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Courtship
In Lushai society courtship
(nula rim) was freely followed. The tsangvals
would go round in the evening, courting their sweethearts. During the
initial period the young men and the girls, if they liked each other, would work
together in the jhum and otherwise would go about together.
There was an
interesting custom in this matter. If they were found sleeping on the
Kumai, the sleeping place for girls and young children, no exception would be
taken. But if they were found on the sleeping place used by the parents Kumpui. On the other side of the hearth, the young men would be fined ten
rupees or else he would have to marry the girl.
If a girl became pregnant before marriage, the young man would have to marry the
girl or pay a fine of forty rupees or a mithun, called sawn man, to the
relatives of the girl. If the relationship continued without marriage and a
second illegitimate child was born, generally the father was not required to pay
any further fine. But in case of a third such child, he would again be
fined with a sawn man of ten rupees. When the father paid the sawn man he
could claim the child when it was old enough to leave the mother.
While going to visit his lady love a youth would generally take with him a boy,
known as Puarak, who would be a witness of their sleeping together. If the
youth claimed such relationship and it was denied by the girl the puarak would
be called upon to give evidence. In case there was no evidence by a puarak,
the girl would be entitled to a compensation of forty rupees from the youth for
defaming her.
In the custom called dawn puan phah a girl would persuade her parents to allow
spreading of a cloth for her and her boy friend to sleep on in her parent's
house. After this permission, if the boy refused to marry the girl, he
would be fined a mithun or forty rupees.
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