Forged by Fire, Not Thrones: How Leishangthem Became Manipur’s Most Sacred Clan

Описание: This documentary explores the sacred geopolitics of the Leishangthem (Sarang-Leishangthem / Chenglei) clan—one of the seven foundational Salai of Meitei civilization. Moving beyond kings and battles, the film uncovers how ritual authority, iron metallurgy, sacred weapons (Lai Thang), ancestor worship, and Sanamahi cosmology shaped power in pre-modern Manipur. Drawing from Puyas, ethnographic research, and ritual studies, it reveals how technological mastery and spiritual legitimacy made Leishangthem a “sacred ritual Salai,” indispensable to state formation, kingship, and cultural survival—even through Hinduization and colonial disruption.

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