Brief historical note on Vaiphei-Sijang [Siyin]

By Dr Joseph Suantak *

Browsing and delving into relevant internet sites and publications there has been countless stories of the Vaiphei-Sijang people made up by some sophists. Therefore, willy-nilly, it compelled me to bring out a clear picture of what is all about the past or proto-history of the Vaiphei-Sijang people in numerical order with few words through this esteemed daily newspaper.

1. Vaiphei and Sijang people are descendants of a man called Suantak a.k.a. "Zahong" or "Thuantak".

2. Suantak/Zahong moved out of Nuaigam [present Kale-Kabaw valley] up into Chungkhopi, Chunggam, Khawsak, Khawchung,Innbuk-tang, etc [now Chin Hills/Chin State in Myanmar] not due to any invasion [by the Nanchao/Shan, Burmese, or Mongolian] but owing to its uninhabitable environment. And, Vaiphei tradition has it that the first capital of Pu Suantak in this Chungkhopi was 'Khuasak' where he died few years later.

Even so, it is absurd and weird that some people persist to argued, "Suantak died at Phaiza village. And even his grave still lays intact." Of course, the chiefs of Phaiza were better called Suantak-pa [because they were the primogeniture of each generation of the eldest clan 'Neilut'], and therefore some people misinterpreted it as to be the actual Suantak.

3. After Suantak died in Khuasak, his descendants [ancestors of Vaiphei & Sijang people] moved to Saijang village and from here again, to Chimnuai or Cimnuai. From Chimnuai they shift again on the banks of Ngatan stream.

4. The people now collectively called "VAIPHEI" are mostly descending from Suantak's first marriage, and the Sijang people are of the second marriage.

5. Sijang people came to be known as 'Sijangs' ['Siyin' by the Burmese and British ethnographers & colonialists] since their establishment on the bank of Ngatan stream in circa 1400 CE. Vaiphei tradition has it that there was 'salt-brook' somewhere around the settlement site of Ngengu and his siblings and thus they came to be known as 'Sijang'.

6. During their establishment beside the Ngatan stream Suantak descendants had already parted ways. One of the group led by the eldest 'Neilut' clan members [Neilut was the eldest son of Suantak from his first marriage] occupied the opposite bank of the stream. After some years elapsed, the Ngengu band went back to their first capital 'Khuasak' whereas Neilut and his band walked down the line of Ngun [present Manipur River] and set up a place called Sialpam. Later, from Sialpam they shifted to a new place they named 'Phaiza'. It is believed that they must have lived in this Phaiza for about three century and half.

7. According to resourceful elders among the Vai-pheis, the now Vaiphei and Sijang groups parted ways as they were not in good terms since the 'Thai-kem'[second wife] entered the home of Suantak family — owing to negligence and disregard of the traditional customs of Suantak family by the now Sijang groups.

8. The name 'Vaiphei' evolved from the sobriquet of village Phaiza since circa 1550 CE. From 'Khawvaipheite' to 'Vaipheite' and finally 'Vaiphei'.

9. Some ignoramuses advocated that Phaiza and Khawvaiphei are not related; or, Khuasak [Khawsak] is 'Khawvaiphei'. The truth is this; 'Khawsak-khawvai-phei' is the poetic name of present 'Khawsak' or 'Chin Hills' [Chin State in Myanmar]. And, those places or sites claimed as Khawvaiphei in the now Tedim division [Chin State] are simply a villa/colony where a section/group of Vaipheis took refuge under the chieftain protection of the Suktes and Pawis. Again, Khuasak and Khawsak should not be confused. Khuasak is the first capital of Suantak family, whereas Khawsak is a eulogy of Chin Hills/Chin State.

10. The last inhabitants of Khawvaiphei were not 'PHULUM' [this name is unheard in the Vaiphei-Sijang tradition/genealogy] and his band but Pu Tongkhothang Hansing, its last chief, and his villagers. The place was desolated by Tongkhothang Hansing and his villagers in circa1821 CE.

11. Sialkal [in present northeast Mizoram state] is also not a place once occupied in circa 1830-34 CE by the whole Vaiphei population but by few ménages under the chieftainship of Mangzasun Hansing who was heirless, and younger brother of the last chief of Phaiza-Khawvaiphei Pu Tongkhothang Hansing.

12. "KHAWZIM", one of the capital of the Vaipheis, the first capital of the Vanglua/Khaute sept, was set up in about 1650-80 CE. It was abandoned by most of the villagers in about 1720 CE after the death of its chief Tinvuk who was heirless. However, few of the villagers remained to live even after the place was occupied by the Kawlni sept, one among the Galte people.

13. As the Galte/Ralte people were their neighbours from the time they moved along the Ngun course and set up Phaiza, about 50% of Vaiphei vocabulary are borrowed from them and the other 50%, built up of Thado, Paite, Tedim-Chin, Lusei, Hmar, & c; and the traditional shawls "Khiangkawi" and "Puandum" are also said to have been replicas of the Galte's.

In fine, may I add — most of the documents/publications related to the past of the Vaipheis and Sijangs seem to have been compiled by sophists and prolific writes [among the Vaipheis and Sijangs] and not research scholars who took up intensive and extensive field works amongst the resourceful Sijang and Vaiphei elders!