PANGMU DUWA LAHPAI ZAU TU,
Jinghpaw Wunpawng Sha ni hpe Shawng Nnan Jinghpaw Mungdan woi hpyi ai wa
Pangmu Duwa Lahpai Zau Tu was a significant figure in the Kachin community.
He was known for his leadership and contributions to literacy and education among the Kachin people. As the first Kachin chieftain to convert to Christianity, he played a pivotal role in the transition of the Kachin people from their old ways to modernity. His story is one of determination and a yearning for literacy, which he pursued despite the challenges of his time
Ga Nhpaw:-
Pangmu Duwa Rev. Lahpai Zau Tu gaw mărai rawng, măgrau grang, myu tsaw myit kaba rawng ai Du amyu kaw na shăngai wa ai wa nan rai nga ai. Shanhte a kaji daju Duwa Lahpai Jau Hpa Hkun rai n nah bum gah kaw she nga ai raitim, Myen ga, Sam ga, Miwa ga, Miwa laika, hte Wunpawng amyu lakung kaw na, Minji Mila ga, Hka hku ga, Zaiwa ga, Lhavo ga, Gauri ga ni hpe atsawm chye shăga ai wa rai nga ai magrau grang marai grai rawng ai wa re hte maren Myen Hkaw hkam wa hte pyi shing jawng hpaji chyam ai lam labau hkai hkrat wa ai hku n nah chye lu nga ai. (Myen hkawhkam kadai hte re ai gaw n chye lu sai.) man dan, lak le, tsi hpaji hte dagu amyu myu rawng ai wa mung re.
Shanhte hpe Gauri Du ni ngu shamying ma ai. Myitkyina măyan de rai yang, Mungji ga (ya na Nam San, Laiza, Hpalap ga) Da Law, Seng Mai, Nga Pyaw Daw ga, Alaw Bum gai wang rai n na, Man Maw mayan de rai yang Gauri Krung, Sinlum ginwang, Mali Hkran, Wupat hkran, Dang de gai wang du hkra kaba dik ai lămu gah măduq ni rai nga ai. Duwa Lahpai Jau Hpa Hkun gaw kăshu kăsha law law lu ai kaw na Rev. Lahpai Zau Tu a labau lasang hku nna sha sang lang dan mayu ai.
Duwa Lahpai Jau Hpa Hkun – Lahpai Hkun Gam hte Lahpai Hkun Naw (Marun yan nau) Lahpai Hkun Gam- Lahpai Zau Bawm- Lahpai Zau Seng, Lahpai Zau Li- Lahpai Zau Tu rai nga ai. Ndai labau hku n lawm ai ding hku masha ni mung grai naw nga ai. Miwa mung dan kata Suden ga, Ta Hkaw hkaq măyan, Hu Sut gah (Miwa bang wa ga) Pung Ling ga, Hu Sa, Kawng Shan, bang wan ga hkan mung du galaw lai wa sai lam labau hta nan nga nga malu ai.
Kaji Rev. Lahpai Zau Tu gaw kaji kawa ni mung maden htawt hkawm ai hte Sinlum Bum kahtawng kaba ngu ai mare hta, 1870 ning July 15 ya shani shangai wa sai. Nat jawq prat hta shăngai wa ai măjaw nat ni gashun lah na hkrit ai hte mying makoi hku nna, Mayam (Yam Dun) ngu kaji daw shamying ma ai. Asak 12 ning daram hta Sara kaba Roberts hte hkrum lu sai hte nta kaw na ahkaw ahkang n jaw timung hprawng sa nna Man Maw gah deq hpaji sa lăguh la hpang sai. 1897 ning hta Sara Kaba Roberts a lăta ē hkalup hkam la sai. 1899 ning hta Sara kaba Hanson hpe woi nna kanu kawa, nta masha ting hpe Nat woi kabai kau sai. 1902 ning April shăta 14 ya shani Sarama Nang Zing Hka Jan hpe Sara kaba Hanson hkungran ya ai hte Sinlum Bum grup yin Buga sasana sara hku nna shătsam dat sai. Dai hpang shanhte a nta hpe kahtawng kaba măre kaw nna deng mi dăram tsan ai Pangmu măre de htawt let, Pangmu Duwa Rev. Lahpai Zau Tu ngu shamying let, mung du magam amu hpe mung, Hpung up magam amu hpe mung atsam dat gunhpai lai wa sai.
