LEPCHAS: THE INVINCIBLE RACE

                                

                

DENIS LEPCHA

1.INTRODUCTION:

Any race of the world has its own ethos and pathos. At times these factors make them what they really are. The particular behavior of a race has long journey of practices handed down from generation to generation. The culture of any race is practices and belief observed by their ancestors. The experience of life become the custom which were observed generation after generation.   These practices carry a value and observer of that value gives the validity. History itself is a lesson which becomes the decisive factor for the life to sustain.  These factors become the life philosophy.The Lepchas are the autochthons race of Sikkim and Darjeeling. They have their own life philosophy which has made them an invincible race. This write up tries to ponder upon how this invincibility has proven the logic of our discussion. Let us ponder upon on this topic from the following factors:

2.Creation Philosophy of Lepchas

Lepchas are the CHILDREN of God ( RUMKUP). They believe that they were created out of white and pure snow from the mountain. It is interesting to state that Zews believe that they were created out of mud but the Lepchas believe that they were created from pure snow. Can the mud remain pure as the snow? The mud is the mixture of many particles humus. From the concept of purity snow is much purer than the mud. The Concept of above is higher than below. Simple Lepchas had this philosophy of above. The above is Mountain.  Mountain is pure and the snow over it is always pure. Hence the claim of LEPCHAS as the Children of God is proven from the very fact from their creation story. The concept of purity surpasses all the creation Philosophies of the world. Take for example Siniol Chyoo, which is located at North Sikkim. It is regarded as the most beautiful mountain of the world. It is a part of Kingtsoomzaongboo Chyoo ( Mt. Kanchanjunga). It is visible from everywhere.The first person to photograph this Beautiful Siniol Chyue is Dr. Alexander Kellas. Dr. Kellas is a Medical doctor by profession and a Mountaineer. The Author of “Round Kanchanjunga” Douglas Freshfield has described Siniol Chyoo as “Master piece of Mountain Architect”. From such beautiful place , the  belief of Lepchas origin. They may not know the explanation of God’s intrinsic qualities but the simple Lepchas know that they are the children of god as simple as that. God is simple and so His children are simple. These simple people, the children of God had everything that was required to sustain their lives on earth. MAYEL LYANG was their beautiful country. Its boundaries comprised of Chumby Valley in Tibet to Arun River in Nepal, Terai of Gangetic plains to Titalya in Bangladesh and Samsi district in south- western Bhutan. Owing to the great beauty and variety of its natural features MAYEL LYANG was one of the most beautiful countries of the past. It has towering mountains and deep valleys, foaming rivers, forest -clad ridges, an abundances of flowers including many magnificent coloured orchids and above all the snow covered summits and peaks of the Himalayas on the northern horizon, Kingtsoomzaongboo chyoo (Mt. Kanchanjunga) glittering proudly in the sun to whom Lepchas believe their protector on earth. With the silvery rays of the moon at night Mayel Lyang looked like Heaven on earth.  Rongnyoo- Rong Eet ( Tista Rangit) rivers flow with heavenly tuned music towards their destiny, the source of romantic lives of Lepchas. Romantic lives of Lepchas depict the presence of heavenly bliss in their thoughts and actions. Folklores, legends, songs and rich literature are the outcome of these romantic lives. The peaceful living Lepchas were disturbed by the many events of history. History proves that this race was under the attack of many outsiders. First blow came from the Tibetans who occupied Lepcha Land and started ruling the simple Lepchas . It was followed by Britishers and the Nepalees. Their History was manipulated. Books and scriptures were burnt. Innocent Lepchas were made slaves. Lepchas’ political power was shifted from them to Tibetans and to the successive invaders. And yet Rongkups survived amidst all odds of historical epoch.

(a)Country’s name:

Name of the country of Lepchas was known as NEY- MAYEL LYANG meaning ‘hidden paradise’ or NEY- MAYEL MALUK LYANG ‘land of eternal purity’. Their concept of homeland was not mundane. They were in the world but they were not of the world.  Since they called themselves Rongkup Rumkup, (the Children of God)we  find the name of their country is also associated with this noble idea. Can we find a country in the world whose name is associated with paradise Or eternal purity? The citizens of Ney Mayel Lyang ‘hidden paradise ‘are invincible. Politically their land is occupied by different races but not the paradise. It is eternal. And hence it is invincible. Ney Mayel Maluk Lyang is unconquerable. It can not be destroyed but remains pure. No matter what all things took place on Lepchas fate but somehow they remained invincible. Judging from this point, one can conclude that Lepchas are invincible race.

