By – Makakmayum Baadshah
Dr. Abdul Ali Makakmayum born in 1900 was the first Matriculate in 1920 from Calcutta University among the Meitei Pangals (Manipuri Muslims), the first graduate (medical science with his LMP degree from Berry White Medical College, Dibrugarh) in 1924 and the first Doctor from 1925 to 1955 among Pangals, and he was the Assistant Secretary (Home) of India to the Government of Manipur from 24-5-1956 to 16-3-1956 and he died on the 16th of March, 1956. Dr. Abdul Ali, also an educationist and philanthropist, has a distinguished family lineage of achievers in various fields and his ancestry is traced from Prince Shah Shuja who took shelter at Kangla since his arrival via Dacca and Tripura to Manipur in 1660/61 when King Khunjaoba was ruling in Manipur and Shah Shuja died in Manipur in 1679 when Mughal Emperor was still ruling in India. Shah Shuja is elder brother of Emperor Aurangzeb who is son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Prince Shah Shuja was Subahdar (Governor) of Bengal Subah (Eastern India of the time) and Prince Aurangzeb was the Subahdar of Deccan (Southern India) and their two other brothers were Prince Dara Shikoh and Prince Murad Baksh who were also Subahdars (Governors) in other parts of India. The eldest of the four- Dara Shikoh was the Subahdar of the West (Allahbad, Gujarat, Multan and Kabul) and Murad Bakhsh, the youngest was the Subahdar of Balkh. And Mughal Empire in its height of achievement included India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan of modern time. When the four brothers heard that their father Shah Jahan had died, they all tried to storm Delhi and Agra with their troops in a bid to capture the throne. There was a succession war and pitched battles were fought mostly in north India, and Aurangzeb executed Dara Shikoh and Murad Bakhsh after winning the succession wars to eliminate threat to his throne. While Shah Shuja was still fighting, and finally Mir Jumla, an able general of Emperor Aurangzeb, finally managed to chase out Prince Shah Shuja from Bengal and Shah Shuja after apparent detour to Arakan from Dacca arrived in Tripura from where he arrived with some of his troops and nobles in Manipur in the reign of king Khunjaoba. King Khunjaoba and Tripura King who were sworn enemies of Mughal expansion gave shelter to the bereaved Prince Shah Shuja who was a rival to the incumbent Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. General Mir Jumla, a Persian origin, was secretly having a soft corner and admiration for Shah Shuja, and so Mir Jumla played a part in sending out Shah Shuja into Manipur via Tripura. After Aurangzeb got wind of news or rumour that Shah Shaja was in Tripura, he wrote a stern letter to the Tripura king Govinda Manikya in 1661that read as “I have definite knowledge that Shuja is hiding in your kingdom. I hope you will capture him and take care to send him under the surveillance of your army officers and thereby oblige me so that the age-old friendship may continue unabated” (source: N.R. Roychoudhury, Tripura through the Ages, 1983: 28). It is at this moment that the Tripura king provided horses and elephants for Shuja’s eventual departure to Manipur. The royal chronicle of Manipur- Cheitharol Kumbaba (1967: 45) mentions the arrival of a notable man Shangkushung (Shah Shuja) in Poinu month of 1661. King Khunjaoba also apparently received a letter from Aurangzeb brought by three men- Rustam Beg, Dur Beg and Nur Beg and so he (King Khunjaoba) sent a three man team to the Mughals to explain (feign) that Shuja was not in Manipur. Cheitharol Kumbaba records as: “Poinuthada Shangkushung Mangkanshung thoklakye. Khundrakpam Sanayan, Leimajam Maimu, Mutumcha Chingsongkhong kouba ahum ama Mangkan (Mughal) changkhiye”.To sum up, Dr. M. Kirti Singh (1980: 41-42) writes: “At this time the struggle for the throne of Delhi was carrying on among the sons of Shahjahan. Some Mughals (Mangkons) came to Manipur in pursuit of Shuja, the second son of Shahjahan. Mir Jumla while chasing Shuja invaded Assam in 1662. The hardships of campaigns in an unhealthy climate struck him and he could not reach Manipur. Khunjaoba died childless in 1666.” Sunarphul and Lakhiyarphul are the two sons of Prince Shah Shuja in Manipur. B. Kullachandra Sharma (2010:3) writes that the Makakmayum are Mughals and the two princelings- Sunarphul and Lakhiyarphul apparently made a detour to Makak and arrived back in Manipur in 1679 and the Mughals got the clan (sagei) title of Makakmayum henceforth.
There is a tradition among the Manipuris that say “It’s incumbent for a family and individual to know upto seven generations”. And there is also a Hadith in Islamic tradition that prescribes “It’s incumbent on all individuals to know seven generations from you”. Some families and interested individuals or clan elders actually keep successive records that enable them to say even more than seven generations on patrilineal side from the records.
