The Mizo people (historically called the Lushais) are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group primarily from the Indian state of Mizoram. Further communities beyond Mizoram live in neighboring northeast Indian states like Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura, with minority populations also found in Myanmar. In recent years, Mizo diaspora communities have sprung up in the United States, Canada and Israel.
Oral Mizo history states as the original homeland of the people. The nature of as a location or an eponym is still unclear This origin story is shared among various other tribes.
The Chin people of Myanmar and the Kuki people of India and Bangladesh are the closely related to Mizos, with many of the Mizo migrants in Myanmar having assimilated within Chin society The Chin, Kuki, Mizo, and southern Naga peoples are collectively known as Zo people (; ), all of whom speak the Mizo language.
The Mizo language, also known as , is part of the Tibeto-Burman language family. Regionally the language is classed within the languages spoken by the Zo people. Mizo is the official language of Mizoram, where it serves as the primary lingua franca alongside the English language.
Before British rule in the Lushai Hills, the Mizo people organized themselves under a system of Mizo chieftainship. A notable chiefdom was the Confederacy of . Other notable chiefdoms were Tualte under Vanhnuailiana and Aizawl under Lalsavunga. Following British annexation of the Lushai Hills, the Mizos adopted Christianity via proselytization by missionaries. In the decolonisation period, the Mizo people asserted political representation with the founding of the Mizo Union.
The Lushai Hills was constituted as an autonomous district of Assam before being renamed as the Mizo district. Following the mautam famine of 1959, the Mizo National Front declared independence in the Mizo National Front uprising in 1966. The Indian government responded with the Bombing of Aizawl and Operation Accomplishment, an extensive village regrouping policy aimed at curbing insurgents. The unrest continued until 1986, when Mizoram was established as a state.
Classification
The Indian Constitution contains provisions related to communities classified as Scheduled Tribes under Article 342. The term, however, is not defined and is subject to the discretion of the President and the Governor of the relevant state. The criterion for assessing categorisation informally considers indications of primitive traits, distinct culture, geographical isolation, shyness of community contact, and economic backwardness.
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, dated 6 September 1950, designated the hill people of Assam and the Mizos as a Scheduled Tribe. Government policy follows Jawaharlal Nehru's five principles (tribal ) to improve the quality of lives without disturbing their way of life. This focuses on encouragement of traditional talents, culture and knowledge; Tribal rights in land and forests; Tribal recruitment into administration and development; Harmonisation of policies without rivalry and judgment of civic growth.
Definition and subgroups
The term "Mizo" is a collective name for the people inhabiting the State of Mizoram who have close affinity in dialect, origins and customs. Pachuau states that the Mizo identity was a result of increased self-consciousness of a distinct ethnic group which has had no formal basis of inclusion and exclusion but rather moulded by pre-colonial and post-colonial history granting it legitimacy. The most popular discourse on defining Mizo identity is that tribes are identified as being (). Mizos see themselves as a tribe and a nation but do not deny subclassifications of clans and tribes.
The word Mizo refers to the hill people living in Mizoram, but certain groups such as Chakmas, Reangs and Nepalis are not considered Mizo due to their lack of affinity. Mizo is thus used to include the people who share a common origin of migrating into present-day Mizoram. The main tribes under the Mizo ethnicity are Hmâr, Lusei, Râlte, Vangchhia, Paihtê, Fânai, Lai, Thado, Suktê etc.
There are as many as 17 clans of the Mizos and numerous subclans within them. These clans have their own dialects and customs, however the dialects differ little and it interchangeably understood. Mizo ṭawng/ functions as the lingua franca of the Mizos.
Subgroups There are five major clans or tribes of the Mizo people which are Hmâr, Lusei, Râlte, Lai (Pawi), and Mara (Lakher) which are known as the (). Some Lai and Mara tribes do not identify as Mizo despite being considered proper tribes of the Mizo group.
Hmâr
Hmâr in the Lusei dialect of Mizo means "north," indicating that the Hmârs lived at the north of the Luseis. However, current historians argue, that the name originates from a term of hair knot patterns as a clan identifier. They are descendants of Manmasi and term themselves (), who came out of the cave, known as in the Hmâr dialect. Historical settlements of Mizoram such as Biate, Champhai and Vangchhia were historically inhabited by the Hmârs.
The Hmâr population decreased since the 1901 census as many began to consider themselves Mizo. The tribe currently claim a population of 150,000 under the Mizo classification. The Hmârs traditionally participated in artisan works such as blacksmithing, carpentry, brass workings and pottery.
