MAY NI 4 NI LEH SIALLUM KULH

By Rev. Khoi Lam Thang

THU MASA: Pu Vumson tungtawn in hih lai a sim kha sanggam it khempeuh tungah
tuma kum 117 lai a Zomite in gam leh lei a it man un, a galhanzia uh (I theihtheihsa a hi
phial zong) kong tangko hi. Ka tel loh te zong a thei leh a telzaw peuhpeuh in nong gen
cian dinguh hong ngen pah ing. A kum pen 1888 mah hiam, 1889 zaw hiam? Sia Hau
Go' laigelh mualsuang tungah kigelh hiam kigelh lo hiam, Pu Hong suak laphuah a thei
kha i om hiam? cih teng thei thuah nuam ing. May kha ni 4 ni ma in kong khahkhiat nop
hi na pi Kawlgam sungah email deih bangin zat ding om lo ahih manin tu’n kong khah
khia thei pan hi.

ZOMI KHANGNO TE'N SIALLUM KULH VEL: April 15, 2001 ni in Tedim khuapi
Sakollam tuiphum Pawlpi Biakinn thak a hoih mahmah sungah kikhawm in Thawhkikni
(Easter Sunday) thu ka gen hi. Thuzaksak na hun sungah Khangno makai pa hong
dingin Khangnote khualzin na (Excursion) thu hong pulak hi. Sum leh paai a beina teng,
a huh a panpihte min leh, Tedim pan mawtaw tawh ding khia in Zawngkong lam a
zuatzia uh, … hong gen khit ciang a paina mun thu hong gen hi.

“Ka va zin na uh pen pu leh pate gengen, Zomite angtanna leh gamitna mualsuang
“SIALLUM KULHPI” a va en ka hi uh hi.” ci in thu hong pan a, “Sila ut loh manin
1888 May 4 ni in Mangkang gal ki do hi. Zomite in Zothau bekmah tawh do uh hi.
Mikangte 3 si a, Zomi galkap hang 27 si hi. Naupang no Hong Suak a cihpa bek
suakta hi. 1967 kum in Siallum kulh phawkna kibawl a, 1977 kum in mualsuang
kiphut hi. Pu Hong Suak laphuah mualsuang tungah kigelh hi.”cih thu teng (atom
in) hong gen hi. Hih thuteng ka zak ciangin, “Kalaisai! ni dang in Zomi Khangno te in a
muhnophuai te (Rihli tui leh Len nupa cihbangte) en in, tu’n a hih leh a theihhuai
tangthute vel ta a hi ve maw” ci in, “Amen Amen” ka ci huamhuam kha liang hi.

PU VUMSON CIAPTEHNA : Hih thute Pu Vumson in “Zo History” (laimai 119-120)

sungah a nuaia bangin na ciamteh hi.

While the British were attacking Saizang and the Buanman

rebuilt their village in Taitan (Siallum), with the intention of
defending it. For their defense the Buanman rebuilt a stockade.
On seeing the newly built village the British sent a column
consisting of 125 rifles to destroy it. The Buanman positioned
themselves in a stockade and on May 4, 1888 the battle of
Taitan was fought. Carey and Tuck described; “The upper
stockade consisted of a log hut, the sides and roof of which were
bullet proof. It was connected with a ravine to the east by a
trench about 3 feet wide, 5 feet deep, and 20 yards long. The
trench was covered with logs and plunks flush with the ground.
The hut itself was surrounded at a distance of 5 or 6 yards with
rows of sharp pointed stakes about 3 feet high. The second

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 stockade was in the bed of the ravine. It consisted of a hole
about 6 or 9 feet square, from which a trench ran down the
ravine. Both trench hole were covered with logs and planks and
were bulletproof. In both stockades there were a few spaces
between the logs through which the Chins fired, and the only
way in which they could be carried was by pulling away some of
the timber.”

“At the stockade, early in the action, Second Lieutenant Michel

fell mortally wounded. The troop at first endeavoured to turn out
the defenders of the upper stockade by firing through the
opening between the logs. Before long the covered trench was
noticed and pulled opened and the Chins in it were shot. After
accomplishing this under fire from the Chins in the lower
stockade and in the neighboring jungle, the column retired
burning the village as it went.” The British lost three killed and
eight wounded, and Surgeon LeQuesne was awarded the Victoria
Cross for his bravery during the battle.

