's horns were received while trying to push open the Stone Gate. At last, after much consultation among themselves, a male black with white spotted Mithun (Shrimpa Bungrang) was sent and Mithun opened the Gate. Thus, The Marings who have been struggling to set free themselves from the terrible and hard life in Nungmuisho (Underneath the cave) at last could themselves make it success, and first human settlement on earth began there. The legend thus says that the Mithun is therefore the only accepted animal for important ritualistic ceremonies like Naming of person (Minphuk-Phalphuk), Erection of Monument stones (Thillai), Erection of ritualistic flower vats and poles (Paryao/halbu bun), Bride Price (Numan theena) etc.

SETTLEMENT

The legendry Chronicle about the early settlement of the Maring goes further that the Marings after settled at Kulvi SongSong (Underneath the Earth or East land) moved to Wasaphai or Wanshangphai (empty vast valley). In the course of time, the civilization of the people of Marings gradually spreaded along the Ningthee Basin (Inthee), in the Angkoching Range and in the Yoomadung Hills (in Myanmar). Later on, people took their own choice of direction and travelled looking for new places for settlement. So, some section of the Marings travelled towards the Mongrengphai/Muirengphai/Murringphy and further proceeded towards the place like Thipamna, Songkan, Khampat, Kameng, Latao, Taap, Lichiek, Mangsa etc.. and later on moved towards Mongthelbung in Bungpui Range and established a village called "Uipo Yultang" (Khoibu Khunjao as per Meitei Maharaja).Some section of the Maring people travelled towards the Shangthelbung and Kamongbung Range where villages like Ayong-Atou khu (Yongkhun/Khulimol), and Sarbu or Saibu or Sarbukhong (Saibol), Sairel Saishim, Katou, Makan, Chingshao, Kashung, Lamasi or Nambasi and Narum (Ralimkhu) villages were established. Major section of the Maring people travelled, proceeding towards the western side of the Ningthee basin and started settling in the place like Pangyangbung, Sekmahbung, Sharchibung, Yanglhungthil, Oklebung, Panubung, Makoubung, Ramshekbung, Shangthil, Ramshipbung, Yangtompe, Khukyul, Khochep, Khungrul, Yulbung, Shabung, Pungrul, and later on came and settled at Tuishimi (Tuyni) on the Langkoubung Range, Manipur. The series of the villages/settlements mentioned above may not be in proper/correct orders, but these names of the settelments are found in the traditional or filk songs of the forefathers of Maring Naga.

The Oral legendry history of the forefathers of the Maring and the written history of the Royal Chronicles of Manipur (Cheitharol Kumbaba) also says that some Maring people even travelled towards the Imphal valley and settled at the Langol Hills (North Imphal) during or before the time of Meidingu Ura Konthouba (568-658 A.D.), which is still known as Langol Maring Khunman (Haokap Chingshang Khunpham Ngangcheng), with Meba Laipham (Mebungsuirul Theemkhui, the then priest otr Maiba of that particular sacred place near Langol Housing Complex and Laithungching (which is also called Lanthungching village at present). This was known to be the place where the Marings from that Haokap Chingshang Khunpham Ngangcheng village (Langol hills) were cursed by the then Maharaja of Manipur (Meidingu Ura Konthouba). Due to the terrible curse of the Maharaj, they could not settle furthermore in that place ans ran for their safety from that terrible curse (Laithungba) of the Maharaja, towards the places like " Haobam Marak, Lamlong (Imphal East), Leishang kong, a village in the valley some seven or eight miles south of the capital -Imphal".Soibam Leikai, the place where the Marings of Haobam Marak put trapes/nets (soi thaba) for fishing at the lake. Haokha-Tangjeng (Keingam's Fishing spot/place, from where one Keingam Khuiluwa, a fisherman from the Kansou family, captured tiger cubs on that spot), Lulumbung at Wangnoo (Wangoo at present) in south Moirang and at Shamaram, south west of Khongjom Bazar (which called as Samran - the first son of the Maring family), from there ran back towards the places where they are living now at present, due to various reasons. This is how the Marings found their settlements and have been living in their own favourite places and villages since time immemorial. And there are so many Marings that have already been converted/proselyted into Meiteis/valley peoples through many conditions and circumstances, like captured and forced by the Meitei Maharajas during their wars and raids on the hill tribes. According to W Mc Culloch (1852): Tradition brings the Moirang tribe from the South - the direction of the Kukies; the Koomal/Khumans from the East - the direction of the Murrings (Marings); and the Meiteis and Luwangs from the North - the direction of the Koupooes (Kabuis).

