Zou people
Zou people (Zou te) | |
|---|---|
 A Zou girl in traditional costume | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Chin State (Myanmar) | Not stated |
| Manipur (India) | 26,545[1] |
| Languages | |
| Zou language | |
| Religion | |
| Majority: Christianity Minority: Sakhua (Lawki), Hinduism, Islam, Jainism[1] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
The Zou people (also spelled Zo, Yo, Jo or Jou) are an ethnic group indigenous to the India–Myanmar frontier. They are a subgroup of the Kuki-Chin-Mizo peoples.[2] In India, they live alongside, and share cultural and linguistic similarities with the Thadou and Paites.[3] In Myanmar (also known as Burma), the Zou are counted among the Chin peoples. They are a hill tribe; 'Zou' may plainly mean 'hills', denoting 'people of the hills' or 'of the hills.' In the Zou language, however, 'Zou' translates to 'complete' or 'finish.' According to Zou folklore, the name 'Zou' was inherited from an eponymous ancestor of the same name, who is believed to be the progenitor of the wider Kuki-Chin-Mizo peoples.[4]
In India, the Zous are officially recognised as one of the thirty-three indigenous peoples within the state of Manipur,[5] and are one of the Scheduled Tribes.[6] According to the 2001 census, the Zou population in Manipur was around 20,000, constituting less than 3% of the population.[7] The community is concentrated in Churachandpur and Chandel districts of Manipur in Northeast India.[8] The Zou people are predominantly Christian.[9]
History
[edit]Early history
[edit]The Zou trace their origin to a cave known as Khul,[a] which is believed to be located in "the extreme north". Zou oral traditions trace descent to three ancestral brothers: Songthu (also known as Chongthu), Songza and Zahong.[10] The Zou are believed to have reached Manipur earlier than the Paite but later than the Thadou.[11] Some accounts suggest that they were originally a part of the Paite, becoming separated only toward the end of the British Raj.[3]
Following an attack on the Phuaizang village by the Zou people under Manlun clan, the Zou were subsequently pushed northwards by the Falam.[11]
1900–present
[edit]The Zou, alongside kindred tribes, participated in the Kuki Uprising (1917–1919), an anti-colonial revolt against British rule in Northeast India. Hiengtam and Gotengkot Forts were key centres of Zou resistance and battles.[12] Gotengkot Fort was led by Pu Do Ngul Taithul, who emerged as a local chief and is noted for his opposition and clashes against Captain Steadman, who was tasked with suppressing the fort.[13]
In early 1920, Pi Lam Za Vung of Phaitu Village, Chin State, Myanmar was converted to Christianity by Evangelist Hat Go and became, according to Esther Lalnunmawii, the first documented Christian convert among the Zou.[14] While neighbouring tribal communities embraced Christianity, the Zou, alongside the Simte, largely continued to practise the traditional Sakhua (also called Lawki) religion and were among the last groups in the region to widely convert.[15] On 20 February 1954, a group of Zou youth organised the first Jou Christian Association (JCA) Conference at Daizang village, Manipur.[16] The conference marked the start of a local social movement, which played a significant role in the widespread conversion to Christianity among the Zou.[17] Rev. Roberts' The North East India General Mission established churches within the Zou community.[18] Christian missionaries also introduced them to formal education.[19]
India officially recognised the Zou in 1956 as one of the 29 Scheduled Tribes of Manipur.[20]
In 1961, a group within the Zou community in Chandel district of Manipur adopted a distinct Baite identity and formed the Baite Organisation. They identify as part of the Naga peoples.[8][21]
In August 2024, The Zou Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) protested against the ongoing India–Myanmar border fencing project for its perceived disregard of indigenous rights and "lack of transparency".[22]
Culture
[edit]
Gender roles
[edit]Zou society maintains its patriarchal structure.[23] Within the family, the husband serves as the head of the household and daughters leave their natal family upon marriage. Inheritance follows a patrilineal system, with the eldest son entitled to inherit his father’s properties after his death; the father may also choose to distribute property among other sons before his passing.[24]
Historian Frederick S. Downs has noted that, despite advances in secular education and employment, women’s status within the church changed only gradually.[25] The proportion of women within salaried jobs in Zou churches is cited at approximately 3%.[26] Women are encouraged to participate in fundraising projects.[27]
Hunting
[edit]Most Zou hunters use a gun known as Zouthau.[28] During group hunts, the first person to wound the animal is entitled to the heads of all other animals taken in the hunt. When dangerous animals such as tigers are killed, the entire village gathers to perform traditional victory songs and the sa-ai ritual, which involves the ceremonial killing of tamed animals, usually pigs, accompanied by the drinking of traditional wine (zu).[29] After the ritual, the animal is skinned and its carcass is buried. Today, this practice is very rare.[30]
Historically, the Zou engaged in headhunting.[24]
Marriage
[edit]Marriage among the Zou is patrilocal, monogamous,[31] and typically, but not exclusively, exogamous.[32] They traditionally practise patrilineal cross-cousin marriage and pay a bride price.[33] In cases of divorce, the spouse at fault is bound to pay fines in the form of money and customary services.[34] Marriage practices are now governed by the church.[35]
Music
[edit]Khuang, a traditional drum made of wood and animal skin, plays an integral part in Zou church music.[16]
A Zou folk song composed during the Kuki Uprising reads as follows:[12]
Tuizum Mangkang kiil bang hing khang
Zota kual zil bang liing e
Pianna ka gamlei hi e! phal sing e!
