81-616: Gaidinliu Pamei (26 January 1915 – 17 February 1993) popularly known as Rani Gaidinliu was an Indian Naga spiritual and freedom fighter, political leader who led a revolt against British rule in India . At the age of 13, she joined the Heraka religious movement of her cousin Haipou Jadonang . The movement later turned into a political movement seeking to drive out the British from Manipur . Within
162-452: A Rongmei Naga family. She was the fifth of eight children, including six sisters and a younger brother, born to Lothonang Pamei and Kachaklenliu. The family belonged to the ruling clan of the village. She did not have a formal education due to the lack of schools in the area. In 1927, when she was just 13, Gaidinliu joined the Heraka movement of her cousin Haipou Jadonang , who had emerged as
243-530: A 10-month trial. She was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Political Agent's Court for abetment of murder. Most of her associates were either executed or jailed. She established a tribal organization named Kabni Samiti in 1934. From 1933 to 1947 she served time at the Guwahati , Shillong , Aizawl and Tura jails. Many rebels proclaimed her and Jadonang to be their inspiration in refusing to pay taxes to
324-1011: A Gaidinliu memorial hall, several civil society organizations in the Nagaland state opposed the move. Naga people Nagas ( Burmese : နာဂလူမျိုး ) are various Southeast Asian Tibeto-Burman ethnic groups native to northeastern India and northwestern Myanmar . The groups have similar cultures and traditions, and form the majority of population in the Indian state of Nagaland and Naga Self-Administered Zone of Myanmar (Burma); with significant populations in Manipur , Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India ; Sagaing Region and Kachin State in Myanmar. The Nagas are divided into various Naga ethnic groups whose numbers and populations are unclear. They each speak distinct Naga languages often unintelligible to
405-449: A choice mithun ), Ka’ng Ka’p , Ka’ngchoi Ka’p (top game), Suhtumkhawh (javelin throw using the heavy wooden implement for pounding-de-husking-paddy) and So’ngse (shot put). The Lawm was also a centre where young Kuki people learned discipline and social etiquette. After harvest season, the Lawm meet is celebrated with a Lawm-se’l and, as a commemoration, a pillar is erected. The event
486-549: A consensus seems to have developed among the Kuki tribes of Manipur to use the compound term " Kuki-Zo " to refer to themselves. Ethnologist C. A. Soppitt argued that the Kuki tribes must have settled in region west of Irrawaddy river from before the 11th century, based on the fact that they had no traces of Buddhism, which was already prevalent in Burma by that time. He grouped the Kuki tribes into two broad classes: Hrangkhol along with
567-672: A number of factors including the quest for upward mobility in the society of Nagaland, and the desire to establish a common purpose of resistance against dominance by other groups. In this way, the "Naga" identity has not always been fixed. Nagas population are spread across all Northeast Indian States except Tripura and are listed as scheduled tribes in 6 Northeastern States: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland. Nagas in Myanmar are mostly found in Sagaing Division and Kachin state . The Naga territory in Myanmar
648-551: A particular agricultural cycle. The early Western missionaries opposed the use of folk songs by Naga Christians as they were perceived to be associated with spirit worship, war, and immorality. As a result, translated versions of Western hymns were introduced, leading to the slow disappearance of indigenous music from the Naga hills. Folk dances of the Nagas are mostly performed in groups in synchronized fashion, by both men and women, depending on
729-626: A progression in time. The British testimony regarding Kukis in Manipur was variable. British Commissioner Pemberton wrote in 1835 that the Khongjais stretched along the hills from the south of the Manipur valley to the Arakan Mountains . British Residents, William McCulloch (1844–1863) and Colonel Johnstone (1877–1886), wrote that Khongjais had long been subjects of Manipur, but "new immigrants" of them came through between 1830 and 1840. They "poured into
810-518: A prominent local leader. Jadonang's movement was a revival of a tribal religion. It attracted a number of followers from the Zeliangrong tribes (the Zeme , Liangmai and Rongmei ). Jadonang was convicted and hanged by the British for killing a few Manipur merchants. Persuaded by Jadonang's ideology and principles, Gaidinliu became his disciple and a part of the movement against the British. In three years, by