LANGUAGE

According to the reports of Dr.Grierson in his book "Linguistic Survey of India" the Maring language/dialect falls in the family of Tibeto-Burman languages, which comes under the sub-group of Naga-Kuki languages. These sub-group languages are Sopvoma (Mao-Maram), Miyangkhang (Thangal), Koireng (Kolren/Liyang), Luhuppa or Luppa (i.ee Tangkhul and Maring languages). Out of these sub-group languages, the three languages such as Sopvoma (Mao-Maram), Tangkhul and Maring exhibit a regular gradation in the change of speech. Sopvoma (Mao-Maram) is most nearly connected with the Western Naga language, The Marings with the Kuki ones, while Tangkhul occupies the intermediate position. Culturally, the Marings are totally different from the Kukies in regard of the name of the persons, name of the clans, Marriage laws/customs, Village administrations, Ways of House constructions, Village formations, Cultural festivals, dances and dresses, men bearing long hairs with murshoom,/coifer/turban on the forehead, songs and lyrics, food habits, Ways of Living, Tools and Weapons, Form of village, having common graveyards outside the village gates, burials and its rituals etc.

INDIGENOUS FAITH

The Indigenous faith of the Maring tribe has been firmly based on traditional ways of invocations, worships, offerings, sacrifices, appeasement and healing. They believed in all these systems and practiced them for their sustenance. The Marings believed that there is one God, known as Om, the Supreme Deity, whose natural benevolence is believed to be only one and is above all. He is the Creator of all things, including heavens and human beings and things; the Sustainer, the God of Universe. Besides this, they worshipped other lesser gods or goddesses of the lower realm called 'Thrai'. They also worshipped the local deity called Rampu-tupu or ram thrai or lukbam thrai; they also believed in the village deity; and the 'ancestral deity' called Cheem-thrai. Whenever the Marings worship God or Umpu or the deities, they make offerings as a ritual performance locally known as thuina-put makat, the ritual with animal sacrifices is known as malamthut, ranging from a mere offering of water yuykhying bunsunda to an offering of birds and animals including Mithun locally known as Shirim. They also prepare ritual feasts.

Name of the gods and deities

Creator - Seempi-Shapi Pu or Om

The Sustainer - Dunpi-yukpi Pu

The God of Universe - Shimlei-Thangwan Pu

The god of village deity - Kholamal-pu or pallshung thrai

The local deity - Rampu-tupu or ram thrai

The deity of the high places or sacred places Lukbam thrai

The ancestral deity Cheem-thrai

The Marings were also known for their Witchcraft practices, which have been considered education by the Marings during those early days. The Marings also believed in the existence of the evil spirits or devils, called Shea-krao, Langa (lhim-krao), tathi-tahoi khi-krao, kmang-krao, etc. These are the malevolent spirits, which caused sickness or diseases and sufferings to human beings. These devils or the evil spirits are not worshipped, but they were appeased and propitiated with sacrifices of animals called luk-khang or luk-thut or puluk-thut so that they don't harm or trouble human beings. The Marings believed that there is life after death". They believed that those who died the good dead will go up above, while the bad will go below to a place inside the earth i.e. khiya ram (the hell or the place of dead). But those who died in an extraordinary/unnatural manner will flit about between heaven and the earth (uncertain place).The reward of a virtuous life is immediate, since "after death the good are born again at once into this world." The Marings performed ritual rites in every feast or festival and various occasions connected with the traditional and customary functions such as seed sowing, harvesting, house constructions and inaugurations, child births, cleansing ceremony after the child birth (tuytrum kngei), marriage and death or condolence and funerals, etc. Marings worship God in different forms and places according to the situations and occasions. They worship the household deity as cheemthrai. The local deity is worshipped as rampu-tupu. The deity of high places/sacred places or groves is worshipped as Lukbam thrai; the village Altar deity is worshipped as Kho-lamun Pu; the fertility deity' is worshipped as Umhai. The God of blessing is worshipped as Umkarsui-Umkarshang. Above all, the Marings worshipped the God of Universe (Shimlei-Thangwan Pu), the Creator of both living and non-living beings as Seempi-shapipu Dunpu. They also worshipped the spirit of the Patriotic Heroes of the village in order to protect the villages from their enemies and the evils and even to help them in the warfare or in the battle fields to confront their enemies during the times of head hunting.

