Haipou Jadonang was born in the Zeliangrong community in 1905 at Kambiron village, British India (present-day Tamenglong district of Manipur) and died on August 29, 1931 in Imphal. He was born to Thindai and Tabonliu in a Rongmei family. He was youngest of the couple's three sons, and his father died when he was around one year old.
From his childhood he was mild, most truthful, peaceful, hardworking and helpful. Jadonang was a divine soul born out of Tingwang’s wish to redeem Naga society from the events and ills of the community. He was a fortune-teller, a divine leader, a saint, spiritual leader, social reformer, lover of indigenous religion and culture, a successful organizer and extensive traveller and a bold military commander, all rolled into one person called Haipou Jadonang. He preached teachings and lessons to masses, constructed a temple of God Bishnu in his Kambiron village and another at Binnakandi on Cachar district.
He abolished many taboos and superstitions and established a reformed cult-Heraka, which means ‘Pure’. Jadonang led a pilgrimage to Bhuvan cave where he preached spirituality and ideals of divine life. He was a strict follower of discipline. The young Gaidinliu assisted him in this divine work. He evolved scientific military training and military caution. He composed patriotic songs to be sung during military adventures. He composed hymns and devotional songs, which are very popular among Zeliangrong people particularly the Heraka followers. He innovated and invented different dance forms.
He was a freedom-loving spiritual leader and wished his people to live peacefully free from foreign yoke. That is why he established a Naga army to protect his people from British rule. He visualized a kingdom (Makam Gwangdi) of his people, which British described as Naga Raj. The Britishers wanted to remove this obstacle called Jadonang from their path for smooth expansion of colonial rule. They fabricated a case of murder of four Manipuri traders and falsely implicated him in these murder cases.
Haipou Jadonang founded the Heraka (or Haraka, "Pure") religious movement, variously described as a reform movement or a cult. Heraka derives from an ancestral Naga practices known as "Paupaise", and is also influenced by Hinduism and Christianity. It is also known as the "Gaidinliu movement", Periese ("old practice"), Kelumse ("prayer practice") and Ranise ("Rani's practice"). Khampai is a pejorative term for the movement. It has also been described as "Naga renaissance".[4] Jadonang encouraged the Heraka followers to worship and make sacrifices to the creator god Tingwang. In accordance with the Rongmei tradition, which states that the humans first emerged from a primeval cave, Jadonang established a cave temple at the Bhuvan cave.
Jadonang was arrested at Tamenglong in December 1928, after he prophesized the end of the British Raj. J. C. Higgins, the Political Agent of Manipur State, arrested him on February 1931 at Cachar. A month later, he was taken to Imphal and imprisoned there. On 29 August, the British hanged him on the banks of the Nambul River, for the murder of four Manipuri traders. According to the British government, he and his followers had sacrificed the traders to the deity in a temple near Nungkao. According to his supporters, the case was fabricated by the British and Jadonang was falsely implicated.
British invaders hanged him in Imphal on 29th August 1931.He preferred to die than to sacrifice his religion, culture and above all the freedom of his people. People throughout the world are generally found having pride in the history of their forefathers. The divine revolutionaries Haipou Jadonang and spiritual lady Rani Ma Gaidinliu sacrificed their lives for us. They laid their lives for our better tomorrow and through their untiring deeds the cultural identity of Zeliangrong people could be kept intact.
Haipou Jadonang was a Rongmei Naga religious leader, social reformer, a freedom fighter and symbol of Naga unity from Manipur, British India. He established the Heraka religious movement, and declared himself to be the "messiah king" of the Nagas. His movement was widespread in the Zeliangrong territory before the switch to Christianity. He also envisaged an independent Naga kingdom ("Makam Gwangdi" or "Naga Raj"), which brought him in conflict with the British rulers of India. He was hanged by the British in 1931, and succeeded by his cousin Rani Gaidinliu.
He abolished many taboos and superstitions and established a reformed cult-Heraka, which means ‘Pure’. Jadonang led a pilgrimage to Bhuvan cave where he preached spirituality and ideals of divine life. He was a strict follower of discipline. The young Gaidinliu assisted him in this divine work. He evolved scientific military training and military caution. He composed patriotic songs to be sung during military adventures. He composed hymns and devotional songs, which are very popular among Zeliangrong people particularly the Heraka followers. He innovated and invented different dance forms.
He was a freedom-loving spiritual leader and wished his people to live peacefully free from foreign yoke. That is why he established a Naga army to protect his people from British rule. He visualized a kingdom (Makam Gwangdi) of his people, which British described as Naga Raj. The Britishers wanted to remove this obstacle called Jadonang from their path for smooth expansion of colonial rule. They fabricated a case of murder of four Manipuri traders and falsely implicated him in these murder cases.
Haipou Jadonang founded the Heraka (or Haraka, "Pure") religious movement, variously described as a reform movement or a cult. Heraka derives from an ancestral Naga practices known as "Paupaise", and is also influenced by Hinduism and Christianity. It is also known as the "Gaidinliu movement", Periese ("old practice"), Kelumse ("prayer practice") and Ranise ("Rani's practice"). Khampai is a pejorative term for the movement. It has also been described as "Naga renaissance".[4] Jadonang encouraged the Heraka followers to worship and make sacrifices to the creator god Tingwang. In accordance with the Rongmei tradition, which states that the humans first emerged from a primeval cave, Jadonang established a cave temple at the Bhuvan cave.
Jadonang was arrested at Tamenglong in December 1928, after he prophesized the end of the British Raj. J. C. Higgins, the Political Agent of Manipur State, arrested him on February 1931 at Cachar. A month later, he was taken to Imphal and imprisoned there. On 29 August, the British hanged him on the banks of the Nambul River, for the murder of four Manipuri traders. According to the British government, he and his followers had sacrificed the traders to the deity in a temple near Nungkao. According to his supporters, the case was fabricated by the British and Jadonang was falsely implicated.
British invaders hanged him in Imphal on 29th August 1931.He preferred to die than to sacrifice his religion, culture and above all the freedom of his people. People throughout the world are generally found having pride in the history of their forefathers. The divine revolutionaries Haipou Jadonang and spiritual lady Rani Ma Gaidinliu sacrificed their lives for us. They laid their lives for our better tomorrow and through their untiring deeds the cultural identity of Zeliangrong people could be kept intact.
Haipou Jadonang was a Rongmei Naga religious leader, social reformer, a freedom fighter and symbol of Naga unity from Manipur, British India. He established the Heraka religious movement, and declared himself to be the "messiah king" of the Nagas. His movement was widespread in the Zeliangrong territory before the switch to Christianity. He also envisaged an independent Naga kingdom ("Makam Gwangdi" or "Naga Raj"), which brought him in conflict with the British rulers of India. He was hanged by the British in 1931, and succeeded by his cousin Rani Gaidinliu.
What is the Heraka earrinh? Would like to know what it looks like
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