Preview of Zo Chronicles by the Late Rev. Khup Za Go
THE PAU CIN HAU MOVEMENT IN THE CHIN HILLS
This movement originated about the beginning of the present century but there is no mention of it in the 1911 or 1921 Census Reports. Pau Cin Hau is a Sukte Chin about 60 years of age and now lives at Mualbem, a village not far from Tiddim in the Chin Hills. The origin of the movement is best described in Pau Cin Hau’s own words:
“From the year 1888 to 1902 I suffered from a long and severe illness”.
“From the year 1900 onward in dreams and visions I received a series of communication which I hold to be divine and are the foundations both of my alphabet and my religious teaching”.
“The first of these was in 1900 when in my dream I saw a twisted rope suspended between the heaven and the earth. Many people were trying to climb it but no one was successful. I knelt in prayer and ascended the rope as far as the thirtieth heaven, then descended to the earth and still by means of the rope, which had penetrated the ground, descended deep into the heart of the earth.”
“A year later I heard the voice of God calling me by name and commanding me to look forward to the future when many mysterious things would occur. I saw visions of railway trains, steamships and other Western inventions although I had never been away from the hills and had no knowledge that of stone-clad horses and horsemen. There were English, Indian and many unknown nations engaged in the struggle. I saw amongst other things the unknown nations falling dead and disappearing from view while my own people who were with me, though still alive were left covering in the valleys between the hills, covered with dust and rubbish. I tried to cover my face with my hands but in spite of myself I had to continue gazing into a mirror held by an Englishman so that the vision remained in my mind’s eye for three days and three nights”.
“In 1902 I had another dream. In this dream I saw an Englishman who appeared to me to be divine. He wanted me to learn lessons, taught by means of stones in the shape of letters, which put together formed a book. I tried to learn the same and eventually succeeded and my eyes then opened.”
“When I got up from sleep my passion for learning and teaching the symbols and sounds of the alphabet was so great that I could not sleep either day or night until I had written them out on paper. Though the Deputy Commissioner of the Chin Hills advised me to have my invention printed I was not satisfied with it and revised it more than once — the third and last revision being carried out in 1931”.
“As above stated, during the period of these visions I was still suffering from severe illness which was not cured during the year when I had seen the letters. In the following year, however, in another vision I saw many races of people flocking together in a huge plain. Then there appeared a being who came riding the sun as a horse, the bridle and other trappings of which glittered like gold. Then I shouted ‘Behold and obey the order of God’ and while all bowed themselves to the earth he called me by name twice in succession ‘Pau Cin Hau, Pau Cin Hau, will you worship me?’ I said ‘who are you?’ and he replied, ‘The Lord who made heaven and earth, men and animals, the sun, the moon and the stars and who as power to cure all sickness”.
“I had faith in him and in a moment was cured from my illness of fifteen years. During those years for the cure of that illness I had paid the sum of Rs. 400 in making sacrifices of various kinds of animals to the nats or demons. The cure of God was complete and cost nothing”.
“I stood alone in my faith for three years during which time the members of my own family, even, reviled instead of encouraging me gradually as my neighbours and even my people from distant villages saw me still enjoying sound health my religion began to spread until after six years people from all parts of the hills became my fellow worshippers”.
“Our Chin ancestors worshipped various kinds of Nats such as House Nat, Forest Nat, Water Nat, etc. altogether fifty-four in number. Those who have believed and wished to enter my religion came from far distant villages and invited me to visit them. Together with a little band of disciples I made it my custom to accept their invitation and on entering a house or village after praying to God would destroy completely the articles used making sacrifices to the Nats and whereas sufferers had previously, like myself, had to pay large sums for such sacrifices our only charge was a nominal sum to cover travelling expenses. Sometimes it seemed as though some of my more hasty or unintelligent followers were themselves possessed by demons after such visits but after praying to God they speedily became normal again”.
