Thang-Ta as Indigenous Pedagogy: Reconstructing the Traditional Education System of Ancient Manipur

Abstract

The study of martial arts, as interpreted through the prism of pedagogy provides significant clues to the moral, social, and intellectual underpinnings of a society. Most of the pre-modern societies did not just have martial systems of combat, but they were parts of education, administration, and identity. The martial traditions of Northeast India, especially Manipur, are a relatively underresearched source of indigenous knowledge in the field of South and Southeast Asian studies. This paper discusses Thang-Ta, which is the native martial tradition in the state of Manipur as a coherent pedagogical system that is integrated into the traditional system of education in the early Meitei society. Using qualitative approaches, such as oral accounts of the practitioners and the study of historical documents, such as the CheitharolKumbaba and Chainarol, the work shows that Thang-Ta was a holistic educational establishment that combined physical discipline, moral formation, socio-political conditioning, and cultural continuity. It goes on to suggest that Thang-Ta is a different paradigm of epistemology that contests Eurocentric, text-centric theories of education by giving preference to experiential, ritual-centered, and community-based learning. The paper concludes that Thang-Ta is not just a martial practice but a living pedagogical system, the heart of the identity formation, moral growth and social integration in the Manipuri society.