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Thadou people

( Kuki Tribes )

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Kukis Language People Thadou

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Thadou people, also called Thadou Kukis, are the Thadou language-speaking Kuki people inhabiting Northeast India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. "Thadou" is also the name of a particular clan among the Thadou Kukis. Other clans of Thadou Kukis include Haokip, Kipgen, Doungel, Hangshing, Mangvung etc.

Identity

The issues of identity with reference to "Thadou" are complex, since Thadou is the name of a clan (originating from an ancestor called Thadou), and also the name of a Thadou language spoken by other clans unrelated to Thadou and some clans "senior" to Thadou. There is a tendency to refer to all Thadou language-speakers as "Thadous", as if they form a tribe called "Thadou". But this is resented by some of the other clans. There is nothing to suggest that the entirety of Thadou language-speakers ever organised themselves as a tribe. The Gazeetteer of Manipur (1886) noted that the Kukis, in particular the Thadou Kukis, were organised in terms of clans rather than tribes.

Prior to the arrival of the British, the Manipuris referred to the Thadou Kukis as "Khongjais". The British replaced this term with "Kukis", which was accepted by Thadou Kukis without reservation, even though the term applied equally to all Kuki-Chin language-speaking people (now referred to as Kuki-Zo people). After the departure of the British, tribes such as the Paite people and Zou people as well as the "Old Kukis" disowned the "Kuki" label, calling it a "colonial imposition". As a result, Thadou Kukis remained the only people continuing the use of "Kuki", almost turning it into a tribe identity. This has been pointed out as a misappropriation of the term, since the "Kuki" label belongs to all the Kuki-Zo people, not only the Thadou Kukis. The Kuki National Organisation leaders proposed "Khochungte" as an alternative label for the Thadou Kuki identity, which has however not come into common use.

Many Thadou language-speakers simply refer to themselves as "Kukis". Some also refer to their language as "Kuki" instead of "Thadou". The correct terminology remains a matter of continuing debate.

Distribution

According to the 2011 census of India, there are 229,340 Thadou language-speakers in the country. The vast majority of them (97.6%) are in the state of Manipur. Within Manipur, the Thadou Kukis make up the largest single tribal group, forming about 19% of all its Scheduled Tribes.

There are also significant numbers of Thadou-speakers in Meghalaya and Assam.

In addition, many Thadou language-speakers are also believed to list their language as "Kuki" in the census. The 2011 census lists 83,968 "Kuki" language-speakers, who are mostly distributed in the states of Nagaland, Manipur and Assam.

Clans

The Gazetteer of Manipur (1886) listed the following clans of Kukis:

Thado Thadou
Vungson
Changsen
Shingsol Singson
Mangvung
Khlangam
Chungloe Changloi
Changput
Haukib Haokip
Simmte Simte
Kamhau

Of these, Simte people is now recognised as a separate tribe, and Sukte clan is recognised as a clan or sub-clan of Tedim Chins. The remaining clans are part of Thadou Kukis.

William Shaw's Notes on Thadou Kukis (1929) lists these prominent clans: Shitlhous ( Sitlhous) as being predominant in the northwest hills of Manipur (main base at Jampi), Dongngels ( Doungels) predominant in the northeast hills, Haokips distributed on all sides of the Manipur hills but mostly on the northeast, Kipgens being mainly to the west of Imphal Valley, Shingsons ( Singsons) being to the southwest of the Imphal Valley, and Chonglois, Hangshings and Phohils mixed in with other clans throughout the hills.