The Halam people are a Kuki tribe

Kuki people

The Kukis are an ethnic group that spread throughout the Northeastern region of India, Northwest Burma and Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. In Northeast India they are present in all the states except Arunachal Pradesh. This dispersal across international borders is mainly attributed to the...

 native to the state of Tripura

Tripura

Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...

 in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. The name Halam is coined by the Tipra Raja. They are also known as Mizo, while some people called them Ranglong. They are further divided into 15 sub-clans.

History

The Halam people are one of the Kukish peoples, who are said to have lived in Tripura before the Tipra came to that land. Those of the Kuki who submitted to the authority of the Tipra Raja

Raja

Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...

 came to be known as Halam. Folklore have the Halam people come from Khurpuibabum, somewhere in Manipur. Mualţhuam, Kaihpeng and Bawngcher are the first group to enter Tripura, they are in record during the reign of Raja Omar Manikya, 1584–1586 A.D. Other sub-groups have immigrated from Cachar district of Assam

Assam

Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...

, Mizoram

Mizoram

Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North Eastern India, sharing borders with the states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur and with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Burma. Mizoram became the 23rd state of India on 20 February 1987. Its capital is Aizawl. Mizoram is located in the...

 and Chittagong Hill Tracts

Chittagong Hill Tracts

The Chittagong Hill Tracts comprise an area of 13,295 km2 in south-eastern Bangladesh, and borders India and Myanmar . It was a single district of Bangladesh until 1984. In that year it was divided into three separate districts: Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban. Topographically, this is the...

. It is evident from their folktales and folksongs that Halam people once passed through Mizoram on their way to reach Tripura.

Demography

In 1951, the Indian census showed 1,644 Halam living in Tripura. In 1961 the figure was 16,298. It rose slightly to 19,076 in 1971.

Sub-Groups

The following names and spelling are written as per the how Mizo themselves write. It may be different from other authors.

1. Bawng
2. Bawngcher
3. Dap
4. Hmarchaphang
5. Hrangkhawl
6. Kaihpeng
7. Kawlawi
8. Kawrbawng
9. Langkaih
10. Langrawng or Ranglong
11. Mualţhuam (or Mawlsawm)
12. Rupini
13. Saihmar
14. Sakechep
15. Thangachep
16. Chorei (living karimganj dist , Vill Manikbond )

Religion

There is a reason why the Tripura Raja differentiate Halam from Kuki, Halam people do not have king or chief nor their own god to worship. So, the Raja appointed Sordar to rule Halam people, and an idol for each clan to worship. E.g. Mualţhuam sub-clan are given an idol made from Gooseberry tree, they called Zobawmthang. Bawngcher sub-clan are given Thirlum Thirphrai. Thirlum is an iron ball smaller than the size of cricket ball, Thirphrai is an iron plate, a size of thumb. Both have no inscriptions on them.

Hinduism

Unlike other Kuki clans, majority are Hindu, while worshipping their traditional religions. According to 1961 census, Hindu numbers 16,044 while Christian are only 253.

Christianity

The first person baptised was Haia Sungchongram Hrangkhawl, in 1942. In 1987, the total number of Christians among Halam was 373. Now however majority of them like Ranglong, Mawlsawm, Keipeng, Hrangkhawl and other have Christian majority.