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190
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JUNE, 1892.
MISCELLANEA. A NOTE ON THE TASHON AND BAUNGSHE | farmhouses; and, except at Minkin, which is a CHINS, WITH REMARKS ON THEIR MANNERS, frontier village, there was no attempt at stockades, CUSTOMS, AND AGRICULTURE.
except such as had been hastily erected near Races :- Beginning from the north, we have Falam for our reception. first the Kànhòs or Kàntôn-Kanhos, who inhabit
We could also see that the authority of the the hills immediately south of Manipür.
chiefs, who seem to act collectively and not South and south-east of these come the Siyins individually, is very much respected and feared. and Sagyilaings, while farther south lies the
The country, so far as we could see, seemed to great Tashồn country, lying in the hills drained
be thickly populated, considering the enorious by the Nankape River south of Manipur and
areas which it is necessary to cultivate in order extending to the Tyau, the north-eastern tributary
to produce sufficient food. Indeed, I should of the Köladain; farther south lies the Baungshe
think that, unless improved methods of agriculture country inhabited by the Hâkà, Tlantlang, and
are introduced, many of the Tashồns will be Yokwà tribes, and containing, besides these, many
obliged to seek fresh fields before many years. independent villages stretching down to 22° 10
Nowhere in the Tashồn country did I observe of latitude.
any virgin forest, except small patches near the My work has lain entirely in the Tashôn and tops of high hills. Elsewhere the country is Baungshe country, and it is about these that I covered with small-growth trees, shrubs, and propose to make a few remarks.
grass, which are cut down every three or four Tashons. The capital of the Tashồn country is
years and the land cultivated, as other clearings Falam, & village of about 400 houses Here live
become exhausted through continuous cropping. Sünpek, Mànlôn, Kalyàn, Bwêmôn, Winsau, and It struck me that there was a greater struggle the other Chiefs who rule the Tribe. Falam is for existence in the Tashón than in the Baungshe situated on the north-west face of the Balumà country, and that this probably accounted for the range, and looks down into the Nankabè River greater love of order which prevails. Moreover, and across its deep valley on to the steep slopes the people have little time to give to raiding, and of the northevn side, where many villages can be it is a curious fact that there are no slaves in the seen nestling on the hillsides.
Tashôn country. Altogether, to a casual observer,
the Tashôns are much in advance of the other During our visit to Falam the chiefs showed the greatest reluctance to give information about
neighbouring tribes, and I have great hopes that,
as their country opens up and their people begin their country or its resources. Moreover, they
to find that money and food can be easily obtained pretended to be unable to give us a list of their
by labouring in Burma, we shall get them to work villages, and we had to be content with knowing their boundaries, which they said were the
on our roads and other public works. following: -
Baungshes.-The Baungshes are known as On the North.-The Siyin, Sagyilaing, and !
Poi to the tribes on the Bengal border. Kanhd Country.
They are also called Poi by the Tashồns. The On the South.-The Yokwà, Hakà, and
termn Baungshe is a Burmese word which simply
means "long turban." I could see no difference Tlantlang Tracts.
between the head-dresses of the Hakàs and the On the East.-The MyitÞå Valley and the
Tashons, but to the Burmese the word Baungshê Yomàdung, west of Minlėdavng.
has a well-defined meaning, and does not include On the West.-The Tyau River.
the TashÔns, who are known by the latter name For the reasons given above, we could get little
only. I have already defined the area inhabited information regarding their manners and customs,
by the Baungshes, by which term I propose to but, from what we could see, it was abundantly
denominate them. clear that some sort of law and order prevails, Baungah Language.-The language spoken by and that there is considerable security for life the Baungshes resembles that of the Tashons in and property. This last was evidenced by the so many respects, that both appear to me to be fact that in the Karon Laiyo Valley we came simply dialects of the same language. Even upon single homesteads built here and there like amongst the Baungshês themselves there is some Printed originally as a Gover
riginally as a Government paper, by the Chief Commissioner of Burma. The notes were made by Mr. D. Rosa, Political Officer in the Chin Hills