MIKANG TE'N VICTORIA CROSS NGAH LAWH LIANG : Kei ciaptehna khat ah “Lt.
Col. Ferdinand Surgeon LeQuesne pen a “for his conspicuous coolness and
gallantry displayed whilst dressing Lieutenant Michel’s wound” man in Victoria
Cross ki ci galhang minphatna kipia hi cih ahi hi. Hih Victoria Cross galhang
minphatna in Zomite galhan ngeizia ciaptehna khat ahi hi.

SIALLUM FORTRESS CIAPTEHNA LAI : Zomi Christian Literature Society ah

Executive Secretary panmun ka let lai 1997 kum in khatvei Tamu ah ka zin hi. Zomi
Zolai a siamte sung pan tangthu ah I mangngilh loh ding Pa UR Gin Khat Swan
(1.1.1933 – 11.9.1991) pen Tamu khua mi ahih manin amah a om nawn loh hang a
suan a khakte mu in leh a inn va sik hamtang ning ci in Rev. Zel Khan Dal (Tamu Valley
Baptist Association Secretary) tawh ka hawh uh hi. A tapa (a min mangngilh pak ing ei)
kum 20 pha nai lo khat na om a, a pa thu leh lai lam a hanciamzia a kinzia ka kikupkup
uh leh na naupang hiau lo hi. Thu ka theihloh tampi hong kuppih hi. Tua hong kuppih
thute sung pan, Zomite zong mikang lai i siamzia ci in, Rev. S.T Hau Go’ phuah Siallum
kulh thu a muk dawn pan hong tolhkhia sak helhhelh hi. A thu a kihualzia, (spot-lot,
slain-Britain, date-late, fourth-forth) te khawng hong suutsuk siamsiam hi. Siam ka sa
mahmah a, ka muh ngeiloh a pa a mu in ka ki ngaihsun hi. “Kalai sai! Zomi lak ah hi
bang khangno a om hi tazen maw!” ci in ka lusu hiathiat bek hi.

Battle of Siallum
Mark ye here’s an honored spot
Stained with blood of heroes slain
They to their ancient lot
From a horde from Great Britain.

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 Mark ye tho’ the hist’ric date
Eighteen eighty eight May fourth
When for us who born of late
They their precious blood poured forth
And sowed the seed of liberty

Hih Sia Hau Go laiphuah pen, a innkuante in kem ding ahih ciang cih lungngai kawm in
khatvei Yangon a, Nu Cing; Luan Za Cing (Mrs. Rev. S.T. Hau Go) kiangah ka va hel
leh, “Siallum kulh mualsuang a gelh ding ci a hong kisawl hi ven… a laimal zong kem lai
mah ing” ci in, hong zong samsam in a nuai a bang na kigelh takpi hi.

SIAL LUM FORTRESS

(Battle of Sial lum 4th May 1889)

S.T.H

Mark ye well this honoured spot,

Stained with blood of heroes slain;
They to keep our ancient lot,
Fought a hoarde from Great Britain.
Mark ye th’historic date,
Eighteen eighty nine May fourth;
When for us who born of late,
They their precious blood poured forth;
Sowed the seed of liberty.

TAWPNA : Hih thute a hunhun in i phawk zel ding kisam kasa hi. Zomite' galhanna leh
gamitna lungsim i kigensawn ding hun cing ta hi. Desmond Toto in "understanding the
past, live in the present and build the future" a cih kammal ei a dingin lakhuai ta hi. Hih
lai a simkha Zomi suahpih mimal khempeuh te nuntakna ah, a beisa tangthu siksan in,
mailam i nawksuak ngam nang lungsim muanhuai hong phulkhia ta hen. "Sawtlo
taikhua hong val ding a..."

Thang, Khoi Lam (May 24, 2001) Re: May ni 4 ni leh SiallumKulh. ZoNet [online] Available
from: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zomi/message/921 [Accessed March 22, 2009]

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