Sizang
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The Sizang people are mainly the descendants of Pu Suantak and related clans, and their adopted sons and daughters. The Sizang valley is situated in the present day Chin State, Burma, founded by the descendants of the Pu Suantak, when they moved away from their original home of Ciimnuai with other Zo (Chin) people such as the Sukte, Thado, Zou, and other related clans.
Zomi lived collectively in the place known as Ciimnuai, for a long period of time until they experienced population explosion. Thus, finding new settlements were essential for their continued survival in terms of cultivation, in the hope of getting sufficient foods from fertile soils for each community. Consequently they scattered throughout the mountains, dales and valleys within and surrounding the present Chin State. Due to communication difficulties and their isolations, each departed group from Ciimnuai developed a unique dialect at the later periods. Sizang dialect also emerged the same way as Teizang, Saizang, Val, Zou, Dim, Khuangsai etc., although they are closely related to one another.
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[edit] Meaning and definition
Si means salt water; Zang means the northern side, which indicates People, who live at the northern part of the spring of salt water. Surprisingly, Sizang was the name of a place in the beginning, where a certain group of people decided to relocate their society after their emigration from Ciimnuai. The later generations and offspring who continued to live on, in the same location, spontaneously adopted “Sizang” as their ethnic identity
[edit] Culture and Tradition
Their culture and tradition are much alike with other sub-ethnic groups of Zo People only with a slight variation.
[edit] Religion
Before their conversion to Christianity, the Sizang were animists, worshipping nature, Doai (Devil/spirit), and Pathian (God). They worshiped the unknown spirits, in order to avoid from getting harm. Pleasing the Devil was an essential part in their ritual performance and worship.
[edit] Important places
- Fort White: General White built a fort at Thangmual mountain, called Fort White, during the Second World War, for defending the Japanese invasion in Burma. The nearest places from Fort white are Khuasak and Taingen. Fort White was later moved to Thuklai. Fort White on map.
- Sial Lum Forth: The native Sizang fought the British viciously, at Sial Lum Fort, near Voklak. Many British soldiers lost their lives. The state government continues to preserve Sial Lum Forth today for commemoration of the heroic acts of the Sizang, in their rebellion against imperialism.
- Mount Kenedy: Locally known as Thuammual was one of the British' army headquarters during the second world war. Many battles were fought on the mount of Kenedy between the Japanese army and the British army.
[edit] Occupation
The main occupation is shifting (slash and burn) cultivation, with the exceptional keeping of livestock such as rearing cows, gayals, goats, chickens and pigs in the countryside. There are a number of people who also work in the public sector, as civil servants, for example.
[edit] Language and Dialect
The Sizang have a unique dialect but it is very close to the present Tedim dialect.
- A few examples of Sizang dialect, compared to Tedim dialect
- Indication
- Sizang 1.
- Tedim 2.
- [Where are you going?]
- Kawng pai tu ni?
- Kaw pai ding na?
- [What are you doing?]
- Bang vawt ni?
- Bang bawl na?
- [Have you eaten?]
- An ne zo ni?
- An ne khin maw?
[edit] The root
The descendants of Pu Suantak are to be found almost every where in the northern Chin State in Burma and in Lamka District of Manipur State and Mizoram in India.
In Mizoram we find many of Boklua's descendants such as the Sailo, Zadenga, Paliana, Thangluaha, Thangura, Rivunga, and Rokhuma. Boklua himself, also known as Sizanga, was one of the descendants of Pu Suantak. Boklua's father, Ngengu (Nenu) who the founder of Lophei village in Sizang valley of Chin State. Ngengu is an eldest son of Pu Suantak. He had five younger brothers viz. Neilut, Daitawng, Hinnung, Nunzong and Vanglok . Prominent among the descendants of Pu Suantak in Mizoram and Manipur are the Sailo as they were the rulers of Mizoram until the British departure. The Vaiphei in India are broadly divided into three clans -the Ngengu (Baite, Chungnung or Tungnung, Phiamphu, Sailo, Thanglua etc), the Neilut (Khupmu, Suante, Suanman, Suanzong, Hansing, Leisel, Dopmul, Lutngul, Thanglet, Thianglal, Puakpawl etc.) and the Vanglua (Buite, Khaute, Hatlei, Hatlang, Hatzaw, Khualum(Kholum) , Neihsial (Haulai, Nunthuk, Lengen, Thagen, Dawlbak, Banlawng etc), Neitham, Singphun, Tusing, Keivom, Tonlu or Chonlu, Tonmang, Duhlian, Langel etc). Some historians among the Vaiphei believed Ngengu, Neilut and Vanglua to be the first, second and fourth sons of Pu Suantak. Though some believed the Vanglua being descended from Vangaw, the son of Ngaihte, it is generally held that the Vangluah is just the misspelt term for the Vanglok because all the clans of the Vaiphei regarded Pu Zahong as their common progenitor. The Sizang held that Pu Zahong had three sons viz. Sektak or Sehtha , Tohin and Suantak. Sektak and Tohin are the progenitor of the Thalun (Dongel, Guite, Samte etc) Thado, Hangsing, Tongluai(Chongloi), Touthang, Tohin etc and from Pu Suantak, the Vaiphei and the Sizang are being descended.
From their original homeland, Sizang valley, the Vaiphei wandered across the Tedim - Tonzang area and finally settled in Saikal area of present day Mizoram and Lamka district and other districts of Manipur. At present the Vaiphei are over thirty thousand in population, outnumbering their brothers who remained in Sizang Valley. The Vaiphei and the Sizang are actually one people separated by international boundaries.
There are other descendants of the Suantak clan such as Zamang, who are found today in Sizang valley as well as in the Gungal and Heilei areas.
[edit] Siyin
In literature one comes across the name Siyin because the British colonial officers employed Burmese people, who have social intercourse with the Sizang in the olden days, as interpreters and the word Sizang was corrupted by these interpreters into Siyin. Hence, the British adopted the name Siyin for the Sizang.