891-499: A separate Zeliangrong territory within the Union of India. The rebel Naga leaders criticized Gaidinliu’s movement for the integration of Zeliangrong tribes under one administrative unit. They were also opposed to her working for the revival of the traditional religion of animism or Heraka . The NNC leaders considered her actions an obstacle to their own movement. The Baptist leaders deemed the Heraka revival movement anti-Christian and she
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#1733093382902972-612: A small group within India's North-Eastern border states of Manipur and Mizoram ; since the late 20th century, they claim descent from one of the Lost Tribes of Israel and have adopted the practice of Judaism. The Bnei Menashe are made up of Mizo , Kuki and Chin peoples , who all speak Tibeto-Burman languages , and whose ancestors migrated into northeast India from Burma mostly in the 17th and 18th centuries. They are called Chin in Burma . In
1053-499: A social taboo; Jadonang had no role in the killings. Gaidinliu, then, emerged as his spiritual and political heir. She openly rebelled against the British raj , exhorting the Zeliangrong people not to pay taxes. She received donations from the local people, many of whom also joined her as volunteers. The British authorities launched a manhunt for her. She evaded arrest by the police, moving across villages in what are now Assam , Nagaland and Manipur . The Governor of Assam dispatched
1134-544: Is accompanied by dance and drinking rice-beer, which sometimes continues for days and nights. With regard to governance, Semang (cabinet) is the annual assembly of a Kuki village community held at the Chief's residence represents the Inpi (Assembly). In such an assembly, the Chief and his Semang and Pachong (cabinet members and auxiliary of Inpi) and all the household heads of the village congregate to discuss and resolve matters relating to
1215-573: Is highly populated by the considered lost tribes ( Red Shans ). But Kukis , Burmese , Chinese and Indians are also found there. Hkamti township is populated altogether by all the Naga tribes majority and with a number of Burmese, Shans , Chinese and Indians. Tanai in Kachin state of Myanmar is inhabited by the Tangshang Nagas among the Kachin people . The Naga languages are either classified under
1296-582: Is marked by Kabaw valley in the south bordering to the Chin state , the Kachin on the north and the Burmese on the east. The Major Naga ethnic groups in Myanmar are : Some other minor Naga groups are Anāl , Lamkang , Moyon , Koka (sometimes spelt as Goga or Koki), Longphuri , Paung Nyuan (Makhyam), etc The townships which are inhabited by the Nagas are : Anāl and Moyon are mainly found in Tamu township on
1377-582: Is witnessed in the chronicles of Tripura from the reign of Dhanya Manikya ( r. 1490–1515 ) and fairly regularly afterwards. From even earlier, a couplet in Sanskrit is found mentioning a 12th century land grant in Kukisthana (Kuki-land). The Tibetan Buddhist writer Taranatha (1575–1634) wrote a description of the Kuki ( Ko-ki ) country, including in it almost the entire eastern hill range and beyond. The term also occurs in traditional Meitei hymns where
1458-778: The Assamese language , is a widely spoken language. Every community has its own mother tongue but communicates with other communities in either Nagamese or English . However, English is the predominant spoken and written language in Nagaland. Hindi is also taught along with English in most schools and most Nagas prefer to use Hindi to communicate with the migrant workers of the state, that primarily comes from Bihar, UP and Madhya Pradesh. Since 2022, Hindi in Northeastern India has been taught in school until class 10. Kuki people The Kuki people , or Kuki-Zo people , are an ethnic group in
1539-596: The Chin-Naga languages or the Sal languages . Nagas have more language diversity than any other ethnic group or states in India. Naga people speak over 89 languages and dialects, mostly unintelligible with each other. However, there are many similarities among the languages spoken by them. The diversity of languages and traditions of the Nagas results most likely from the multiple cultural absorptions that occurred during their successive migrations. According to legend, before settling in
