Zomi
1265111
221079563
2008-06-22T23:36:55Z
149.254.200.218
/* External links */
{{Cleanup|date=May 2008}}
'''Zomi''' is the name of an [[ethnic group]] of people that occupy Northwest [[Burma]], Northeast [[India]], and Northeast [[Bangladesh]], and normally known as '''Lushai''', '''Chin''' and '''Kuki''' to the outsiders. However, a single name "Chin" or "Lushai" or "Kuki" has technical limitation within its own context, since the Mizo (Lushai), the Kuki, the Bawmzo and other ethnic groups would not normally accept a single identity collectively. When the British divided the Zomis' inhabitance with three international boundaries into India, Burma and Bangladesh; the above stated three main distinctive identities submerged, although those given names are not being used locally, and unknown to the natives initially.
== Meaning and definitions ==
The word "Zo" has many literal meanings such as "win", "respond", "higher altitude", "conquer" etc. but, "Mi" means "people". Due to external dominance and influence, the Bengali called them Kuki, the Burmans called them Chin, the Indians called them Lushai but they never called themselves by those names. Zomi is the most commonly known identity regardless of their living in the plain, high altitude, South, North, East or West.
Professor F.K. Lehman (Anthropology and Linguistics, University of Illinois (USA)), in his research findings, concludes that despite the variation in the form of writing, it appears to have a single root of Zo, Yo, Ysou, Shou and the like.
According to Rev. S.T. Hau Go the first General Secretary of ZBC (Zomi Baptist Convention) and a former lecturer of Mandalay University, Burma, the usage of Zo is widespread throughout the inhabitance of Zomi from Burma to Bay of Bengal. For instance, they are known as, Yo in Thadous areas, Laizo in Falam areas, Zomi Tedim areas, Mizo in Lushais area, Zotung, Zophei, Zokhua in Haka areas, Bawmzo in Chittagong Hill Stracts, Yaw in Gangaw areas, Jo or Cho in Mindat, Khomi in Paletwa, A-Sho in Prome, Thayetmyo, Sandoway and Bassein areas. Thus, Zo or Zomi is the most widely used National Name.
However the names given by their neighbors such as Lushai, Kuki and Chin are not National names, additionally never able to cover the whole Nation. Only the name “Zo” is found to be the most common name among Chin-Kuki-Lushai.<ref>[http://www.zogam.org/history.asp History,Zogam,history,Who are the Zomi?,zro,Zogam,Reunification,Organisation<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Zo (people)==
The Zomi are an [[Indigenous peoples of Asia|indigenous]] tribe, living mostly in the present-day [[Tonzaang]], [[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 Zote are scattered in various parts of Burma and the world. In India, they are officially recognized as the "'''[[Zou people (India)|Zou]]''' tribe".
Of the three major races of the Tibeto-Burman group of people – Tet, Pyu and Kanyan - the Zote Belong to the Tet group of people and are further sub-grouped under the umbrella name Chin.
The Zote 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 believe 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.
===Mizo===
The word 'Zo' refers to the group of people who resides in the state of MIZORAM (land of the ZO people) situated in the North-Eastern part of India. The people are a Mongolian race and are unique compared to other Indian tribes. The Mizo's or Zo people are an indigenous group of people who loves music and sports.
==Zo Race==
It is considered to be a Tibeto-Burman race. There are many sub-tribes under Zo People who live in India, Burma and Bangladesh namely, Zomi, Mizo, Lai-Zo, Bawm-Zo, Cho, Asho, Khumi, Kuki, Mara(Lakher) etc.
==Religion==
{{Cleanup|date=May 2008}}
Traditionally animism was considered to be the most widely practiced religion among Zomi, until the Swedish-American Baptist missionaries preached Christianity around 1899, for the first time.
Before the arrival of Christian missionaries in the 19th century there was a new religion in among the Zomi known as the '''Laipianism.''' It is practice even in the present day. The founder of this religion is Pau Cin Hau Sukte. He was said to be the son of God. There was a prophesy saying that a certain man will rise and abolish the devil worship or the old ways of worship which was practice in the Zoland and that man was Pau Cin Hau. He also invented the script for the Zomi known as the Pau Cin Hau lai...some of the main principles or doctrine are: 1) There is one God and all must worship him. 2) Pau Cin Hau is the son of God and thru him is the way to Heaven. 3) Every prayer must be addressed to God in the name of Pau Cin Hau. etc...<br />Today, we can witness so many different Christian denominations across Chin State and among the Zomi. 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. A small but growing Buddhist population does exist in the southern and eastern parts of Chin State.
