The Brief History of Zo People

The Brief History of Zo People
The history of the ZO people is obscure, shrouded in myth and lends. In the absent of written documents, it is extremely difficult to have early history of the ZOs. However through historical, linguistics, archaeological findings and ethnic relationships, it is widely accepted that the ZO belongs to the Tibeto-Burman groups. The Zo people are an indigenous tribe, living mostly in the present-day Tonzaang and Tedim townships of Northern Chin State and the Kabaw valley of Western Sagaing division in the Union of Burma. With an estimated population of over 60,000 the Zo are scattered in various parts of Burma and the world. In India, they are officially recognized as the "Zou tribe".

Of the three major races of the Tibeto-Burman group of people – Tet, Pyu and Kanyan - the Zo Belong to the Tet group of people and are further sub-grouped under the umbrella name Chin. The Zos are the original descendants (progeny) of a legendary person named Pu Zo, who is believed to be the elder brother of Pu Zing Phaw (presently known as Kachins). Though living under the present-day military-ruled Burma, the Zote were known to have lived independently and harmoniously since time immemorial. Due to lack of evidence and difficulties in excavating archaeological remains, the Zo's origins are difficult to be proved. Though widely believed to have descended from Mongolia, the routes to the present settlements are not clear. It is believed that the Zote have descended from Mongolia to China and to Tibet and to the present day Burma.

Many of scholars believed that the origin of the ZO people was somewhere in the North-Western China, more specifically, the area which lies between the upper course of the Yangtze Kiang and the Hwang HO rivers are believed to be the original home of the ZO people. S.K. Chatterji, also makes an attempt to identify the area of the North-West China between the head waters of Hwang Ho and Yangtze Kiang Rivers: as the origin of the Sino-Tibetan migration in to India and Burma. Dr. Grierson wrote “tradition and comparative physiology agree in pointing to North-Western China between the upper course of the Yangtze Kiang and the Hwang Ho as the original home the Tibeto-China race, to which the Tibeto-Burman and the Siamese-Chinese groups belong”. It was also an accepted fact that this people belong to Tibeto-Burman stock. This historical linguistic and ethnicity of the ZO people to the place of origin established this fact from thence; the ZO people had started their migration as their predecessors had done. They moved southwards, most probably via Tibetan Highlands then onto the Salween River and entered the Irrawaddy and Chindwin valley.

The entry of the ZO people into Burma was in different waves along with the other groups of people. The above arguments are indeed supported by folklores, oral tradition and legend. They came into this region by following the route south-westward on the line of the Irrawaddy and the Chindwin. They settled in the watershed area of Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers for many generations and founded their kingdom “ Pupa Gam”. With the rising of the more powerful kingdom from south forced them to move to the east of river Chindwin. The Chindwin River is name by the ZO people as Tuikang (White Water). They crossed the river and settled in the area of Kale-Kabaw-Myittha-Yaw valley which stands still testimonial to our settlement even today.

The term ZO is derived from the generic name “ZO”, the progenitor of the ZO people. In the past, they were little known by their racial nomenclature. They were known by their plain neighbors of Burma, Bangladesh and India as Chin, Kuki, or Lushei/Mizo, Subsequently; the British employed these terms to christen those “wild hill tribes” living in the un-administered area and were subsequently legalized to be the names for the newly adopted subjects of Queen Victoria of England. However they called themselves ZO since time immemorial. It is also irony that some people less familiar or ignorant of their history interpret the name ZO to mean the climatic conditions of the highlands, “they occupy because they called the land with a cold climate of higher elevation “Zo”. This is totally a full misconception of the term and origin of ZO.

It is in fact also contrary to the origin and progenitor Pu ZO. This must have been one of the most catastrophic historical interpretations, because the people called themselves ZO when they live in the plains of Burma and the valley of Manipur (India). Thus, the name ZO could not have come from the climatic conditions of this land. They are ZO not because they live in the highlands or the hills, but all ZO and called themselves ZO because they are the descendants of the great ancestor, “ZO”.

