The Phoenix like rise of Polo from ‘Sagol kangjei‘ & the fate of Indigenous animal

Indigenous Game of Manipur ‘Sagol Kangjei’ gave birth to the Modern Game of Polo And the Tragic fate of the animal in the birthplace of the Game of Polo

NINGTHOUKHONGJAM IBUNGOCHOUBI

The untold and unwritten stories of the evolutionary processes of human kind of millions of years continue to be subject for historians and academics throughout the world till date.

And discoveries of the great research works by scholars from different corners of the world unfold unbelievable tales, which open the minds to rethink to continuously change our pre-conceived perceptions.

However the findings are, the curiosity and the quest for knowledge make the research and academic institutions alive with a zeal to recount the uncountable processes of growth and evolutions of the human civilisation.

One of the unique characteristics of the human kind notwithstanding the  struggles to survive all the eventualities, be it the changes of harsh nurture and surroundings, including the threatening wildlife 

is the rituals and celebrations, which became part and parcel of our social fabrics. Quite interestingly, academics opine that many of the ritualistic and traditional values are millions of years old.

Beliefs and customary traditions, and are linke to the stock or the race or the community while trying to trace our ancestors. Different continents hosting a wide range of told and untold stories create interest among the younger generations to pursue higher studies, a quest for knowledge of the past. 

The nature as a source of worship, its other creations as companions, the human kind walked, then rode and traveled. Among the animals, horses became one the most important means for communication, adventure and later decisive battles. And thus began the history of the indigenous people’s quest for adventure and a reason for fast movements.

The human intelligence to train horses and make them their companions for many reasons has its social relevance till today. Decisive battles of victory and loss, often depending on the horses made the human kind move on to explore. Until the advent of the machines, animals, particularly the horses were the main mode and leader of transportation.

Depending on the climatic conditions and the geographic location, the types of horses were found to suit the surrounding environment. In India, there are six breeds of horses recognized by the Union Ministry of Agriculture. Marwari, Kathiawari, Zanskari, Spiti, Bhutia and Manipuri are the six breeds of horses. These indigenous breeds of horses have legendary stories of war, victory and defeat besides the great tales of games and sports, exercises attached with the horses. 

And quite unknown to many in the world, the Manipuri pony breed is becoming one of the most important breeds in the world drawing attention from the natural conservationists and environmentalists. Found in the valley of the state of Manipur, the wetlands as its natural habitat, the Manipuri pony breed has a unique history with the indigenous people of the one time small kingdom.

Known over recorded history since 33 AD and oral history of over 3000 years, the people of Manipur worship horses. Probably, the Manipuri civilization is the only one as its indigenous people dedicated a Holy Shrine dedicated to the Lord of Horses, Ibudhou Marjing. Till today, the indigenous people of Manipur worship Ibudhou Marjing for prosperity, good health and all the good things of life.

As every group of Indigenous People throughout the world would have its own traditional games and sports, festivals and social occasions, one of the indigenous games of Manipur, the Sagol Kangjei has become a major attraction today from over 90 nations playing the game of Polo.

Surprisingly, historians and academics have traced the origin of the Modern Game of Polo to indigenous game played by the Manipuris called Sagol Kangjei. There are many claims regarding the origin of the Game of Polo being played in over 90 countries. 

Many historians make a special mention that the martial Manipuri people’s relationship with the horses gave birth to a unique game played on the horses. Sagol Kangjei, the game played on horseback by the Manipuris, discovered and popularised by the Western world, has now earned the title of ‘King of Games’, although it was once referred as ‘Game of Kings’ with a new name called ‘Polo’.

Historians from all over the globe have been trying to find the missing link between the Modern Game of Polo and its origin. There are games played on horseback, recorded and depicted, in the chapters of many nations. However, modern game of Polo is attributed to Joseph Ford Sherer, who earned the title ‘Father of English Polo’.

The Silver Salver, which is now in the National Army Museum, London was presented to Joseph Sherer in appreciation of bringing the Game of Polo to mainland India from the natives of the Kingdom of Manipur. The long journey of Sagol Kangjei from Manipur to the United Kingdom and other continents via Cachar and Calcutta is now being reopened with a great enthusiasm.

