Meitei People

The Meitei people, also known as the Manipuri people, is the predominant ethnic group of Manipur in Northeast India. They speak Meitei language (officially called Manipuri), one of the 22 official languages of the Indian Republic and the sole official language of Manipur. The Meiteis primarily settled in the Imphal Valley region in modern-day Manipur, though a sizable population has settled in the other Indian states of Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. There is also a notable presence of Meitei in the neighboring countries of Myanmar and Bangladesh.The Meitei ethnic group represents about 53% of Manipur’s population.

The Meitei Pangals (Meitei: Meitei Pangan), also known as the Pangals (Meitei: Pangan) or the Meitei Muslims (Meitei: Meitei Pangal) or the Manipuri Muslims (Meitei: Manipuri Pangal), are a group of Muslims who speak Meitei language as their native tongue. They live mainly in Manipur. The term “Pangal” simply means “Muslim” in Meitei language.[1][2] Various historical sources have different dates for when Islam first entered Manipur. However, the date all sources seem to confirm as definitive is 1606 AD. The origin of the Pangal community is equally varied.