93-648: The Mizo people , historically known as the Lushais , are an ethnic group native to the state of Mizoram in India and neighbouring states (such as Manipur , Assam , Meghalaya ) of Northeast India . They speak the Tibeto-Burman language of Mizo , the official language and lingua franca of Mizoram. The state is the second most literate state in India , at more than a rate of 90%. The Chin people of Myanmar and
186-504: A host of men, a band of comrades as well as a swarm or flock of animals. In Classical Greek , the word took on a meaning comparable to the concept now expressed by "ethnic group", mostly translated as " nation , tribe, a unique people group"; only in Hellenistic Greek did the term tend to become further narrowed to refer to "foreign" or " barbarous " nations in particular (whence the later meaning "heathen, pagan"). In
279-535: A union territory on 21 January 1972. Pu Laldenga , the president of the Mizo National Front, signed a peace accord in 1986 with the Government of India, stating Mizoram was an integral part of India. Pu Laldenga came to the ministry in the interim government , which was formed in coalition with Congress in 1987. The statehood of Mizoram was proclaimed on 20 February 1987. With 91.58% literacy,
372-431: A big puan that varies colors, and different style of wearing it. They wear a shorter puan that are above the knees at the bottom. In order to protect themselves from the heat during the summer, they are often seen with clothing around their waists and a type of turban on their heads. In modern days, people prefer t-shirts with traditional patterns. There are numerous Mizo women's traditional outfits. The most popular one
465-421: A focus on the interface between groups. "Ethnic Groups and Boundaries", therefore, is a focus on the interconnectedness of ethnic identities. Barth writes: "... categorical ethnic distinctions do not depend on an absence of mobility, contact, and information, but do entail social processes of exclusion and incorporation whereby discrete categories are maintained despite changing participation and membership in
558-503: A mercurial character. Ronald Cohen concluded that ethnicity is "a series of nesting dichotomizations of inclusiveness and exclusiveness". He agrees with Joan Vincent's observation that (in Cohen's paraphrase) "Ethnicity ... can be narrowed or broadened in boundary terms in relation to the specific needs of political mobilization." This may be why descent is sometimes a marker of ethnicity, and sometimes not: which diacritic of ethnicity
651-510: A narrow or broad spectrum of genetic ancestry, depending on group identification, with some groups having mixed genetic ancestry. By way of assimilation , acculturation , amalgamation , language shift , intermarriage , adoption , and religious conversion , individuals or groups may over time shift from one ethnic group to another. Ethnic groups may be divided into subgroups or tribes , which over time may become separate ethnic groups themselves due to endogamy or physical isolation from
744-612: A people of a common language , culture , common sets of ancestry , traditions , society, religion , history, or social treatment. The term ethnicity is sometimes used interchangeably with the term nation , particularly in cases of ethnic nationalism . Ethnicity may be construed as an inherited or societally imposed construct. Ethnic membership tends to be defined by a shared cultural heritage , ancestry, origin myth , history , homeland , language , dialect , religion, mythology , folklore , ritual , cuisine , dressing style , art , or physical appearance . Ethnic groups may share
837-519: A preoccupation with scientists, theologians, and the public. Religious institutions asked questions about whether there had been multiple creations of races (polygenesis) and whether God had created lesser races. Many of the foremost scientists of the time took up the idea of racial difference and found that white Europeans were superior. The ethnicity theory was based on the assimilation model. Park outlined four steps to assimilation: contact, conflict, accommodation, and assimilation. Instead of attributing
930-412: A process known as ethnogenesis, a period of several generations of endogamy resulting in common ancestry (which is then sometimes cast in terms of a mythological narrative of a founding figure ); ethnic identity is reinforced by reference to "boundary markers" – characteristics said to be unique to the group which set it apart from other groups. Ethnicity theory argues that race
1023-464: A relatively new clan, as they started entering present-day Lushai Hills around 1700 AD. The word Lusei comes from two Lusei Mizo words, Lu meaning "head," and sei meaning "long." They consist of 10 commoners and six royals, and those are:- Pachuau, Chhangte, Chawngthu, Hauhnar, Chuanga, Chaunghang, Hrahsel, Tochhawng, Vanchhawng and Chhakchhuak (the commoners) and the royals are:- Zadeng, Palian, Thangluah, Rivung, Rokhhum and Sailo. The word Ralte
SECTION 10
#17327808405201116-562: A result of pressure from the east. It is possible to fairly precisely follow the path of their migration to the current area. Both the Siaha and the Saiko are Tlongsai people, and they claim to have come from a site named Leisai, which is located between Leitak and Zaphai. Their habitation in the Lusei Hills is said to have been established about 200–300 years ago. After Indian independence,
