The Mizos are a scheduled tribe in northeastern India, primarily in the state of Mizoram, where they are a majority. The present state of Mizoram (mi = human/people, zo = hill, ram = land; the land of hill people) was called the Lushai Hills and was a district of Assam, before it became a Union Territory and afterwards a full-fledged state. The Lushai people were the first clan to have an external exposure and hence the people are initially known as the Lushai people. The demand for a distinct political territory for the people of Lushai Hills resulted in the creation of a separate Union Territory and afterwards the State of Mizoram. In this struggle, one of the powerful factors was the movement to call themselves Mizo, rather than by distinct tribal names such as the Lushai, the Ralte, the Hmar, the Khiangte, the Paite, the Mara, and the Pawi. Their languages (of which the largest is Lushai) belong to the Tibeto-Burman family, and are closely related to those of the Chin in the adjacent Chin State of Myanmar, as well as those of the Nagas, Kukis and others. North-East India is the easternmost region of India consisting of the following states: Nagaland Arunachal Pradesh Mizoram Manipur Meghalaya Tripura Sikkim Assam Sikkim became an Indian protectorate in 1947 and a full state in 1975. ... Mizoram known as the Lushai Hills District till 1954 is now a state in the Indian Union. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Chin (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ) is one of the ethnic groups in Myanmar (formerly Burma). ... The term Kuki people refers to Zo ethnic entity that spreads out in a contiguous region in Northeast India, Northwest Burma (Myanmar), and the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. ... The Bamar (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ; IPA: , also called Burman), are the dominant ethnic group of Myanmar, constituting approximately 68% (30,000,000) of the population. ... The Tibetan people are a people indigenous to Tibet and surrounding areas stretching from Central Asia in the West to Myanmar and China in the East. ... Ä€divāsÄ«s (आदिवासी) or tribal peoples comprise a substantial minority of the population of India. ... , Mizoram   is one of the Seven Sister States in northeastern India on the border with Myanmar. ... The Ralte clan is found scattered in the Lushai villages to the north of Aizawl, India. ... Hmar is the name of one of the numerous tribes of India, spread over a large area in the northeast. ... The Paites are one of the constituent tribes of the Zomi who inhabited Myanmar, India and Bangladesh. ... Mara may mean: // Look up Mara in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Pawi was a German automobile manufactured by Paul Wilke only in 1921. ...

The overarching term Mizo is a collective designation that includes the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however the term embraces many distinct populations, societies and ethnic groups or tribes who each have their own particular traditions, cultures and historical identity, which are similar in many ways but also differ. Some tribes outside the state of Mizoram that obviously could be included under the term Mizo instead call themself Zomi.

The Demography

Sandwiched between Myanmar in the east and south and Bangladesh in the west with a total of 630 miles, the place is inhabitated by the Kuki-Chin linguistic group of the Tibeto-Burman sub-family. Historically speaking, Mizos are a part of the great wave of the Mongolian race spilling over into the eastern and southern India, centuries ago. Their sojourn in western Burma, into which they eventually drifted around the 7th century, lasted about ten centuries. They came under the influence of the British missionaries in the 19th century. The spread of education by Christian missionaries led to the high percentage of literacy (95% as per national sample survey). The Tibeto-Burman linguistic subfamily of the proposed Sino-Tibetan language family is spoken in various central and south Asian countries: Myanmar (Burmese language), Tibet (Tibetan language), northern Thailand (Mong language), Nepal, Bhutan, India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and the Ladakh region of... A missionary is a propagator of religion, often an evangelist or other representative of a religious community who works among those outside of that community. ...

Religion

Some 87 percent of the population (including almost all ethnic Mizos) is Christian. The major Christian denominations are Presbyterian[1], Baptist Church of Mizoram[2], Salvation Army, Seventh-day Adventist[3], Evangelical Church of Maraland, Congregational Church of India (Maraland) in the southern district of Saiha Roman Catholic and Pentecostal. The Chakma practice Theravada Buddhism, mixed with elements of Hinduism and Animism. For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... The Mizos are a scheduled tribe in northeastern India, primarily in the state of Mizoram, of which they are in the majority. ... Shield of The Salvation Army The Salvation Army is a non-military evangelical Christian organisation. ... The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated Adventist[1]) Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week, as the Sabbath. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ... The Chakma, who are also known as the Changma, is a Mongoloid tribe inhabiting in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. ... Theravada (Pāli: theravāda; Sanskrit: स्थविरवाद sthaviravāda; literally, the Way of the Elders) is the oldest surviving Buddhist school, and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka (about 70% of the population[1]) and most of continental Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand). ... Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... The term Animism is derived from the Latin anima, meaning soul.[1][2] In its most general sense, animism is simply the belief in souls. ...