The Hmâr were politically active within the Mizo community with the influence of educated elites from the Indian plains. Prominent Hmâr statesmen were H.K Bawichhuaka and Pachhunga, who played significant roles in the early period of the Mizo Union. However, following the formation of the Union Territory of Mizoram, the Hmârs became discontent with the deprivation of representation, where political power was vested within the Lusei and the Pawi-Lakher autonomous council. The discontent was intensified following the Mizo Accord and the ascension of Mizoram to statehood. The Hmâr People's Convention and Hmâr Volunteer Cell formed a separatist movement. The organisations demanded for the formation of an autonomous region for the Hmâr inhabited regions in Mizoram, Manipur and Cachar. The Hmârs settled an accord in 1994 before various factors led to a splinter with a demand for a separate Hmâr state instead.
Lusei
The former Mizo term descends from the Lusei tribe and was popularised following the Lushai Expedition. Originally, it referred to the tribes occupying south of Cachar, and began to be used as a term for all tribes west of the Kaladan river. The origin of the Lusei clan is relatively unknown compared to other Mizo subgroups. However, the Lusei claim to be distinct as early as settlement in the Chin Hills. Lusei is argued to be a linguistic classification for individuals who speak the dialect. However, there is no genealogy for the Lusei as Lusei historiography has been dominated by chieftain dynasties such as the Sailo. The Paihtês claim that the Lusei descend from Boklua, an illegitimate son of the Paihtê chief Ngehguka.
The Lusei are also known as . Traditionally, they were identified by how they tied their hair on the back of their head. According to early British historiography, the existing Lusei Chiefs all claimed to be descendants of a certain Ṭhangura, who is sometimes to Shakespear said to have sprung from the union of a Burman with a Paihtê woman. In Mizo historiography and oral history, Ṭhangura is the son of Zahmuaka, the first Lusei chief.
Râlte The word is made up of two words: () and being a plural marker. Due to the origin story, the Râlte people are regarded to be the noisiest members of the Mizo.
The Râlte claim to be the last group to leave Chhînlung with the mythical ancestors known as Hehua and Leplupi. Their two sons, Kheltea and Siakenga, conflicted over the distribution of their father's inheritance. This led to the younger Kheltea inheriting the assets and the two brothers setting up separate villages thus establishing the two main branches of the Râlte clan. Prominently documented Râlte chiefs include Mangkhaia, who was captured and ransomed but killed by Vanpuia, who did not receive a share of the ransom. () was erected by his father Mangthawnga for this. The Râlte were distinguished from the larger Lusei clan for maintaining their dialect and being known for not building originally until being influenced by Lusei chiefs. The Khelte and Siakeng themselves differ in traditional sacrificial customs. Historically, the Râlte resisted absorption into the Lusei chiefs and maintained their language in their villages.
Lai (Pawi)
is a name given by Lusei to those who tie their hair on the top of their foreheads. The refer to themselves as Lai. Hakha, (Mizo:) is the capital city of Chin State, which is the main settlement of Pawis in Myanmar, where they are known as the Hakha Chin people.
The Hakha Chin people do not identify themself as Mizo and prefer the name Lai or Chin. This is due to the political decision under Section 2(4) of the Chin Special Division Act, amended in 1957. Mizos in Burma adopted the Chin identity to become Burmese citizens. As a result, half of the Mizo population was effectively discouraged from calling themselves Mizos.
The Lai people of southern Mizoram, a segment of the much larger Lai/Chin population, were granted an Autonomous District Council under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to support their identity. Lawngtlai was created as the headquarters of Lai Autonomous District Council.
Mara (Lakher)
The Mara people are known by different names: they are in Mizo and in Arakanese. They primarily inhabit the southeastern region of the Lushai Hills. While the Maras are believed to have originated in the north, historical accounts suggest that they migrated from various locations within central Chin State, likely due to external pressures from the east. Their migration route to their present settlements can be traced with relative accuracy. Their settlement in the Lushai Hills is estimated to have been established around 200 to 300 years ago.
Etymology The term Mizo is derived from two Mizo words: () and (). According to Schendel, means 'highland' or perhaps 'remote'. Sangkima argues the emerges from ancient China. Since Mizos have historically named their tribes and clans after leaders, could possibly be a development of of the Zhou dynasty. The similarity of to variations of such as: indicates that the term possibly descended from the tribal beginnings of the Zhou Chinese state. Another proposal is that is descends from the Chinese term Miao Tsu () which was applied to the non-Han tribes in southwest China at the time the Mizos had cohabited together with them.
During the British colonial era, the Mizo people were known as the Lushai people, an anglicised form of Lusei, one of the prominent clans among the Mizo people.
The Mizo people were known as the () by the Burmans when 800 Mizo men joined Maha Bandula's cavalry in 1823 though detailed etymological studies specific to this name are limited.)
There is a theory that due to the alpine climate, the hill people could've been named or Mizo as "people of the cold regions". By this definition, means cold region, and means men. However, outside groups' lack of continuation of this name doesn't support the theory.