Ka naamtem hiam a, i Zogamlei lal kanaw
Sansii'n zeel e!
Ngalliam vontawi ka laulou lai e.[b]
Religion
[edit]Historically, Zou people followed Sakhua—also known as Lawki in the Chin Hills[37]—which included the belief in natural spirits and ancestor worship.[38] It is similar to Mizo Sakhua.
In the 20th century, Zou people began converting to Christianity, which today constitutes the majority faith.[39] Missionaries repurposed elements of Sakhua vocabulary for use in Bible translations and hymnals,[16] such as the word Pasian being used in reference to the Christian God.
Language
[edit]Zou is part of the Kuki-Chin language family.[40] According to Ethnologue, there are 20,900 speakers in India (based on the 2001 Indian census) and around 61,000 speakers in Myanmar (2012).[41] Zou is primarily written in Roman script[10] and is similar to the Paite language.[3] Zou is one of the prescribed Major Indian Languages in Manipur high schools.[10][42]
Dialect standardisation
[edit]Scholars have noted that Bible translations into the tribal languages of northeast India contributed to dialectal standardisation.[43] The Zou language itself constitutes several dialects including Haidawi, Khuangnung, Thangkhal, Khodai and Tungkua. Haidawi became the dominant literary dialect through its use in vernacular Bibles and hymnals, Khuangnung is used among urban speakers and Thangkhal influenced traditional folk songs.[26] The recognition of Zou as a Major Indian Language by the government of Manipur further contributed to demand for a standardised Zou dialect.[26]
Notes
[edit]- ↑ Also known as Chinlung, Chhinlung, Sinlung, Puk, Khurpui or Khur by neighboring tribes.
- ↑ Translation:
The seafaring White imperialist coils like the 'kiil' [cactus] plant,
Tremors of earthquakes do quiver the Zo world,
'Tis the land of my birth: I shall not part with it!
Stain’d with blood is my sword
That has rooted the adversaries of Zoland,
I shall yet fight with the wild boar, injured.[36]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Population Census 2011. Table ST-14: Scheduled tribe population by religious community (State/UT level), Manipur - 2011
- ↑ Zou 2009, p. 231 "This tribe itself is a constituent of the larger Zo ethnic group collectively used to refer to the Zomi, the Kuki, the Chin and the Mizo."
- 1 2 3 Bareh, Hamlet (2001). "Zou". Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Manipu. Mittal. pp. 260ff. ISBN 978-81-7099-790-0. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
- ↑ Chinlunthang & L 2017, pp. 118–137.
- ↑ "Manipur List of Scheduled Tribes" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 February 2014.
- ↑ "Alphabetical List of India's Scheduled Tribes". Archived from the original on 10 February 2009.
- ↑ "Manipur. Data Highlights: The Scheduled Tribes" (PDF). Census of India 2001. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
- 1 2 Sen 1992, p. 64.
- ↑ Paullanding & Ngaihte 2022, pp. 2–6.
- 1 2 3 Lisam 2011, p. 408.
- 1 2 Kamkhenthang 1988, p. 5.
- 1 2 Zou 2009, pp. 218.
- ↑ Lisam 2011, p. 409.
- ↑ Lalnunmawii, Esther (1996) Impact of Christianity on the Zou women (Unpublished Dissertation) Banglalore: South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies (SAIACS)
- ↑ Zou 2009, pp. 219–220.
- 1 2 3 Zou 2009, p. 222.
