The Milhiem's

The Milhiem's

By ; administrator.

The Milhiem's like their other Kuki breathen trace their origin to the chin-kuki-mizo-zomi family. they share a common linguistic and cultural affinity with them. The other version revolves within the faith of emergence of their forefathers out of a cave, according to which they are known as Khulmi (Khul=cave, mi=man), But they could not recount reminiscences about the exact location of the legendary cave. yet they identify themselves as having a distinct genealogical line, Oral tradition say that the legendry Hangmi (progenitor of the Milhiem's ) Along with  Legendry shongthu open the great door to cross over to the upper world , as oral tradition say that Hangmi dress in phoipi (war cloth ) and arm with a sword and head gear ,hand in hand with Shongthu kill the great snake which guard the cave opening and thus open the doorway for all their Breathen in Noimigam( mythical world) to cross over to the chungkho gam. Legend had it Hangmi had a faithful dog along with him which guide them out to the open world. To avoid the confusion over the Terminlogy Milhem's and Hangmi. Hangmi is the Proginator of the people called Milhiem's ,as Milhiem literally means Mi-man, lhiem-cut into pieces . this title was given to hangmi for his valour in killing the serpent (Gulhiem nu) , the guardian of the legendry cave.

The Milhiem's as Hangmi :

This group of the chin-kuki-mizo-zomi broadly consist of the clan Lupho, Lupheng, Misao,And Lhanghal, Ngoilu, Leivon and Neitham are subclan of the above three mention clan, But due to their pood economics and political condition many of them got assimilated into other tribe such and due to difference in dialect and geographic division many new identity give into shape, the Milhem's are believe to be the next younger brother of Sailo(Lushai) ,But contrary to many believe the Thadou’s and Vaiphei Historian put them as old kuki group pedigree who are descendent of Hangmeng and among the khaute clan of Vaiphei, there are many tradition oral history and facts that remain a solid and hard fact to prove the fact they totally belong to different group, The fact that they are Lushai is not claim by themselves but it is true and verified fact which is a myte that every Chin-kuki-mizo talk about and stamp their identity, so the idea that many smaller clan claiming them as there is just a policy to bring them into their fold, and to promote their own identiy,

A myte that need to be interpreted as to why they are small in number and geographically so disperse. As pass down from oral tradition of history the milhem's once at a time had a close association with the thilate (mythological world ) and were strong and mighty and there was none to compare with them during those period, but as they become powerful and mighty in due course of time their relation with the thilate became strain and so they wage a war against them. Legend had it that they nearly kill all the inhabitant of the spiritual world, except for those who escape the war, Those who fleed the war in due course of time started waging war to take revenge and kill the Milhem's unless for the Sivaikemnu  who had save those who escape from the war, so true to the myte their population dwindle to small number after the war with the spiritual world and till today it is said that due to the curse of the spiritual world they could not multiply in large number .and it said that this is the reason why they are not populous. They for a better recognition there has been a lot of discussion about the adoption of their progenitor name as their identity rather then Milhiem a title conferred to hangmi their progenitor. Search of a new identity have taken the name Hangmi in respect of the ancestor who had laid down their life in the thila gal(mythological war). Hence forth the term Hangmi will be use to describe the above community group in future reference.

In the words of community elders Milhiems are legendry known in chin-kuki-Mizo for their   skill of Magic or mythical power.

Lusai connection :

Oral tradition had it that in a Villlage (now in present Burma) rule by Hangmi, The maid of the Chief house conceived a Boy from the Chief of the City, So to hide his misadventure the Chief left the Boy in the jungle and called upon all the inhabitant of the village to go for Village Hunting so he carefully led the villagers to the route where he laid the child and he led his group towards the side and on reaching the spot he proclaim that he had found a child born of the wild Deer,. And brought him home and made a grand celebration This was how the Sailo(Lushai) was born to be believe, And then the Lupho, Lupheng, Misao, and suc-clan Neitham, Leivon, Lhanghal and Ngoilu. And as customs and tradition had it the family is trace through the male line so till present day the Hangmi's do not accept the fact that Sailo is their elder Brother, for the fact that he was not born of the same Mother. And some of them prefer to called themselves Hangmi after their progenitor.

Folklore :

Series-1;
Legend had it that Lhangeineng who was the most beautiful and charming lady, The Daughter of Lupho during the great flood that submerge all land save the people . As the water level was rising high the water echo the name Pho ..Pho . . . . .pho....so every one in fear search out for what it was and later came to know that the God's of the water had been calling upon Lhangeineng, They realise that the God's of water were calling for sacrifice of Lupho eldest Daughter, so all went in search of her and found her being hide by her parents.Legend had it that her beauty enchant everything around her . so on fervent request and prayer of all to save them Lhangaineng gave herself up to the god's of the water. So after that the flood receed after the sacrifice of Lhangeineng , so after the flood was over Both Lupho and his wife went out in search of their belove daughter so it was said that the place where Lupho and his mistress tear fall became salt pond . and chillies ..and Lhangeineng turn into fish. so they said that they should meet. so it is believe that Hangmi’s are forbidden to eat salt, chillies and fish .

Series-2;

Legend also had it that the Hangmi’s during their settlement in Thngjing hill situated in the Present Moirang subdivision of Manipur, India. Built a new Kingdom After they escape the Poi war from Burma. after they moved through different regions of Burma from Upper Burma across the Chindwin Basin Hill and then into the Lushai Hills and finally Manipur through Churanchandpur district. Thy settle in the elsewhile thangjing hills ,were greatly blessed by the Thingjing diety. Who blessed them with Brave and Mighty son's and beautiful daughter they were so prosperous and strong. Their historic dominace in Thangjing hill was an eye sore to the neighbouring Moirang kingdom, Became envy of them, they wage a war against them so during the course of repeated invasion and war they were defeated by the Moirang king at the place called "Phubala",which literally means " Revenge" which still exist till today . and many were take captive and kill while others had to leave the place .and so they were force to leave Moirang and adjoining areas. The survival of the Phubala village till today is a living testimony to the above legend and their existence of the war between the then Moirang kingdom and Kingdom of the Hangmi pedigree.


Present state :

The Hangmi ( proginator of the Milhems ) at present scattered all across Manipur , Assam , Nagaland and Mizoram of which they are believe to be mostly concentrated in Manipur –North east India. And Saigang division of Myanmar. Due to their weak political and economic condition many got assimilated and absorbed in other tribe namely Kom, Maring, Anal, Lamkang, Paite, Vaiphei and Khongsai etc. of which some of this group make it a basis to called them their own because of the presence of the assimilated members .which elders and intellectual of the Hangmi counter claim it and has been settle. The clans have got recognition as a separate tribe under the schedule 12th, of the union government of India constitution, they have got recognition as schedule tribe in the states of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland. They constitute a major part of the kuki community that spread through out North east India,


Refrence: Hangmi Tribe Association,North East, India. Imphal.
Hangmi Student Association,North East,India, Imphal.

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