Ciimnuai


Ciimnuai was the legendary city-state of Zomi, who are mostly referred to as Chins in Myanmar, Mizo, Kuki in India, and Bawmzo in Bangladesh. Being their birthplace, Ciimnuai bears many accounts of myths and legends of Zomi. Carey and Tuck even called the city "Eden of the Chins".
According to tradition, it is located about two and half miles southwest from present Tedim and is in the precinct of present Saizang village. Traditions ascribe the founding of the city to Guite family, the then ruling house. Some of its remainings can still be collected at the site. However, some contemporary local historians contend that this current site might not be the only Ciimnuai that bears such numerous myths and stories, proposing that there might still be other Ciimnuais outside of present Chin Hills. If it is the case, the Ciimnuai at this current site must be a later Ciimnuai that adopted the name of the former. Moreover, even at the present site, several oral histories and traditions indicate that there are at least two different encampments occurred there and there’re at least four generations gone in between. Some of those commemorative songs and poetic sayings are as follow.
Concerning the first settlement:
Local sayings concerning later settlement by Tomcil :

Footnotes