In recent generations a small group of Mizo have claimed themselves as Jews; see Bnei Menashe. Flag of Bnei Menashe The Bnei Menashe (Children of Menasseh, Hebrew בני מנשה) are a group of more than 8,000 people from Indias remote North-Eastern border states of Manipur and Mizoram who claim descent from one of the Lost Tribes of Israel. ...

Historical Perspective

During the later part of the British rule, the people in Lushai Hills as well as in Manipur Hills felt that the British administration was trying to adopt the policy of control through the chiefs of the community. There were several rebellions against the British rule as a result, an anti-chief movement gained ground and in 1946 a political party named Mizo Common People's Union (MCPU) was formed. In the event of India being independent, the Mizo Union declared that the Mizos to be included with Assam. But, in reality, with the independence of the country, the secessionist group in the party favoured joining with Burma. The separation of India from Burma in the year 1937, the partition of India in 1947 and the administrative extension over the Indian part of the area negatively impacted the free mobility of the inhabitants, despite the existing rules that allowed free cross-over across Indo-Burma international border. These territorial demarcations were never accepted by the people. , Manipur   (Bengali: মণিপুর, Meitei Mayek: mnipur) is a state in northeastern India making its capital in the city of Imphal. ...

Sociolinguistic Mosaic

The multi-ethnic and pluralistic state of Mizoram exhibits a co-existence of different communities, such as the Lusei, Hmar, Pawi, Lakher or Mara, Riang, and Chakma.

Hmar

In Mizoram, there are two groups of Hmars -- those who are completely Mizoised and those who are only partially assimilated by Mizo culture. The Hmars who are completely Mizoised have undergone changes in respect to their cultural ethos and values and are satisfied to consider themselves as Mizos. But the partially assimilated Hmars, while identifying themselves as Mizos, are at the same time aware of their distinct identity, traditions, customs and language. It is among this group of partially assimilated Hmar that the search for a separate identity gained momentum.When the Mizo National Front (MNF) started its independence movement in 1966, the Hmars joined them with the hope of 'Greater Mizoram'. But when the Mizo accord was signed in 1986, the integration of Hmar inhabited areas of Mizoram was not considered except ensuring the social and economic advancement of the minorities in Mizoram. Being disillusioned, the Hmars in Mizoram formed the Hmar People's Convention (HPC) in 1986. The movement of the Hmar gained ground and the armed confrontation continued till HPC representatives mutually agreed to ministerial talks and signed the memorandum in July 1994. , Mizoram   is one of the Seven Sister States in northeastern India on the border with Myanmar. ... Hmar is the name of one of the numerous tribes of India, spread over a large area in the northeast. ... Mizo National Front, a regional political party in Mizoram, India. ... Hmar is the name of one of the numerous tribes of India, spread over a large area in the northeast. ...

Lai/ Pawih

With the promulgation of the constitution as a Sovereign Democratic Republic in 1950, the Lai -- a semi-nomadic migratory community -- have been given constitutional safeguards by granting them an autonomous Lai Regional Council under the sixth schedule of the Indian constitution. The Constitution of India, the worlds lengthiest written constitution (with 395 articles and 8 schedules) was passed by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. ...

Mara

Lakher or Mara is the predominant community of the southeastern corner of Mizoram. The demand for a separate Lakher hill district in 1945 led to the formation of an organized political party called Mara Freedom Party. Their struggle for identity, having passed through several politico-historical events, now plays an important part in the political horizon. Their maintenance of language as a symbol of identity has been supported by their education. Due to the spread of Christianity, education also spread and molded their social life. The Lakher literacy rate contributes a lot to the good standing of Mizoram state in terms of literacy. Mara may mean: // Look up Mara in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is...

Reang

The origin of the Reang/Tuikuk is said to be Maian Tlang, a hill near Rangamati of Bangladesh. Some opine that they originally belonged to the Shan state of Burma where they migrated from Chittagong and then into Tripura during the 14th century. Their migration from Tripura to Mizoram took place quite recently. The census report shows a remarkable rise in Riang population within a very short period. Reang or Riang, as it may be spelt, is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India. ...

