Ajay Kumar at 20:34, 30 August 2023

2023-08-30T20:34:06Z

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{{one source|date=April 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
Strictly speaking, Lai are the people belonging to the [[Lai Autonomous District Council]] of [[Mizoram]]. Outside this area they are scattered in Mizoram and many Lai people in Mizoram more than LADC area Lai people outside LADC area some Lai people prefer the name Pawi. Some{{who|date=April 2021}} state they are same as Lusei, [[North-East India]], [[Hakha]], [[Thantlang]], and [[Falam]] of [[Chin State]], [[Myanmar]]. '''Lai people''' can also be found outside their main dominant area. From a historical point of view, Lai is one of a dominant tribe of the so-called Chin-Kuki-Mizo, the community is scattered in different parts of the world, mainly concentrating in Mizoram (Khuafo and Thlantlang/Tuichhak Pawih), [[Chin Hills]] (Hakha, Thantlang, Webulah, Zokhua, Keiphaw, Falam) of [[Burma]], South [[Bangladesh]] (identified as [[Bawm people|Bawm]] {Bawmzo, Bawmlai, Panghawi, Ramthar, and Sunthla)
.

==Demography==
The total [[population]] of the group was around 1,700,000 in 1991.<ref name="Lalthangliana">Lalthangliana, B.: ''History and Culture of Mizo in India, Burma and Bangladesh'', 2001. RTM Press. Aizawl. pp. 101–102.</ref> The name Laimi often refers to Chin people who live in the Chin Hills or Central Chin which are [[Hakha]], [[Thantlang]], [[Falam]], etc.<ref name=":2" />

== Chin States ==
[[File:Myanmar Regions Chin State.png|thumb|Red region is Chin state]]
[[Chin State|Chin state]] is 13,907 square miles. Border by [[Sagaing Division]] to the east, [[Magway Division]] to the south-east, [[Rakhine State]] to the south, and [[Mizoram]] to the west.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/report/2009/01/27/we-are-forgotten-people/chin-people-burma-unsafe-burma-unprotected-india|title="We Are Like Forgotten People" {{!}} The Chin People of Burma: Unsafe in Burma, Unprotected in India|date=2009-01-27|publisher=Human Rights Watch|language=en|access-date=2020-03-17}}</ref> According to the 2014 Myanmar population and housing census the population of Chin state is about 478,801, 47.95% male, and 52.05% female.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://myanmar.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Chin%20State%20Census%20Report%20-%20ENGLISH_0.pdf|title=The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census|last=yi|first=H.E. U Khun|date=May 2015|website=Myanmar.unfpa.org|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref> [[Hakha]] is the capital city of Chin state and there are nine townships: [[Hakha Township|Hakha]], [[Htantlang Township|Htantlang]], [[Falam Township|Falam]], [[Tiddim Township|Tiddim]], [[Tonzang Township|Tonzang]], [[Matupi Township|Matupi]], [[Mindat Township|Mindat]], [[Kanpetlet Township|Kanpalet]], and [[Paletwa Township|Paletwa]]. Each township have their own subtribe and there are about 53 subtribes. There are about 45 dialect of the Chin language.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|url=https://ethnomed.org/culture/chin/chin-cultural-profile|title=Chin Cultural Profile – EthnoMed|website=ethnomed.org|access-date=2020-03-17}}</ref> Of these, the most widely spoken dialects are estimated and they are:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://help.daytranslations.com/en/articles/1133261-burmese-and-chin-languages|title=Burmese and Chin Languages|website=help.daytranslations.com|language=en|access-date=2020-03-17}}</ref>

# [[Tedim language|Zomi]] 344,000 speakers
# [[Falam Chin]] an estimated 107,300 speakers
# [[Hakka Chinese|Hakha Chin]] 125,000 speakers
# Matu Chin 100,000 speakers

"Each dialect is so distinct that people who speak different dialects will not likely understand each other".<ref name=":02" />

==Ethnic origin==

The Lai who are living in the [[Lai Autonomous District Council|Lai Autonomous District]] of [[Mizoram]] are a segmented community of the much larger Lai population of [[Burma]] and elsewhere to whom whatever name may be given. They share common ancestry with many other tribes in [[Northeast India]]. Further back, a historic tradition has it that Lai people had once lived in [[China]]. They migrated through the [[Tibet mountains|Tibetan mountains]] moving further towards the East to become a major tribal group in the [[Chin Hills]] of Burma from where same few came to the present habitat ([[Mizoram]]) in the beginning of the 18th century or earlier. They are also considered black, because of there origin and some believe lai were also part black in the early 18 century. Which they are to be considered "Half-Lai and Half-black".