Polo players from all the continents are looking at Mapal Kangjeibung, the Oldest Surviving Pologround in the world with a dream to play the game on the Manipur ponies, the original polo pony. The story has it that young Lt. Sherer saw the Manipuri Sagol Kangjei in Cachar, which is now a district in Assam. The Manipuri population settled in the neighbouring areas had kept the game alive.

Perhaps, Lt. Sherer and Capt. Robert Stewart are mentioned as the pioneer Englishmen who ever played Sagol Kangjei with the Manipuris. Silchar Kangjei Club, the First Polo Club was born in March 1859. The game then travelled to Dhaka, now in Bangladesh and Calcutta with those in the East India Company and the merchants who took interest in the newly found thriller game.

With the establishment of the Calcutta Polo Club in the year 1864 followed the historic polo match for which a Manipuri team ‘The Band of Brothers’ sailed a country boat for two weeks from Silchar. The match played on 30th January 1864 at Calcutta had Lord Lawrence, the Governor General of India as one of the spectators.

The report of the game that appeared in the Friend of India publication, February 4, 1864 is perhaps one of the archival records published describing the skills of the Manipuri players. 

Manipur being one of the protracted Kingdoms, the East India Company had its emissary designated as a Political Agent. Polo was more than social event. How the Game of Polo was mentioned, for the first time in House of Lords has a tragic reference, however. During for the late 1890s, the Kingdom of Manipur was embroiled in a fraternal dispute of the throne.

The situation gave the British the opportunity to lay their hands. James Wallace Quinton ICS, the Chief Commissioner of Assam arrived in Imphal on March 22, 1891 with Lt Col C. McDowal Skene D.S.C. Commanding Officer 42nd Gurkha Light Infantry with a large contingent of troops. What happened then is history.

Commissioner Quinton, Lt Col Skene, Lt W.H. Simpson of 43rd Gurkha, Mr.W.H. Cossins ICS, Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of Assam, Mr. W.B. Melville, Superintendent of Telegraph and Mr. O’Brien were executed in March, 1891 by the Manipuris followed by the declaration of war on March 31 by the British, called the Anglo Manipuri War 1891 in which Manipur lost its sovereignty.

The death of Commissioner Quinton, Col Skene and others were raised in the House of Lords in a call attention on June 22,1891. 

The call attention was raised by Marquess of Ripon, who was once sent as the Viceroy of India. “It is a small state, probably until these events took place very little known to your Lordship unless, indeed, some of you may have heard of it  the birthplace of the game of polo …. “ The reference made by the Marquess of Ripon, the former Viceroy of India in the British Parliament as he described Manipur as the birthplace of the game of polo may perhaps be for the first time that polo was mentioned in the House of Lords. 

The pride of the Manipuri people of having gifted the world the Game of Polo is the bright side of the story. And the polo playing nations’ recognition to come and experience the game in its original form has also added yet another passion where the ponies are revered and worshipped. However, more than the emotional and the historical connections praising the game, there is also a hard reality the indigenous breed of Manipuri Ponies are facing today. 

Now, with the digital technology and the world of information appearing on a computer screen or a smart phone, the knowledge and the history of the game is being added. The game of polo becoming a popular and attractive event in almost all the countries, the claim of origin of the game by many is surfacing. Many games on horseback, even similar to polo, are being acknowledged.

However, the game of modern polo as being played today is being traced to Sagol Kangjei. The rules and regulations that govern the game have definitive origins in the way Sagol Kangjei was administered. 

With all the glories of the Indigenous Game of Sagol Kangjei being read and known worldwide and the umbilical cord tied to the ponies, there is a need for a serious rethinking. We all have to closely look at the official report of the census, which is conducted by the Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services of Manipur.

The Quinquennial Livestock Census depicting the graphic decline in the population of Manipuri Ponies in the last two decades rings the alarm bell. In the year 2003, there were 1893 ponies. The graphic decline on the trajectory was noticed in 2007 with the number of ponies reduced to1218.

The census report of 2012 mentioning that the number of ponies stood at 1100 has invited a serious observation questioning the veracity of the methodology of the census and the integrity those who conducted the same. The authenticity of the report was shrouded when the findings of random census conducted by the Manipuri Society came to light.

