Mizoram, hooked into the southern part of the north eastern part of India is land of rolling hills, rivers and lakes. The state of Mizoram in India is close to both the Indo-Bangladesh border and the Indo-Myanmar border. The closeness to the numerous international borders has made Mizoram a blend of various tribes that migrated from China, Myanmar (the
erstwhile
Burma), and the other parts of the Northeast. Some Mizo tribes may have
formed a part of the people who lived in the Tao valley in northwest China.
They slowly proceeded towards the border of Tibet and Myanmar and around
1700 AD, these tribes shifted to what is known as Mizoram today. The People of Mizoram
The people of Mizoram are known by the generic name of Mizo, which literally means people (mi) of the hills (zo). It is believed that people from far-flung regions made the hills of Mizoram made their home and from the hills, they derived their name. There are numerous different tribes under the general ethnic broad group of Mizo.
The people of the Mizoram region have acquired a multiple-cultural from multiple tribes, who came from different parts of the eastern countries in the past. The Chinese, Burmese and Tibetan cultures influenced the people of this region to form their own lifestyles and the own craftsmanship. Today, Mizos include following tribes - Ralte, Paite, Dulien, Poi, Sukte, Pankhup, Jahao, Fanai (Molienpui), Molbem, Taute, Lakher, Dalang, Mar, Khuangli, Falam (Tashous), Leillul and Tangur. The three main sub groups in Mizoram are Lushais, Pawis and Lakhers. You can easily find those influences in the clothes worn by the women of Mizoram, the patterns and style woven and also in the woodcarvings produced in there.
The absence of outside influences helped the inhabitants of Mizoram to preserve their ancient cultures and traditions of craftsmanship. Thus we can find that, the women still carrying on old traditions of weaving and the men, of basket weaving.
