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Mizo culture

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Dance of Mizoram

The culture of the Mizo people has been heavily influenced by Christianity during the colonial era of the British Raj and the rise of Mizo nationalism with the Mizo Insurgency of 1966-1986. Mizo culture is rooted in the arts and ways of life of Mizos in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Mizo culture has developed in plurality with historical settlements and migrations starting from Southern China to the Shan states of Burma, the Kabaw valley and the state of Mizoram under the British and Indian administrations.[1]

Despite significant westernization of Mizo culture due to Christianity and British influence, efforts have been made to revive pre-missionary traditions such as Chapchar Kut.[2]

Mizo people

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Main article: Mizo people

The Mizo people (Mizo: Mizo hnam) are an ethnic group native to north-eastern India, western Burma (Myanmar) and eastern Bangladesh; this term covers several ethnic peoples who speak various Kuki-Chin languages. Though the term Mizo is often used to name an overall ethnicity, it is an umbrella term to denote the various tribes and clans, such as the Hmar, Ralte, Lai, Lusei etc. A number of dialects are still spoken under the umbrella of Mizo;[3]

Historical settlements and distribution of Mizo Tribes and Clans in Mizoram State.

The history of these tribes is varied, with the largest one being the Lushai. The Lushai migrated and established dominance in the Northern Lushai hills between 1840 and 1850.The Paite are spread between Northern Mizoram and Southern Manipur, the difference is that the Paite in Central Mizoram have lost their original language as opposed to Churachandpur and North-East Mizoram. The Hmar people settled historically in the northern cities of Biate, Champhai and Vangchhia. Like the Lushai, they were composed of royal sub-clans and chiefdoms. The Maras in the South-East are known as Lackher by the Lushai.[4] The Chakma people are split between South-West Mizoram and Chittagong tracts in Bangladesh. Unlike other clans and tribes in Mizoram, they descend from the Arakan region of Burma, use the Chakma script and follow Buddhism instead of Christianity.[5]

Religion in Mizo Culture

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Pre-Christian Religion

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Main article: Mizo religion
See also: Pialral

Before the advent of Christian missionaries, Mizo communities believed in the primeval Mizo religion known as Lushai Animism.

The Mizo religion is structured with a Supreme God known as Pathian and his wife the Goddess Khuanu. It is accompanied by many other beings both benevolent and malevolent. Benevolent spirits include Khuavang, Pu Vana, Vanchungnula, Sakhua and Khaltu. Malevolent spirits would include Ramhuai, Hmuithla, Phung and Khawring.[citation needed]

Christianity

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Main article: History of Christianity in Mizoram
See also: Christianity in Mizoram

Christianity was introduced via missionaries in 1984 via the Arthington Aborigines Mission. It marked the beginning of a cultural transformation in Mizoram through education and evangelisation. A Mizo alphabet was established in Roman script to allow the Mizo language to be written down. The missionaries also opened the first schools in Mizoram, which worked towards translating various gospels. The establishment of a Baptist Church under the Baptist Missionary Society of London expanded access to education and healthcare services.

One of the cultural symbols linked to Mizoram's Christian religion is the non-denominational Solomon's Temple which serves as a tourist attraction. The temple has been under construction for 20 years since the laying of its foundations in 1996 before inaugurating its opening in December 2017.[6][7][8]

Bnei Menashe

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Main article: Bnei Menashe

The Bnei Menashe also known as Shinlung are a community of Indian jews from the northeastern provinces. The movement was established in 1951 after a tribal leader had a dream of being one of the lost tribes of Israel and embracing the ideas of being Jews. Members of the Bnei Menashe mainly consist of Chin, Kuki and Mizo people. As a result of adopting Judaism, a significant number of approximately 5,000 of their 10,000 members have moved to Israel to continue their doctrine.[9]

In 2005, the Shavei Israel organisation and the local council of Kiryat Arba supported the Bnei Menashe to open its first community centre in Israel. Several synagogues have been subsequently built in Mizoram, Manipur and other areas, including a mikveh (ritual bath) in Mizoram and Manipur with the guidance of Israeli rabbis.[10]

Mizo Folklore

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Mizo folklore and mythology are varied and diverse across the several clans and tribes in the state. It ranges from stories of natural wonders and landscapes to individuals revered through oral legend. Several places in Mizoram often have a mythological story, including Kungawrhi puk, Sibuta Lung, Phulpui Grave and Chhingpui Memorial.[11]

