KHONGSO HISTORY

 The original homeland / place of residence of the ancestors.

According to royal chronicles that remain, the land of Tui Bing was recorded as their original homeland. Therefore, it must be assumed that the Khongso originated in the Tibetan highlands. Since the Khongso belong to the Chin lineage, their descent is the same as the Chin tribes, and as the Chin people belong to the Tibeto-Burman group, the Khongso’s original homeland must have been the Tibetan region.”

The Origins of a People.

Oral tradition tells that in ancient times, while dwelling in the Tibetan region, the forebears of the Khongso were compelled to move—some say by the overwhelming floods of the River Spirit, others by the turbulence and unrest of the land. Thus it was that they departed, and in the land of Tui Bing they sought refuge. There, in caves of stone, they hid and lived for long ages, grouped by clan and kindred. From this hidden life in the caverns, it is said, the name of the Khongso people first emerged and endured. Yet, for all its resonance, history has preserved no written proof, and to this day no firm evidence has been found to confirm the tale.”

The History of Migration.

The migration of the Khongso people is said to be parallel with that of the Chin. According to Chin history, the Khongso, being of Chin descent, were the first group to enter the Paletwa region.

The precise route of their migration from Tui Bing to the Chin Hills is no longer known. What is clear is that they settled in the Chin Hills alongside other Chin clans. In the 14th century A.D., they arrived there together with their Chin brethren. For nearly three to four centuries they lived and moved within the Chin Hills, until, in the late 17th or early 18th century, they entered the Paletwa region.

There are said to have been two main migration routes from the Chin Hills into Paletwa:

1. The Kaladan River route.

This path led from near the Indian frontier, descending from the headwaters of the Kaladan through the Shinglet stream, following the river downwards. Those who came by this way were a smaller group, and they regarded themselves as Asang. They eventually settled in the areas surrounding present-day Paletwa town.

2. The Samee river route.

This route began from the southern and southwestern ranges of Matupi township, crossing the ridges through the Lau-U stream and KaDi (Lenti) stream, and entering into the Samee valley, north of Paletwa township. Those who came by this way formed the larger group. Some remained in the highlands of Matupi. They came to regard themselves as Asang Khongso or Khinlat.”

Significant Events in History.

The Khongso people were unable to establish permanent settlements because of the heavy tax and tribute demanded by others. While living in the Samee valley, they even suffered acts of violence and killings. Being a small population, they often became victims of what was called ‘the spear planted in the lowland’—a metaphor for domination by stronger neighboring tribes. These are among the hardships and historical experiences endured by their ancestors.

By the 1930s, during the British colonial era, the Khongso numbered fewer than 1,500. After independence, records were made of Khongso language, culture, and traditional dress. In the years 1960 and 1968, attempts were made to write accounts of the Khongso people. Yet these works did not fully encompass the entire Khongso community.

Particularly in documenting their language, some researchers recorded that ‘the Khongso language is the same as Anu.’ But this claim was based only on data collected from Khongso communities near Paletwa, where intermingling with the Anu had occurred. As a result, only the mixed Khongso of that region were documented. This led, in later years, to disputes about language identity, and eventually two different dialects came to be recognized as representative of the Khongso language, giving rise to ongoing linguistic contention.”**

2.“Population and Settlements.
Scholars and researchers estimate the Khongso population to range between 5,000 and 8,000, while the highest approximations suggest that the entire community does not exceed 10,000 in number.
In Matupi township, particularly in the villages of Luivang,Bawiring and their surrounding hamlets, some three hundred Khongso—who identify themselves as Khinlat and Asang Khongso—are found.
By far the largest concentration of the Khongso is in the northern and northeastern parts of Paletwa township, chiefly along the banks of the Mee river and at the foot of Mount Kimo (also known as Kyaukpan Taung). Here, nearly five thousand people dwell together with other Chin clans such as the Khumi, Matu, Mara, Likhen-Limi, Khongtu, and Khongtai. This region borders the frontier of Rakhine State, and intermingling among the various groups is common.
South of Mount Kimo, in villages such as Radin, Seinsan, and the settlements near Samee, there live between two and three hundred Khongso. In Halawa village by the Palet chaung and its vicinity, around two hundred to two hundred and fifty can be found. Within towns and villages of central Myanmar, their number is about five to six hundred. Beyond these, roughly a thousand Khongso reside in neighboring India, while between fifty and a hundred are scattered across Europe and America. Altogether, the population of the Khongso is estimated to be between seven and eight thousand.”**

“Present Settlements.

Today, the majority of the Khongso people dwell along the borderlands between Paletwa and Matupi townships in Chin State. They are also to be found dispersed in Yangon and other major cities. In more recent times, younger generations have migrated to neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, while some families have crossed the seas to Europe and America.

Towns and Villages.

The towns of Paletwa and Samee are most closely associated with the Khongso, for it is here that they have sought to establish new homes. Along the Mee River, the Khongso are clustered in villages such as Taiwa, Pawa, Bhoihu, Rinyong, Saungland, Kanan, Yaungwa, and Bhahan. In the Samee and Palet chaung, they dwell in Wadaikone and Halawa villages together with other Chin clans. South of Mount Kimo, in villages like Radin, Lamwe, and Sainsan, they likewise live in mingling with other groups.

It is recorded that Lamwe village, around the year 1920, once flourished as a great Khongso settlement, where their traditional dress was documented. Yet today, Lamwe village has vanished. In addition, Khongso communities are scattered in villages along the Npada and Leik chaung, as well as in Alinwa, Kyiiwa, Anyinwa, and other settlements in the environs of Samee.”**