Lhotas of a particular clan being regarded as of inferior status. With
this exception all clans have equal rights, whether they spring from a
supposed extraneous origin or not.
The number of clans which tradition says sprang from “jungle men”
(orakyon) is remarkable. These “jungle men,” as the Lhota word
literally means, are said to have been like Nagas to look at. They are
generally heard of in stories as being found hiding in trees or
stealing from traps. Possibly they represent aboriginal inhabitants
encountered by Nagas at some period of their migrations.
Some clans are still undivided. Others have split up into two kindreds
which intermarry and call themselves “big” and “little,” e.g.
Ezongterowe and Ezongtsopowe. Others, again, are divided into many
kindreds, each called after some ancestor. The following are among the
kindreds of the Nguli clan—Yemkhashandre, Yemphuhore, Ritsenshandre,
Monglema, Pyakore, Yemtsore, Shungentsore, Yamphentangre. Besides this
arrangement of phratries, clans and kindreds within the tribe there is
a system of inter-tribal corresponding clans existing in all the Naga
tribes with which the writer is acquainted. A Lhota will say, for
instance, that his clan is “the same” as some particular Ao clan. That
Ao clan in turn will say that they are “one clan” with some particular
Konyak clan, which in turn has a corresponding Phom clan, and so on.
For instance, Lhota Chami corresponds to Ao Chamirr and Sema Yepothomi;
Lhota Kikung corresponds to Ao Longchacharr, Sema Shohemi and Rengma
Apungza; Lhota Muri corresponds to Ao Pongrr and Sema Chishilimi; Lhoti
Nguli corresponds to Ao Alangcharr, Sema Wotsami [111] and Rengma
Ketenini, and so on. A Sema who comes and settles in Are becomes a
Lhota and incorporates himself into the clan corresponding to his old
clan. If he or his children go back they slip into their old clan
again. In cases where a Lhota marries a woman of another tribe he may,
however, take a wife from a corresponding clan. For the clans being of
different tribes they are regarded as being so widely separated, though
corresponding, that there is no harm in intermarriage. But it is quite
possible that intermarriage was once forbidden, for Changs who keep old
customs very strictly will not intermarry with a corresponding Ao clan.
The Lhota table of relationships is given herewith in the form
suggested by Professor Rivers.
RELATIONSHIPS.