1620-569: The Kaka Kalelkar Commission visited Manipur, there was a concerted attempt by the Kuki and Naga tribes to delineate each tribe separately in the Schedule Tribe Order's list. Consequently, in 1956, the umbrella terms such as 'any Kuki' and 'any Naga' were deleted, and 29 tribes of Manipur were listed individually. This revision completely left out other unlisted tribes from the scheduled tribes list. In other states of India, however,
1701-600: The Kuki Rebellion of 1917–1919 , the Kukis in Manipur were estimated to number 40,000. Cheitharol Kumbaba , the court chronicle of the Manipur kings, mentions various Kuki tribes and clans from 1404 onwards. The largest of the Kuki tribes, the Thadous , lived in the southern hills of the present-day Manipur, which was ungoverned territory for most of the historical period. The Manipuris referred to them as "Khongjais". The naming
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#17330933829021782-525: The North Cachar Hills , Manipur and Tripura . Further, the Changsan–Thadou combine was believed to have been in turn forced out by newer tribes in the 19th century, and then followed the same routes as the earlier tribes. The first two groups were referred to as Old Kukis and New Kukis by the British administrators, which did not receive endorsement from Soppitt. Modern scholars also disapprove
1863-524: The Northeastern Indian states of Manipur , Nagaland , Assam , Meghalaya , Tripura and Mizoram , as well as the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar . The Kukis form one of the largest hill tribe communities in this region. In Northeast India, they are present in all states except Arunachal Pradesh . The Chin people of Myanmar and the Mizo people of Mizoram are kindred tribes of
1944-592: The State Government . Rani Gaidinliu was also conferred the Birsa Munda Award posthumously. The Government of India issued a postal stamp in her honour in 1996. The Government of India issued a commemorative coin in her honour in 2015. Because of the Heraka movement's hostility towards Christianity , Gaidinliu's heroics were not acknowledged highly among the Nagas, most of whom had converted to Christianity by
2025-483: The "Lushais". The Manipuris used the term " Khongjai " to refer to the tribes to the south and southwest of the Imphal Valley , a usage witnessed from 1508. This appears to have been a geographical term. The "Old Kuki" tribes in Manipur were referred to by their individual names, which were also partly of geographical origin. Some Kuki and Chin tribes reject both of these terms as being of colonial origin, and use
2106-621: The 1960s. The Naga nationalist groups don't recognize her either, because she was considered close to the Government of India. When the Hindu nationalist Sangh Parivar aligned with the Heraka movement in the 1970s, the perception that she was a promoter of Hinduism grew stronger among the Christian Nagas. In 2015, when the Central government and T. R. Zeliang 's state government decided to construct
2187-496: The 19th century, the British attempted to subjugate the Naga tribes and abolish traditional Naga practices such as headhunting and intertribal violence. After India became independent from British rule in 1947, the Naga became Indian citizens , though an ongoing ethnic conflict exists in the region since 1958. According to the Burmese chronicles Tagung Yazawin , the first Chaopha of Mongkawng Samlongpha (1150–1201 CE) with
2268-674: The 3rd and 4th battalions of the Assam Rifles against her, under the supervision of the Naga Hills Deputy Commissioner JP Mills. Monetary rewards were declared for information leading to her arrest: this included a declaration that any village providing information on her whereabouts will get a 10-year tax break. Her forces engaged the Assam Rifles in armed conflicts in the North Cachar Hills (16 February 1932) and
2349-610: The British. However, her movement declined after the last of her followers, Dikeo and Ramjo, were arrested in 1933. Jawaharlal Nehru met her at the Shillong Jail in 1937 and he promised to pursue her release. His statement, published in the Hindustan Times , described Gaidinliu as a "daughter of the hills" and he gave her the title 'Rani' or Queen of her people. Nehru wrote to the British MP Lady Astor to do something for
2430-410: The Government of Nagaland has organized the annual Hornbill Festival since 2000. Another inter-ethnic festival is Lui Ngai Ni . The group-specific festivals include: The word Naga originated as an exonym . Today, it covers a number of ethnic groups that reside in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh states of India, and also in Myanmar. Before the arrival of the British, the term "Naga"