“Further some of my followers, either through reluctance to destroy completely ancestral customs or through fear of especially powerful nats, have retained in part their nat worship. I have declared that this was not the will of God and many, like myself, are now entirely freed from such practices”.
“One wholesome effect of my teaching is that where formerly many who had nothing went into debt to obtain sacrificial offerings and so could neither afford to buy food nor pay their taxes, my followers being free from such expenses are in much better circumstances”.
“Among other results I should mention that the old custom of the Chins of retaining a corpse in the house for many days, until it stank and bred corruption and disease, has now been abolished amongst the villages which accept my teaching”.
“Another old custom of the Chins was that of attempting to discover the particular nat which caused an illness by feeling the pulse or reading the countenance of the sick person. The nat, when discovered, was propitiated and petitioned. We now pray to the One God.”
“Again according to Chin belief the soul of a man may leave his body and as it wonders afar be seized one by one of the numerous nats resulting in illness or death of the owner. To make the spirit return to its home it was necessary to sacrifice an animal. We retain no such belief. A particular difficult disease to deal with was supposed to be caused by the injection of a foreign substance into the body through sorcery or witchcraft and in this case it was considered necessary to make a compound of turmeric and other roots, ground and steeped in water, to be drunk as a libation while calling upon the name of the king of nats. We, ourselves call upon the name of God..”
“Amongst all the festivals observed by our Chin forefathers we have retained but one, the Festival of the separation of the Years (New Year Festival). It is now, however, called the Festival of God and each year after the completion of the merrymaking we meet in church and offer prayers to God”.
“Amongst all the festivals observed by our Chin fore-fathers we have retained but one, the Festival of the Separation of the Years (New Year Festival). It is now, however, called the Festival of God and each year after the completion of the merrymaking we meet in church and offer prayers to God.”
“As regards the organization of my religion— as I am myself unable to go to every village into which the religion has entered I have appointed an elder connected with the religion in each village. Further, not long after the birth of this religion certain prophets termed either ‘seers’ or ‘interpreters of the word of God’ arose, some of who were able to show wonderful and miraculous doings. Others, alas, have gone astray and are opposing the simple faith”.
“Given under the hand of Prophet Pau Cin Hau at Mualbem, on the 25th May 1932”.
The following information regarding the religion has been furnished by the Assistant Superintendent, Tiddim sub-division, Chin Hills district: -
“Any household wishing to adopt this religion has to pay Rs. 3 as initiation fees. This money is not taken by Pau Cin Hau but is eaten by the person who converts the household. No other payment is made. On New Year’s Day, English calender, a collection is made in his churches. This money is spent on a big feast. Drinking in moderation is not observed by any of the followers, nor is it observed by Pau Cin Hau himself”.
“In the churches are kept earthenware pots. People who are ill go and pray into these pots and ask for divine help. If the person is unable to go as far as the churches he may do so in his house, or some other person may do so on his or her behalf. The spirit addressed is called ‘Pasian’. This is the Chin word for ‘God’. During service in the church a glass of zu is handed round to those present which is said to be the outward sign of thanks to God for the food and drink given”.
“The religion has many amusing parts in it. There are men known as ‘Pa-lik-thas’ (policemen), who also go by the name of ‘Khutdompas’ (men who feel the pulse). These men sport a uniform in the shape of a red headdress. These ‘Pa-lik-thas’ were introduced into the religion, because as all had characters are said to shun the police, so in the same way all evil spirits will shun the sick person, or the society of any person as long as there is a ‘Pa-lik-tha’, so long as he is in uniform, but as soon as the ‘Pa-lik-tha’ removes his red head dress and adorn a white one he is liable to attack at any moment as the nat is no respecter of persons who are not in uniform”.