(Rev. Lahpai Zau Tu myit shingran mu da ai lam ni)
Wunpawng amyu sha ni rawt gălu kaba wa na mătu gaw Nat a lăta kaw nna shawng lawt ra ai.Hpaji chye ai amyu tai yang she mungkan a lăhkam dep ai amyu tai wa na. Chyum Jawng Dakasu jawng lu ra ai.Sut lu nga mai ai amyu tai ra ai.Bum ga kaw sha n rai myo kaba de, pang lai rap hkra nga pra sa wa ra ai.Gahkyin gumdin ai amyu, shanglawt lu ai amyu tai ra ai. Tinang a mungdan, tinang a amyu ngu nga ra ai.Anhte hpe sasana sa gălaw ai ni hpe chyeju bai htang ra ai.Anhte lu la sai Yesu a hkye lah ai lam hpe kăga amyu ni hpe mung găran jaw ra ai.Anhte hte kanawn nga ai masha amyu ni a ga hpe n chye n mai shărin lah ra ai.Dinghku kăta lahpawt lama shăngai dah ai kashu kasha langai mi mung n mai nga ai.
(Rev. Lahpai Zau Tu galaw dah lu ai bungli ni)
Wunpawng amyu sha ni yawng Ji Nat a gyit hkang ai kaw na lawt lu yang she galu kăba wa ai amyu tai wa na re ngu shingran mu da ai hte maren Madu Yesu a kabu găra shi ga hpe shi dep hkap lu ai dăram hkaw tsun sakse hkam ai hte Nat hkyawt sasana hpe grai shakut galaw nu ai. Shi a sak 106 nga ai rai yang asak 100 ning du hkra pru sa nna sasana hkaw tsun ai lam galaw ai. Lawq mălawng gumra jawn nna hkawm sa ai. Shi de dah ai Buga Hpung hte shi du da ai sasana ginra ni gaw,Sinlum Buga Hkalup Hpung,Lawdan Buga Hkalup Hpung,Lungja- JeYang Buga Hkalup Hpung,Chyahkan Dap Buga Hkalup Hpung,Mungga Hkran Buga Hkalup Hpung,Balawng Kawng Buga Hkalup Hpung,Mai Bat (Sut Ngai) Buga Hkalup Hpung,Nam San (Mung Ji ga) Buga Hkalup Hpung,Daw Hpum Yang Buga Hkalup Hpung,Dun Hung Buga Hkalup Hpung (ya Laiza Buga),Na Lung Buga Hkalup ,HpungNam Lang Buga Hkalup ,HpungMyo Thit (Kung Law) Buga Hkalup Hpung,Miwa ga deq Kang Shan Mare,Gang Ngai Pa ga,Lung Hpum ga,Hka Htum ga,Tang Gaw ga,N hkum Krung,Jan Shi Krung,Hu Sut (Miwa Bangwa ga) du hkra rai nga ai.Hpaji chye ai amyu tai yang she mungkan lahkam dep na re ngu shingran mu ai hte măren shi a nta ndaw hta hpun pyen kum, hpri zut gălup ai jawng woi gălaw let măkau grupyin kahtawng hkan nah ma ni hpe laika shărin hpang sai. Wunpawng amyu ni hta yawng a shawng hpawq ai tinang lăgaw tinang tsap ai jawng re ai lam chye lu ai. No.1 Mungkan măjan ngut ai hpang she, Sinlum Bum de htawt lah ai hte Asuya jawng tai wa sai.Dai sha n-ga English laika sharin jawng hpawq ya na hpyi ai shăloi ,nau nawq jau ai ngu Inglik Asuya ni tsun ai măjaw Pangmu măre hta English jawng n-lu lu hkra woi hpaw hpang sai. Sara/ma n jaw ai măjaw shi a kasha sarama Lahpai Htu Raw, Sara Lahpai Zau Neng yan hpe sharin shăngun ai. Chye wa ai ma ni hta na jawngma rai nga ai Maran nang Nem hte Lahtaw Zau Awng yan hpe ManMaw Ayebeng rung de woi sa nna, English ga hku laika tsun dan, mahkawn mahkawn shangun rai English shărin jawng lu hkra hpyi la sai. Maigan lăhkam chye na mătu rai nga ai.
