History teller Pu Mangzathang passes away

ONE of the great ZO song composers and history tellers, Pu Mangzathang passed away at his home in Zoveng, Zehang Lamka, Manipur on Sunday morning, 26^th July, 2015.

Pupu MANGZATHANG of Zoveng, born on 27 Sept 1921 (as of record in his army I-card), served the British army as a soldier in Burma during the Second World War. He said he had pulled down one national flag and hand over to his superior, during invading Mandalay City, but he was neither awarded nor acknowledged. But remained a freedom fighter till his last breathe!

He was the second eldest son of late Pu Goulian, amongst the four siblings – Pu Thangchinkhup, his eldest brother and his sister Pi Niangzam (wife of late Khupchinkam Mate, Chief of Tuibuang Village).

 

“Be Bold and Be Brave, BUT be Very CLEVER in WHATEVER YOU DO,” he advised me last year, while having a cup of tea with him. He was an ex-serviceman and proud of being a brave soldier in Chin Regiment...... He refused my treat so he treated me treated me! That came to be the last....." he encouraged me (his grandson).

 

Based on his experiences in the imperial services, he composed many ZO folk songs which have political overtones.

 

One of his famous songs was TUIZUM MANGKANG.
(Pu Mangzathang Suantak Dopmul in Zogal a tapna la)

 

Zou Gaal (1917-1919) : Resistance against the British
In simple word, Gaal means ‘war’.

 

The ZO tribesmen fought the British from 1917 to 1919. Hiangtam and Gotengkot Forts in Singngat sub-division of Churachandpur district were two the main centres of resistance among the Zous. Pu Doungul Taithul was the chief of Gotengkot, which was a fairly big and fortified Zou village. The ZO tribe boldly attempt to oust the white imperialist from their ancestral land ‘Zogam’. It led to a bloodshed war, in which many ZO leaders died in the hands of the British.

The forced raising of the Labour Corps from these areas was the main cause of the outbreak of the movement. To suppress this uprising the British Government spent more than 20 lakhs of rupees.

 

Zou Gaal is also officially recorded as KUKI Rebellion (1917-1919) by the British.

Here is some of the folk songs composed by my grandfather pupu Mangzathang on the occasion of the revolt in our dialect:-

Tuizum Mangkang kiilbang hing khang,

Zota kual zilbang liing e;
Pianna ka gamlei hi e! phal sing e!
Ka naamtem hiam a, i Zogam lei laal ka naw,
Sansii’n zeel e!
Ngalliam vontawi ka lau lou lai e.

Free translation:

The seafaring White Imperialist coils like the ‘kill’ plant,
Tremors of earthquake do quiver the Zo world,
’Tis the land of my birth: I shall not part with it!
Stain’d with blood is my Sword
That has routed the adversaries of Zoland,
I shall yet fight with the wild Boar, injured.

 

“This folk song of the Zou, reflecting the collective mind of the natives, indicated that the anti-imperial fervour was very high in 1918; and interestingly the Britishers were compared by the native mind with the wild Boar, or with a native wild creeper-plant called ‘kill’. Independent India justifiably took pride in its legacy of colonial resistance. In Manipur, the Palace uprising and Rani Gaidinlieu's movement are relatively well-known. However, the "Kuki Rising" and the participation of the Zou tribe was less well-known. The anti-colonial legacy of the Zou is a tribute to the multi-etnnic people of Manipur itself," wrote Dr David Vumlallian Zou, a history professor in Delhi University.

 

Some of my pupu songs were:-
—————————————

Tibet Mual Pa’n
(FROM TIBET MOUNTAINS)
Tuan a pupa Tibet mualpa’n sualam manaw ta
Vangkhua saisat nuailen khul dawng hong
Mandalay tual ka pianna gam minthang hi e

Mandalay pan Mungzua gun khawm
Kawlpi tungtou tang leidou tual delh
Ka min vannuai thang, sisan a lah Zogam lei hi e.

ZOGAM KUAM
Ka kawlchiang in Zogam kuam ling e
Dou zatam tulsawl bang ka phana
Dou zatam tul sawlbang phana
Sisan tan tam ka Zougam hi e.

 

JAPAN GAAL
Japan Mangpa La (WWII, 1945)
Ka hung kuan e Japan mangpa zalai a minthang nana pang e
British pa vanlaizawl a mel kimu vai
Sa kamkei bang giel ing e, kagiel velve aw.

 

TOMBOMB
Tom-bomb fighter ma chiang suan in
British pa ka hung kuan khang sawn guallel ding in
Thangvai lai kek in kiang e
Nagashaki zil bang kiling
Lenggam a ding in ka henna leng e

 

BRITISH KINGDOM
Kingdom fighter tom-bomb me kuan
British pa ka hung kuan
Na pang aw Japan mang Heroshima
Zil bang ka lin ka duang tham lai ei zen vangut e.

 

FRANCE WAR
Tongchiam Sui a Kaihna
France gal leh Second War nang Chin-Lushei-Kuki Zomite’n
A dei pallun mu ding a tong chiam nasuai na kaina hi e.
Tong na chiam na lunmang chinthu
Gamga thang bang pel theilou

 

JUBILEE
Jubilee dah ging ta e na lel tungsunni bang in tang e.

King George VI La
German leng leh Japan mang leidou
Khuai bang hang zong leh

 

KINGDOM 
Kingdom kumpi’n vannuai zil bang ling
Meikuang namsau bang kahiam
Ka giel zong tunphe bang in tang e.
London Lengnu

Sunni bang tang vansiang nuai a namchiza tam
Na limnuai ah khol London lengnu
Jang nun khamnel kai (?)

BRITISH ARMY
Nang British army minthang na pallai
Kaloshik zol leng lim medal khamnel kai.
Nando Kulpi Zil bang Ling
Kawlchiang leh namtem thua tang e

 

NANDO WALL
Nando kulpi hong ling e.
Nando kulpi zilbang kal in
Gal zona dial khai ing e.
Kawl Gam lei a Saltang Zatam

Leidou pat bang ka saina
Kawl gam lei a saltang zatam
Lam aw ka chi phial vabang lam e.
Phial vei bang lam Japan army

Gielbem toh bang khol ta di aw lawm,
Ka chi leh khawl e.
(ZSP La composed c. 1959)

Lung laulou aw pupa zunsa
Khoma bang pan tai e igam lei hi e.
Khoma bang pan majaphial ding
Piangpan seinou hanlung na chiam aw.

 

WAR WITH BRITISH
Leidou tual del: British solka ltoh kidou a genna
Kawlgaal, Meitei gaal, Poi gaal, Tuansiang gaal leh adg.
I pu-le-pa te’n tualgaal ana sat zel zel ua, tami khanglui la zong tua hunlai a na kipuah dan ahi.

Kawlchiang: Thau (gun)
Tulsawl bang phana: Lam peilai i gimchiang a, singbahiah a itou nadia i pha genna ahi.

+++REST in PEACE, Pupu!😢😭

*Compiled by

Bruce K. Thangkhal 

(grandson)

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