FOOD

Rice is a staple food of the Maring people. The meal comprises of rice with varieties of vegetables. Meat and fish are also regular food items for the Maring people. The Maring people are fond of spicy and hot food. Processed fermented soyabeans known as 'bethao bebung' is a part of almost every meal of Maring family. Marings are also fond of rice beer (Wai-tull) and puffing Pipe/Hukah (hilhaksu-hoktang tungka) in the past. Villagers draw water from the streams or ponds (Yuysho/Yuiphum). Tape (water supply pipe lines) system was not a common practice in ancient times though it has become popular now.

POLITICAL ORGANIZATION

Every Maring village has been autonomous. Most of the villages had been consisted of different clans. Every village has been ruled by the village chief (Khulpu-Khullak) with the help of village council. Council members were collectively elected from different clans and sub-clans, who were supposed to be capable of leading the people. The chief or the Khullak plays the role of the administrative head and leads the ministries of the political affairs, social justices, external affairs, and the Khulpu plays the role of priestly head in the village. All the ritualistic functions and ceremonies are being performed by khulpu.The Marings have been preserving their own unwritten constitution. Even though the constitutions were not in written forms, but nobody dares to go against these customary laws of the community.

CULTURE & RITUAL PRACTICES

Marings have rich culture. They have many cultural festivals and ritual ceremonies of different significance. Ritual ceremony for new village settlement is a very important ritual ceremony of the Maring people which is performed prior to establishment of village to sanctify the site. Erection of village altar (Kho-stung marlheng) is another important function involving ritual ceremony.

Fig 1. The Maring Traditional house.

Traditionally every Maring village has two village gates – one in the front, another at the back. It is a tradition that the villagers repair the village gates every year. The village gates are constructed with ritual ceremony invoking their God to protect the villagers from evil spirits, sicknesses, misfortunes, etc. Cleaning of village approach roads (Lam klai/Yuylam klai) is another festival celebrated by the Maring people with ritual ceremony. On that day, all the villagers clean approach roads including approach road to village drinking water pond. Hunting is very famous with the Maring people. Hunting festival (Yaa- kyao) is ceremonially organized by the Maring people though not necessarily to be organized every year. House inauguration ceremony (Cheem chang) is compulsory with every newly constructed house for the Maring people. Ritual is performed to cleanse the house thereby the house is made ready to live in. Another very significant festival of the Maring people is Inloiya Chun or Lhoowa Chun. This is a festival of dance which is organized every five year. Seed sowing festival is celebrated every year by the Maring people. It is also accompanied by rituals invoking approval of God to start sowing seeds and also invoking blessing for good harvest. Villagers also celebrate harvesting festival ceremoniously after harvest is over.

Fig 2. Maring Harvesting Dance

Fig 3. Maring War Dance

ECONOMY

Economically Marings were self-sufficient people. Agriculture plays an important role in the economy of the Marings. It was and continues to be their mainstay. It has been assisted by handicraft, trades, domestication, fishing, hunting, etc.

Fig 4. A collection of the Maring Handicrafts

Both jhoom/shifting and terrace cultivations have been practicing since forefathers’ time as their main occupation. Paddy/rice is planted mainly in the terrace and shifting fields, whereas vegetables and other cash crops were planted in jhum fields and gardens. Rearing domestic animals like cows/bulls, buffalos, Mithun/shirim, goats, pigs, dogs, fowls, etc serve both for agriculture and commercial purposes and even for meat. Productions of rice/paddy is mainly for consumption, whereas cash crops like coriander, pumpkin, cucumber, potato, ginger, varieties of beans, brinjal, mustard leaf, yam, tili-seeds, maize, mumcha (barley), Chuncha (Millet) etc serve both for food and commercial purpose. Barter system was practiced by the Marings in the olden days as mode of trade/transaction. Therefore, ones richness was measured by the size of his livestock, food stock comprises of paddy/rice and cash crops.