1209-519: A stand-in for "paganism" in the 18th century, but now came to express the meaning of an "ethnic character" (first recorded 1953). The term ethnic group was first recorded in 1935 and entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 1972. Depending on context, the term nationality may be used either synonymously with ethnicity or synonymously with citizenship (in a sovereign state). The process that results in emergence of an ethnicity
1302-415: Is rice , which they pair with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries. The scent of the food is provided by the usage of bamboo shoots . Bai (a stew made with a variety of veggies), Vawksa Rep (smoked pork), Buhchiar (porridge) and Arsa Buhchiar (chicken porridge) are a few examples of classic Mizo dishes. Mizo people are excellent in performing arts. Cheraw dance , also referred to as the bamboo dance,
1395-558: Is "cool" or "crisp" (i.e., a sense/feeling of cool and refreshing air/environment of higher altitude). "Zo" is never used to denote all cool/cold temperatures, the term for which is "vawt". Mizo is a broad ethnic classification of subgroups or clans inhabiting Mizoram (in colonial times the Lushai Hills) in India. Members of many subgroups , especially speakers of the Central Kuki-Chin languages have joined and adopted
1488-682: Is a legend that says that the Mizo people used to have their own script. But one day, while all the village went to their farm, a hungry dog ate up all the paper that have the scripts and then the people forgot how to read and write. Currently, in Mizoram, the Roman script is used to write the Mizo language using the Hunterian transliteration . Locally, it is commonly known as the "Mizo A AW B" , or "Mizo Hawrawp." The Mizo language can be read by 91.3% of
1581-443: Is a social category and is only one of several factors in determining ethnicity. Other criteria include "religion, language, 'customs', nationality, and political identification". This theory was put forward by sociologist Robert E. Park in the 1920s. It is based on the notion of "culture". This theory was preceded by more than 100 years during which biological essentialism was the dominant paradigm on race. Biological essentialism
1674-423: Is called Kawrchei . It is hand woven from cotton stuff. When dancing, the blouse is frequently paired with puanchei. These have typically vivid colors and chequered patterns. Tlawmngaihna (t͡lɔmŋaɪʔna) is a social code of conduct in Mizo culture that has no direct translation into English . It essentially means to be ethical, gracious, considerate, and helpful to others without thinking of yourself. A saying in
1767-423: Is called ethnogenesis , a term in use in ethnological literature since about 1950. The term may also be used with the connotation of something unique and unusually exotic (cf. "an ethnic restaurant", etc.), generally related to cultures of more recent immigrants, who arrived after the dominant population of an area was established. Depending on which source of group identity is emphasized to define membership,
1860-420: Is called ethnogenesis. Members of an ethnic group, on the whole, claim cultural continuities over time, although historians and cultural anthropologists have documented that many of the values, practices, and norms that imply continuity with the past are of relatively recent invention. Ethnic groups can form a cultural mosaic in a society. That could be in a city like New York City or Trieste , but also
1953-507: Is considered to be the oldest dance of the Mizos, dating back until the 1st century while the Mizos were still in Chhinlung , China before their great migration . The dance is now performed in almost all festivals and occasions. Other dances include Chheih Lam , Khual Lam , Chai Lam , Tlang Lam , Par Lam , and Sarlamkai . Note that Lam in Mizo means "dance." From time immemorial,
SECTION 20
#17327808405202046-414: Is estimated that this is exaggerated to further curtail enemies and raiders on the settlement. However, it is agreed upon that Selesih was the largest settlement in terms of population at the time. The exact date of the establishment of Tualte is difficult to trace however its earliest acknowledgement and confirmation is in 1861. It consisted of 1,000 houses at the time with a large population.Tualte housed
2139-578: Is made up of two words: ral meaning "enemy" and te being a plural marker. Because of their high-pitched voice, the Ralte people are regarded to be the noisiest members of the Mizo people. Pawi is a name given by Lusei to those who tie their hair on the top of their foreheads. The Pawi themselves call themselves Pnot awi but Lai. Hakha , or Halkha in the Mizo language , is the capital city of Chin State which
2232-655: Is not a noun in Britain. In effect there are no "ethnics"; there are only "ethnic relations". In the U.S., the OMB says the definition of race as used for the purposes of the US Census is not "scientific or anthropological" and takes into account "social and cultural characteristics as well as ancestry", using "appropriate scientific methodologies" that are not "primarily biological or genetic in reference". Sometimes ethnic groups are subject to prejudicial attitudes and actions by