2511-650: The Hangrum village (18 March 1932). In October 1932, Gaidinliu moved to the Pulomi village, where her followers started building a wooden fortress. While the fortress was under construction, an Assam Rifles contingent headed by Captain MacDonald launched a surprise attack on the village on 17 October 1932. Gaidinliu, along with her followers, was arrested without any resistance near the Kenoma village. Gaidinliu denied that she had any role in
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2592-538: The Heraka faith, she came to be considered an incarnation of the Goddess Cherachamdinliu. Gaidinliu was arrested in 1932 at the age of 16, and was sentenced to life imprisonment by the British rulers. Jawaharlal Nehru met her at Shillong Jail in 1937, and promised to pursue her release. Nehru gave her the title of "Rani" ("Queen"), and she gained local popularity as Rani Gaidinliu . She was released in 1947 after India's independence , and continued to work for
2673-758: The Kuki fought with the Imperial Japanese Army and the Indian National Army led by Subhas Chandra Bose but the success of the Allied forces over the Axis group dashed their hopes. On 31 January 1860, Kuki Riang led the Kukis of Hill Tippera in raiding the Chhagalnaiya plains (then under the administration of the Twipra Kingdom ) which was inhabited by ethnic Bengalis and British officers. The Kukis looted
2754-458: The Kuki king is praised along with the Meitei king. The term came into British usage in 1777, when the chief of Chittagong appealed to the British governor general Warren Hastings for help against Kuki raids from the hills. The same collection of tribes were called " Chins " by the Burmese (spelt "Khyangs" in the original Burmese spelling). The British also used the term "Lushais" to refer to
2835-621: The Kuki people was the Kuki Rebellion of 1917–19 , also known as the Anglo-Kuki War, after which their territory was subjugated by the British. Until their defeat in 1919, the Kukis had been an independent people ruled by their chieftains. The Dobashi, Lengjang Kuki was credited as responsible for preventing the Kukis of the Naga Hills from joining the Kuki Rebellion of Manipur. During World War II, seeing an opportunity to regain independence,
2916-563: The Kuki population of Manipur as 69,855, that in Assam as 18,200, and that in Tripura as 3,428. The 21 Kuki tribes of Manipur (as per the nomenclature used in the British colonial times) gathered together in 1948 to form an organisation called Kuki Company . They also contributed to the construction of Kuki Inn in Imphal, to serve as the office for the organisation. Soon afterwards, frictions developed over
2997-428: The Kukis had already fled to the jungles of the princely state and they never returned to Chhagalnaiya ever again. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) (Part C States) Order, 1951 included "any Kuki tribe", "any Lushai tribe" and "any Naga tribe" (as umbrella terms among the scheduled tribes in Assam, Manipur, and Tripura. Among the "any Kuki" classification, it listed 39 subtribes/clans. The 1951 census recorded
3078-601: The Kukis to the Christian God of the British, who was thought of as the victor. This led them to rapidly convert to Christianity. Conversion to Christianity has transformed their ideas, mentality and social practices at the cost of their traditions and customs. The majority of Kukis are now Christians , with most belonging to Protestant denominations, especially Baptist . Since the late 20th century, some of these peoples have begun following Messianic Judaism . The Bnei Menashe ( Hebrew : בני מנשה , "Sons of Menasseh ") are
3159-425: The Kukis' "migration from south", because they had inadequate knowledge of the Kukis already present in the hills of Manipur. In addition, some of the larger tribes such as Thadous are said to have been native to the southern hills (Churachandpur and Chandel districts) that were later added to Manipur territory in the 1890s. An important landmark in the history of the Kuki people was the arrival of missionaries and
3240-556: The Kukis. Collectively, they are termed the Zo people . Some fifty tribes of Kuki peoples in India are recognised as scheduled tribes in India, based on the dialect spoken by that particular Kuki community as well as their region of origin. The term "Kuki" is an exonym : it was used by Bengalis to refer to the tribes inhabiting Patkai–Arakan Yomas , the eastern extension of the Himalayas running north–south between India and Myanmar. The term
