Burmese Sketches - Khamkoo

Lawrenr- ^. Briggs.
Consul of the United States ofAnrnha
BURMESE SKETCHES. h
In the Burmese time, the Brahman astrologers occupied an
honoured position in Burmese society, and their high caste was
recognized by the Hindu immigrants from India.
THE CHIN AND THE KACHIN TRIBES ON THE
BORDERLAND OF BURMA.*
By the annexation of Upper Bur^na in 1886 the British
Government was brought face to face with a number of hill
tribes inhabiting its mountainous fringe of borderland, of which
the Chins and the Kachins have proved to be the most troublesome.
Ethnically, these tribes belong to that vaguely defined
and yet little understood stock, the Turanian, which includes
among others the Chinese, Tibetans, Manchus, Japanese,
Annamese, Siamese, Burmese, and the Turks. The evidence
of language, so far as it has been studied, leaves little doubt
that, ages ago, China exercised much influence on these
Turanian races, whose habitat, it is said, included the whole of
Northern India before its conquest by the Aryans. As in India,
so in Burma, one of the problems of administration presented
to the British Government is how best to effect the regenera-
tion of these ancient peoples, who have now lapsed into
savagery, and are devoid of any power of cohesion, in order
that they may be a source of strength, and not of weakness, to
the Empire.
Omitting certain districts of Lower Burma, where numbers
of Chins are found, the country inhabited by their wilder
brethren may be described as touching Burma on two sides,
namely, on the east of Arakan, and on the west of Upper
Burma; or, in other words, it may be described as the block
of country entirely surrounded on all sides by territory under
direct British administration or protection as the State of
Manipur. The recalcitrant Chins recently referred to in the
English newspapers are those who inhabit the latter locality,
and who owed allegiance to the late ruler of Upper Burma.
They are a strong and hardy race of fierce and desperate
fighters, who take a special delight in raiding into adjoining
districts, kidnapping men, women, and children, and driving off
cattle. The human captives are either sold into slavery, or
held to ransom ; and be it said to the credit of the Chins, that
they are not cruel task-masters to their slaves. Raiding
appears to be one of the normal conditions of their existence.
* Keprinted from the Asiatic Quarterly Beviexjo, April; 1893,