A Brief Profile Of The Chothe Tribe
- Part 7 -

Shyleyn *

Chothe Dance at the Festival of Tribal Dance in March 2012 :: Pix - Phurailatpam Banti

EXTRA NOTES ON THE CHOTHE TRIBE

1. The Chothes were a martial race. Their folk songs, folklores, and beliefs relate about their victories in battles. They perform war dances, and sing songs glorifying their victories in battles. Old folks told that the ancient Chothe peoples depended mostly on black magic and voodoos in their everyday life. Competitions between magicians were common which resulted in deaths and vengeance.

2. The Chothes used to cut off the heads of their enemies and collect them in basket called VAANSHANG. They carried the heads to their villages and displayed them, and indulged in merry-making. They had even held festival called Ral-Lutan Rin (Head hunting festival). They played around with the heads. The heads of important personalities of their enemies were stick up in poles and displayed to the public. Best warriors were awarded plump posts in the village governing establishments or with other gifts. The one who cut the highest number of the heads was given utmost importance.

3. WAY OF FIGHTING IN BATTLES: The Chothe elders told that, ancient Chothes could make themselves invisible to the eyes of their enemies. They used to fly in the skies and attack their enemies. Prior to going in the battlefield, they stomp on the Lamaan (the seat of Lungchungpa) for three times. Their traditional dance form, Huchamplak, which means 'lightning', corroborates their claim about the agility and skills of their ancestors.

4. WAY OF DECLARING A WAR: They did not just attack a village. They announced or declared a war to the enemy's village in a traditional manner. When the Chothes were about to attack the village, they sent a warrior to that village. The warrior would carry with him, piece of burnt out charcoal and a piece of chilly, wrapped in a green leaf and give it to the chief of the enemy's village. Even the enemies knew about the signal.

5. CHOTHE MUNPI: They deserted their settlements at Chothe Munpi in Churachandpur when an army of Thadou-Kuki led by one Kamhao attacked them. Kamhao's army had earlier informed the Chothe villagers about his intentions of attacking their village, as were the tradition in the past. When they approached the Chothe village, they heard the sound of music and songs in this village. Therefore, Kamhao and his army waited for the Chothes to finish their celebrations.

In those days, it was taboo to attack a village while the villagers were celebrating a traditional festival or performing religious rites. The sounds of the celebrations were going on for too long, and the Kuki armies lost their patience. Then, they sent a spy to observe why the Chothes were taking so long to finish their celebrations. The Kuki warriors were shocked to find out that there was no one in the village, and the drums and musical instruments were playing all by themselves. The Chothes had magically made the musical instruments play by themselves, so that they could escape.

6. The Chothes also find important spots in the ancient texts of Manipur. It clearly points out the fact that, the Chothes are an indigenous community of this ancient kingdom. The Meiteis, particularly those of MOIRANG kingdom had worshipped a godly king called CHOTHE THANGVAI PAKHANGBA. This godly king had climbed to the heavens from a place called THIBONMEI (the present Kohima of Nagaland state). The ancient texts and chronicles have many stories and folksongs regarding the Chothes. Among them is the tragic story of Pi-donnu.

7. In a place called NAHARAM, there was a battle between the Chothe King and the Meitei king called URA NGANGOIPA ALIAS URA KHUNDABA. The Meitei king participated in the battle and displayed his dexterity in the use of weapons. Source: Moirang Kangleirol (now lost in a fire in 2005).

8. The Chothes also have a folktale called THAOVON SAMHRA-NU. The phrase means the beautiful-haired woman of Thao clan. According to the elders, this story happened when the Chothes settled in SANAKEITHEL. The Thao woman and her husband were marketing at Sanakeithel when a Meitei king passed by and saw the beautiful woman. The king then wanted the woman for his wife. The king invited the couple at his palace. When they reached the palace, the King imprisoned the woman and chased away her husband.

9. During the olden ages, the Meiteis warned themselves against touching a Chothe with their legs; for they could suffer from one hundred and seven (107) diseases. There was also a story that, the secrets of the Meiteis are hidden inside the baskets of the Chothes.

10. AHU RAMUDUL (RAMUDUL VILLAGE): Ramudul was an ancient settlement of the Chothes. It is still remembered more because of an event that occurred there, ages ago. 'Ramu' means eagle and 'dul' means to swallow in Chothe dialect. While the Chothes settled in this place, a giant eagle terrorized them for a long time. The eagle would daily devour a child especially when the elders went out to their fields.

After untold sufferings, the village officials and elders announced that, whosoever slays the eagle would be made a high-ranking official, even the village's chief. However, ordinary villagers were not allowed to participate in the mission. The eagle menacingly sat on the top of a banyan tree. All the village officials, from both Hloukal and Loumi including other officials gave their best efforts but in vain.

At last, a Parpa-Rakung clansman holding the lowest post (RUI-TOLPA) in the village's hierarchy pleaded with his superiors to allow him to try his luck. Though met with skepticism in the beginning, he was granted the permission. Unknown to others, the Rui-Tolpa had dreamt about the eagle in the previous night. In his dream, the eagle informed him that, he (the eagle) was actually man's ancestor from his own clan. The eagle even revealed to him that, he only needed to stomp on the ground where the banyan tree was for three times.

Just then, a small pebble would fall on his feet. The man was to give a faint whistle and fit the pebble to his arrow. The Parpa-Rakung clansman went to the tree, stomp at the banyan's trunk for three times. As was told in his dream, a pebble fell down at his feet. He fitted the pebble to this arrow and shot at the eagle. At that instant, the eagle fell down dead. The man was awarded plump posts in the village's governing organisations and lived happily ever after. Interestingly, the said Ramudul village is believed to be the present Bungkot village of Churachandpur village.

FOLK SONGS (NULEPA LAA or INLAAK LA): Their history is recorded only in their orally transferred folk songs, and most of which are forgotten already. Every clan had had their own songs called INLAAK LA.

HOW PRESENT CHOTHE VILLAGES CAME TO BEING: Most of the present Chothe villages were a part of AZOU HU, the present Purum Khullen village. Long before that, almost all of the Chothe villagers of Chandel district had settled at a place called PHAIHU. A Chothe elder called SAHOMPU (actually called KANSAN, a Makan clansman) once laid a snare, starting from a canal at PHANTU village and all the way to the hills of the present AZOUHU.

In the net was a child of a witch instead of fishes or animals. Sahompu tore a piece of his loins and covered the witch. The witch said to him, "Mete-o, ayerang-ah nang nah keitah man-ah che me? Ayu-avaa mansuh tiveta". The meaning of the sentences goes like this. "O human, why did you catch me? You should have catch rats or birds". Saying this, the little witch took off her the piece of the man's loins. Suddenly, an elder witch in the form of a huge bird flew near the trap and sat on a tree.

The stunned man came to his senses and looked around the Azou hills. He realized that, the hills were strikingly similar to their ancient village LUNGSHUK. He also came across rivers similar to the river, TUIWAI. He named the place as LUNGSHUK-AZOUHU and hasted back to the villagers. He related to them, all his earlier experiences. He told them that, the Azou hill ranges had places similar to their earlier settlements.

He explained that, at the hills, there were MULKOI, LONTLAANG, INKUK, HLAANGLON, LEIRIK SINPHEI, HUSONG-HUKOKNA, KUKUK TUIWAI, HURPI, JONGKONG etc. His experiences resulted in the Chothes shifting their settlements to Azou Hu. The present Chothe villages like Wangparal, Ziontlang and Phantu were actually a part of this Azouhu village.

Concluded ...