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Manipur, Sept. 29 -- Executive (Political Affairs), Kuki Inpi Manipur
The sub-nation called Kuki nomenclature had its origin from Bengal and Tripura. Before the term Kuki was used as their nomenclature and even before they were known as Kukis, they were aboriginal race of Manipur and were known as chingburoi or masters of the hills by the valley Meiteis. They had settled and reigned in Manipur from pre-historic periods and governed themselves according to their custom and traditions, un-interfered by any external agents.
Their relationship with the Raja of Manipur till the outbreak of Anglo-Kuki war in 1917 was one of mutual respect and understanding on equal terms which was well depicted by Hutton in the following words :
"The administration in the hill areas of Manipur state is not very close, and as the Kukis were ruled by their own organized chiefs and treated as they had been in the past at any rate by the Manipur state as allies"
The Kukis had been the dominant tribe in Manipur spreading their authority over a wide range of hill areas surrounding the valley of Imphal during the hey-day of the Maharajah of Manipur and subsequently during the British period.
The Haokip Kuki chief under the leadership of their seniormost clan called Chahsad Haokip was the overlord of the hills to the East of Imphal valley. He exercised his power and authority on the Tangkhul Nagas. His influence extended upto the Burma Border contiguous to the Thongdut state and part of the Somra tract.
Likewise, the Sitlhou Kuki chief, known as chief of Jampi ruled the western and North-Western part of Imphal valley bordering the Angami.
The Singson Kuki chief ruled the areas contiguous to the Sitlhou country and the Lushai Hills of Assam. Pulvarised in between the Sitlhou in the North-West and the Imphal valley in the North-east was the country of the Junior clans of the Haokips belonging to Lunkhel, songthat and Telngoh clans where they ruled the roost. To the south of them, bordering the Teddim of Chin hills of Burma, the areas were occupied by the Manluns (Zou) while the south-East of Imphal valley extending upto the areas of Kabo valley and Sukta country were ruled by the Mangvum-Kuki (junior clans of...