The ZO inhabits the southern part of Indo-Burma, approximately ranging between 92 and 95 degree longitude east and 20 and 25 degree latitude north. The ZO folksongs give the picture oh their settlement, prosperity and the civilization that evolved in the plains of Burma in the last part of the Thirteen century A.D. It is also further believed that the ZO had once upon a time established an independent state in the upper Chindwin areas. This observation about establishment of kingdom is clearly evident by the terms “Kumpi”, “Mangpa”, and “Lengpa” which are equivalent to kingships. These above terms are indeed interwoven with the ZO people till today.

The ZO people are presently concentrated in the Northern part of Chin hills “Tonzang Myo”, in the kale-Tamu Kabaaw valley (Sagaing Division), and the southern districts of Manipur (Churachanpur and Chandel districts). This people are ethnically, culturally, socially and linguistically one people. They have their own distinct customs and cultures. The customs and cultures of this people can be very well identify if compare with the rest of other people. In fact they can be differentiated from their neighbor through their customs and cultures. They have rich cultures which ought to be preserved for all time to come.

The present distributions of the population of the ZO people and their most notable towns and villages can be seen from the Chindwin river in the east to Aizawl (Mizoram, India) in the west and from Kalemyo, (Burma) in the south to Imphal (Manipur, India) in the north. The hubs of their present settlements are all along most important routes of the region. They all spread all along the Indo-Burma road, the Tedim road and the Tamu-kalemyo National Highways.

Some of the most important inhabited towns and villages of the ZO people all along the above mentioned routes/roads are thus: Along the Tamu-Kalemyo National Highways are Tamu, Zanglienphai, Lallian, Kanan, Khampat No.(1) and (3), Nangkateih, Nangkhaukhau or BuangKung, Kyuantaw Yeshin or Tuikhal, Phetya Yeshin or Kuonglien, KannOo, Taazi, Kalemyo etc..;

Towns and villages along the Indo-Burma road are Sugnu, Singtom, Gelngai, Salem, Paldai, Sahich Tampak, Kathoung, Khollian, Moulnuom, Zangzom, Zangdung, Khoungtal, Denlha, Senam, Thuambuol, Khianglam, Lungtah, Gelmuol, Khuamun, Anlun, Naazang, Tonzangmyo etc.. towns and villages all along the Tedim Road are S. Muolnuom, Lamka (Churachandpur), Zoumun, Khianglam, Geltui, Gelzang, Busau, Hiangtam Khounou, Hiangtam, Singngat, Behiang, Khuaivum, Tonzang, Phungtong, Salzang, Tahzang, Lomzang, Gamngai, Tualmu, Gelzang, Gienchiel, Tedim. Moreover, apart from these routes and roads many ZO villages are scattering all other parts of this particular region. It will not be out of the text to include some more. In the Tuining, Singheu kual some of the notable villages are, Tuining, Vazang, Sangaikot, Kuvan, Tuaitenphai, Tuibul, Saiboh, Gangpimual, ZO Bethel, Khaukual, Moulom, Khuainuoi, Siongheu, Phaisan, Phaisat in Churachandpur distirict; In Tonzang Area to Khampat, Phaitu, Khamzang, Seksi, Thauthe, Maulawn, Liikhaan, Tuigial, Tuimang, Singtum, Sialthawzang, Boungkung, etc… The above towns and villages are aligned from North to South direction. There are other many villages which are not included here.

The ZO people took pride in calling themselves by this name for ages. The cultural heritage of the ZO people makes them whole as having a full blossom identity as ZO. This people traditionally named their sons and daughters, villages, places imbibing the great great progenitor “ZO”. Names such as Zogam, Zozaam, Zotui etc. stand testimonial to the affiliation that these people has had to their great ancestor Pu ZO from time immemorial.

Religion

Traditionally animism was considered to be the most widely practiced religion among Zo people, until the Swedish-American Baptist missionaries preached Christianity around 1899, for the first time. Today, we can witness so many different Christian denominations across Chin State and among the Zo people. Approximately there are about 5 to 10 percent of people who profess to be non-Christians currently in Chin State, the rest, however are Christians either by birth or conviction.