Origin Myth

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The origin myth of the Mizo people describes the creation of the natural world by the Goddess Khuazingnu. The story recounts how a representative couple of each human community and animal species were placed inside a cave sealed with the rock known as Chhinglung. The rock was lifted and the entrance was unsealed by Goddess Khuazingnu to repopulate the Earth. All the clans, tribes and different people exited this way until the Ralte clan exited with great noise. Due to this noise the Chhinglung rock was placed back and sealed. This also led to the coining of "Ralte bengchheng" meaning noisy/rowdy Ralte.[12][13]

Mizoram Language

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Main article: Mizo language

Mizo is the official language of Mizoram, along with English. Mizo language, or Mizo ṭawng, is a language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan family of languages, spoken natively by the Mizo people in Mizoram states of India and Chin State in Burma.[14]

Mizo ṭawng is a tonal language. It consists of four tones, a high tone, a low tone, a rising tone and a falling tone for a syllable to be expressed in four different meanings.[15]

Restraints on vocabulary have also introduced many English words into the language. Words for objects, professions and other entities prefacing Mizo culture after the impact of Westernization are borrowed from English directly. As English is also an official language of Mizoram, established with the onset of Christianity, it is widespread in Mizoram and easy to integrate.[16]

Mizo Literature

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Main article: Mizo literature

Mizo literature is the literature written in Mizo ṭawng, the principal language of the Mizo peoples, which has both written and oral traditions. It has undergone a considerable change in the 20th century. The language developed mainly from the Lushai language, with significant influence from Pawi language, Paite language and Hmar language, especially at the literary level.[17]

A genre unique to Mizo history and culture is that of rambuai literature. Rambuai literature in Mizo means 'Troubled Land'. This is a reference to all poetry, songs and literature associated with the Mizo Insurgency 1966-1986.[18] Rambuai literature normally deals with the social and cultural traumas associated with the era such as sexual violence, air attacks, village groupings and curfews.[19]

Mizo Hlakungpui Mual

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Main article: Mizo Hlakungpui Mual
Mizo Hlakungpui Mual in Mizoram

To honour the contributions of Mizo poets and writers, the Mizo Hlakungpui Mual (Mizo Poets' Square) was established in 1986. The Committee nominates memorials for poets with exceptional contributions to Mizo culture and writers with 3-4 books with prolonged influence on Mizo culture. Four phases of monuments have been erected, totalling 36 notable literature individuals memorialized.[20]

Mizo Cinema

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The history of Mizo cinema begins with the arrival of Christianity with stills and movie cameras from the missionaries. One of the first cinematic events in Mizoram was the silent film on Mizoram, "Land of the Lushai's", possibly between 1940 and 1950.[21][22]

Access to both Western and Hindi movies increased in the 1950s. Silent movies were introduced through movie halls such as 'Krishna Talkies' built-in Aizawl. Throughout the 70s, cinema halls further popularized Western movies and martial arts movies. Cinema culture, however, declined due to the low maintenance of cinema halls and the popularization of television.[23][22]

In 1983, the "Young Stars Films Company" was established by film enthusiasts in Aizawl. The company produced the first full-featured Mizo film Phuba (Revenge) in 8mm film. The movie was based on a novel of the same title published previously by the producer. Between 1983 and 1990, more low-budget films were produced under different Mizo filmmakers with both 8mm film and the newly introduced video camera. Due to a lack of skilled personnel locally in Mizoram, movie productions in the 90s declined with the inability to handle post-production and afford video cameras at high prices. The establishment of the Aizawl Films and Drama Cooperative Society saw a slight increase in film production from 1993 onwards.[21]

Mizo movies began to experience a revival with the introduction of CD and DVD formats.Between 1999-2004, Mizo movies were in high demand with approximately 50-70 Mizo films produced annually. The movie industry outside of Aizawl also began to grow in towns such as Champhai, Saiha and Khawzawl. Filmmakers such as Mapuia Changthu of Leitlang Pictures and Napoleon RZ Thanga began to produce high-quality films and formulate filmmaking as a profession in Mizoram. In 2008 the Government of Mizoram began to support the filmmaking industry of Mizoram.[21]

