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They pay much attention to their genealogy, and profess to know the names of their chiefs in succession, from their leader out of the bowels of the earth up to the present time. About the names of those previous to Thado, there may be doubt, but from this great chief, from whom the whole race takes the appelation of Thado I do not think there is any. The period of chieftainship of each they cannot tell, indeed, neither they nor any of the hill tribes have any more certain way of counting years, than by enumerating the spots where they had annually cultivated, and, it is not to be expected, that in a long series of years, all these could be remembered. The Munniporee method even of noting years is but a little improvement on this; they annually select a person called Chahee Taba whose name designates the year of his selection. Persons can repeat the names of all the Chahee Tabas from their commencement, and are able, if told in what Chahee Taba's time an event occurred, to say at once how many years have elapsed since its occurrence. But all do not carry in their memories the list of Chahee Tabas, and whilst an individual may be able to say in what Chahee Taba's time an event occurred, he may be perfectly unable to state the number of years which may have passed since its occurrence. |
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Amongst the Khongjais themselves the cream of the Thados, the Thados par excellence are the male descendants of Thado in direct lineal descent. To these much respect is paid by the younger branches, who in token thereof present to the chief of their particular branches one tusk of each elephant they may capture, these chiefs again making a present to their superior the head of all. The present chief of all the Thados is a young man named Kooding Mang. His genealogy and that of some other chiefs I shall afterwards give. The Changsels and Thlungums do not belong to the Thado race, but are, the Thados say, of some ancient races which were in existence before they arrived on the earth's surface. The Thlungums are distinct from the Changsels and the Thados themselves are divided into the greater clans of Thado, Shingsol, Chongloi, Hangseen, Keepgen, Hankeep, from whom again have sprung many other clans inferior in rank but numerous as themselves, such as Chongfoot, Telnok, Holtung, Mangvoong, Voongtung, &c. |