2325-442: Is salient depends on whether people are scaling ethnic boundaries up or down, and whether they are scaling them up or down depends generally on the political situation. Kanchan Chandra rejects the expansive definitions of ethnic identity (such as those that include common culture, common language, common history and common territory), choosing instead to define ethnic identity narrowly as a subset of identity categories determined by
2418-471: Is the Puan , which has three items of clothing—a shirt, a pair of leggings, and a head covering that resembles a dupatta —and is pretty similar to a churidar and a kurta . Even though puan is one of their favorite outfits, they like to wear 'Puanchei' on special occasions and during weddings. It is essentially a two-piece outfit with a top or shirt worn over the long skirt-like lower portion. The stunning blouse
2511-431: Is the belief that some races, specifically white Europeans in western versions of the paradigm, are biologically superior and other races, specifically non-white races in western debates, are inherently inferior. This view arose as a way to justify enslavement of African Americans and genocide of Native Americans in a society that was officially founded on freedom for all. This was a notion that developed slowly and came to be
2604-604: Is the main settlement of Pawis in Myanmar, where they are known as the Hakha Chin people. The Hakha Chin people do not identify themself as Mizo and prefer the name Lai or Chin . In 1953, India adopted a constitution defining itself as a sovereign democratic republic. At that time, the Lai people of the southern part of Mizoram, a segment of the much larger population of Lai/Chin, were granted an Autonomous District Council under
2697-463: The Caribbean and South Asia . Max Weber maintained that ethnic groups were künstlich (artificial, i.e. a social construct ) because they were based on a subjective belief in shared Gemeinschaft (community). Secondly, this belief in shared Gemeinschaft did not create the group; the group created the belief. Third, group formation resulted from the drive to monopolize power and status. This
2790-722: The Hmar dialect . The Hmars have royal sub-clans. After reaching present-day Khampat in the Kabaw Valley of Myanmar , they established themselves there, according to L.H. Songate, and started the system of a chieftainship . Three chiefs ( Hmar : Reng ) were chosen by the Hmar King ( Hmar : Rengpui ) Chawnmanga to lead his realm. Chawnmanga then gave Lersia authority over the kingdom's southern region, Zingthlova over its northern region, and Luopuia over its central region. Then split to thre kingdoms. King Lersia ( c. 920–970 A.D.)
2883-798: The Kuki people of India and Bangladesh are the kindred tribes of Mizos and many of the Mizo migrants in Myanmar have accepted the Chin identity. The Chin, Kuki, Mizo, and southern Naga peoples are collectively known as Zo people ( Mizo : Zohnahthlak ; lit. "descendants of Zo") which all speak the Kukish languages . The term Mizo is derived from two Mizo words: Mi and Zo . Mi (cognate to Chinese : 民 ; pinyin : mín ) in Mizo means "person" or "civilian". The term Zo has three meanings. According to one view, Zo means 'highland' or perhaps 'remote' (Willem van Schendel's term Zomia ). Another meaning
Mizo people - Misplaced Pages Continue
2976-455: The New World were multi-ethnic from the onset, as they were formed as colonies imposed on existing indigenous populations. In recent decades, feminist scholars (most notably Nira Yuval-Davis) have drawn attention to the fundamental ways in which women participate in the creation and reproduction of ethnic and national categories. Though these categories are usually discussed as belonging to
3069-500: The 19th century, as the British Raj subjugated the chieftainship under its dominance, which they later abolished by Assam-Lushai District (Acquisition of Chief's Rights) Act, 1954. The spread of education by Christian missionaries led to a high literacy rate of 91.58% by 2011. Almost all the Mizos also adopted Christianity, and most continue to be so till the present day. In the 19th century, European Christian missionary activity in
3162-569: The 19th century, the term came to be used in the sense of "peculiar to a tribe, race, people or nation", in a return to the original Greek meaning. The sense of "different cultural groups", and in American English "tribal, racial, cultural or national minority group " arises in the 1930s to 1940s, serving as a replacement of the term race which had earlier taken this sense but was now becoming deprecated due to its association with ideological racism . The abstract ethnicity had been used as
3255-610: The Greeks. Herodotus (8.144.2) gave a famous account of what defined Greek (Hellenic) ethnic identity in his day, enumerating Whether ethnicity qualifies as a cultural universal is to some extent dependent on the exact definition used. Many social scientists, such as anthropologists Fredrik Barth and Eric Wolf , do not consider ethnic identity to be universal. They regard ethnicity as a product of specific kinds of inter-group interactions, rather than an essential quality inherent to human groups. According to Thomas Hylland Eriksen ,
3348-580: The Mizo category. Some Mizos have a belief that their ancestors left a place known as " Chhinlung " to immigrate. Some agree that this location is in southern China , situated near on the banks of Yalong River . The Mizos have songs and tales that have been passed down from one generation to the next by influential people about the splendor of the old Chhinlung civilization. However, it has not been archaeologically confirmed. According to K. S. Latourette, there were political upheavals in China in 210 B.C. when
