– Opa Colney
The Mizos of Manipur are concentrated in Churachandpur district which is a hilly region with a very small river valley called the tuithaphai which means ‘the valley of good (tuitha) waters’ .The district headquarter is located in this valley on the foothills.
The Mizos settled in Manipur since the early part of the 20th century and the reason or causes of their settlement in the present state of Manipur can be attributed to three main factors.
1.Religious factor:
After the arrival of the Christian missionaries in the Lushai hills(present day Mizoram) starting from 1874 to the early 20th century, the Mizos accepted Christianity .
As a true follower of Jesus Christ, some Mizos started to work as missionaries within the lushai hills as well as in the vicinity-to preach and propagate the Gospel. Three young Mizo raw converts –Savawma, Thangchhingpuia and Vanzika crossed the Tuivai river and enter Manipur on May 7 1910 to preach the Gospel. The first two Pioneer missionaries on seeing the need to preach the gospel stayed back in Manipur and settled with their families. They became the very first among the Mizos to settle in Manipur. Later on, other church workers started to come and settled with their families.
2. Economic factors:
Pushed out from their homes by economic hardships and lured by the prospect of building a new and prosperous life for themselves and their kin, many Mizo family move out from the rugged terrain in Lushai hills to the valley of good waters where it is said that the new land has food in the surface and fish on the ground.
They could easily practised wet rice paddy cultivation by tilling the land with good produce compared to the harsh shifting cultivation they practiced in Lushai Hills. These groups formed the bulk of the Mizo population who settled in Manipur.
In the year 1911 when the bamboo flowered leading to famine in the Lushai hills, 35 household of Phuaibuang village in the Lushai hills migrated to Manipur and settled in their new found land which they named ‘Khawpuibung’ meaning ‘the other half of their land’ in remembrance of their village and as half of the household left their village. Others from different part of the Lushai hills move into the valley of good waters and started settling in their new land establishing their own villages . In 1919, Saikawt village was founded by Tinhriata; In 1932-Nghathal village; In 1938 Kawnpui village.
3. Political factors:
The uprising of the Mizos under the banner of the Mizo National Front in the later part of the 1960s with the declaration of Independence of Mizoram from India have repercussions not only in the Lushai Hills but in every Mizo inhabited land. Unable to cope with the frequent harassment of the Indian Army and the re grouping of villages, a sizeable number of the Mizos move into Manipur.
Beside these three main factors, there could be different reasons for the Mizos to have settled in Manipur as the valley in churachandpur and the hills are occupied by the sub tribes of the larger Mizo family who have close ethnic affinity and cultural relation. Many Ex-servicemen of the Indian Army settled in Lamka which became the main town area of Churachandpur.
The Mizos of Manipur though small in numbers have made significant contribution in the valley of the good waters starting the art of business and becoming big businessmen, occupying important state official jobs in the state of Manipur. However, with the passage of time and the emergence of ethnic politics at its fore the small and marginal Mizo population could not achieve much .
Many have returned back to Mizoram yet the few who stayed back have decided to protect and preserve the legacy of their industrious and adventurous forefathers. The Mizos of Manipur now numbers around 10000. The Presbyterian Church have the largest members among the Mizos with around 5000 members in the Tuithaphai Presbytery having a one year budget of around Rs.2 crores in 2011-2012, the other denomination consist of United Pentecostal Church, Salvation Army, Catholics etc.
(This writings deals about the History of the Mizos using the present Mizo language as their mother tongue and should not be taken against any other having different mother tongue as such. Oral and primary sources have been taken for this write up.
Similar Posts:
- Who are Biate, Baite, Biete
- The Lushai Expedition, 1871-1872
- Mizoram Gorkhas – I
- 7500 Mizo Jews to migrate to Israel this year
- Politik
December 25th, 2011 at 10:16 pm
masi zan chibai u
Report this comment
December 25th, 2011 at 10:20 pm
AWPIA KAWLNI :lol:
Report this comment
December 25th, 2011 at 10:22 pm
NOI..ka chhiar hrih lo ang..mahse chhiar tlak ani chu ka ring!
Report this comment
December 25th, 2011 at 10:23 pm
Knowlegde base tan a that hmel khawp mai…LIKE
Report this comment
December 25th, 2011 at 10:35 pm
english ngat in maw?awpi-a pawh Opa, kawlni pawh colney, ka zo lo
Report this comment
December 25th, 2011 at 10:41 pm
a thra..
Report this comment
December 25th, 2011 at 10:49 pm
A bengvar thlak viau mai. Ka hriat chak mai mai chu:
Manipur hmar lam district 3 a Naga te hi Baptist deuh vek anniin ka hria (Naga te hi khawvel huap pawh a Baptist hlawm lian an tling; Nuai 10 chuang daih an ni). Chhim lama Mizo hnahthlak te hi post tupa sawi angin a zahve vel lai chu Presbyterian mi leh sa anni tih a hriat bawk a. Mizoram Baptist Kohhran hian Missionary an indah miah lovin ka hria a, Presbyterian lam hian an indah nasain ka hre bawk a. Mizo leh Naga hnahthlak ni lo hi Kristian an tam ve tawh reng em? tih hi ka hre chak viau mai.
