• Dr. O Rudrababu Singh

An ecclesiastical court is a specialized court with a definite jurisdiction primarily in spiritual or religious matters. Historically, these courts held considerable powers, especially during the Middle Ages. Generally, in all early societies, law and religion were hardly distinguishable from each other. The establishment of an ecclesiastical court as a separate judicial institution is hard to find. But, they represent an intersection of faith, tradition as well as legal authority thereby shaping the course of socio-religious and governance. However, they had non-judicial functions as well. Every society has its own mechanism or institution to regulate the socio-cultural and religious affairs to enforce their cultural values. In Manipur since the early days of the Christian era, separate and distinguished ecclesiastical institutions based on traditional value systems existed. With the introduction of Hinduism, a new institution based on Hindu philosophy also came into being. In this paper, an attempt is being made to analyse the features of ecclesiastical courts that existed in Manipur and how they could co-exist in their own spheres harmoniously.

Meitei: Dominant ethnic group of Manipur, Maiba & Maibi: Local Meitei priests 2. Sanamahism: Traditional religion of the Meitei people, 3. Ningthouja: Ruling dynasty of Manipur, 4. Chatlam Lutin*: Customs & conventions of the Meitei people, 5. Maichous: Traditional scholars, 6. Loi people: Low caste people, 7. Bamon: Manipuri Brahmins.

"Ecclesiastical Courts in Manipur", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.3, Issue 9, page no.165-170, September 2016, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1701B30.pdf

"Ecclesiastical Courts in Manipur", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.3, Issue 9, page no. pp165-170, September 2016, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1701B30.pdf