Mizo Music

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Main article: Mizo music

Mizo music consists of three periods, namely Pipute Hla of pre-missionary era music, Sakhaw thar hla music developed within the missionary era, and Tunlai hlate of the contemporary era.[citation needed]

Darkhuang, Zamluang or jamluang – a traditional musical instrument found in Mizoram.Other instruments include khuang (drum), dar (cymbals), as well as bamboo-based phenglawng, tuium and tawtawrawt.[24]

Mizo folk music consists of vocals (singing) accompanied by traditional drums, gong and other native percussion instruments.[25] Traditional Mizo songs are classified for different purposes. Dar hla were songs accompanied by the Dar (traditional Mizo gong). These songs tended to use simple lyrics to accompany the gongs. Hlado were songs associated with warriors to hunt and celebrate victory upon returning to their villages. Similarly Bawh Hla is sung by warriors upon successful war or raids that lead to the headhunting of enemies. Thiam Hla were religious songs taught in private to priests through oral teaching. They would be used for medicinal purposes, animal sacrifices or rituals involving the spirit world.[26]

Mizo music began to diverge from its traditional ways with the introduction of Christianity and the changes to Mizo culture. The folk music environment transitioned into hymns, gospels and choir instead. Many Mizo songs became direct translations of British English hymns incorporating worship. Parallel to the impact of Christianity on Mizo music, it also led to a new genre known as Hnam hla. This genre focussed on songs and music based around nationalism. It was significant from the early 20th century to the creation of the Mizo Union and the Mizo Insurgency of 1966-1986. Notable composers of Hnam hla are known as Rokunga and include, Laltanpuia, Kaphleia and Captain L.Z Sailo whose songs rally for solidarity and connection to the land.[citation needed]

Mizo Clothing

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Handloom weaving is a traditional and widely practiced art in Mizo culture and communities. The most significant handloom product is the traditional fabric known as puan. The puan is still worn and utilised in key festivals and festivities. While traditionally, the puan was worn by both men and women, it is now predominantly worn by women. A typical ritual in Mizo society involves a woman to bring puan to the grooms house after marriage and name it Thuam Chhawm. There are five puans that have played a crucial part in distinguishing Mizo culture and given a geographic indicator tag. The five puans are: Hmaram, Pawndum,Puanchei, Ngotekherh and Tawlhloh puan.[27]

A Puanchei is a multicolored striped Puan typically use as a traditional wedding garment for Mizo brides. The horizontal stripes of a puanchei are known as Sakeizangzia which allude to the stripes of a tiger. Common colour combinations of puanchei include red, green, yellow, black, blue, pink and white. Ngotekherh is traditionally known as Puan Hruih and consists of black and white stripes. It is worn for all festivals such as Chapchar Kut, Mim Kut, and Pawl Kut. Colour combinations for Ngotekherh are red, green, pink, black and white. Pawndum is usually woven in black, yellow and white stripes. Is is typically included in the trousseau of a Mizo bride and traditionally used to cover her husband's body after his death. It is also used in mourning and condolence for respect of the dead. Tawlhloh Puan is an indigo-colored dress with red and green stripes. This is traditionally worn by warriors on the battleground but is treated as a prestige attire in current times.[28]

Traditional Mizo clothing before the onset of Christianity saw the puan worn by both men and women, with jewellery being worn and adorned by men. The evolution of Western garb led to a decline in the use of the puan in male attire and the shedding of male jewellery by the 1960s. On the other hand, the evolution of women's fashion did not see a decline in the use of puan, even with the establishment of Christianity in Mizo culture. While some fashion trends were slow due to unaffordability or cultural values, the events of World War 2 saw many Mizo women integrate into the workforce, such as hospitality, medicine, and clerical work, which changed Mizo fashion. This led to a rise in Western clothing trends through working clothes such as uniforms made of skirts, coat suits, dresses, frocks and facial cosmetics.[29]

Mizo folk dance

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Cheraw Dance

Mizo people have a number of dances which are accompanied with few musical instrument like the gong and drum. The different dances of Mizoram are Cheraw dance, Khuallam, Chheihlam, Chailam, Tlanglam, Sarlamkai and Chawnglaizawn.[30][31][32][33]

Cheraw dance means bamboo dance. It is the most famous dance among Mizo communities. Cheraw was performed as part of a sacrifice to appease bad spirits responsible for the death of a child. The dance was believed to usher safe passage and victorious entry to pialral. Women dance by stepping in and out between and across pairs of bamboo sticks held against the ground by people sitting face to face.[33]

