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{{Distinguish|Kounu}}
{{See|Khamba Thoibi}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Khamnu
| image              = THOIBI, SENU AND KHAMNU.jpg
| caption            = Princess [[Moirang Thoibi|Thoibi]] and her chief maid Senu, coming to the market, where Khamnu sells woods.
| birth_place        = [[Ancient Moirang]]
| era                = [[Ancient Moirang]]
| title              = Real daughter of the king, foster daughter of the prime minister
| spouse             = Pheiroichamba (Pheiroijamba)
| era name           = 
| house              = 
| father             = King Chingkhu Telheiba (biological), Prime Minister Khuman Puremba (foster)
| relatives          = [[Khuman Khamba]] (younger brother), [[Moirang Thoibi]] (younger sister in law)
| family             = [[Moirang dynasty]] (biological), [[Khuman dynasty]] (foster)
| mother             = Ngangkha Leima (Ngangkhareima)
}}
'''Khamnu''' (/kʰəm.nu/) is a woman in Meitei stories.  She is in the epic poem ''[[Khamba Thoibi]]''.  She is the daughter of prime minister ''Khuman Puremba'' of [[Ancient Moirang]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wxkC9S2jYCkC&dq=Khamba+khamnu+elder+sister+children+prime+minister+moirang+orphans+infancy+fled+shelter+kabui+chief&pg=PA1557|title=Encyclopaedia of North-East India|last=Prakash|first=Col Ved|date=2007|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist|isbn=978-81-269-0706-9|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Indian Antiquary0 - Google Books">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aQWbWfI2JTkC&dq=khamnu&pg=PA220|title=Indian Antiquary: A Journal of Oriental Research in Archaeology, History, Literature, Languages, Folklore Etc|date=1877|publisher=Education Society's Press|language=en}}</ref> Biologically, she is a daughter of King ''Chingkhu Telheiba'' of [[Ancient Moirang]].<ref name="Indian Antiquary0 - Google Books" /> She is the older sister of [[Khuman Khamba]]. She is best known for raising her younger brother when he was a child.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ObFCT5_taSgC&dq=Khamba+orphan+Moirang+brought+elder+sister+Khamnu&pg=PA243|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: A-Devo|last=Datta|first=Amaresh|date=1987|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-260-1803-1|language=en}}</ref> The two siblings became orphans during their infancy. She feared of being conspired by others. So, she fled with her younger brother from her hometown. They took asylum in the village of the [[:en:Rongmei Naga|Kabui]] chief in the hills.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZv0AwAAQBAJ&dq=khamnu&pg=PT176|title=The Penguin Book of Classical Indian Love Stories and Lyrics|last=Bond|first=Ruskin|date=2000-10-14|publisher=Penguin UK|isbn=978-93-5118-814-8|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Indian Antiquary0 - Google Books" /><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8EMKAQAAIAAJ&q=khamnu|title=Khamba and Thoibi: The Unscaled Height of Love|last=Singh|first=N. Tombi|date=1976|publisher=Chitrebirentombichand Khorjeirup|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TGkKAQAAIAAJ&q=khamnu|title=Best Short Stories of India|last=Atkinson|first=Phyllis Rhoda Ellen|date=1931|publisher=D. B. Taraporevala sons & Company|language=en}}</ref>

Khamnu and her younger brother Khamba were given fatherly care by General Thonglen and Nobleman Chaoba Nongthonba before and after their time living at the Kabui village in the hills.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d8jlWVP4uKsC&dq=khamnu+Khamnu+%2C+the+elder+sister+of+Khamba+who+can+be+compared+to+Kunti+%2C+the+widowed+mother+of+the+Pandavas+thonglen+chaoba+nongthonba+general+nobleman+father&pg=PA35|title=Khwairakpam Chaoba Singh|last=Singh|first=Rajkumar Mani|date=2002|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-260-1519-1|language=en}}</ref> 
[[File:KHAMNU FEEDING HER YOUNGER BROTHER KHUMAN KHAMBA.jpg|thumb|300px|Khamnu feeding her younger brother, [[Khuman Khamba]].]]
Khamnu worked very hard to raise her younger brother. So she is often compared to [[:en:Kunti|Kunti]] of the [[Mahabharata]].<ref name=":2" />