All the polo clubs of the state, owners and persons concerned gave a mandate to the Manipuri Pony Society to issue ‘Stud Books‘ in the year 2014. This was preceded by a congregation of pony owners to respond to the dwindling number of ponies and the grazing fields in 2013. It was then on October 19, 2014, the Manipuri Pony Society shared the findings of the year long exercise to census of the ponies in Manipur.

It was the day a ‘One-Day Workshop and Consultation on the Status of Manipuri Pony Breed” was organised and participated by all concerned. Over a period of three months, the Manipuri Pony had mobilised all the polo clubs and who volunteered to join the massive to count the ponies and document each every pony. Less than 500 ponies were listed pages of the Manipuri Pony Society. And of the ponies are awaiting eternal sleep owing many reasons, chiefly food poisoning. 

The Manipuri Pony Society had clearly observed the reasons for the graphic decline in the population of ponies. The wetlands of Manipur and the open grazing grounds, which were once the natural habitat of the ponies have suffered the most by the expanding urbanisation in the name of development. The picturesque Lamphelpat, which was once a natural home for thousands of ponies have been demarcated and fenced for various institutions and establishments.

The lush green and the home for thousands of species, including the migratory birds, Lamphelpat, to site one example had been humanly intervened driving the ponies to the streets. Instead of the grass, they now live and survive on the garbage while the speeding vehicles are one of the main causes for the frequent death of displaced ponies. 

Thousands of acres of area within the Lamphelpat, which are now fenced for many institutions, can be a solution. There can be nothing more unfortunate than establishing academic and administrative institutions by destroying naturally gifted wetlands of the state. The policy makers of the state must now clearly understand the great importance of the surviving wetlands, particularly the Lamphelpat from the environmental perspective.

Ironically, the Manipuri Pony Breed is one of the recognised horses in India. From time immemorial, the Manipuri ponies have survived all difficult and hostile terrains and climatic conditions unlike the other breeds of horses.

With the international norms of a breed as ‘vulnerable’, ‘endangered’ and critically endangered’, the time has come to place the status of the Manipuri Pony Breed within a bracket to save this rare and important creature. While we all take pride and the glory that we sing and worship,the animal itself will be a thing of the past in our own lifetime. 

The reasons attributed to the dramatic decline in the population of Manipuri ponies are ‘Food Poisoning’ and ‘Road Accidents’. Since the creature is driven away from their natural habitats, they come on to roads and feed themselves on garbage. Plastic is one deadly item for them. The other reason of accidents is ominous as they come on the roads. 

The two reasons for the dwindling number of the rare breed of ponies having been identified by all, the solution lies in addressing them first. Their natural habitats should be protected.

The latter cause of death will cease if the creature dwell in their natural habitats as the case of accidents will not arise. The point of contention today is: do we have the political will and moral strength to revisit the policies of development and demarcate the natural habitats of the Manipuri ponies?

Singing of past glories of Sagol Kangjei, the mythological lineage of Manipuri ponies will soon become history as the coming generations will see the creature encapsulated on the walls as work or art in the form of pictures and sculptures. 

There is still a ray of hope. The ‘Manipuri Pony Conservation and Development Policy’ could be one. The views of the Manipuri Pony Society, which was unanimously given a mandate by all the Polo Clubs, pony owners and the concerned organisations, will have to be seriously heard and consulted by Government to see that the appropriate and concrete methods are applied.

However late, it is the right moment to put the thinking together. All must also acknowledge that many are fighting against time. The death rate of ponies is higher than the rate of foaling. Every moment is precious and the new foals are struggling to survive. The rate of survival of the ponies is a declining graft, an invincible battle fought on a day-to-day basis.

The significance of preserving indigenous culture, games and sports, traditional values and practices will have to be highlighted as these are factors determining the indigenous people’s rights and privileges. For thousands of years, the indigenous people of Manipur lived with the horses. Thus the homeland, the natural habitats

of the indigenous horses, the wetlands survived. The greater significance is the values of environment understood by the indigenous people by respecting the flora and fauna of the nature. The rituals and age-old socio-cultural traditions of the indigenous people need to be highlighted and revisited. 

N Ibungochoubi, Secretary General, North East Indigenous People’s Forum, ibungochoubi@gmail.com

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