Chyum Jawng lu ra sai ngu nna mung 1930 ning October shăta hta Myen mung Hkalup Hpung Mung Zuphpawng kaba hta n lu n da sa hpyi woi sai. 1931 ning September shăta praw 1 ya shăni Manmaw măre Sara Kaba Geis a nta hta jawng ma marai (9) hte chyum laika shărin jawng hpaw hpang sai. 1932 ning kaw nna gaw Man Maw măre hta dinggrin chyum jawng hpaw sai. Dai chyum jawng hpe 1934 ning April 15 ya kaw nna gaw Kutkai de htawt la ai hte dingyang shărin mat wa sai re.
Dakkasu jawng lu ai amyu rai ra ai nga nna Sinlum jawng hpe Dakkasu jawng byin hkra woi shakut sai. Dai ten Jinghpaw mungdaw hta hkyik dik wun dek jawng byin hkra lam woi tam sai. Raitim mungdan kata măjan a majaw n byin mat sai.
Sut lu nga mai ai amyu tai wa ra sai nga nna, hkarang yi kaw nna hkauna pa de ngu ai masing grai woi shakut sai. Nta shăgu sun lu ra ai. Tinang sha na nam si tinang hkai, gum hpraw mahkawng, hkying hkat ai sut hpaga chye gălaw hkra shakut ga “hkau hpum yang she, ngai sau ai” nga sha atsun nga ai.Ngasat ngasa mădang mung shătsaw wa săga. Bum ga kaw sha n rai, pa ga de, mai gan du, pang lai rap hkra nga pra sa wa ra ai nga n nah kahtawng na măsha ni hpe tsun ai sha n-ga ram ai ma ni hpe Myo ga de jawng tawn, Myo ga de hpaga seng hpaw shangun, Lamu ga lah dah, pa de hkau na woi mari rai lai wa sai.Gahkyin gumdin ai lam gaw lawt lu ai lam a n-pawt nga tsun let, marai langai mi lap 5/- hpra wa bang nna “ Wunpawng Fund” ngu woi hpaw sai. Shi nan shawng bang nna shaning shagu lap 5/- bang jat wu ai. Dai Fund gaw KNC prat hta jai jăhtum sai lam chye lu ai.
Jinghpaw Wunpawng amyu ni mungdan lu ai amyu, madu nan up hkang lu ai amyu tai ra sai nga nna 1925 ning ManMaw gah de na Du Salang ni, Myitkyina, Hka hku deq na Du Salang ni mărai (56) hpe woi nna Myen mungdan up ai munggyi Sir. Spencer Hercourt Buttler kaw Jinghpaw Mungdan jawq mi, Home Rule jaw mi, shing n rai mădu up hkang lu ai ahkaw ahkang hte laika hpaji jawng, hkam kaja dap, hkai lu hkai sha dap, Hpaga yumga dap hpawq ya mi, jaw mi ngu nna Yanggung gah du hkra sa woi hpyi wu ai.