3441-563: The Mizo culture goes: Sem sem dam dam, ei bil thi thi" which can be interpreted to: Those who hoard will perish but who shares will live" This saying was important during the 1958 famine in the Mizo Hills . Another part of the Mizo's tlawmngaihna is the Nghah Loh Dawr shops. In Mizoram , it is quite typical to see sheds or small shops by the side of the road where vegetables and fruits are stored with signs stating
3534-570: The Mizo people which are Hmar , Lusei, Ralte , Lai (Pawi) , and Mara (Lakher) which are known as the awzia . Some Lais and Maras may not identify as Mizo due to political and linguistical differences. Hmar in the Lusei dialect of Mizo means "north," indicating that the Hmars lived at the north of the Luseis. They are descendants of Manmasi, who came out of the Chhinlung cave, known as Sinlung in
3627-583: The Mizos as guests but did not exclude them either. Before relocating to the Kabaw Valley in the 8th century, the Mizos had resided in the Shan States for almost 300 years. It was in the Kabaw Valley that Mizos had cultural influence with the local Burmese . It is conceivable that the Mizos learned the technique of cultivation from the Burmese at Kabaw as many of their agricultural implements bore
3720-740: The Mizos had already acquired considerable architectural skills . They are said to have planted a banyan tree at Nan Yar before they left Khampat as a sign that the town was made by them. In the early 14th century, they moved westward to Indo-Burmese border into the Lushai Hills . They built villages and called them by their clan names such as Seipui , Saihmun , Bochung , Biate , Vangchhia , etc. The hills and difficult terrains of Chin Hills forced division into several villages and ethnic diaspora arose. The migration of Mizo tribes and clans did lead to some noticeable large settlements. Selesih
3813-449: The Mizos have been using different musical instruments . They can broadly be divided into three: striking instruments, wind instruments, and stringed instruments. Khuang is the only Mizo traditional musical instrument that is popularly used in the present day. In the olden days, Khuang had no role in religious functions; but today, the use of Khuang is a must in every church service . A typical Mizo traditional attire for men comes with
Mizo people - Misplaced Pages Continue
3906-424: The Mizos still valued their ancient customs and values, much has changed beyond recognition. There has been a recent trend toward going back to the basics. A wide range of art and craft products are sold at Mizoram 's markets. The main subset of craftwork is textiles , bamboo , cane , and basketry . Many women engage in weaving and basketry, but because Mizoram is known for its expertise in bamboo cane craftwork,
3999-609: The Sixth Schedule of the constitution in support of their identity. Lawngtlai was created as the headquarters of Lai Autonomous District Council . The Maras are called Lakher by the Luseis. They live in the Lushai Hills' southeast section. Although the Maras are said to have originated in the north, it is known that they all traveled from various locations in central Chin State to their current residences, most likely as
4092-525: The United States that the ethnicity theory was exclusively based on the immigration patterns of the white population and did take into account the unique experiences of non-whites in the United States. While Park's theory identified different stages in the immigration process – contact, conflict, struggle, and as the last and best response, assimilation – it did so only for white communities. The ethnicity paradigm neglected
4185-994: The added value of being able to describe the commonalities between systems of group identity in both tribal and modern societies. Cohen also suggested that claims concerning "ethnic" identity (like earlier claims concerning "tribal" identity) are often colonialist practices and effects of the relations between colonized peoples and nation-states. According to Paul James , formations of identity were often changed and distorted by colonization, but identities are not made out of nothing: Categorizations about identity, even when codified and hardened into clear typologies by processes of colonization, state formation or general modernizing processes, are always full of tensions and contradictions. Sometimes these contradictions are destructive, but they can also be creative and positive. Social scientists have thus focused on how, when, and why different markers of ethnic identity become salient. Thus, anthropologist Joan Vincent observed that ethnic boundaries often have
4278-584: The bamboo cane industry blossoms and prospers. Besides producing bamboo baskets, the Indian economic census covered that Mizo artisans create cane stools , gourd crafts, and pottery across its districts and subdivisions. The majority of the non-vegetarian dishes eaten by the Mizos are served on banana leaves and are representative of rich cuisine. When preparing cuisine, mustard oil is utilized along with spices like garlic, ginger, and chilli. They have less spice in their diet than other places. Their staple food
