Kuki (Indic people); Lushai (Asian people); Lushai language
[The Rangte.] This is a small clan which, after various vicissitudes,
has settled down in thirteen hamlets, containing 372 houses, under
their own chiefs in the south-western hills of Manipur. They claim
connection with the Thados, but resemble the Lushais in many respects,
which no doubt is due to their sojourn among them. They also claim
relationship with the Vaiphei. They say that their original villages
were on two hills called Phaizang and Koku, whence they were ejected
by the Chins and took refuge with Poiboi, one of the Sailo chiefs who
opposed us in 1871, whence they migrated northwards to their present
place of abode. Their language shows that their claim to being allied
to the Thado is not without foundation. The clan is divided into
eleven eponymous families, named after Thanghlum and his ten sons,
Thanghlum being supposed to be the son of Rangte. The constitution of
the villages is practically the same as that of the Lushais, except
that there are no zawlbuks. The young unmarried men sleep in the house
of the girl they like best. An attractive young lady may have several
admirers sleeping in her house, and they will continue to sleep there
until she expresses a preference for one of them. Marriage is not
very strictly limited, but matches with another member of the clan
or with some member of one of the Thado families are most usual. The
price of a wife--"manpui"--is one blue cloth, one mattress, and three
mithan, which is paid to the nearest male relative to the bride on the
father's side, but besides this the bride's paternal uncle receives
one mithan, which is termed "mankang." If there be three brothers, A,
B, and C, B will take the mankang of A's daughters, C that of B's,
and A that of C's. Should a man have no brothers some near relative
will take his daughter's mankang. The eldest son inherits everything,
and is looked on as the head of the family. He receives the "manpui"
of all the females, and in his verandah are hung all the trophies of
the chase obtained by his brothers and their children, but on the death
of one of these brothers the connection ceases, and the deceased's
eldest son inherits his property and is looked on as the head of the
family by his younger brothers. Like the Vuite, the Rangte claim that
sodomy is unknown among them. In their religious beliefs they employ
the nomenclature of the Thados, though there is a little variation. The
place of Pupawla on the road to Mi-thi-khua is taken by an old woman,
named Kul-lo-nu, who is evidently the same as the Thado Kulsamnu, who
troubles all except the Thangchhuah. Thlan-ropa is known as "Dapa,"
but the legends regarding him are similar to those told by the Lushais.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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