Kăshu Kăsha ni hpe lahpawt lama n shalăngai dah ga nga tsun ai hte măren shi a n shang hkrat kasha ni yawng hpaji chye măsha kaba tai wa sai.Sarama Lahpai Nang Bang (jawng sarama),Du Kaba Lahpai Hkun Nawng (Wunpawng amyu sha ni hta yawng a shawng tsang shi awng, B.A degree lu ai. May Myo hpyen du jawng up, Naing ngandaw kongsi, Naing ngan gone ye No.1),Sarama kaba Lahpai Nang Doi (Jinghpaw laika kanu- I.L.T.A.H.K.N.Y.Z.E.M.W.hpe shalat sai),Du kaba Lahpai Shan Lum (Myen mung yup tung jahpan dap up daju- rif;BuD;),Du Lahpai Zau Neng. (Ayebyeng Du)Sarama kaba Lahpai Htu Raw (Maigan de shawng hpaji sharin sa ai wunpawng shayi- Australia and England),Rev. Lahpai Zau Yaw (Kutkai Chyum Jawng Up),Du Lahpai Zau Awng (Myen mungdan nam kawn dap up daju-rif;BuD);Sarama kaba Lahpai Seng Tawng (jawng Sarama).
( Rev. Lahpai Zau Tu n lu gălaw shăngut da ai bungli ni; )
1. Shi nan n lu gălaw kau dah ai Tibet sasana, Dalawng Mang Hpai sasana, Kadu Ganan sasana, Wa sasana mătut galaw na htet da ai.
2. Jinghpaw mungdan shanglawt lu ai grai mu mayu wu ai. Ndai mungdan gaw Hkristu a tsaw ra myit hte hpring ai, myit hkrum rap ra ai, gum chying gumsa myit n rawng ai mungdan rai shangun măyu wu ai. Dai măjaw mungdan a ningbaw ningla ni hpe kani hkum hkai, hkum lu, masha asak nau hkum sat, hpaji chye ai măsha shălat muq ngu n nah tsun ai măjaw dingla ndai hpe sat kau ra ai ngu tsun hkrum ai du hkra rai nga ai.
3. Ngai rai n si yang Dakkasu jawngma ni yan hkawm ai mu mayu ai. Jinghpaw Dakkasu jawng lu hkra hpawq ga. Amyu a gindai gaw dai kaw nna pru na ra ai nga ai.
(Rev. Lahpai Zau Tu jaw da, htet da ai hkring htawng.)
Mungdan ra ai amyu rai yang gaw hpaji măjan sut măjan, hpawq mu. Myit măsa tsaw tsaw rai nga mu. N mai byin ai ngu ai ga hkum lang.akyu grai hpyi ai. Akyu hpyi shăgu măhkawn shăkawn, chyum laika hti ra ai. Lani mi n law htum lak san akyu masum lang hpyi ai. jahpawt u rai n goi yang, shani chyingdung, shăna de jan shang wa ten rai lu ai. Akyu hpyi ai shăloi hkrup măra re ai hpun palawng n- hpun ai. Asan sha rai hkrut da, san da ai she hpun ai. Chyum laika hpe mung shi chye ai Myen hte Jinghpaw lahkawng galoi mung shingdaw nna hti ai.Amu n galaw ai wa gaw shat mung n sha u ga. Bungli shăngun na rai yang shat shawng jaw sha yu ai. Shat law law sha ai wa hpe she raq ai.Tsa chyăru, kani gaw măsha a mădang hpe gyitkau, jahten kau, shămak kau ya ai măjaw n lu n sha gaq. De a malai coffee hpalap lu mu nga nna shi up ai măre ni hta tsaq shădu gun lai na pyi n hkraw wu ai. Kăga lam hku shi lai shangun yu ai.Magrau grang ai hkring htawng jawq dah ai. Jaw ai lam teng yang găloi mung hkum htingnut mu.Sun galaw mu, hkau na galaw mu, hpaji shakut mu, lu sha kaja chye sha hkra shakut mu, nga sat nga sa madang shatsaw mu. Jinghpaw ni gaw hkrung kanu sha naw rai ya.Shaman chyeju hpaji chye ai japan majan ten grai hkrit ra ai ten hta shi a gum ra byau la nna Nba Pa hpung up sara Rev. Damau Naw kaw sa wa ai da. Nde de hkrit ra ai ten hpa sa galaw a ta. Ngu yang Rev. Damau Naw hpe nang gaw anhte yawng a shawng hpaji chye ai hpung up sara re, ngai hpe lata