4371-449: The belief of common descent. Jóhanna Birnir similarly defines ethnicity as "group self-identification around a characteristic that is very difficult or even impossible to change, such as language, race, or location." Different approaches to understanding ethnicity have been used by different social scientists when trying to understand the nature of ethnicity as a factor in human life and society. As Jonathan M. Hall observes, World War II
4464-466: The boundaries of the nation-state. Biate (town) Biate is a census town in Khawzawl district in the state of Mizoram , India . Biate town has been selected as the cleanest town in Mizoram and Northeast. Biate is one of the oldest human settlement in Mizoram, inhabited since the 1780s and was then known as Zialung. Biate town was started by Mizo chief Kairuma Sailo in 1900. As of
4557-573: The context of European colonial expansion, when mercantilism and capitalism were promoting global movements of populations at the same time that state boundaries were being more clearly and rigidly defined. In the 19th century, modern states generally sought legitimacy through their claim to represent "nations". Nation-states , however, invariably include populations who have been excluded from national life for one reason or another. Members of excluded groups, consequently, will either demand inclusion based on equality or seek autonomy, sometimes even to
4650-422: The course of individual life histories." In 1978, anthropologist Ronald Cohen claimed that the identification of "ethnic groups" in the usage of social scientists often reflected inaccurate labels more than indigenous realities: ... the named ethnic identities we accept, often unthinkingly, as basic givens in the literature are often arbitrarily, or even worse inaccurately, imposed. In this way, he pointed to
4743-526: The cultural traits of such groups have no demonstrated genetic connection with racial traits. Because serious errors of this kind are habitually committed when the term "race" is used in popular parlance, it would be better when speaking of human races to drop the term "race" altogether and speak of "ethnic groups". In 1982, anthropologist David Craig Griffith summed up forty years of ethnographic research, arguing that racial and ethnic categories are symbolic markers for different ways people from different parts of
SECTION 50
#17327808405204836-649: The democratic change in the administrative setup of Mizoram led to an anti-chief movement. The feeling was widespread against the autocratic chiefs and for the Mizo Union . In 1955, at a meeting of representatives of various Mizo villages held in Aizawl , the demand arose for a separate hills state. The local people felt they had been ill-served by the Assam Government during the Mautam famine . When in 1960
4929-451: The distant past. Perspectives that developed after the 1960s increasingly viewed ethnic groups as social constructs , with identity assigned by societal rules. The term ethnic is ultimately derived from the Greek ethnos , through its adjectival form ethnikos , loaned into Latin as ethnicus . The inherited English language term for this concept is folk , used alongside
5022-452: The distinctions of ethnicity and race that function to set off categories of workers from one another. It is, nevertheless, the process of labor mobilization under capitalism that imparts to these distinctions their effective values. According to Wolf, racial categories were constructed and incorporated during the period of European mercantile expansion , and ethnic groupings during the period of capitalist expansion . Writing in 1977 about
5115-614: The dynastic rule was abolished and the whole empire was brought under one administrative system. Rebellions broke out and chaos reigned throughout the Chinese state, and the Mizos left China as part of one of those waves of migration. They arrived in the Shan States for the first time in the fifth century . When Mizos arrived there from Chhinlung, the Shans had already established themselves firmly in their States. The Shans did not accept
5208-530: The extent of complete political separation in their nation-state. Under these conditions when people moved from one state to another, or one state conquered or colonized peoples beyond its national boundaries – ethnic groups were formed by people who identified with one nation but lived in another state. In the 1920s, Estonia introduced a flexible system of ethnicity/nationality self-choice for its citizens, which included Estonians Russians, Baltic Germans and Jews. Multi-ethnic states can be
5301-414: The fact that identification of an ethnic group by outsiders, e.g. anthropologists, may not coincide with the self-identification of the members of that group. He also described that in the first decades of usage, the term ethnicity had often been used in lieu of older terms such as "cultural" or "tribal" when referring to smaller groups with shared cultural systems and shared heritage, but that "ethnicity" had
5394-528: The fallen monarchy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire or the United States. Current topics are in particular social and cultural differentiation, multilingualism, competing identity offers, multiple cultural identities and the formation of Salad bowl and melting pot . Ethnic groups differ from other social groups, such as subcultures , interest groups or social classes , because they emerge and change over historical periods (centuries) in