3321-822: The Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in Delhi on 21 February 1966, demanding the creation of a separate Zeliangrong administrative unit. On 24 September 320 of her followers surrendered at Henima. Some of them were absorbed into the Nagaland Armed Police . During her stay at Kohima , she was conferred "Tamrapatra Freedom Fighter Award" in 1972, the Padma Bhushan (1982) and the Vivekananda Seva Award (1983). In 1991, Gaidinliu returned to her birthplace Longkao, where she died on 17 February 1993 at
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3402-532: The age of 16, she was also accused of creating communal unrest against Kukis and the British wanted to arrest her. So she mobilised people against the British and their rule, and was finally arrested by the British for her calamity against the Kukis. The British arrested and killed Jadonang by hanging on 29 August 1931 in Imphal . He was charged for treason due to the death of four Meitei traders in Longkao over violation of
3483-573: The age of 78. The Governor of Manipur , Chintamani Panigrahi , the Home Secretary of Nagaland, officials from Manipur and many people from all parts of the North Eastern region attended her funeral at her native village. In Imphal, the Chief Minister of Manipur R.K. Dorendra Singh , Deputy Chief Minister, Rishang Keishing and others paid floral tributes and a general holiday was declared by
3564-540: The area of Bakhshganj and murdered Kamal Poddar of Basantpur. They then proceeded to molest Poddar's women until Guna Ghazi and Jakimal waged war against them in the village of Kulapara. Whilst the Kukis abducted 700 women, Munshi Abdul Ali informed the British authorities of the atrocities. 185 Britons were assassinated, 100 of them were kidnapped and the Kukis remained in the plains for one or two days. British troops and policemen were finally despatched from Noakhali , Tipperah (Comilla) and Chittagong to suppress them but
3645-679: The attack on the Hangrum post of the Assam Rifles or the construction of the fort. In December 1932, her followers from the Leng and the Bopungwemi villages murdered the Kuki chowkidar (watchman) of the Lakema Inspection Bungalow in the Hills, suspecting him to be the informer who led to her arrest. Gaidinliu was taken to Imphal , where she was convicted on the charges of murder and abetment of murder after
3726-421: The border of the Manipur state to include the southern hills. The term "Kuki" to refer to these tribes was introduced by the British in the 1820s. By 1850s, they imported the terminology of "New Kuki" for the Khongjai tribes and "Old Kuki" for the other Kuki tribes such as Kom and Aimol . The scholars of Kuki Research Forum consider the terminology misleading because the historical record does not justify such
3807-563: The cloths are woven by the women. They use beads in variety, profusion and complexity in their jewelry, along with a wide range of materials including glass, shell, stone, teeth or tusk, claws, horns, metal, bone, wood, seeds, hair, and fibre. According to Dr. Verrier Elwin , these groups made all the goods they used, as was once common in many traditional societies: they have made their own cloth, their own hats and rain-coats; they have prepared their own medicines, their own cooking-vessels, their own substitutes for crockery. Craftwork includes
3888-433: The co-tribe Biate in one class, and Changsan along with the co-tribe Thadou in the other class. Each of them was grouped with several subtribes. Soppitt suggested that, by the 16th century, the Hrangkhols and Biate inhabited the Lushai Hills region (currently divided between Mizoram and Chin State ). He believed that they were pushed out by Changsan, who moved in from the east along with Thadou, forcing them to move to
3969-418: The commonly accepted nomenclature, and was also used by the British. According to the Burma Gazetteer, the term 'Naga' is of doubtful origin and is used to describe hill tribes that occupy the country between the Chins in the south and Kachins ( Singphos ) in the Northeast. Aside from developing contacts with the Ahom kingdom , the Nagas generally lived an isolated existence from the outside world. During
4050-525: The community. It was also another learning institution. Every Lawm has a Lawm-upa (a senior member), a To’llai-pao (an overseer or superintendent) and a Lawm-tangvo (assistant superintendent). Besides being a source of traditional learning, the institution of the Lawm also facilitated the transmission of both technical as well as practical knowledge to its members, especially with regard to particular methods of farming , hunting , fishing and sporting activities such as Kung–Kal (high jump, especially over
