The Lushei Kuki Clans

by John Shakespear

The most common are “Ie” = I say! “Khai” = Come! “Ku” = Ho! “Chei chei” denoting disapproval and surprise. There are certain interjections, such as “Karei, Karei!” = Alas! Alas! which are only used by women.

The Lushais are very fond of piling up adverbs to intensify the meaning:—

Ava How mak wonderful em very em very mai! very!

Ava How mak wonderful em very veleh! indeed!

Literal Translation of an Account of the Thimzing.

Hmān Former lai hian time in thim darkness a it lo-zing-a; collected; chutichuan then mi mankind zawn all zawn all an they in-khawm themselves collected mur mur (untranslatable adverb) chutichuan then zawng monkey hmul hair a it lo began lenga to grow an their hgum spine ends a they thak itched an they hiat scratched thin-a always zawng monkeys a into te (plural suffix) an they changa changed tin their lal te chiefs chu indeed va-pual horn-bill a into an they lo became changa changed mi people chhia poor e-raw on the other chu hand zawng monkey a te ngau-va into grey te monkeys an they lo became changa. changed. Tin Then sa flesh lu head ro dry nei had chuan those who an they tuah put on a fire thing wood ai-in than a it tha good zawh more a was chu-te-chuan therefore an they dam lived rei long thei could zawk more an they ti. say. Tin Then mei-ling embers tlaivar watched all night lem-in more than others puan cloth tial striped shin in wearing sakeia tigers into an they changa changed thei may be tin then pitar old te hian women puanpui quilts an they sin-a were wearing sai elephants a into an they lo became changa. changed.

APPENDIX

Families and Branches of the Lushei Clan.

Family Name.	Branch Name.	Remarks.
Thangur	Rokum	} All theLushei chiefs belong to one of these branches.
	Rivung
	Pallian
	Zadeng
	Thangluah
	Sailo
	Chenkhual	Descended from Chenkhuala, said to be abrother of Sailova, probably a son of a concubine. The Chenkhual hadonce independent villages, but are no longer looked on as chiefs.
Pachuao	Cherlal	Thisfamily is said to be descended from illegitimate sons of Zadenga.Darchaova, Cherlalla, Lianthunga, and Liannghora are heroes of whoseprowess many tales are told, and their names appear among the branchnames.
	Chhawthliak
	Chhoalak
	Chonglal
	Darchao
	Lalbawm
	Lianthung
	Liannghor
	Vanpuia-hrin	I.e., sprung from Vanpuia.
	Varchuao
Changte	Darchun, Pamte
	Vokngak, Kawlchi	“Chi”means family, “Kawl” means Burma, and “ngak” isto wait; so perhaps the Kawlchi may be descendants of Changte, whosettled temporarily in Burma, and the Ngakchi of some who delayed atsome general move of the family.
	Padaratu, Tumpha
	Lungte, Ngakchi
	Chonglun
Chongte	Tuichhung, Lungte
	Muchhip-chhuak	I.e., fromMuchhip, the name of a hill.
	Pamte
Chuachang	Chonchir, Chonchhon	“Hang” meansblack and “ngo” white.
	Lathang	This family and the next are said to bedescended from two brothers.
Chuaongo	Vanpuia-thla	Descendants of Vanpuia. The Chuaongo are said to have been verypowerful, and to have held a position similar to that now held by theSailo. Their most powerful chief was Vanpuia.
	Hlengel, Hmunpel
	Zongpam, Laller
	Chumthluk, Aohmun
Haonar	Haothul, Haobul
	Tuithang, Shenlai
Hrasel	Shelpuia, Sontlunk
	Sumkhum, Sazah
	Chalbuk, Sialchung	Thisfamily and the next are said to have sprung from two brothers, childrenof a Lushei woman by a Poi or Chin, and to have originated from a holein the ground near the Shepui rocks, to the east of the Manipur river.The Hualngo and Hualbang formerly lived together in villagesunder Hualngo chiefs. On the rise of the Thangur chiefs, a quarrelbroke out, and the Hualngo were defeated by a combination of the Sailo,Zadeng, and Pallian, and driven across the Tiao, and took refuge underthe protection of the Falam chiefs, where their descendants still are,and are miscalled Whenoh by the officers in charge of the Chin Hills.The Hualbang deserted to the Thangur, and arefound scattered in the villages of their conquerors. There are sixHualngo villages in the Lushai Hills containing some 200 houses.
	Bailchi, Chumkal
	Khupao, Fangtet
	Taihlum, Chertluang
Hualngo	Chalthleng, Khupno
	Tuazol, Cherput, Bochung
Lungkhua	Sialchung, Ngalchi
	Ngalchung, Phungchi
	Ngaphawl
Tochong	Topui, Chhakom
	Muchhip-chhuak	Vide Changte.
	Chemhler, Tobul
Vanchong	Vanlung, Sumkhum	Theclaim of this family to be true Lusheis is sometimes disputed.
	Chemhler, Chengrel
	Kaithum