5487-596: The following types of (often mutually overlapping) groups can be identified: In many cases, more than one aspect determines membership: for instance, Armenian ethnicity can be defined by Armenian citizenship, having Armenian heritage, native use of the Armenian language , or membership of the Armenian Apostolic Church . Ethnography begins in classical antiquity ; after early authors like Anaximander and Hecataeus of Miletus , Herodotus laid
5580-672: The foundation of both historiography and ethnography of the ancient world c. 480 BC . The Greeks had developed a concept of their own ethnicity, which they grouped under the name of Hellenes . Although there were exceptions, such as Macedonia, which was ruled by nobility in a way that was not typically Greek, and Sparta, which had an unusual ruling class, the ancient Greeks generally enslaved only non-Greeks due to their strong belief in ethnonationalism. The Greeks sometimes believed that even their lowest citizens were superior to any barbarian. In his Politics 1.2–7; 3.14, Aristotle even described barbarians as natural slaves in contrast to
5673-558: The genes. Examples of various approaches are primordialism, essentialism, perennialism, constructivism, modernism, and instrumentalism. Ethnicity is an important means by which people may identify with a larger group. Many social scientists, such as anthropologists Fredrik Barth and Eric Wolf , do not consider ethnic identity to be universal. They regard ethnicity as a product of specific kinds of inter-group interactions, rather than an essential quality inherent to human groups. The process that results in emergence of such identification
SECTION 60
#17327808405205766-579: The government introduced Assamese as the official language of the state, there were many protests against the Official Language Act of 1961. That was followed by the March 1966 Mizo National Front uprising , resulting in attacks on the military installations in Aizawl , Lunglei and other towns. The Mizo National Front , formerly known as Mizo National Famine Front, declared independence from India. The Indian government designated Mizoram as
5859-433: The kernel of a nation which must be defended in times of conflict, or in iconic figures such as Britannia or Marianne . Ethnicity is used as a matter of cultural identity of a group, often based on shared ancestry, language, and cultural traditions, while race is applied as a taxonomic grouping, based on physical similarities among groups. Race is a more controversial subject than ethnicity, due to common political use of
5952-654: The latinate people since the late Middle English period. In Early Modern English and until the mid-19th century, ethnic was used to mean heathen or pagan (in the sense of disparate "nations" which did not yet participate in the Christian ecumene ), as the Septuagint used ta ethne 'the nations' to translate the Hebrew goyim "the foreign nations, non-Hebrews, non-Jews". The Greek term in early antiquity ( Homeric Greek ) could refer to any large group,
6045-485: The marginalized status of people of color in the United States to their inherent biological inferiority, he attributed it to their failure to assimilate into American culture. They could become equal if they abandoned their inferior cultures. Michael Omi and Howard Winant 's theory of racial formation directly confronts both the premises and the practices of ethnicity theory. They argue in Racial Formation in
6138-483: The modernist understanding of ethnicity as proposed by Ernest Gellner and Benedict Anderson see nations and nationalism as developing with the rise of the modern state system in the 17th century. They culminated in the rise of "nation-states" in which the presumptive boundaries of the nation coincided (or ideally coincided) with state boundaries. Thus, in the West, the notion of ethnicity, like race and nation , developed in
6231-499: The most famous people among the Mizo - the Pasalṭha Vanapa(Thangzachhinga), Chawngduma, Zampuimanga, Keikawla and Tawkthiala among many others. Whatever the genuine strengths of these so called cities, it can be crudely inffered that Tualte had more intergrity than Selesih because while places like Selesih was ruled by a group of chiefs, Tualte was under the rule of one man- Vanhnuailiana, whose great grandpa, Lalsavunga,
6324-551: The parent group. Conversely, formerly separate ethnicities can merge to form a panethnicity and may eventually merge into one single ethnicity . Whether through division or amalgamation, the formation of a separate ethnic identity is referred to as ethnogenesis . Although both organic and performative criteria characterise ethnic groups, debate in the past has dichotomised between primordialism and constructivism. Earlier 20th-century "Primordialists" viewed ethnic groups as real phenomena whose distinct characteristics have endured since
6417-477: The population of Mizoram , making the state to have the third-highest literacy rates in India . The Mizo culture is diverse and rich due to the various tribes and clans. After the 19th century, it has been heavily based on Christianity —the main festival of the Mizos is Christmas , or locally known as Krismas. In addition, the attire for men are influenced by the Western culture; they wear coats. Even though
6510-457: The prefix Kawl , a name given by the Mizos to the Burmese. Khampat in the Kabaw Valley (now in Myanmar ) is known to have been the next Mizo settlement. The area claimed by the Mizos as their earliest town was encircled by an earthen rampart and divided into several parts. The residence of the ruler stood at the central block called Nan Yar (Palace Site). The construction of the town indicates