(b) History

Lepcha Kings (1) Turvey Panu reigned bout AD 1400. He had three successors (I) Tursong Panu (ii) Tur Aeng Panu(iii) Tur Aek Panu.During the reign of Tur Aek Panu, a married couple Thikung Tek and Nyookung Gnal were the chief priest and priestess. On the death of the last Lepcha king , power was passed on to an immigrating branch of Tibet Minyang Dynasty. Khey Bumsa from this clan came to meet Lepchas to get the blessings from Lepcha priest and priestess. The chief priest Thikung Tek blessed the guests to have three sons. Tibetans and Lepchas had blood treaty at Kabi Long Chok. They smeared the Stone with animal blood and promised not to harm each other. Unfortunately, the Tibetans broke the treaty and captured the political power in their hands. Under the Tibetan rule, social fabric of Lepchas was at stake. In eighteenth century there was another blow for Lepchas from Bhutan. The Lepchas of Damsang Lyang ( Kalimpong ) had to be  the subjects of Bhutanese. Lepcha King Panu Gaebu Aachyok was treacherously killed by Bhutanese. In 1688 Gorkha force took over some parts of Mayel Lyang. The  British took over,Darjeeling in their control by virtue of the DEED OF GRANT OF DARJEELING singed on first February 1835. In 1865, with the treaty of Sinchula, British incorporated Kalimpong with Darjeeling from Bhutan. The people of Mayel Lyang , Rongkup  Rumkup ( Lepchas) turned apart by different communities who came as rulers. British had no interest on the preservation and protection of Lepcha language and culture .Lepchas were deprived of their political rights as they were not the workers in the industrial entrepreneurship of British. Lepchas had to struggle to adapt with the changing political, social and economical situation imposed by different communities in Mayel Lyang . Thikong Mensalong who invented the Lepcha script was not happy when his country and his beloved Rongkup Rumkups witnessed the coronation of Tibetan monarch in his land. Thikung Mensalong’s foot print is still found in the place where the coronation ceremony of first Tibetan king for Mayel Lyang was  taken place in a place called Yuksam in Sikkim. Successive generations   have passed by after the ascension of Thikung Mensalong in his abode( Lepchas believe that Thikung Mensalong did not had corporal death but ascended to his abode as he had supernatural power imbibed in his life) Rongkups somehow managed to survive amidst all odds .Different writers and scholars coming  from different parts of the world have written many books , articles , journals in different languages about Rongkup Rumkups. Folklores, legends and stories bore the lives of Lepchas. Mayel Lyang has become the subject of great concern for the world today. These very facts have saved Lepchas from being vanished. They have been kept alive by their studies. Hence Lepchas are invincible race.

(b) Language:

Lepchas are proud today as they have their own scripts. Many indigenous races do not have their scripts. They are deigned to use the scripts of other languages. Thanks to the sacrifice of Thikung Mensalong who invented Lepcha script and have made his people proud. We find almost everything about lives of Lepchas in Namtho Namthar. It is the records of annual happenings in the lives of Lepchas. These manually written manuscripts depict the philosophy of Lepchas.These are the invaluable treasures for Lepchas. Apart from these Namtho Namthar, galaxies of foreign and native writers have done extensive studies on Lepcha language and have left valuable documented facts   on Mayel Lyang and its people. Mention may be made of these few writers for our discourse. (1) Archibald Campbell published a short list of Lepcha words in 1840. (2)  William Start and Karl Gottlieb Niebel (German missionaries who had started a Lepcha school in Tukvar, Darjeeling) had translated some parts of Bible into Lepcha(1849.1872). (3) George Bryce Mainwaring wrote A Grammer of the Lepchas in 1876. (4) Albert Grunwedel edited the Lepcha dictionary compiled by Mainwaring and published the same in 1898.  (5)Lawrence Wadell published an article with remarks on a number of Lepcha place names in 1892 and in an article in 1899 translated nine Lepcha songs with short explanations. (6)We find the short accounts of the Lepcha language in the writings of Schott (1881), Feer (1898) and Druin (1901). (7)Stocks (1925), Morris (1938), Gorer (1938), Hermanns (1954), Klafkowski (1980, 1983), Rene von Nebesky- Wojkowitz (1959) . They have done extensive studies on Lepcha culture and religion. (8) Halfdan Siiger and Jorgen Rischel wrote monumental works on Lepcha culture in 1967. (9) Shafer, Forrest, Benedict, Bodman, Harr, Sprigg wrote books on Lepcha Language classification, orthography, language inconsistencies, phonology, Heleen Plaisier (A Grammar of Lepcha, 2007), Dr Kerry Little , 2012etc. Among the Indian writers: R.N. Thakur 1988), Chattopadhyay ( 1990), Chakravorty (1978),  Pravaker Sinha (1966) , A. K. Das ( Lepchas  of Darjeeling), Indira Awasty, Dr Nandini Bhattacharya Panda and most important name is Ren D.C Roy who has written a number of books and numerous articles on Lepchas, Imam Singh Chemzong( Lepcha Nepali Angreji Sabdakos (1970) , Kumar Pradhan ( Hindi Lepcha Kosa 1978).   (10) Among the Lepcha writers, Athing Kharpo Tamsang’s name comes first. Dyongsi Sada, G.T. Sitling, Dongtshen Luksom, Ren. Lyangsong Tamsang, A.R. Fonning, Ugen Shipmu, Karma Lode Righimu, Naku Tshering Likmu, Dorjee Wangdi Kunchudyangmo, Ren P.T Simikmo, Lupon Padma Shree Sonam Tshering, Ren Dup Shuzong.Lepcha, Anthony Lepcha, Gautam Lepcha, Ren Norbu Tshering Lepcha, Ren Nubu Tshering Lepcha, Ren Suksing Kongchyen Lepcha, Ren Nursing Lepcha and Renue Martha Rongmit.There are many researchers and writers whose names could not be contained in this article due to space. They too deserve special credit for the protection of Lepcha literature and history. These writings and works have made Lepchas an invincible race.Language is the identity of any race and hence Lepcha language has made this race immortal.In the opinion of general George Bryce Mainwaring “:Lepcha Language is Ursprache, mother of all languages” And it should be so because they are spoken by children of God , the Rumkups. Ursprache is invincible.

