SACRED NORMS AND SOCIAL CONTROL IN CUSTOMARY INSTITUTIONS AMONG THE MAOS OF MANIPUR

This study looks at how sacred values shape social order and moral authority within the customary institutions of the Mao Naga (Ememei) community in Manipur.Kinship, clan organization,marriage, guardianship, adoption, kingship, dispute resolution, and ritual life areexplored and analysed. Rather than existing apart from modern influences, these customs interact with Christianity and state law, creating a plural and evolving legal world. The paper draws on theories of legal pluralism (Griffiths, 1986; Merry, 1988; Benda-Beckmann, 2006), Durkheims sociology of the sacred, and anthropological perspectives on kinship, gender, and ritual (Fortes, 1958; Radcliffe-Brown, 1952; Ortner, 1974; Turner, 1967;Foucault, 1977) to interpret how moral order is maintained. Sacred rituals like genna and Okhroecha act as community-wide systems of moral regulation, blending fear of divine punishment with social accountability. Family and clan networks remain the moral foundation of governance, balancing hierarchy with care, reciprocity, and shared responsibility. The Movou (chief) and village councils uphold justice through dialogue, reconciliation, and ritual, rather than punishment alone.Ultimately,the Mao experience shows that customary law is not a relic of the past but a living, adaptive moral orderone that continues to anchor identity, ethics,and collective life within a changing modern world.