6603-567: The prices of things, but no merchant in sight. It is trusted that onlookers will pick up what they require and deposit the cash in a box. The customers are urged to assist themselves from the same container if they need to make a change. The shops operate under the tenet of trust. Pre-colonialist Mizos were animists , i.e. they followed Lushai animism in which the Lushai tribes believed in nature-based spirits and other natural living objects. Mizo people were influenced by British missionaries in
6696-450: The problem of racism became the sole responsibility of already disadvantaged communities. It was assumed that if a Black or Latino community was not "making it" by the standards that had been set by whites, it was because that community did not hold the right values or beliefs, or were stubbornly resisting dominant norms because they did not want to fit in. Omi and Winant's critique of ethnicity theory explains how looking to cultural defect as
6789-433: The public, political sphere, they are upheld within the private, family sphere to a great extent. It is here that women act not just as biological reproducers but also as "cultural carriers", transmitting knowledge and enforcing behaviors that belong to a specific collectivity. Women also often play a significant symbolic role in conceptions of nation or ethnicity, for example in the notion that "women and children" constitute
6882-956: The region led to conversion of some Chin, Kuki, and Mizo peoples. In the mid-to-late 20th century, a rather small number of Mizo and related ethnic peoples in Assam and Mizoram began practicing Judaism, after a community leader had a dream in 1951 that they were descendants of the biblical figure Manasseh , a lost tribe of Israel . They number, at most, several thousand in a population of more than 3.7 million in these states. Genetic studies have shown very low affinity with Middle Eastern peoples (including ethnic Jews), and rabbinic authorities in Israel have acknowledged Bnei Menashe people as Jews subsequent to their conversion to Judaism under normative Jewish practices. Several hundred have already emigrated to Israel, where they must undergo complete conversion to be accepted as Jews. There are five major clans or tribes of
6975-571: The result of inherited traits and tendencies. With Weber's introduction of the idea of ethnicity as a social construct, race and ethnicity became more divided from each other. In 1950, the UNESCO statement " The Race Question ", signed by some of the internationally renowned scholars of the time (including Ashley Montagu , Claude Lévi-Strauss , Gunnar Myrdal , Julian Huxley , etc.), said: National, religious, geographic, linguistic and cultural groups do not necessarily coincide with racial groups: and
7068-488: The result of two opposite events, either the recent creation of state borders at variance with traditional tribal territories, or the recent immigration of ethnic minorities into a former nation-state. Examples for the first case are found throughout Africa , where countries created during decolonization inherited arbitrary colonial borders, but also in European countries such as Belgium or United Kingdom . Examples for
7161-588: The second case are countries such as Netherlands , which were relatively ethnically homogeneous when they attained statehood but have received significant immigration in the 17th century and even more so in the second half of the 20th century. States such as the United Kingdom , France and Switzerland comprised distinct ethnic groups from their formation and have likewise experienced substantial immigration, resulting in what has been termed " multicultural " societies, especially in large cities. The states of
7254-574: The second highest of the Indian states, Mizoram is a leader in the national emphasis on education. That has made people demand for Mizo to be recognised as an official language in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution . Ethnic group An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people who identify with each other on the basis of perceived shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include
7347-420: The source of inequality ignores the "concrete sociopolitical dynamics within which racial phenomena operate in the U.S." It prevents critical examination of the structural components of racism and encourages a "benign neglect" of social inequality. In some cases, especially those involving transnational migration or colonial expansion, ethnicity is linked to nationality. Anthropologists and historians, following
7440-407: The state or its constituents. In the 20th century, people began to argue that conflicts among ethnic groups or between members of an ethnic group and the state can and should be resolved in one of two ways. Some, like Jürgen Habermas and Bruce Barry, have argued that the legitimacy of modern states must be based on a notion of political rights of autonomous individual subjects. According to this view,
7533-441: The state should not acknowledge ethnic, national or racial identity but rather instead enforce political and legal equality of all individuals. Others, like Charles Taylor and Will Kymlicka , argue that the notion of the autonomous individual is itself a cultural construct. According to this view, states must recognize ethnic identity and develop processes through which the particular needs of ethnic groups can be accommodated within
