Vangteh - History Continued

History Continued

It was said that Vangteh had populated even to host 700 households in spite of being a far hilly country during its heyday, and became a political center of the Guite Dynasty that claimed a solar lineage.

"Dynasty" here is the nearest English equivalent for the native word ukna or "maanna" or ukna gam or uk-gam, literally means "reigning" or "sovereignty" or even "rule". Concerning the claim of solar lineage of Guite family, it is related to ancient myth of the Great Guite as if the great son of the Sun, whose mysterious birth is related to the Sun as was advocated by strange dreams of his father Songthu (known as Prince of Aisan) and his mother Nemnep. Thus, the name Guite that implies to be "Ni gui (the ray of the Sun)" was given to him at his birth. In keeping of this tradition unbrokenly, another famous Guite prince, Go Khua Thang (Go Khaw Thang or even Goukhothang), prince of Mualpi, was also attributed again as the descendant of the Sun in his documentary video presentation.

Here is an existing coronation anthem constituted by Prince Mang Tawng, son of Prince Gen Dong, that was traditionally used whenever a new prince was installed.

Ka pu sial sut sun nuam mah sing ee; Ka pa taang lap laam nuam mah sing ee;

Ka pa khawlmual hi hen ah ee; Kei zong khawl nuam lai sing ee, nu aw ee

(Translation):

Let me be able to celebrate the same celebrations that their majesties, grandpa and dad, had celebrated;

Let me be able to take a rest at the same resting place of his majesty father; O! mom, let me be

Under powerful princes, such as Mang Tawng, Mang Kiim, Pau Hau, Vangteh was also said to have once seated ‘seven princes and seven courts’ ("Hausa sagih leh tuangdung dawh sagih" in local dialect), which is the honor attributed only to Vangteh among other known cities and towns in the region, designating its political influence even to far distant land in the past (cf., the said sacred rite of "Khua-suum sim"). In concern with this, in his personal record written in his own handwriting, the late Jamaidar N. D. Thang, from another family called Kilte, also well documented the history of "Hausa sagih leh tuangdung sagih" by listing the names of the seven Hausa (princes) with a comment that said Pau Hau as the chief of those seven princes. They are:

Due to later internal struggle within the ruling family for power, however, the political influence of Vangteh began to decline from the early 19th century as had to surrender most of its tributary territories before the invading allied force of the Pois (Pawi) beginning in the early mid nineteenth century. According to the traditions, this allied force included the Zahau army, the Sizang (Liimkhai) army, and probably the Tlaisun army, in which the Sukte family served as guide to them in a secret attempt to replace the sovereignty of the Guite family in the region. Of course, after three heavy confrontations, ill prepared Vangteh because of their Sialsawm festival agreed to negotiate and surrender almost all of its tributary territories to the allied force. Since that time, it was seemed that the former tributary lands of the Guite family of Vangteh were turned to the allied force of the Pois through the indirect hand of the Sukte family of Mualbeam.

However, Vangteh continually maintains its suzerainty within its inner boundary against this great loss. It was until the advancement of the British army in the land at the dawn of twentieth century. Even during the British rule, though, the local judicial authority of the Guite family, the successional ruling family of Vangteh, was respectfully treated. Therefore, when national independence along with the new parliamentary government system was introduced in Myanmar (Burma) country-wide in 1950s, Tun Za Sing, the last hereditary prince of the Guite family of Vangteh, was properly compensated according to the existing law. This is the ancestral line of the last Prince Tun Za Sing — Kul Gen beget Gen Dong, Gen Dong beget Mang Tawng, Mang Tawng beget Mang Kiim, Mang Kiim beget three sons (Go Phung, Man Tong, Tong Lai), Go Phung beget Za Mang, Za Mang beget Man Pau, Man Pau beget Mang Pau, Mang Pau beget three sons (Kaih Mang, Pau Hau, Do Muang), Do Muang beget Mang Phung, Mang Phung beget Thual Kai, Thual Kai beget Hau Tun, Hau Tun beget Kai Thawng, Kai Thawng beget Tun Za Sing.