== Early life ==
Khamnu's parents died.  After this, life became very difficult for her and her brother Khuman Khamba.  Khuman Khamba was still a baby.  Khamnu went from place to place to get help to work in [[Ancient Moirang|Moirang]]. She husked paddy for some people. The women who owned the paddy paid her by breastfeeding the infant Khamba. Like this, she worked and got help until she and her brother were both adults. To earn a living, Khamnu sold wood in a market of [[Ancient Moirang|Moirang]]. One day, Princess [[Moirang Thoibi|Thoibi]] visited the marketplace. She noticed Khamnu, a strange new face. She asked Khamnu many things. She even gave Khamnu food and jewelry. Khamnu and Thoibi met once more. Thoibi asked Khamnu to come with her when she went fishing in [[Loktak lake]]. So Khamnu accompanied the princess in sporting on the lake.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/meitheis01hods/page/n181/mode/2up|title=The Meitheis|last=Hodson|first=T. C. (Thomas Callan)|date=1908|publisher=London, D. Nutt|others=Duke University Libraries|pages=181}}</ref>

Once Princess Thoibi visited Khamnu's house. Meanwhile, Khamnu went out to the market to bring some fruits. At Khamnu's absence, Thoibi presented Khamba gifts. The two bound themselves by an oath before the God [[Khuman Pokpa]]. They drank the water in which the golden bracelet was dipped. They vowed to be lovers forever. After this oath, Thoibi addressed Khamnu as "sister".<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/meitheis01hods/page/137/mode/2up|title=The Meitheis|last=Hodson|first=T. C. (Thomas Callan)|date=1908|publisher=London, D. Nutt|others=Duke University Libraries|pages=137}}</ref>

== Exposition of hidden identity ==
Khamnu's younger brother Khamba went out among other men. He joined the wrestling club. While wrestling, Khamba defeated [[Nongban]]. Nongban was the champion of all the wrestlers in the kingdom. At Nongban's defeat, Khamba's long hidden identity was known to everyone. He is the son of great warrior Khuman Purenba.<ref name=":0" /> 
At this, Minister Nongthonba remembered the marriage engagement between Feiroijamba, his firstborn son, and Khamnu. They went to Khamnu. Khamnu hid herself in the women's chamber. They cried tears and were very sad. At this, Khamnu came out. She received the gifts from them. From this time onwards, Khamnu and her brother Khamba were always supported by Minister Nongthonba, Minister Thonglen and Feiroijamba in every way of life.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/meitheis01hods/page/138/mode/2up|title=The Meitheis|last=Hodson|first=T. C. (Thomas Callan)|date=1908|publisher=London, D. Nutt|others=Duke University Libraries|pages=138}}</ref>

== Secret of the dangerous bull ==
Khamnu's younger brother Khuman Khamba was ordered to capture the [[Kao (bull)|Kao bull]] from the [[Khuman kingdom]]. At this, Khamnu revealed a secret of the [[Kao (bull)]] to Khamba so that Khamba could catch him.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/meitheis01hods/page/143/mode/2up|title=The Meitheis|last=Hodson|first=T. C. (Thomas Callan)|date=1908|publisher=London, D. Nutt|others=Duke University Libraries|pages=143}}</ref> She said, 
<blockquote><poem>"This great bull was once the Lord of your father's herd. Go to him, speak your father's name in his ear, and show him this Rope of silk."</poem></blockquote>
On the day of the adventure, Khamba did everything as his sister had told him to do. This tamed the bull.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/meitheis01hods/page/144/mode/2up|title=The Meitheis|last=Hodson|first=T. C. (Thomas Callan)|date=1908|publisher=London, D. Nutt|others=Duke University Libraries|pages=144}}</ref>

== Marriage ==
Khamnu and Feiroijamba got married after the wedding of Khuman Khamba and [[Moirang Thoibi]].  Her marriage engagement was set by Nongtholba and late Purenba long time back.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/meitheis01hods/page/151/mode/2up|title=The Meitheis|last=Hodson|first=T. C. (Thomas Callan)|date=1908|publisher=London, D. Nutt|others=Duke University Libraries|pages=151}}</ref>

== Namesakes ==
=== Market ===
'''Khamnu Keithel''' (literally, ''"Khamnu market"'') was constructed at INR 9 crore (1.2 million US Dollar) under the project of Planning and Development Authority (PDA) in [[Moirang]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=8..230612.jun12|title=Foundation for Khamnu Keithel laid at Moirang|website=e-pao.net}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== Other websites ==
{{Commons}}
* [https://archive.org/search.php?query=Khamnu&sin=TXT Khamnu_archive.org]
* [http://e-pao.net/epSearchResults.asp?cx=partner-pub-3342616103029311%3A3788634109&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=Khamnu&sa.x=0&sa.y=0 Khamnu_e-pao.net]
[[Category:Legendary Meitei people]]