“The Pa-lik-tha’ number from 3 to 6 per village. There are also commissioned officers amongst them. These men are known as ‘Bu-te’ (meaning an inspector, Jemadar, or Subedar). Whenever a person falls ill the ordinary policeman is sent for. Should his prayers and presence cause no relief, the next highest in rank is called in and so on until the patient recovers or dies. There are quite a number of patients who suffer in silence until the pain they bear becomes unbearable and these men, some very intelligent, will tell one that directly they utter the words ‘Pa-lik-tha sam in’ (call the commissioned officers) their disease or the pains would leave them”
Apparently Pau Cin Hau himself does not favour nat sacrifices but he admits that some of his followers still carry them out. According to the Deputy Commissioner, Chin Hills district, drinking is not forbidden by the Pau Cin Hau rules nor is there anything specially laid down in regard to drinking to excess. Presumably Pau Cin Hau realises that it is too much to expect his followers to give up their former customs entirely. He himself drinks and has admitted that he may occasionally get drunk. The Christian Mission working in the Chin Hills is the American Baptist Mission and it is presumably this liking for alcoholic liquor, which prevents them from being accepted as Christians.
Unfortunately, when the census was taken, the Census Superintendent was not aware of the existence of this movement and the followers of Pau Cin Hau were all recorded in the enumeration schedules as Animists. The Deputy Commissioner of the Chin Hills district has estimated the number of followers in his district at 35,700(26,000 in Tiddim sub-division and 9,000 in Falam subdivision) but there are also followers on the other side of the frontier.
A copy of the script mentioned by Pau Cin Hau will be found in Chapter X.
The Pau Cin Hau Script — in paragraph 135 of Chapter XI an account is given of the Pau Cin Hau movement in the Chin Hills. Reference is made there to certain Chin characters, which were revealed to Pau Cin Hau in one of his dreams. Copies of the original characters are not available but apparently they were very numerous. The characters were revised, the third and the last revision being carried out in 1931. The new alphabet consists of 21 consonants. The first page of the Spelling Book together with the corresponding Roman version is printed on page 195. It will be noticed that there are tones. It is maintained that the Chin sounds can be properly represented in these new characters but not in the Roman character. “The Sermon on the Mount” in St. Matthew has already been printed in this character. In this work of translation Pau Cin Hau is helped by a vernacular teacher named Thang Cin Kham who lives in Tonzang village near Tiddim and who knows Burmese. The whole of St. Matthew is being translated and in May 1932 the first eight chapters had already been completed. For the purpose of translation, the Burmese version of St. Matthew is used and also a Chin version (in the Roman character), which was done by Mr. Cope, the American Baptist Missionary in the Chin Hills. This version in the Roman character is also given in the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ referred to above. No information is available as to the number of persons who can read the script.
Source: Census of India 1931, pt. I, Chapter XI, para.135 pp.217-218, Chapter X, Para 120 pp.194-195.
The Pau Chin Hau Script
In paragraph 135 of Chapter XI an account is given of the Pau Chin Hau movement in the Chin Hills. Reference is made there to certain Chin characters which were revealed to Pau Chin Hau in one of his dreams. Copies of the original characters are not available but apparently they were very numerous. The characters were revised, the third and last revision being carried out in 1931. The new alphabet consists of 21 consonants. The first page of the Spelling Book together with the corresponding Roman Version is printed on page 195. It will be noticed that there are tones. It is maintained that the Chin sounds can be properly represented in these new characters but not in the Roman character. “The Sermon on the Mount” in St. Matthew has already been printed in this character. In this work of translation Pau Chin Hau is helped by a vernacular school teacher named Than Chin Kham who lives in Tonzan Village near Tiddim and who knows Burmese. The whole of St. Matthew is being translated and in May 1932 the first eight chapters had already been completed. For the purpose of translation, the Burmese version of St. Matthew is used and also a Chin version (in the Roman character), which was done by Mr. Cope, the American Baptist Missionary in the Chin Hills: this version in the Roman character is also given in “The Sermon on the Mount” referred to above. No information is available as to the number of persons who can read the script.
Source: J.J. Bennison, “Pau Chin Hau Script”, Census of India, 1933, Part I, Chapter X, p. 194-195.