4131-453: The design of the shawl denotes the social status of the wearer. Some of the more known shawls include Tsüngkotepsü and Rongsü of the Aos; Sütam, Ethasü, Longpensü of the Lothas; Süpong of the Sangtams, Rongkhim and Tsüngrem Khim of the Yimkhiungs; and the Angami Lohe shawls with thick embroidered animal motifs. Naga jewelry is an equally important part of identity, with the entire community wearing similar bead jewelry, specifically
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#17330933829024212-404: The garments and making the beds. The best students were recommended to the King's or the Chief's service, and eventually would achieve the office of Semang and Pachong (ministers) in their courts, or gal –lamkai (leaders, warriors) in the army. Lawm (a traditional type of youth club) was an institution in which boys and girls engaged in social activities for the benefit of the individual and
4293-470: The hill tracts" in large numbers, according to the Residents, driving away the older inhabitants. The Residents believed that these Khongjais were driven north by stronger tribes from the south, and hence settled all around the Imphal Valley. Scholar Pum Khan Pau notes that, around 1830, when the British established a political agency in Manipur, the area to the south of present-day Manipur ( Tonzang and Tedim townships of present-day Chin State ) witnessed
4374-413: The late 20th century, an Israeli rabbi investigating their claims named them Bnei Menashe, based on their account of descent from Menasseh . Of the 3.7 million people living in these two northeast states only about 9,000 belong to the Bnei Menashe, several thousands have emigrated to Israel. Some have supported other movements to separate from India. Due to the close proximity to Muslim-majority Bengal ,
4455-483: The main town in Mogaung captured Naga country in the early 1200s. In the chronicle Naga country is named as "Khang Se". According to the History of Hsenwi state chronicle and Mengguo Zhanbi, in 1318, Si Kefa , the ruler of Mongmao appointed his brother Sanlongfa as the general and led an army of 90,000 to attack the king of Mong Wehsali Long ( Assam). In the end, he designed a plan to make Mong Wehsali Long surrender and pay tribute every 3 years. Hkum Sam Long accepted
4536-534: The making of baskets, weaving of cloth, wood carving, pottery, metalwork, jewellery-making and bead-work. Weaving of colorful woolen and cotton shawls is a central activity for women of all Nagas. One of the common features of Naga shawls is that three pieces are woven separately and stitched together. Weaving is an intricate and time consuming work and each shawl takes at least a few days to complete. Designs for shawls and wraparound garments (commonly called mekhala ) are different for men and women. Among many groups
4617-403: The name "Kamhau-Sukte" and became "one of the most dreaded powers in Manipur, Lushai Hills and the Kale-Kabaw Valley". The domain of the Kamhau-Sukte tribes extended all the way to the south of the Manipur valley, encompassing major portions of the present-day Churachandpur and Chandel districts, driving the tribes in these districts further north. Their movement threatened the Naga tribes to
4698-597: The necklace. The Indian Chamber of Commerce has filed an application seeking registration of traditional Naga shawls made in Nagaland with the Geographical Registry of India for Geographical Indication . Naga cuisine is characterized by smoked and fermented foods. Folk songs and dances are essential ingredients of the traditional Naga culture. The oral tradition is kept alive through the media of folk tales and songs. Naga folk songs are both romantic and historical, with songs narrating entire stories of famous ancestors and incidents. Seasonal songs describe activities done in
4779-431: The north, in particular the Kabuis to the west of the Manipur valley. McCulloch arranged for a line of Kuki settlements to the south of their area to serve as a buffer and armed the settlers. These villages came to be known as "sepoy villages". According to McCulloch, sepoy villages were also set up along the southern frontier of the Manipur valley. According to modern scholars, the British administrators overemphasized
4860-405: The old classification of "any Kuki tribe" remained. In 2003, the term "any Kuki tribes" was re-added to the list in Manipur as well. The land of the Kukis has a number of customs and traditions . Sawm, a community centre for boys – was the centre of learning in which the Sawm-upa (an elder) did the teaching, while Sawm-nu took care of chores, such as combing of the boy's hair, washing of