The author is presenting a genealogical tree of a select clan (yumnak sagei) among Meitei Pangals from as far back (past) as possible using published sources in the expectation that other individuals will be encouraged towards this puwari (history) keeping tradition and this is from the Makakmayum sagei. Two main sources- “The Tarikh-i-Rashidi of Mirza Muhammad Haidar” and “The Shajratul Atrak” enable one to list the genealogical chart from Adam to Babur (Mughal empire founder) to Shah Shuja who arrived in Manipur in 1660/61. Three more published accounts- An Account of Assam by Dr. J. P. Wade, Pangal Thorakpa by R. K. Sanahal and Socio Economic History of Manipuri Muslims by Sidiqur Rahman help us to understand the genealogy of Makakmayum (Mughal Mayum) from Shah Shuja (son of Shah Jahan) to the present generation. From these five historical accounts, the author gives the genealogy of a select Makakmayum family of Dr. Abdul Ali (1900-1956) and his in Manipur. The genealogy from father to son in succession is as follows: Adam- Seth- Enos- Kenan- Mahalaleel- Jared- Enoch (Idris)- Methuselah- Lamech- Noah- Japhet- Turk- Ablichi Khan- DevedKowi- Kyook Khan- Alumchi Khan- Mughal- Kara Khan- Agooz Khan- Ai Khan- Yeldooz Khan- Munguli Khan- Tunguz Khan- Eel Khan- Keyan (Kyat)- Yulduz Khan- Timur Tash Khan- Munguli Khwajeh- Yuldooz Khan- Choyumna Khan (Barghutai)- Alan Gua (Alanguo)- Boozunjoor (Bodonchar Munkhug)- Booka Khan (Kabich Baghutur)- Dootmeen (Menem Tudun)- KachiHulug- Khaidu Khan- Baisanghar Dukshin- Tamanae Khan (TumbinaiSatsen)- Kacholi Khan- Eeromji Birlas- Sooghu Sachan- Korachar Nevian- Eechul Noyaun- Alungees Nevian- Amir Toraghi- Amir Timur (Timurlane)- Miran Shah- Sultan Muhammad Mirza- Abu Said Mirza- Umar Sheikh Mirza- Babur- Humayun- Akbar the Great- Jahangir- Shah Jahan- prince Shah Shuja (arrived in Manipur in 1660/61)- Prince Sunarphul (Mansur)- Chambek- Molliya Sheikh- Awanchullah- Akinyo- Raj Muhammed- Kazi Jan Muhammed (Sheikh Seba/Mal Ukokten)- Lal Muhammed (Naharup Hanjaba)- Dr. Abdul Ali- Abdul Gani- Farooque Ahmed (born 1975).
In this regard, Dr. John Peter Wade wrote in 1800 that prince Shah Shuja (elder brother of emperor Aurangzeb/Aurangshah) after losing the Mughal war of succession came to Manipur (then also called Mekhli/Muggllo) and took shelter with Manipur king Khunjaoba. R. K. Sanahal Singh wrote that the Makak Mughal prince Sunarphul and his family and entourage took a detour to Makak (Makokchung) and arrived back in Manipur in 1679 and they were received by Manipur king Paikhomba being aided by prasena Muhammad Sani who earlier came and settled in Manipur in 1606. Dr. J. P. Wade (1800: 297) wrote: “The throne of Sajehan Padsah was disputed by his four sons but Aurangsah proved the successful competitor. He dispatched Mirzamoola with an army to expel Booza (Sooja) who fled to Munnipoor the capital of the Muggllo Rajah.”
Dr. J. P. Wade further wrote in his “A Geographical Sketch of Assam” (1805) that before Shah Shuja departed for Manipur, he prayed in Poa-Makka mosque at Hajo that was rebuilt by himself when he (Shah Shuja) was Governor (Subahdar) of Bengal during 1639-1660.
There is a reference to opening of a road to Makak and arrival of Makak in Manipur in 1619 (Cheitharol Kumbaba, 1967: 36; Gangmumei Kabui, 1991: 220). Dr. Sidiqur Rahman (2018: 162) gives the genealogy from Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to Dr. Abdul Ali as: Shah Jahan- Shah Shuja- Sheikh Mansur (Sunarphul)- Chambek-Molliya Sheikh- Awanchullah- Ankiyun (Amkiullah)- Raj Muhammed- Qazi Jan Muhammed (Sheikh Seba)- Lal Muhammed- Dr. Abdul Ali.
(The author is a Ph.D in Management from JJT University, Rajasthan in 2022)