R’KHANG - MARING SOCIAL INSTITUTION

“R’khang" is a Social Institute of the Maring tribe where all the youths of every village enroll and participate as long as he or she remains unmarried. This is a very important institute that every Maring village must set up because all round training of youths is given in Rkhang. This tradition was practiced even after the dawn of Christianity in Nineteen Sixties. Enrollment into Rkhang signifies the attainment of marriageable age for boys and girls. Therefore, dormitory membership was a pre-requisite for Maring girls and boys to marry. Maring people maintained Rkhang as Dormitory for boys or bachelors and girls or maidens of the village from where they are imparted social norms, customary laws and arts of the tribe and prepare themselves to lead a better life. Rkhang was the centre of social, religious and cultural life amongst the Marings. All sort of tasks are allotted to the youths (young boys and girls) by the elders of the village and the seniors or the authority of the dormitory who were especially designated/assigned to do the same tasks in the community Rkhang. It was in the Rkhang that young boys and the young girls learnt lessons on community living. The Rkhang gymnasium turns out for skillful sportsmen, wrestlers and warriors, and besides these, the lessons on leadership also being taught. And in the Rkhang, they become acquainted with the history of the tribe/community, the culture, folklores, songs, musical instruments and dances. During this period, they are given training and imparted education to lead family life as a husband and as a wife.Thus the Rkhang acts both as a training school/institution in the art of life as well as a club for entertainment and fun. Indeed, no social functions in the village/community is arranged or managed without the helps of the Rkhang members who distribute/share various duties and responsibilities among themselves on the basis of their seniority in the Rkhang. The older members of the Rkhang shoulder a great responsibility than probationers/juniors or newly initiated members. There were times when the R’khang provide or arrange entertainments in the forms of dancing, singing (R’khang knuy, R’khang-Laa sha, Shrengseng Chun, etc.) or games & sports in the village feast or festivals, religious get-together or wedding ceremony, etc. Such entertainments and funs performed by the R’khang members redeem the people of the village or surrounding villages from the monotony of their daily routine works. Besides entertainments, the R’khang youths also attend to different kinds of tasks, such as collecting the materials of the new house constructions (bamboo, thatches, woods, pillars, etc) collecting fire-woods for cooking and bonfire, fetching water, distribution of meat to every household, etc, whenever there is any village or religious ceremonies and functions. As the members of the R’khang attended the sessions of learning and entertainments in the R’khang, each of them brought a bundle of dried wood each day in the evening for the fire regulation in the fire place of R’khang which is called as 'meirup heeng' in the local term and sleep there. If one fails to bring meirup heeng, he or she bears the punishment or fine for it. There were two separate houses of R’khang, one meant for the Bachelors and the other meant for the maidens. The boys’ dormitory is known as "Kartlang R’khang" and the girls’ dormitory is called "Nangaka R’khang”. Each R’khang has its own leaders who look after the affairs of it. And each R’khang maintains the strict disciplines separately but their norms or rules & regulations were almost the same. The head of the Kartlang R’khang institute was known as "Khangshellak" or "Kartlang Upa," and the leader of the Nangaka R’khang was known as "Khangshellak" or “Nangaka Upa." And the Bachelor's R’khang is totally out of bound for girls, because they believed that it renders a bad luck to the entire village if the girl enters into the Bachelor’s R’khang without any purpose. They also believed that bad luck comes in diverse ways- that the hunters returned empty handed and disappointed, the defeat or causalities is suffered in case of war, etc. Membership of an R’khang was an elaborate affair. The actual initiation was preceded by a period of probation which enables young members to know what is expected of them as members of the R’khang. At the initial stage of membership, the young boys and girls had to bear several ordeals and trials in order to qualify as a member. Sometimes, they had to bear a series of ragging from the senior members. They were made to gather fire woods, fetching water, cooking food and run errands and at the same time, attend their personal comforts. After a period of three years one becomes a senior member and assumes other weightier responsibilities in connection with the administrations and running of the R’khang. The R’khang, like any other institutions, has its own sets of rules and regulations even though they were not in written forms. Though no one from outside interferes in its administrations, the inmate understandably come within the purview of the village authority and are liable to punishment for breaking any customary laws and rituals. R’khang has its own council who are the office bearers in the pattern of the village administration like in the case of village. Discipline seems to be the keyword for the purpose of smooth running of the R’khang. Originally the R’khang was constructed by the villagers but the maintenance was vested upon the responsibility of its members. If a R’khang falls into a state of despair so as to necessitate dismantling, this is also to be carried out by the members of the R’khang. Construction of a new R’khang house means much feastings and ceremonies which the entire village would be involved. The cost of the feast and ceremony was mainly in the forms of rice, meat and rice beers (chak-an & tul) borne by the families residing in the village. Every R’khang member brings the requisite amount of rice, rice-beers, meat and vegetables etc from his & her home and give it to the common R’khang fund where the feast was arranged. While the R’khang was maintained by the youths, it was financed by their parents. They too must come to R’khang and sleep there at night. R’khang is also an institute where they learnt all kinds of handicrafts from the senior members who assisted them and also taught lessons on leading a community life. And the entry of the boys into the Nangaka R’khang (girls dormitory) was strictly prohibited same as the girls were strictly prohibited to the Kartlang R’khang. Thus, the R’khang system of the Maring Nagas was a typical Naga institution from where all the necessaries help pre-requisite qualifications of the young people (boys & girls) were taught. However, the importances of R’khang system have gradually lost with the change of time. And Christianity brought a drastic change in its wake. The Missionaries frown upon certain traditional practices which led many tribes to give up such practices. Maring is one of such tribes which have given up the maintenance of R’khang about few decades ago, somewhere in 1960s. And during the stay in the R’khang, it was easy to determine the maturity of a person, but with the end of R’khang systems, it has been difficult to decide whether a boy or a girl is really matured or whether they have attained the marriageable age or not.