4941-422: The others, but all are loosely connected to each other. The present day Naga people have historically been referred to by many names, like "Noga" or "Naka" by the inhabitants of the Ahom kingdom in what is now considered as Assam which means "people with pierced ears", "Hao" by Meitei people of Imphal Valley and "Nakas" by Burmese of what is now considered as Myanmar . However, over time "Naga" became
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#17330933829025022-422: The plains of Cachar had 6,000 people. The Gazetteer of Manipur (1886), based on the same census, noted that the Kukis of Manipur wee composed of approximately 8,000 "Old Kukis" and 17,000 "New Kukis". Borders of Manipur were expanded after this date to include the Kuki-inhabited southern parts of the present Churachandpur and Chandel districts, adding further Kuki populations to the state of Manipur. During
5103-405: The region, these groups moved over vast zones, and in the process, some clans were absorbed into one or more other groups. Therefore, until recent times, absorptions were a source of many interclan conflicts. In 1967, the Nagaland Assembly proclaimed English as the official language of Nagaland and it is the medium for education in Nagaland. Other than English, Nagamese , a creole language form of
5184-503: The release of Rani Gaidinliu but the Secretary of State for India rejected his request stating that trouble may rise again if Rani was released. After the Interim Government of India was set up in 1946, Rani Gaidinliu was released on Prime Minister Nehru's orders from Tura jail, having spent 14 years in various prisons. She continued to work for the upliftment of her people after her release. She stayed at Vimrap village of Tuensang with her younger brother Marang till 1952. In 1952, she
5265-404: The rise of a powerful Sukte chieftain called Khan Thuam. Along with his son Kam Hau, he embarked upon a territorial expansion, pushing the less powerful tribes towards the border of Manipur. But many tribesmen also submitted to the Suktes, paid tribute, and participated in the expansion process. This period witnessed many raids from the south on the border of Manipur, which was roughly in line with
5346-407: The self-designation " Zo ", which is a generic term that has variants in most Kuki-Chin dialects. " Zomi " (meaning "Zo people") is also used. The term "Kuki" is still enthusiastically adopted by the Thadou language -speaking clans. Thus, "Kuki" is sometimes used in this narrow sense to refer to the Thadou-speaking Kukis, with even the Thadou language referred to as the "Kuki language". By 2023,
5427-449: The south and a few Somra Nagas are also found in and around Tamu bordering to Layshi jurisdiction. Makury , Para and Somra tribes are mainly found in Layshi township. Makury Nagas and a few Somra Nagas are also found in Homalin township . Lahe is highly populated by Konyak , Nokko , Lainong and Makury tribes. Nanyun on the north is the home of Tangshang tribe which comprises more than 54 sub-dialect groups. Homlin township
5508-442: The southern boundary of the Manipur valley. A popular folk song summarised the position of Khan Thuam: What I rule extends to Manipur in the north, and ends at Falam in the south; Manipur to the north and Falam to the south, I am the tiger in the middle. After Khan Thuam's death, his dominion came to be divided between his elder son Kam Hau, based at Mualpi and the younger son Za Pau, based at Tedim . The combined tribe earned
5589-447: The spread of Christianity among them. Missionary activity had considerable social, cultural and political ramifications while the acceptance of Christianity marked a departure from the traditional religion of the Kuki peoples as well as their ancestral customs and traditions. The spread of English education introduced the Kuki people to the "modern era". William Pettigrew , the first foreign missionary, came to Manipur on 6 February 1894 and
5670-436: The terminology of "Old Kukis" and "New Kukis", but it does appear that the two groups followed different migration routes and thus developed significant cultural differences. Per the 1881 census, the Kukis are estimated to have numbered 20,000 in the North Cachar Hills (present-day Dima Hasao district ), 15,000 in the Naga Hills (present-day Nagaland ), 30,000–40,000 in Manipur and 6,000 in Tipperah ( Tripura ). In addition,
5751-473: The terms made by the ministers of Mong Wehsali Long and marched back to Mongmao . In Yan-aung-myin Pagoda inscription found in Pinya of Myanmar mentions that the Kingdom of Ava under Minkhaung I (1400–1421) in the early 1400s extended till the territories of the Nagas. The Naga people love colour, as is evident in the shawls designed and woven by women, and in the headgear that both sexes design. Clothing patterns are traditional to each group, and