Records of Zo

Introduction / History The Zo / Zou/Jou are a Tibeto-Mongoloid group of people, a sub-family of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo race. They form a group of Tibeto-Burman peoples inhabiting the Chin Hills in Mynamar and Manipur in India. They are also recorded as Yo and Jou by many colonial civil servants and modern writers. The earliest historical records of the Zo were written by Fan-Cho a diplomat of the Tang dynasty of China, who mentioned a kingdom in Chindween valley whose princes and chiefs were called Zo, Shou, or Zhou in the year 862 A.D. The most accurate historical records of the Zos/Zous were written by Rev. Fr. Vincentious Sangermano, a Roman Catholic missionary who came to Burma in 1783 A.D. He wrote a book entitled "A Description of the Burmese Empire", which was published in 1835 A.D in Rome in the Latin language. Later on it was translated into English by William Tandy D.D. "To the east of the Chien Mountains is a pretty nation called 'Jou'. They are supposed to have been Chein, who in the progress of time have become Burmanized, speaking their language, although very corruptly, and adopting all their customs." Betram S. Carey CIE, Assistant Commissioner, Burma, and Political Officer, Chin Hills and H. N. Tuck, Extra Assistant Commissioner, Burma and Assistant Political Officer, Chin Hills wrote 'The Chin Hills'. In that book, Volume I, page 140, they wrote about the Zos as follows: "The Yos (Zos) tribe three generations back occupied the tract now occupied by the Kanhow clan of Soktes, and many of the Kanhow villages are inhabited still by Yos, whose tribal name has given way to that of Kanhow. As has been shown in the previous chapter, Kantum, the Sokte, conquered all the inhabitants right up to the borders of Manipur, and Kanhow, his son, founded Tiddim village and ruled the newly acquired conquests of his father. The conquered Yos thus became known as Kanhowte, Kanhow's men, and as they intermarried with the Soktes who settled north with Kanhow, there is no real difference between the conquerors and the conquered". "While all clans and families belonging to the tribe who call their chief Topa designated themselves by 'Yo' or 'Zo', they in turn apply their common name to a particular clan. The Yos (Zos) are most unique in the sense of the name they bear and the culture they practice in reflection of the ancient Zo tradition" ... No proper study has yet been made as to why the generic Yo as spelt in former literature was applied to them". The use of the term Zou can be traced back by comparative linguistic and cultural studies to some Chinese roots or other related Southeast Asian cultural complex. Preliminary enquiry suggests that there is a tribe bearing the name 'Yao' in the Lingnan region (Kwangtung - Kwangsi) of China, which is described as 'a center of dispersal for the Yao of Yunnan and northern Southeast Asia'. Lebar, et al. informed us that Kwangsi contained more Yao than any other Chinese province. Yao settlements are mainly concentrated in a series of mountain backwater areas and they are ethnic islands surrounded by Chinese culture. Their linguistic position is uncertain, but they are frequently classified as Sino-Tibetan by linguists. The description of the Yao of the Lingnam region and Yunnan province in China interestingly tallies with the cultural characteristics of the Zous in Manipur and Myanmar at many points. While colonial records referred to the Zou tribe variously as 'Yo' or 'Yaw', the Zou community living in Manipur called itself 'Jou'. The first Christian church established by the Zou tribe in Manipur was called Jou Christian Association (JCA), founded 20 February 1954. But the government of India officially recognized the name of this tribe as 'Zou' in 1956. The term 'Zo' has been employed in many books written by the Zou to denote the word 'Zou', for simple reason of phonetic usage. The first complete version of the Holy Bible in the Zo language (1983) used the title 'The Holy Bible in Zo' and the second complete Holy Bible used the word 'Zokam'. T. Gougin used the terminology Zo and Zomi to denote this community in the book 'A Brief History of Zou' (1961) and Pu. Thangkhanlal also used the term 'Zo' in his Zo primer (1973), and others. The Zou themselves employ the various terms Zo, Zou, and Zomi to mean their tribe. The Zos in India really do not bother whether they use Zo, Zou, or Zomi to denote themselves. But in Myanmar (Burma) these very same people have been using the term 'Zo' to denote themselves in Chin Hills and in the Sagaing division of Myanmar since the beginning of Roman script for writing, perhaps as early as the 1920s. The name 'Zo' has been used by them since time immemorial.