Page 211 - Sanidhya 2025

engagement with education,
employment and other opportunities.

Meitei women conduct most of the
trade in the valley and enjoy high
social status. Meitei food habits
revolve around rice, fish, and
vegetables, often incorporating
fermented items and local herbs. They
have a strong preference for fresh,
locally sourced ingredients and a
unique culinary style characterized by
both simplicity and complexity.

Kuki

The Kuki people are believed to be of further divided by the British into ‘old The Kukis speak languages related to
Tibeto-Burman origin, with migrations Kukis’ and ‘new Kukis’. kuki-chin linguistic family within the
from Myanmar and surrounding Sino-Tibetan language group.
regions. They are part of the larger The Kukis traditionally engaged in Traditionally animist, the Kukis have
“CHIKIM” or “Chin-Kuki-Mizo” group, shifting or Jhum cultivation in the significantly embraced Christianity,
sharing cultural and linguistic ties. forested hills, which allowed them to especially through the influence of
While historically they didn’t have a expand their settlements through the British missionaries. Over the last 90
unified identity, they integrated with wooded areas over generations. Their years, the majority of kukis have
the indigenous Khonjai/Khongchai expansionist land ownership patterns converted to Christianity. They are
tribes in Manipur, eventually adopting due to Jhum cultivation put them at also known for their love of music and
the “Kuki” identity. Notably, Kuki is not odds with the Nagas, who practised dance and their strong work ethic in
a term coined by the ethnic group territorial agriculture, and the Meiteis, agriculture. They are known for their
itself, the tribes associated with it who lived in the cultivated valley vibrant festivals, like the harvest
came to be generically called Kuki areas. festival “Kut,” and their strong sense of
under the colonial rule, and were community.

“Mim Kut” and “Chavang Kut” being
the most prominent. Mim Kut is a
post-harvest festival, celebrated with
great enthusiasm by the Kuki tribes in
Manipur, Nagaland and other regions.
Chavang Kut, also known as “Paddy
Kut”, is another important festival,
observed to thank deities for a
bountiful harvest. Rice is their staple
food, often cooked in earthen pots,
bamboo tubes, or metal pots. They
also consume a variety of meats, fish
and vegetables.