7626-512: The study of ethnicity was dominated by two distinct debates until recently. According to Eriksen , these debates have been superseded, especially in anthropology , by scholars' attempts to respond to increasingly politicized forms of self-representation by members of different ethnic groups and nations. This is in the context of debates over multiculturalism in countries, such as the United States and Canada, which have large immigrant populations from many different cultures, and post-colonialism in
7719-524: The term in social studies in the 1980s and 1990s. Barth went further than Weber in stressing the constructed nature of ethnicity. To Barth, ethnicity was perpetually negotiated and renegotiated by both external ascription and internal self-identification. Barth's view is that ethnic groups are not discontinuous cultural isolates or logical a priori to which people naturally belong. He wanted to part with anthropological notions of cultures as bounded entities, and ethnicity as primordialist bonds, replacing it with
7812-446: The term. Ramón Grosfoguel (University of California, Berkeley) argues that "racial/ethnic identity" is one concept and concepts of race and ethnicity cannot be used as separate and autonomous categories. Before Weber (1864–1920), race and ethnicity were primarily seen as two aspects of the same thing. Around 1900 and before, the primordialist understanding of ethnicity predominated: cultural differences between peoples were seen as being
7905-468: The usage of the term "ethnic" in the ordinary language of Great Britain and the United States , Wallman noted The term "ethnic" popularly connotes "[race]" in Britain, only less precisely, and with a lighter value load. In North America, by contrast, "[race]" most commonly means color, and "ethnics" are the descendants of relatively recent immigrants from non-English-speaking countries. "[Ethnic]"
7998-448: The ways in which race can complicate a community's interactions with social and political structures, especially upon contact. Assimilation – shedding the particular qualities of a native culture for the purpose of blending in with a host culture – did not work for some groups as a response to racism and discrimination, though it did for others. Once the legal barriers to achieving equality had been dismantled,
8091-442: The world have been incorporated into a global economy: The opposing interests that divide the working classes are further reinforced through appeals to "racial" and "ethnic" distinctions. Such appeals serve to allocate different categories of workers to rungs on the scale of labor markets, relegating stigmatized populations to the lower levels and insulating the higher echelons from competition from below. Capitalism did not create all
8184-483: Was a turning point in ethnic studies. The consequences of Nazi racism discouraged essentialist interpretations of ethnic groups and race. Ethnic groups came to be defined as social rather than biological entities. Their coherence was attributed to shared myths, descent, kinship , a common place of origin, language, religion, customs, and national character. So, ethnic groups are conceived as mutable rather than stable, constructed in discursive practices rather than written in
8277-399: Was arguably the largest and most famous settlements of the Mizo tribes. It stood between the years of 1740 to 1750 AD. In terms of modern-day Mizoram, it was situated between Khawbung South and Zawlsei . Selesih was formed with the cooperation of seven chiefs who wished to counteract the raids of the tribes across the river Tiau. The settlement had historically boasted 7,000 houses, but it
8370-476: Was considered one of the greatest Kings of the Mizo people, as he established trade with the Shans and Burmese , with his kingdom spanning 40,000 miles. Historical cities of Mizoram such as Biate , Champhai and Vangchhia were historically inhabited by the Hmars. The Luseis were the first Mizo people whom the British encountered and so all were was initially known as the Lushai people. The Luseis are also
8463-407: Was contrary to the prevailing naturalist belief of the time, which held that socio-cultural and behavioral differences between peoples stemmed from inherited traits and tendencies derived from common descent, then called "race". Another influential theoretician of ethnicity was Fredrik Barth , whose "Ethnic Groups and Boundaries" from 1969 has been described as instrumental in spreading the usage of
8556-528: Was located. The modern Mizo people speak the Mizo language , a member of the Sino-Tibetan languages and one of the official languages of Mizoram , along with English . Like the Chinese language , Mizo is a tonal language , meaning one syllable's meaning changes depending on the tone. Other regional dialects include Hmar , Biate , etc. The Mizos did not have their own ancient script. However, there
8649-595: Was the one of the wealthiest chiefs in Mizo history. Tualte eventually declined with the onset of the mautam famine. The Dungtlang Village was founded by the Thangluah Chiefs Vanhnuaithanga and Vanpuia. Dungtlang consisted of two localities where they were later joined by the Chhakchhuak and some allied Pawi from Chawnghawih. The location of Dungtlang is not currently known. However there are some places that are said to be where Dungtlang
#519480