



Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed
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                         THE LUSHEI KUKI CLANS

                                   BY

                       Lt.-COLONEL J. SHAKESPEAR


                   Published under the orders of the
                      Government of Eastern Bengal
                               and Assam


                       WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAP

                       MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
                      ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON
                                  1912








                               Copyright.

            Richard Clay and Sons, Limited BRUNSWICK STREET,
              STAMFORD STREET, S.E., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK.








                          I DEDICATE THIS BOOK

                                   TO

                              "THANGLIANA"

                       Lieut.-Colonel T. H. Lewin

         THE FRUITS OF WHOSE LABOURS I WAS PRIVILEGED TO REAP,
            AND WHO, AFTER AN ABSENCE OF NEARLY FORTY YEARS,
           IS STILL AFFECTIONATELY REMEMBERED BY THE LUSHAIS.








TABLE OF CONTENTS


    Introduction                                                xiii
    Bibliography                                                xvii
    Glossary                                                     xix


    PART I

    THE LUSHEI CLANS


    CHAPTER I                                                   PAGE

    General                                                        1

        1. Habitat. 2. Appearance and physical characteristics.
        3. History. 4. Affinities. 5. Dress. 6. Tattooing.
        7. Ornaments. 8. Weapons.


    CHAPTER II

    Domestic Life                                                 17

        1. Occupation. 2. Weights and Measures. 3. Villages.
        4. Houses. 5. Furniture. 6. Implements--Agricultural,
        Musical, Household. 7. Manufactures--Basket work, Pottery,
        Brass work, Iron work, Cloth manufacture, Dyeing,
        Ornamentation. 8. Domestic animals. 9. Agriculture.
        10. Hunting and fishing. 11. Food and drink.
        12. Amusements--Dances, Athletics, Games.


    CHAPTER III

    Laws and Customs                                              41

        1. Internal structure--Formation and constitution of the
        Clan, Sub-division into Families and Branches. 2. Tribal
        organisation--The Chief, Village officials, Rights of
        chief, Boi, Sal, &c. 3. Marriage--Bride-price, Divorce,
        Widow remarriage. 4. Female chastity. 5. Inheritance--
        Adoption. 6. Offences regarding property. 7. Offences
        connected with the body. 8. Decisions of disputes.
        9. War and head-hunting--Ambushing, Raiding, First use
        of guns, Head-hunting.


    CHAPTER IV

    Religion                                                      61

        1. General form of religious beliefs--Pathian the
        Creator, Other spirits, The world beyond the grave,
        Re-incarnation. 2. Ancestor worship--Offerings to the
        dead, Possession by spirit of the dead. 3. Worship of
        natural forces and deities--Spirits of hill, vale, and
        stream, The Lashi. 4. Religious rites and ceremonies--
        Definitions of terms used, Sacrifices, Epidemics, "Ai"
        sacrifice. 5. Priesthood. 6. Ceremonies connected with
        childbirth. 7. Marriage ceremonies. 8. Funerals--
        Description, Disposal of corpse of infants, Lukawng,
        Unnatural deaths. 9. Festivals--Connected with crops,
        "Thangchhuah feasts," "Buh-ai."


    CHAPTER V

    Folk-lore                                                     92

        1. Legends--Creation and natural phenomena, Nomenclature
        of hills, &c., Animal tales, Mythical heroes.
        2