Zou people (India and Burma)
The Zo people (or Zote) are an indigenous tribe, living mostly in the present-day Tonzaang and 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 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.
Zomi
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.[1]
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
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. 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.
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. 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 Lamka District, part of Sagaing Division in Burma, part of Chittagong Hill Tracts[2], 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 Lamka district or Churachanpur district, and 2 million in the plain areas of Sagaing Division, Magway Division, Chittagong Hill Tracts,[3],and Rakhine State. The numbers of Bawm Zo[4] [5] in Bangladesh is believed to be around 6000.[6]
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).