  (c) Mun –Boongthing:

Educated and aristocrats Lepchas have made themselves alienated from their language and culture. They speak English or Nepali and at times feel uncomfortable to be called themselves as Lepchas. Most of the Lepchas are either Budhists or Christians. Few of them practice Hinduism or Islam. The most important factors to make Lepchas invincible are Muns and Boongthings.They are the people who have protected and preserved the language and culture of Rumkups. Though they are simple but in their simplicity the Lepcha language and culture have been preserved from vanishing. They are the Lepcha Priests and Priestesses . They practice Lepchaness in their day-to-day lives.They converse themselves in Lepcha and pray to God in Lepcha.They pray to God in the language that god had given to them. Creator knows the language of creatures as it is given to them by Himself. No matter what took place in the epoch of History in Mayel Lyang but these Muns and Boongthings kept on their language , culture and belief. No political powers could destroy their faith and no civilization could malign their language.  These Muns and Boongthings remained invincible and so are the Lepchas. Invincibility is the hallmark of these Muns and Boongthings.

 3.Epilogue:

We have seen some of the factors that made Lepchas the invincible race. There are so many other reasons but for our purpose these will suffice. We have seen how different rulers ruled Mayel Lyang and the people of this beautiful country were made pawns to the hands of different communities yet Lepchas kept on their identities through their language, culture and philosophy of life. Following inferences can be drawn from our discussion (i) Lepchas’ philosophy of life is based on purity as we can argue it from their creation logic. They are created from pure snow of Mount Kingtsoomzaongboo  Chyoo.   Siniol Chyoo a part of this Kanchanjunga is most beautiful maountain. Logic behind calling themselves the children of god is that they are created from the pure snow by God who is the source of all purity. Since God is invincible so His children.(ii) Lepchas survived in the different epoch of history where different communities tried to strangled the Lepcha culture and language. With great efforts of Lepcha leaders, they could keep their identity intake. (iii) Writers from different countries did make studies on Lepchas and their writings contributed a lot to make known to the world who the Lepchas are. Any Researchers who want to deal with the people and history of Darjeeling and Sikkim, they have to study about Mayel Lyang and its people Rongkups. (iv) At last and not the least, the contribution of Muns and Boongthings  towards making Lepchas invincible cannot be ignored. They are protective pillars of Lepcha language and culture.  Rulers tried to destroy Lepcha culture and one such example can be cited from the writings of Siiger. Halfdan Siiger writes “Later the three sons of Zo Khe Bu and their families came down to Sikkim with their followers. Invaded and conquered the country, thus breaking their most holy and sacred oath. At that time Lamaism had nearly reached its peak in Tibet, and the second son of  Zo Khe  bu and his two brothers introduced it into Sikkim. They collected all the Lepcha manuscripts and books containing the historical records, mythology, legends , laws, literature, etc of the Lepchas , and burnt them. They took the ashes to the high hills and blew them into the air and built monasteries on the hills from which they had scattered the ashes of the burnt Lepcha books. ( Siiger Halfdan; “The Lepchas Culture and  Religion of  a Himalayan People” ,The National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen 1967, p 28).And yet Lepchas are here with their rich culture , language and literature. Nothing could destroy Lepchaness. It is just because Lepchas are the children of God an invincible race protected by their creator, the Rum.

Reference : 1. Plaisier Heleen, A Grammar of Lepcha, Leiden Boston 2007

2. Siiger Halfden, The Lepchas Culture and Religion of Himalayan People Part I & II, Bianco Lunos Bogtrkkeri A/S, Copenhagen.