Meitei, dominant population of Manipur in northeastern India. The area was once inhabited entirely by peoples resembling such hill tribes as the Naga and the Mizo. Intermarriage and the political dominance of the strongest tribes led to a gradual merging of ethnic groups and the formation finally of the Meitei, numbering about 1.5 million in the early 21st century. They are divided into clans, the members of which do not intermarry.
Although they speak a Tibeto-Burman language, they differ culturally from the surrounding hill tribes by following Hindu customs. Before their conversion to Hinduism, they ate meat, sacrificed cattle, and practiced headhunting, but now they abstain from meat (though they eat fish), do not drink alcohol, observe rigid rules against ritual pollution, and revere the cow. They claim high-caste status. The worship of Hindu gods, with special devotion to Krishna, has not precluded the worship of many pre-Hindu indigenous deities and spirits.
Rice cultivation on irrigated fields is the basis of their economy. They are keen horse breeders, and polo is a national game. Field hockey, boat races, theatrical performances, and dancing—well known throughout India as the Manipuri style—are other pastimes.