SOCIAL SYSTEM

The Maring people had been living with a well structured and organized social system. There is a strong force of mutual love, respect and adherence to the systems like Customary Laws and Religious Practices which contributes much to the social harmony. The Maring Naga society is a patriarchal society. Father is regarded as head of the family and holds a high status in the society.

FAMILY: Family is composed of married couple and children with their grand parents. The eldest son after marriage remains with his Parents (father mother & grandparents) as an heir of the family, inheriting all the household properties of the father, whereas younger sons shift to new house after marriage. Thus, the eldest son take cares of old parents, unmarred younger siblings and grandparents.

INHERITANCE & SUCCESSION:
The system of inheritance and succession in the Maring community is primogeniture where the eldest son succeeds his father in case of death and inherits properties of the family both movable and immovable. Girl children are not entitled for any immovable properties of their parents. However, on the generosity of her father, she may get some share at the time of her marriage. And if the family does not have a son (to be heir), the nearest male kin can inherit the properties of that family.

MARRIAGE: Cross-cousins marriage (puwacha klou) i.e. to marry maternal uncle’s daughter is the most preferred and most common among the Marings. Such marriage is known as "puwa mannei klou" and maintained as “Neenni hillam thung". But one cannot marry his paternal aunt’s daughter, which is considered as “Yu klou” or "Puwah hillam-kalleng”. Engaged or arranged marriage was a common practice while love marriage was also practiced though rare with full consent of the parents from both sides. The marriage process takes normally complete three years (Nu kngai). Endogamy or marriage amongst the Maring community was commonly preferred and practiced reason being easy availability of helping hands from relatives and near and dear ones. Monogamy (marry one wife) system was commonly practiced however polygamy was not completely absent. Incest marriage (pinglam klou) is strictly prohibited and if happened in a rare case, a punishment was being imposed under customary laws and practices on this. The mode of punishment is called "Mungna" where a heavy fine or penalty was imposed and the couple excommunicated or expelled from the society or village or community. Bride price (Numan) system was practiced by the Maring community. Metal gong (Daar) and Mithun (Shirim) are acceptable and common items used as Bride price. And Divorce was strictly prohibited and if happened, fine or punishment is imposed against the concerned person accordingly.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The elders of the Maring Naga tribe took a peer review of the writing validating the authenticity of the term used.

See also

• Maring Naga language

References

1. Saroj Nalini Arambam Parratt: Chetharon Kumpapa. Vol. 1.33-1763 CE 2. Dr.Grierson (1967): Linguistic Survey of India. 3. T.C. Hodson (1911): The Naga tribes of Manipur. 18,197