Supplementation to the article, "Origin of Khunchai (Kuki) Tribes of Kangleipak"

TS Letkhosei Haokip *

A Thadou couple - Ethnic Doll at Mutua Museum's Cultural Heritage Complex in 2008

Background: Over and above Sir P Uttam Mangang's writing of the 'Origin of Khunchai (Kuki) Tribes of Kangleipak' published in the Sangai Express on the 16th May 2015, I would like to supplement some more points regarding the origin of Khongsai or Khongjai/ Khunchai (Kuki) Tribes of Kangleipak/ Manipur as under.

Origin: As per Kuki legendary folk lore and folk tale stories, during the time of 'THIMZIN' or Total Darkness of Universe, anyone who closes or winks an eye ought to die, goes the folk tale. In order to keep their eyes widely open for days and nights together, they inserted a scrap of bamboo chips between the eyes to keep themselves awake.

Apart from that they also started beating drums continuously to avert themselves from dozing. Those drum beaters later came to be known as KHONGSAI or Khongjai. Khong meaning drum and Sai means beating or hitting in Thadou-Kuki dialect. This ethnic group of people were later on came to be coined as Kuki/ Cuci by the Bengalis which the British too did the same after their arrival in India during 1800s.

Habitation: The Kuki region or habitation extends from parts of North Cachar and Mikir Hills, part of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, Cachar and Lushai Hills(Mizoram), parts of extreme South Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and Sylhet district and Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, and Chin state, parts of Magwe division- Pakokku, Thayetmyo and Arakan Hill Tracts in Myanmar/ Burma. (Zalengam- 1988:176-177).

Kuki-Meitei connection: To come to the point, the origin of the Khongsai/ Khongjai/ Khunchai or Kuki Tribes with special reference to Manipur/ Kangleipak dates back to 33 AD. As recorded in the traditional literature of the Meitei people of Manipur, the 'Pooyas', two Kuki chiefs namely Kuki Ahongba and Kuki Achouba were stated to be the allies of Nongdam Lairen Pakhangba, in the latter's mobilisation for the throne of Kangleipak in 33 AD. Nongdam Lairen pakhangba, the first historically recorded king of the Meithis (Meiteis)'s mother was a Kuki woman named 'Lenghoi' or Nungmaidenga belonging to the Chohte clan.(William Shaw 1929:47-48).

The royal chronicles of the Meitei kings 'Cheitharol Kumbala' recorded in the year 186 Sakabda (264 AD) also stated that Meidingu Taothingmang, a Kuki became king. May be owing to all these connections and affinities that Meetei/ Meitei who forms majority and inhabit the plain areas of Manipur but has significant differences is included in the Kuki fold by the Linguistic Survey of India at Volume 3, part III.

As per William Shaw in his book, 'The Thadou Kukis (1929: 48), the Burmese repeatedly invaded Manipur in 1758, 1765 and 1775. "At the time of the Burmese Invasion (op cit) the Raja of Manipur fled for protection to the house of Thongsat Kuki's father, where he (Raja) ate only 'Ga' (beans) for several months. When the Burmese left, the king returned home with Thongsat's father and Kaikholal Kuki. So the Manipuris have always treated the Kukis with respect since then".

Mentioned may be made of Chandra Kirti Singh @ Ngameingam's ruled when he attacked Kamhau, the Sukte chief of Molbem. Thangkhohen Kuki, chief of Sangnao, sent his brother the chief of Bijang with 1000 Kuki warriors to help Ngameingam. However, victory was on the side of the latter. At this the Raja was weeping at the banks of the 'Gun' (Imphal) river at such disgrace that one Chongja Kuki taking pity on the Raja fired off his gun and said to the Raja, "The Raja shall not die until I, Chongja am first killed by the Raja's enemy".This cheered up the Raja and the followers of Chongja having made a 'Vaileng'(cane suspension bridge) got the Raja safely across and into safety.(William Shaw- 1929:48-49).

Anglo-Kuki War: As the Mighty British Empire extended its hegemony around the world including Manipur, it was badly in need of manpower to go France for labour corps to retrieve the wounded and supply Arms and Ammunitions. Almost all ethnic groups of people from ancient India have sent representatives, to which the stubborn and courageous Kukis vehemently opposed tooth and nail. The Kukis considered it as a challenge to their liberty and supremacy over their territory (Zalengam) and thus declared war against the British.(Zalengam:1998 & Vumson :1988)

The war between the brave Kuki warriors and the mighty British army started in the earlier part of 1917 and ended on the 8th December 1919. With the defeat of the Kukis, the British government started arresting the leaders of the Kuki uprising vide Order of the Governor General in Council signed by R.E. Holland, the Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Department, dated the 8th December 1919, Delhi addressed to the political Agent, Sadiya Frontier Tract. Among these leaders were included the twelve Kuki chiefs from Burma who were lodged in the Taungyi jail of Burma while the other twelve leaders from Manipur were lodged in the Sadiya jail of present Assam. They were later deported to the Andaman and Nicobar Island jail. (Zalengam:1998 & Document:Warrant-1919, Delhi)

Merger of Manipur into Indian Union: In the year 1949, the Maharaja of Manipur or Ningthou was asked to sign the Merger Agreement to include Manipur within the Indian Union by the then Home Minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel. The Kuki chiefs opposed this move because of apprehensions that it would entail ceding Kuki territory to India, which was administered by the British alongwith Meitei peoples's territory, comprising the valley historically called Manipur.

250 Kuki warriors were deployed at the Palace gate to lend support to the Maharaja by the Kuki chiefs to protest against the merger agreement to which the Raja was reluctant to sign initially. However, the Maharaja yielded to the pressures of a fiercely demonstrating group of Meiteis and signed the Merger Agreement at Shillong on 15th October 1949.(Zalengam:1998 & S.M.A.W Chisti 2005:149).

Conclusion: Last but not the least is that most of the legendary folk tales of the Thadou-Kukis centred in and around 'Gun Tuidung'(Imphal river) extending from Chinhills in Myanmar/ Burma to Sylhet and Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh to Tripura, North Cachar Hills and extreme south Naga hills (Nagaland) and then to Lushai Hills (Mizoram).The footprints of Kuki Legendary Hero Galngam/ Ralngam (470-573 AD) can be clearly seen on the rocks of Kolchung-Kolnoi region of Leimata power house, Tuileluon of Churachandpur and Saibol ranges of Karbi Anglong.(Mizo History: 1993).

All these are the historical evidences and records that proved that ethnic Kukis are the indegineous people of the territory they inhabited a crossed three international boundaries of India, Myanmar/ Burma and Bangladesh, which the British supremacy intentionally trifurcated to suppress the Kukis politically for being too stubborn to go to France for Labour Corps and fought against them for consecutive 3 long years.

This war between the Mighty British Army and the Courageous Kuki Warriors was known as 'Kuki Rebellion 1917-1919' by the British and as 'Kuki War of Independence 1917-1919' by the people who fought. The shifting of settlement or habitation from one region to another region within the same territory must not be mistaken.