5832-561: The tribes inhabiting the Lushai Hills region to the south of the Manipur valley , eventually dividing it into separate "Lushai Hills" in India and "Chin Hills" in Burma. Over time, the British came to distinguish the tribes currently called "Kukis" from the remaining "Lushais". An Intelligence Branch report from 1907 listed Ralte , Paite , Thadou , Lakher , Hmar and Poi tribes among Kukis. It stated that each of these tribes had its own language, and these languages were unintelligible to
5913-485: The type of dance. Dances are usually performed at festivals and religious occasions. War dances are performed mostly by men and are athletic and martial in style. All dances are accompanied by songs and war cries by the dancers. Indigenous musical instruments made and used by the people are tati , bamboo mouth organs, bamboo flutes, trumpets, drums made of cattle skin and log drums. The various Naga groups have their own distinct festivals. To promote inter-group interaction,
5994-401: The upliftment of her people. An advocate of the ancestral religious practices, she staunchly resisted the conversion of her community to Christianity. She was honoured as a freedom fighter and was awarded a Padma Bhushan by the Government of India. Gaidinliu was born on 26 January 1915 at Nungkao (or Longkao) village in the present-day Tousem sub-division of Tamenglong District , Manipur to
6075-605: The use of the Thadou language for the business of the organisation. As a result, almost all the tribes other than Thadou Kukis left the Kuki Company, and formed a separate Khulmi National Union . In 1950s, ten Old Kuki tribes changed their affiliation to 'Naga', induced to do so by the Tangkhuls . Seven New Kuki tribes eventually adopted the Zomi identity in the 1990s. In the 1950s, when
6156-473: The village and the community. Prior to conversion in the early 20th century to Christianity by Welsh Baptist missionaries, the Chin, Kuki, and Mizo peoples were animists ; among their practices were ritual headhunting . Christian missionaries entered Manipur in the late 19th century but did not yet make inroads into the tribal areas. The victory of the British in Anglo-Kuki War of 1917–1919 opened up their mind of
6237-467: Was apparently based on a village called "Khongchai" in the Tuipui river valley, with the surrounding hills also referred to as Khongjai Hills. The Manipur ruler Ching-Thang Khomba (also known as Bhagyachandra and Jai Singh) made war on this region in 1786, and subjugated the Kuki chieftain in the central village. Other regions in southern hills remained relatively untouched until 1894 when the British defined
6318-541: Was finally allowed to move back to her native village of Longkao. In 1953, Prime Minister Nehru visited Imphal where Rani Gaidinliu met and conveyed to him the gratitude and goodwill of her people. Later she met Nehru in Delhi to discuss the development and welfare of Zeliangrong people. Gaidinliu was opposed to the Naga National Council (NNC) insurgents, who advocated secessionism from India. Instead, she campaigned for
6399-728: Was sponsored by the American Baptist Mission Union . He, along with Dr. Crozier, worked in the North and the Northeast of Manipur. In the south, Watkins Robert of the Welsh Presbytery mission organised the Indo-Burma Thadou-Kuki Pioneer Mission in 1913. To have a broader scope, the mission's name was changed to North East India General Mission (NEIGM) in 1924. The first resistance to British hegemony by
6480-418: Was used by Assamese to refer to certain isolated ethnic groups. The British adopted this term for a number of ethnic groups in the surrounding area, based on loose linguistic and cultural associations. The number of groups classified as "Naga" grew significantly in the 20th century: as of December 2015, 89 groups are classified as Naga by the various sources. This expansion in the "Naga" identity has been due to
6561-528: Was warned of serious consequences if she were not to change her stand. In order to defend the Heraka culture and to strengthen her position, she went underground in 1960. In 1966, after six years of hard underground life in old age, under an agreement with the Government of India , Rani Gaidinliu came out from her jungle hideout to work for the betterment of her people through peaceful, democratic and non-violent means. She went to Kohima on 20 January 1966, and met
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