Khuallam means the guest dance. This dance was performed by a group of ten or more people and only men. It was traditionally performed by honoured invitees while entering the arena of a feast known as khuangchawi. The party would dance in the village streets while wearing puandum.[33]

Chai is the dance performed during the Chapchar Kut festival. Boys and girls stand in a circle alternately with their hands on each other's shoulders. Inside the circle, musicians such as drummers and horn players would stand and play a rhythm to dance on.[33]

Tlang lam is a dance where boys and girls clap their hands together while moving. Leg movements included three steps forward and three steps back and were done to the tune of puma songs.[33]

Chheih lam is a dance performed by a single person of either gender. A group would sit on short stools in a circle around the dancer until the dancer would become tired and request another dancer to tag in and continue the performance. The circle would clap while musicians beat drums in an out circle.[33]

Mizo Cuisine

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Typical Mizo Food Including stable rice, bai, non veg and hmarcha rawt
Main article: Mizo cuisine

Mizoram shares characteristics to other regions of Northeast India and North India. The staple food of most of the Mizo people is rice, with meat and vegetables served on the side, ranging from the homely bai, a simple vegetable stew, non veg stew with sesame, garlic, onion and herbs.[34]

Zu is also a traditional Mizo rice beer. It was made from husked rice through a distillation process. This responsibility was typically handled by the youth of the village such as zawlbuk men or maidens for festivals such as Chapchar Kut,Mim Kut, Thalfavang Kut, marriage and feasts in the village. Zu was never used for commercial purposes; it was typically localised to collective drinking in zawlbuks (Male dormitories).[35]


Traditional Mizo Calendar

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The Mizo indigenous calendar was centred around the culture of Jhum cultivation. Thla denotes month in Mizo.[36]

Mizo Indigenous Calendar
Month Meaning
Pawlkut thla (January) 'Pawl' means straw, while 'kut' means festival. This is named after a festival before the felling of trees for the new jhum field.
Ramtuk thla (February) 'Ram' means forest or jungle while 'Tuk' means cut or felling. This month oversaw the felling of trees after the jhum plots were selected.
Vau thla (March) 'Vau' is the flower of bauhinia variegata that flowered in this month. This showed the onset of a new season.
Tau thla (April) 'Tau' is a local berry (Rubus ellipticus) that ripens in this month. This month is for clearing the slash-burned logs and stums and preparing the jhum.
Tomir thla (May) 'Tomir' means rain which was decided as the best time for seeding the jhum fields with crops.
Nikir thla (June) 'Nikir' means the return of the sun, which is an acknowledgement of the summer solstice.
Vawkhniakzawn thla (July) 'Vawkhniakzawn' means the footsteps of pigs. This is an acknowledgment of the month with heaviest rainfall.
Thi tin thla (August) 'Thi' means die and 'tin' means leaving. This was a sacred month for the mourning of family members and ancestors. This was due to the belief that when people died, they stayed in their village until this month arrived before making their journey to pialral.
Mim kut thla (September) 'Mim' means corn and 'kut' is festival. Hence this month was dedicated to the celebration of harvesting corn.
Khuangchawi thla (October) 'Khuangchawi' is a concept of the rich and wealthy members of Mizo society hosting celebrations and community feasts. This was a month of relaxation after the weeding of jhum fields.
Sahmulphah thla (November) 'Sahmul' means fur while 'phah' means 'lay down', which indicated the onset of winter. Preparations for winter included harvesting of fur.
Pawltlak thla (December) 'Pawl' means straw and tlak means complete. This signified the harvesting of crops and rice paddies and the new years celebration.

