Material Culture of the Mizo (An Old and Rare Book)

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About the Book The basic needs for survival of all animals are food and shelter. Unlike other animals the needs of human beings are more in number and complex. While animals do not need clothing because their skins are made adaptable to even an extreme climate of their habitat. Men need clothing's either to protect themselves from cold or heat. While animals feed themselves from green leaves, insects or other animals which have been readily provided by nature, men have to search for food and prepare or cook. There are various ways by which men procured food by utilising various tools and equipment's. But with the gradual changes that have been taking place, modern technologies have given men the better equipment's and tools. So the old and traditional ones become obsolete. Many traditional equipment's and implements are now discarded. The physical existence of these materials equipment's and tools will no longer last for long. Keeping in view that the next generation will be in the dark, different items of Mizo material culture are serially arranged, described how they are made and manipulated.

About the Book Lianhmingthanga was born and brought up at Vanghmun Village, Jampui Hill, North Tripura. He had his College Education in Science at Cotton College, Guwahati and thereafter, M.Sc in Anthropology at Guwahati University in 1973. He first entered in his Government Service as Assistant Teacher in 1975. While serving as a Teacher he joined Deputy Superintendent of Police by direct recruitment in Tripura State. After completing five years, he left the Cop Service in 1981 and joined the post of Research Officer (Anthro) in the Tribal Research Institute under the Government of Mizoram. During his service in the capacity of Research Officer (Anthro) he had been posted as Officer-in-charge at Vanapa Hall to look after its administration and management for eight years in addition to his normal Research work. During his actual service of six years at Tribal Research Institute plus eight years at Vanapa Hall he completed three Research projects which were published in book form, the titles of which being (i) A Brief Account of Riang (ii) A Brief Account of Ranglong and (iii) The Tribes of Mizoram - A Dissertation. After a long fourteen years of service in the same rank, he got promotion to the post of Senior Research Officer in the Tribal Research Institute in 1995 and till now he is holding this post.

Foreword It is really a great pleasure for me to see this kind of book being published by Tribal Research Institute, one wing of Art & Culture Department. It is my long felt desire to make books regarding the history and various aspects of Mizo culture. Since long long past, I started collection of information and data in this field by touring every nook and comer and even outside of Mizoram. During my tenure as a Minister of Art & Culture Department, in addition to my heavy engagement scheduled, I spent no time idly but continued the work of data collection. Some of my works completed and published are Genealogical Tree of the Mizo -1996, Tualchhuak Damdawi -1996, Sakhua 1997 and the last one, Documents of Mizoram is in the process of being published. Well, this book, which deals with different objects of Mizo culture is my favourite one. The history and the collection with diagrams and photographs will surely help the present and future generation in the knowledge of Mizo cultural materials on one hand and Mizo identity on the other. I hope this book will serve a very useful purpose in the task of maintaining and promoting our cherished cultural entity.

Preface The preparation of this book was commenced from the year 1995, when I was working in the capacity of Research Officer (Anthro) in the Tribal Research Institute which has been one of the wings of Art & Culture Department. Its completion was delayed by my involvement in many Departmental Programmes and assignmerits frequently given to me by my superiors which however, were obligatory on my part as a Govemment servant. My progress of work on this book was also retarded by my having more responsibilities as I fortunately got promotion to the post of Senior Research Officer on 12th December 1995. With this capacity I have to shoulder and look after all the works of the Institute, like, administration, drawing and disbursing, making of every year research project, giving guidance to subordinate staff and many correspondence works. Devotion to a single Research Project was therefore, on my part, impossible. In the course of my working as a Research Officer (Anthro), I could not do much work in this line of Research since I had been assigned to another nature of work being attached to Vanapa Hall as an Officer-in-Charge there for more than eight years span. Notwithsanding that, I could complete three Research Projects namely, A Brief Account of Riang, A Brief Account of Ranglong and The Tribes of Mizoram-A dissertation, which have already been published by the Institute. The book, as the title Material Culture of the Mizo' is a collection of material objects which are known to have connection with the culture of the Mizo. Though some of them are doubtful of being indigenous one since original sources cannot be traced out, they cannot but be included within the Mizo Material Culture as the Mizo used and possessed them since long long past and grew up with them. The material objects are arranged in chapterwise and under the different chapters, the items are serialised and described giving the history, the technology or mechanism how it is made and used, and also what implements or objects are being used now-a-days in place of the outdated ones. Most of the material objects are illustrated with diagrams and colourful photos. This, I hope, will give a clear idea and charac-picture of the material objects to those especially the younger generation and non-Mizo who neither have seen nor used the material objects which are deeply connected with the Mizo people. I am sure, this book will not satisfy everyone, but I hope it will help preservation of the Mizo cultural objects to some extent. While mentioning difficulties in the work of preparation of this book, I have been facilitated by the service of my subordinate staff, colleagues and friends. My sincere thanks therefore, go to Pu Lalchuailova, Research Officer (Anthro), Pi K. Laldinpuii, Research Investigator, Pi P.C. Zosangpuii, Research Investigator. All of them have done much collection of data, compilations and typing work. Many thanks are also due to Pu P. C. Lalawmpuia, who was working as Research Investigator from July 1997 to March 1998, now joining MCS by direct recruitment, for his valuable contribution for the completion of the work. I also deeply feel necessary to mention the names of my colleagues and staff in the other moral support or help in one way or another like Pu Ngurbiaka, Curator and Pu Dengkhuma, Photographer for arranging photograph of Museum objects, Pu H. Lalbiakmawia for arranging Mizo clothes and other objects for taking photograph.

Introduction Till the middle of the eighteenth century Mizoram and its inhabitants remained unknown to the outside world. As the time passed, the colonial expansion of the British knew no bound and broke open the barrier isolating the Mizo people from the rest of the world. In highlighting about Mizoram, the earliest record of raids committed by the forefathers of the Mizo dated back to 1777 when the Chief of Chittagong applied for deployment of sepoys to protect the British subjects from incursion of the Kukis, a tribe of the Mizo. The nature and style of living of the Mizo on those days were filled with conflict with their neighbouring people even with their own brothers. Several raids were com-mitted on the settlers in Cachar and in the Hill Tract of Chittagong. This had called for a military action of the imperialist British Government. It was only after having launched a Second Military Expedition in 1891-1892 the First in 1871-1872, the giant British Government made an inroad and established colonial rule in Mizoram. In the wake of this expedition the British started their style of administration 'Divide and Rule Policy placing the South Lushai Hills under the Government of Bengal and the North under the Government of Assam. In 1898 the South and North Lushai Hills were amalgamated into a single administrative unit in the name of Lushai Hills to be under the direct administration of the Government of Assam. Later on in 1930, the Southern most part of Mizoram previously called "The Lakher Hills' was added to the Lushai Hills. During those periods, the local administration was handled by the chiefs in their respective villages and the imperialist ruler, the Superintendent held the rein over all the chiefs who had limited power beyond their respective village boundaries. With the Independence of India and framing of a Constitution, the Lushai Hills attained an administrative status "The Lushai Hills District," under the provision of Sixth Schedule. The District, being under the State Government of Assam then had the power of internal management which had been handled by the District Council. With the progress of education the minds of young elites tended to regionalism and found inappropriate the then name of the District and changed over te Mizo Hills District with effect from 1st September, 1954.