==Demographics==
===Identities===
The simplification of term '''Zomi''' into English is '''Zo People'''. Zo people who occupied part of [[India]], [[Burma]] and [[Bangladesh]] are considered to be indigenous people. Zomi settled down in large part of [[Churachanpur district]], [[Chandel disrict]] of [[Manipur State]], India. The brethren, '''Thado-Kuki''' especially in India adopted the name '''[[Kuki]]''' which means '''hill people''' in Bengali language. Similarly [[Zomi]] in Burma are called '''[[Chin]]''' initially by the Burmans around 700 AD for the first time, and subsequently by the [[British India|British]]. Zomi who live in [[Mizoram State]] of [[India]] referred themselves as [[Mizo]], although the two terms Zomi and Mizo simply mean "Zo People". Basically Zo people covered the whole [[Chin State]] of Burma, the whole [[Mizoram State]] of India, part of [[Manipur State]] of India called [[Churachandpur District]], part of [[Sagaing Division]] in [[Burma]], part of [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]]<ref>[http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/C_0215.htm BANGLAPEDIA: Chittagong Hill Tracts<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, Bangladesh, part of [[Rakhine State]] in Burma. The area of the Chittagong Hill Tracts is about 13,184 km², which is approximately one-tenth of the total area of Bangladesh. It is believed that there are about 1 million Zo people in [[Mizoram]], 5-700 thousands in Chin State, 300 thousands in Churachandpur district or Lamka and 2 million in the plain areas of [[Sagaing Division]], [[Magway Division]], [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]],<ref>[http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/C_0212.htm BANGLAPEDIA: Chittagong District<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>,and [[Rakhine State]]. The numbers of [[Bawm Zo]]<ref>http://www.ogiek.org/indepth/G0213792.pdf</ref> <ref>[http://www.peterlang.net/Index.cfm?vLang=E&vSiteID=11&vSiteName=BookDetail.cfm&VID=04935&IALPHA=B& Peter Lang Verlagsgruppe<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> in [[Bangladesh]] is believed to be around 6000.<ref>[http://bawm.info/ Bawm Literature Forum<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Zomi who settled down at the central part of Chin State are known to themselves as Lai Zo, because of the central location of their inhabitance. Additionally, the Lai Zo were fond of the idea of exclusiveness from the Zophei, Zokhua and Zotung people. Hence, the idea of dichotomisation was applied by using US-THEM method of segregation for centuries, in this segmentation. The LaiZo, later dismantled the word "Zo" from LaiZo and use only Laimi, however they are very much part of "Zo" or "Zomi". Nevertheless, the word "Laimi" only covers a small numbers of people at the center part of Chin State. On the other hand, the name "Zomi" or "Zo" covers people who called themselves Mizo, Zomi, Kuki, [Bawm] Zo and Chin as a whole.
The southern part of Chin State, Burma occupied by Asho, Cho people, nonetheless, the words simply are the indication of their beings as southern Zomi (Zo People).
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=zom Ethnologue page for Zome language]
*[http://www.zomi.org ZONET - Zomi International Network]
*[http://www.zophualva.co.nr ZOPHUALVA - All About ZOMI]
*[http://www.zogam.com Zogam.com - Bridging The Zomis - Chat,forum,galler and daily news etc...]
*[http://www.zogam.org Zogam.org Zomi Reunification Organisation]
*[http://www.zomionline.com Zomi Online Community]
*[http://mysticalseven.info/files/AN-INTRODUCTION-TO-THE-ZO-PEOPLE-OF-BANGLADESH,BURMA-AND-INDIA.pdf An Introduction to the ZO People of Bangladesh, Burma and India.]
* [http://www.khaipi.net/dev/zodic1 The First English-Tedim Online Dictionary]
* [http://www.zokuomthawn.com Zo Students' Online]
*[http://www.zodictionary.com English - Zomi/Chin Online Dictionary]
{{Ethnic groups in Burma}}
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Asia]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in India]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Burma]]