References

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  2. ^ Angom, Rebecca (31 January 2020). "Christianization and its Impact on Mizo Culture". Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Studies. 2 (1): 55–61. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  3. ^ KHAWTINKHUMA, VANTHUAMA. "MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED TO HIS MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT BY MIZO UNION". ZOLENTHE.NET. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  4. ^ Land Revenue and Settlement Department. "The Land Systems of Mizoram" (PDF). Mizoram Government. p. 4-6.
  5. ^ James Minahan (2012). Ethnic Groups of South Asia and the Pacific: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 112. ISBN 978-1-59884-659-1. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
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  7. ^ "Travelling to North East India? Visit Solomon's Temple, the largest church in Mizoram". Hindustan Times. 29 December 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  8. ^ Sengar, Resham (29 December 2017). "Solomon's Temple – the first of its kind in India – opens in Mizoram for public". Times of India. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Bnei Menashe: community members demand aliyah, killed in violent India unrest". The Jerusalem Post. 5 May 2023.
  10. ^ Peter Foster (17 September 2005). "India's lost tribe recognised as Jews after 2,700 years". The Telegraph (UK). London. Retrieved 9 September 2024.<
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  13. ^ Pachuau, Margaret L. Folktales from Mizoram.
  14. ^ Lalthangliana, B., 'Mizo tihin ṭawng a nei lo' tih kha, see also Matisoff, 'Language names' section
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  16. ^ Lalremruati (8 August 2020). "The Intrinsic Relationship between Language and Culture in Mizoram, India" (PDF). Language of India. 20: 208–214. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  17. ^ Lalthangliana, B., 'Mizo tihin ṭawng a nei lo' tih kha
  18. ^ Dawar, Jagdish Lal (21 March 2019). "Rambuai Literature and Mizo Culture" (PDF). Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  19. ^ Pachuau, Margaret L (2023). Negotiating Culture:Writings from Mizoram. New Delhi: Bloomsbury India. ISBN 978-93-56400-17-7.
  20. ^ "Mizo Hlakungpui Mual". Tripuntold.
  21. ^ a b c Lalrinawma, Jacob; Ratnamala, V (June 2019). "Indigenous Mizo Cinema: A Retrospective View". Contemporary Social Scientist. 11 (1). Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  22. ^ a b Pachuau, Joy L.K; Van Schendel, Willem (13 April 2013). The Camera as Witness: A Social History of Mizoram, Northeast India. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1107073395.
  23. ^ Lalmuanpuii, J (2017). "The History of the rise and fall of Cinema Halls in Aizawl". International Journal of Current Humanities and Social Science Researches.
  24. ^ Thanmawia HERITAGE OF MIZO TRADITIONAL MUSIC (AN OVERVIEW) Archived 28 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Government of Mizoram
  25. ^ B. Thangliana, Mizo Literature, 1993, p.76
  26. ^ Ramdinmawii, Esther; Nath, Sanghamitra (23 May 2024). "Resource building and classification of Mizo folk song". Natural Language Processing: 1–19. doi:10.1017/nlp.2024.23. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  27. ^ Lalruatpuii, Esther; Miriami, H.; Ngurtinkhuma, Prof R.K (1 September 2022). "Library and Indigenous Knowledge of Mizo Traditional Weaving (with special reference to Puan having Geographical Identification Tag)". Library Philosophy and Practice. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  28. ^ Ramswamy, Dr. Rama; Hmangaihzuali, Jenny B. (2015). "Building Brands for Handloom Products in Tribal Clusters: The Road Ahead". In Shanthi, R.; Murari, P.; Rafeeque Admed, M.; Suganya, M.P. (eds.). Brand: Sculpting Corporate Identity. Chennai: MJP Publishers. ISBN 978-81-8094-166-5.
  29. ^ Varsangzuali, Rosaline (2023). "Women's Fashion in Mizoram 1940-1960". In Hmingthanzuali; Vanlalthanpuii, Mary (eds.). The Keepers of Knowledge: Writings from Mizoram. New Delhi: Zubaan (published 2022). ISBN 978-93-90514-96-0.
  30. ^ Lianhmingthanga, F. Mizo Nun hlui. MBSE.
  31. ^ Cite error: The named reference CFM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  32. ^ Cite error: The named reference IRM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  33. ^ a b c d e f Samuelson, Rami Sena (1991). The Mizo people: Cultural analysis of life in a Mizo village in the 1890's. San Francisco: University of San Francisco.
  34. ^ Mizar, Shilpa (30 June 2010). "Mizo by nature". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  35. ^ Sailo, grace Lalhlupuii; Pachuau, Henry Zodinliana (28 October 2015). "Zu and the Mizos". In Singh, N.William (ed.). Becoming Something Else: Society and Changce in India's North East. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cabridge Scholar's Publishing.
  36. ^ Lalmalsawmzauva, K.C. (25 February 2016). Mizo Indigenous Calendar: A Source of MIzo Indigenous Knowledge and Identity (Thesis). Department of Geography and Resource Management: Mizoram University. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
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