Tin, Tripura leh Arnachal erawh hi chu Baptist ram deuh ani thung a. Arunachal bikah phei chuan Baptist Missionary ho pawh hian a rammi Baptist kohhran lian tak lo ding tawh te behchhana hmangin rawng an bawl deuh ber a, Presbyterian lam hian Arunachal-ah hian tan an la nasa hle mai bawk a.(Kumthar 2012 ah hian Missionary 22 an rawn dah belh dawn ani awm e). Tin, Ramthar an nawr viauin ka hre bawk. Tun anga tan an lak zel chuan kum 10 vel hnuah chuan Baptist, Catholic leh Revival Church te ang pui chu ni pha lo mahse, tih tham tak chu an awm theih ka ring. Penticostal Church ho pawh hi an thang duang ang reng khawp mai.
Report this comment
December 25th, 2011 at 11:26 pm
Middle school essay atanga copy niawm tak ani.
Report this comment
December 26th, 2011 at 2:31 am
A bengvar thlak thin e.
Report this comment
December 26th, 2011 at 6:24 am
“The Mizos of Manipur now numbers around 10000” Only 10k Mizo population in Manipur? This means that, according to opa colney, Hmar, Gangte, Vaiphei, Paite, Zomi, etc in Manipur are not Mizo. Only Lusei (Duhlian) speaking people are Mizo. OK, that is fine, if he wants it that way.
Report this comment
December 26th, 2011 at 9:33 am
Bengvarthlak khawp mai, post tha tak ani.
Report this comment
December 26th, 2011 at 9:37 am
Aw.P-a Kawlni (opa colney) hian ka sawi hawlo hram sela.
Khawngaihin Mizo Memorandum kha han chhiar hmasa la, chumi hnu chuan, ” The Mizos of Manipur now numbers around 10000,” tih khi i chhut tha leh sela ka va’n ti vele aw. A hnuai a hi link:
https://misual.life/2009/01/.....-of-india/
Report this comment
December 26th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
A tawpa ka thil ziah hian a sawi chiang in ka hria..mother tongue a tuna mizo tawng kan tih hmangtute history bik a ni e..@Mara Hisbicus @H.vangchhia..ti chuan ka thiam ang tawkah mahni irawm chhuaka ka ziah a ni e,ka copy lo e@James Bond
Report this comment
December 26th, 2011 at 1:49 pm
opa colney, i ziak tha khawp mai..research scholar inih te pawh ka ring deuh.
Mizo tawng ngatin ziak phei la chu a hlu khawp ang.
Report this comment
December 26th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
@PKfanai..Manipur chhim lamah pawh hian a 1950s hma khan NEIG Mission hnuaiah Mizo hnam tawng hrang hrang hmang te an awm khawm thin a..amaherawhchu mahni tawng bil hman duhna avangin an inthen hetiangin..Paite tawng hmang Evangelical Convention(tunah Evangelical Baptist Convention),Hmar tawng hmang Independent Church of India(ICI)leh Evangelical Free Church of India(EFCI),Gangte tawng hmang Evangelical Synod Church(ESC),tuna Mizo tawng kan tih bik hmangtute Presbyterian..tin Naga awmna lam North ah hian American Baptist missionary te an luh avangin Religious History chu a dang deuh,Baptist an ni tlangpui..Manipur Ramthar ah hian Mizoram Synod leh Tuithaphai Presbytery (kohhran dang kan sawi takte pawh hian field chu an nei ve ang ka hriatpui lem lo)te rawngbawlnaah an thawk ho thin,rawngbawlna hmun leh hnam inthenin Mizo synod in Meitei an tum a,Tuithaphai Presbytery in Rongmei(Mizo in Mi rawng hnam kan tih)leh Loi(Meitei scheduled caste)te an bitum..tunah hian Meitei Christian ho hain Mizo synod chhuahsan an tum mek,anmahni a synod neih tumin,meitei christian population erawh a tam lem lo..kan ziah mai theih a ni e..i duh chuan hei aia chiang deuhin kan la inhrilh dawn nia..
Report this comment
December 26th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
@15.opa, a lawm awm lutuk e. I sawichiang tha viau mai. Thanks.
Report this comment
December 26th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
@lrpa..kon 2002 a ka ziak a ni a..tunah kan tichhuak ve mai mai a ni e..mizo tawnga ziah theih a ni e,a tul leh kan let leh mai ang chu mawle..engvanga manipur a awm nge kan nih tih zawhna hi ka inzawt fo thin..chu chuan hei hi min puitlin tir ve a ni e..research scholar ka ni lem lo..a lawmawm e..
Report this comment
December 26th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
Good post.
Report this comment
December 26th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
a thra e…. Pres lo poh UPC, 7 Day leh adang dang poh an om hnual e….
Report this comment
December 26th, 2011 at 7:11 pm
mizotawngte pawn rawn post ve ula’sap tawng kan thiam ve hlei nem!
Report this comment
December 26th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
A tha hle mai, a bengvarthlak e.
Report this comment