The People

Customary Dues

There were many types of taxes and dues traditionally payable by the villagers to their chief. There were dues payable to the village officials and companions in hunt.  The payments were in kind, mostly in paddy incase of cultivation and a portion of the animal in case of a hunt.  Some of the important due are described below.

Fathang

It was in the nature of land revenue for cultivated land. A chief had jurisdiction over a certain tract of land (ram). When a  villager would cultivate a land in the ram of a chief he would pay a predetermined measure of paddy to the chief.  The earlier measure of heaps was replaced by that of empty Kerosene caus or tins. Normally fathang was fixed at six tins (twenty litre kerosene tins) of unhusked paddy. In lieu, two rupees in cash could also be paid. 

Sachhiah

It was the share of the animal hunted or trapped by a villager, which he gave to the chief of his village. The consisted of the animals left foreleg. If sachhiah was not paid, the defaulter was fined forty rupees and salam as compensation to the chief.

Sabawp

These were the dues payable to companions in hunting. When an animal was wounded by one but caught in chase by another, the latter was entitled to a hind leg. One who touched the animal first had the first claim. If  an animal was shot by a hunter with a borrowed gun, the lender of the gun would get the right foreleg. The thian or friend of the man shooting the animal  would get the ears and a piece of flesh.  Thus the flesh of a hunt would be shared by the hunter with the chief, the companion in hunting and many others making hunting a collective effort and a collective gain.

Khuaichhiah

Honey collection from the forest was an important source of food for the Mizos. The chief was entitled to a share of the honey collected by his subjects.  This due was called Khuaichhiah. This included honey and wax.

Chi-Khur-Chhiah

This was the share of salt given to a chief. Salt was a prized commodity in the hills. One of the commodities for which a Mizo would walk a number of days to go to a market in the plains was salt.  But sometimes mineral salt would be available in the rocks.  Anyone collecting such salt would pay a share to the chief from whose ram the salt was collected.

Hnathlang

Villagers had certain obligations to do common work for the village and the  chief. This was in the form of voluntary labour called hnathlang. Everyone in the village would contribute voluntary labour to build the zawlbuk, clear all jungles in and around the village, clear and fence the source of water supply.  A chief could call upon his villagers to contribute for his private work also.

The Lakher villager performed certain common duties which was similar to Lushai hnathlang and was called tlaraihria in lakher. Anyone refusing or failing to do tlaraihria would be fined (leu) to pay rice, fowl, axe or dao or one rupee in cash.  If paid in cash or by rice, the chief and the elders would use  it to have some beer.

In Lakher villages, there were regular system  for contribution by villagers for common entertainment, general feast and other general purposes. By the custom of Sathi a villager was required to kill a pig for a common feast or for entertaining a visiting chief of for some other similar entertainment.  By a custom called vohel, a piglet, immediately after its birth would be collected for any purpose chosen by the villagers. Sakhei was a system of subscription of paddy for village entertainment to a distinguished visitor or for a similar other purposes. The Lakhers followed the tradition of hospitality. By duty of tlongang every Lakher was required to be hospitable.

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