The Lai are also believed to be from the main tree of the [[Qin dynasty|Qin Dynasty]]. It is also said that the word Shendoo or [[Shendu]], which was frequently used to denote the Lakher ([[Mara language|Mara]]) in the British records, were said to be the offspring of Lai. F. Chhawnmanga, a retired District Adult Education Officer, under the [[Government of Mizoram|State Government of Mizoram]], who has conducted an extensive personal interview with some chiefs of [[Lakher]], tells.
The Lakher chief Mr. Kilkhara of Saiha and Tawngliana of Serkawr Villages were the descendants of Lianchi and Alkheng respectively of Hlawnchhing family of [[Hakha]]. They spoke [[Lai languages|Lai language]]. However, after coming down to [[Mizoram]], their names were translated into Lakher dialect and themselves Kikhaw and Thylai.
The above arguments seem to be supported by the statement of Vumson, thus:
They are the same people as Shendoo to whom Col. Lewin made constant reference in his various works and are still called Shendoo by the [[Arakanese people|Arakanis]].
There are many common clan names like Hlawnchhing, Chinzah, Khenglawt, Thianhlun, etc. which are found between the Lai and Maras. This is an indication of the fact that Lai and Mara were the same people.
Apart from the above-mentioned groups, there are other linguistic groups that were found to have the same culture and customs, speak a similar language with the Lai. These groups do qualify for Lai in terms of social, cultural and linguistic. Those groups are [[Bawm people|Bawm]] and Tlanglau living in the western part of [[Mizoram]] and [[Bangladesh]].

=== Tribes ===
There are many tribes among the Chin people which includes Laimi, Matu, Asho, Cho (Sho), Khuami (M'ro), lusei (Lushai), Kuki (Thadou) and Zomi . In each of these tribe group there are many sub-tribes groups. The sub-tribes of Laimi are: Laizo, Khuangli, Khualsim, Zahau, Zanngiat, Lente, Ngawn, Tlanglau, Dawn, Thlanrawn, Tlaisun, Hauhulh, Zokhua, Simhrin, Mi-E, Thawr (Torr), Bawmzo, and Pawih.<ref name=":2" />

== Culture ==

=== Chin National Day ===
Chin National day is celebrated each year on 20 February to commemorate the "General Assembly of Chinland" held in 1948.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.norwaychin.no/chin-identity-and-chin-national-day/|title=CHIN IDENTITY AND CHIN NATIONAL DAY – Chin Community in Norway|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-17}}</ref> The first Chin National day was held on 20 February 1951 in [[Mindat, Chin State|Mindat Town]] and was attended by [[U Nu]], the first Prime Minister.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.zomidaily.org/how-came-our-chin-national-day-khup-khan-thang/|title=How Came Our Chin National Day (February 20, 1948) ~ Khup Khan Thang|date=2019-02-17|website=ZOMI DAILY|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-17}}</ref>
During the holiday, people from different ethic group display Rua Khua Tlak (bamboo dance), Khuang Cawi (lifting of decorative bamboo lifter), Sarlam (dance of the conquest), Rallu lam (Mizo dance) and many other dances and events. Some of the big events are fashion show, Miss competition and Laipaih (wrestling). The strongest laipaih or Chin wrestler from this generation is Rung Lian Ceu, he was from Chuncung town, and he is currently living in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U5y2ef09Bqw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/U5y2ef09Bqw |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Rung Lian Ceu Thawnnak|date=7 January 2018|via=YouTube|access-date=16 March 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

=== Clothing ===
There are many different traditional clothing such as [[Matupi language|Matu]], [[Hakha Chin language|Hakha]], [[Than Tlang|Htantlang]], [[Falam language|Falam]], [[Zophei language|Zophei]], [[Zotung people|Zotung]], [[Zo people|Zo]], [[Mindat, Chin State|Mindat]] etc. Every kind is uniquely colorful and different. Most traditional dresses’ colors are black and red. There are also accessories that are usually worn with the clothing such as necklaces, bracelets and hairpins. Chin people or Laimi do not wear them on a daily basis. They wear these traditional clothing on special occasions such as Chin National Day, Sundays, Christmas and wedding.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://storage.cloversites.com/mountpleasantchristianchurch1/documents/TheChinCulturalBiography.doc|title=The Chin - A Cultural Profile|last=Peacock|first=Andrew|website=storage.cloversites.com|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref>

=== Greeting ===
The normal handshake is a common greeting in Chin cultures

=== Sports ===
The most common sports for the Laimi are soccer (football), volleyball, and wrestling.

== Religion ==
The first Christian missionaries were Arthur Carson and his wife Laura arrived Hakha on 15 March 1899. Today, the majority of Chin are Christian.<br />
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Religion in Chin (2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://myanmar.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/UNION_2C_Religion_EN.pdf|title=The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census|last=Swe|first=Thein|date=July 2016|website=Myanmar.unfpa.org|access-date=17 March 2020}}</ref>
|%
|-
|Christian
|85.4%
|-
|Buddhist
|13.0%
|-
|Animist
|0.4%
|-
|Islam
|1.1%
|-
|Other religion
|1.1%
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}<br />{{Kuki-Chin-Mizo tribes}}
{{Hill tribes of Northeast India}}

[[Category:Kuki tribes]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Northeast India]]
[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of Manipur]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in South Asia]]

Lai people - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 20:34, 30 August 2023