Chakma

Residing in the district of Saiha, the Chakma community is said to be comparatively recent immigrants to Mizoram. Controversy regarding the origin of Chakma has resulted in various opinions regarding the Chakmas. Some opine that Chakmas belong to the eastern group of the Indo-Aryan family, and some say that they belong to the Lushai Chin-Thado group of communities belonging to the Tibeto-Burman group of the Mongolian race. The influx of Chakma communities to the Indian states of Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram can be ascribed to the ethnic and religious differences in the land. With the political upheaval of Mizoram in 1966, the Chakma people suffered a great loss of life and property. The issue of Chakma belonging to a distinct ethnic group, speaking a different dialect, having a different culture and religion from others, suggested they were badly in need of political status. This led to the formation of the new district council for Chakma people. Now the Chakmas are a part and parcel of Mizoram and as they constitute a District Tribal Community, their identity is very conspicuous. The Chakma, who are also known as the Changma, is a Mongoloid tribe inhabiting in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. ... Tripura   (Bengali: ত্রিপুরা, Hindi: त्रिपुरा) is a state in North East India. ... , Manipur   (Bengali: মণিপুর, Meitei Mayek: mnipur) is a state in northeastern India making its capital in the city of Imphal. ... , Mizoram   is one of the Seven Sister States in northeastern India on the border with Myanmar. ... The Chakma, who are also known as the Changma, is a Mongoloid tribe inhabiting in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. ...

Politico-Linguistic Scenario

Consequent to independence, the change in administrative set up of Mizoram led to an anti-chief movement. The agitation brought forward the general mass's feeling against the autocratic chiefs and that of the Mizo union's support. In 1955 the demand regarding the formation of a separate hill state was put forward in a tribal leader's meeting in Aizawl. The introduction of Assamese as the official language of Assam in 1960 led to the protest against the Official Language Act of 1961. This was followed by insurgency that took place in 1966 resulting in the attack of the installations in Aizawl and Lunglei. Mizoram was declared Union Territory on 21st January 1972. The whole atmosphere was still surcharged with the feelings of anti non-Mizo attitude. Mr. Laldenga, the MNF president, signed peace accord in 1986 with the government of India regarding certain issues. Mr. Laldenga came to the ministry in the Interim government which was formed in coalition with Congress in 1987 and the Statehood of Mizoram was proclaimed on 20th February 1987. , Mizoram   is one of the Seven Sister States in northeastern India on the border with Myanmar. ... Aizawl (population 339,812) is the largest city as well as the capital of the state of Mizoram in India. ... Assamese ( ) (IPA: ) is a language spoken in the state of Assam in northeast India. ... == A town(the second largest next to Aizawl) ,situated in south-central part of Mizoram state, northeastern India;one of the most populous towns in the Mizo Hills,located 131 miles (235 km) south of Aizawl. ...

Present & demand for Inclusion in 8th Schedule

Mizoram is now leading towards the spread of education in a substantial manner, the recognition of Mizo language in the 8th schedule of the Indian constitution is an undercurrent demand that is evident in various aspects of social and political life. The dominance of the English language is evident especially in the fields of education, official matters and other formal domains as in other parts of India. English has already penetrated the life and blood of the Mizo people for a pretty long time along with the the spread of education. Christian missionaries in the 19th century developed the current alphabetic system adopted for the Mizo language. Adoption of the Roman script has further facilitated the learning of the English language. The admiration and demand for the use of English in Mizoram is no different from the same attitude in other parts of India. Mizos have also engaged themselves actively in a long drawn out socio-political struggle for identity and recognition, and extracting political power from the Central Government in New Delhi. Due to the fear of being assimilated with other communities, aversion towards cultural admixture seems to be a reality of the Mizo People. The Constitution of India, the worlds lengthiest written constitution (with 395 articles and 8 schedules) was passed by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A missionary is a propagator of religion, often an evangelist or other representative of a religious community who works among those outside of that community. ... , This article is about the urban region that is the capital of India. ... Assimilation, from Latin assimilatio meaning to render similar, is used to describe various phenomena: The process of assimilating new ideas into a schema (cognitive structure). ...

References

• Chaube, S.K. 1999. Hill Politics in North-east India. Patna: Orient Longman.
• Lalnithanga, P. 1997. Mizoram. New Delhi: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Govt. of India. Patiala House.
• Parry, N.E. 1988. Lushai custom; A monograph on Lushai customs and ceremonies. Aizwal: Tribal Research Institute.
• Shakespear, J. 1988. The Lushai Kuki Clans. Aizwal : Tribal Research Unit.
• Tribal Research Institute. 1994. The Tribes of Mizoram. (A Dissertation) Aizwal: Tribal Research Institute, Directorate of Art and Culture.
• The Socio-Economics Of Linguistic Identity A Case Study In The Lushai Hills . Satarupa Dattamajumdar, Ph.D

External Links

• Mizo News (in Mizo Language)
• Maraland.NET Portal of Mara people in South Mizoram
• Mizoram Presbyterian
• Mizoram Baptist
• Mizoram Adventist
• http://www.hyderabadmizo.org An official website of Hyderabad Mizo Association
• Zotalk.com The lastest Mizoram news updater
• Express the ZO Value
• http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/lorrain Mizo Dictionary