- ↑ Zou 2009, p. 221 "This historic conference accelerated mass conversion to Christian faith into an irreversible social movement within the Zou community."
- ↑ Lisam 2011, pp. 748, 749.
- ↑ Alam 2023, pp. 25–28.
- ↑ Zou 2009, p. 228.
- ↑ Goswami 1979, p. 73.
- ↑ Chongloi, Kaybie (20 August 2024). "Manipur: Zou Civil Society organizations demand halt to India-Myanmar border construction". India Today NE. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024.
The CSOs argue that the fence impinges upon their ancestral lands, which hold historical and cultural significance. They have called for an immediate halt to the construction, advocating for increased transparency, community consultations, and collaboration with the Behiang Area Chief Association before any further work is done.
- ↑ Zou 2009, p. 223 "The Zou society, despite Christian conversion, still staunchly maintains its old patriarchal structure."
- 1 2 Zomi 2014, p. 31.
- ↑ Downs 1996, pp. 80–81.
- 1 2 3 Zou 2009, p. 223.
- ↑ Ralte, Lalrinawmi (2004) Bible Women-te Nghilhlohnan (In Memory of Bible Women), Bangalore: Shalom Publications
- ↑ Khual 2021, p. 48.
- ↑ Khual 2021, p. 52.
- ↑ Khual 2021, p. 54.
- ↑ Sarma 2002, p. 156.
- ↑ Sen 1992, p. 64 "Their clan is exogamous but they do not strictly follow this."
- ↑ Zomi 2014, pp. 33–34.
- ↑ Zomi 2014, p. 35.
- ↑ Lisam 2011, p. 410.
- ↑ Zou 2009, p. 219.
- ↑ Zou 2009, p. 220.
- ↑ Singh 1994, pp. 1204–1207.
- ↑ Lisam 2011, pp. 409, 410.
- ↑ Mandal, Mukherjee & Datta 2002, p. 22.
- ↑ Lewis, Paul (ed.). "Zo". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
- ↑ "Official List of First Languages". Manipur Board of Secondary Education. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007.
- ↑ Go 1996.
Bibliography
[edit]- Chinlunthang; L, Peter (2017). A History of the Zou People. UZO-India publication.
- Paullanding, Reuben; Ngaihte, Samuel G (2022). Christianity and Empire in South Manipur Hills: Senvon Encounter and the Dialogic Zo Peoples. ISBN 1506488927.
- Kamkhenthang, H. (1988). The Paite, a Transborder Tribe of India and Burma. Mittal Publications. ISBN 9788170990703.
- Sen, Sipra (1992). Tribes and castes of Manipur: description and select bibliography. Mittal. ISBN 978-81-7099-310-0.
- Downs, Frederick S. (1996). The Christian Impact on the Status of Women in North East India. NEHU Publications.
- Zomi, Ginzamang T. (2014). "Marriage Practices of the Zou Tribe in Manipur-Continuity and Change" (PDF). International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention. 3 (10): 31–37.
- Mandal, Hrisikesh; Mukherjee, Sumit; Datta, Archana (2002). India, an Illustrated Atlas of Tribal World. Anthropological Survey of India Calcutta, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Department of Culture, Government of India.
- Lisam, Khomdan Singh (2011). Encyclopaedia of Manipur. Gyan Publishing House. ISBN 9788178358642.
- Zou, David Vumlallian (2009). "The Pasts of a fringe Community: Ethno-history and fluid identity of the Zou in Manipur". Indian Historical Review. 36 (2): 209–235. doi:10.1177/037698360903600202.
- Sarma, Pradip Chandra (2002). Traditional Customs and Rituals of Northeast India: Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Assam. Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture.
- Goswami, B. B. (1979). The Mizo Unrest (PDF). Aalekh.
- Alam, Arshad (2023). Religion and Education in India. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781000991147.
- Khual, Gin Khan (2021). "Indigenous Hunting Practices: Changes and Continuity Among the Zou Of Manipur, Northeast India". Man, Environment and Society. 2 (1). ISSN 2582-7669.
- Singh, K. S. (1994). "The Scheduled Tribes". People of India. 3. ISBN 0195632559.
- Zou, David Vumlallian (2010). "A Historical Study of the 'Zo Struggle'". Economic and Political Weekly (EPW). 45 (14).
- Go, Khup Za (1996). A Critical Historical Study of Bible Translations Among the Zou People in North East India. Chin Baptist Literature Board.