mara akyu hpyi shaman ya rit ngu chyeju a hpyi la ai da.Shi asak kaba shamu shamawt yak wa ai ten masha hpe woi awn ai hkring htawng matut na matu kasha Du kaba Hkun Nawng hpe shaga la nna, Du palawng rai nga ai n-hpau lawng jahpun chyum laika baw kaw mara ya rai, nye a malai nang bai shakut u nga ap ya da ai.Mung up masa, Hpung masa, dinghku masa kaga ga rai ra ai. Shinggyim masha re ai majaw ra ai lam law law galaw let asak hkrung ra na re. rai tim hkum gayau kau, Ga sha:-Japan prat hta Sinlum Jau hpe Kyin yu shadu ai majaw Manmaw Japan rung de sa jahkrum na shaga wu ai. Masum lang shaga tim Wa Jau gaw n yu wa ai majaw Japan du ni gaw, mung up Du Rev. Lahpai Zau Tu hpe lawan shayu dat ya rit. Masat da ai nhtoi du yang n du jang gaw kahtawng yawng nat kau ya na aming jahkrat dat wu ai. Wa Jau hpe kade tsun yu ai rai tim n yu wa hkraw ai majaw hkungga lara rai let shi a bung hkaw raw la nna lata gyit ya ai hte Manmaw Japan ring kaw woi sa nna, Rung du jang n dai jau gaw sasana sara she re, nanhte zawn nawn ai kyin yu n re. ngai mung up Duwa nan lit la n ngai ngu tsun shaw la let atsawm bai woi wa ai da. Mung up Du bungli hkrak galaw ai. Karai tsaw ra myit tup hkrak madun ai.Hpt. Sara Lasi Balawng gaw kasha lasi Sam naw hpe dai daw lek mat la na matu nga sat hkra akyu hpyi ma ai. Pangmu Duwa Rev. Lahpai Zau Tu gaw Mung Du langai hku nna, Kawn magyi hpyi wu ai. Hpt. Sara Lasi Balawng gaw Hpung shang sayang me hpa rai kawn magyi naw jaw ra n ta? Ngu n jaw ai da. Shaloi Rev. Lahpai Zau Tu gaw labu palawng tsawm tsawm hpun, akyu atsawm sha hpyi ya nna shat n sha ai sha wa mat ai da. Hpa rai ngu san yu yang tinang a duwa hpe pyi n-chye ai ni a lu sha ngai hpa rai sha na.
Source: ``Pangmu Duwa Lahpai Zau Tu ´´ by Ginru ginsa blog.
A Yearning for Literacy: Pangmu Duwa Lahpai Zau Tu’s Story
There was an old man in our village by the name of Lapum Naw Htang, a refugee from the Burmese-Kachin conflict of earlier years. He told us that he had learned to read and write at a Shan monastery school. So I asked him what the written word looks like. He said he was first taught “ka-hka-ga” (the first 3 letters of the Burmese alphabet, or literally in Kachin, “the language of the crows”). He told me that the letters were all rounded, like circles. Ever since, the desire to become literate, to be able to read and write, burned within me.
My third great grandfather Jaufa Khun spent many years as a monk at a Shan monastery, reputedly becoming quite learned, especially in astrology. In later years, he was persuaded to leave monkhood to lead his people in the fight against the Burmese governor at Bhamo. The Burmese troops suffered heavy losses from the unconventional guerrilla tactics Jaufa Khun and his men employed. This led a strong Burmese force to come up to the hills and torch Kachin villages in revenge. Jaufa Khun lost his life from the burns he received while trying to retrieve sacred texts from his burning house.
My ancestor was learned to be sure, but he did not earn my admiration, as he did nothing to share his knowledge with his people.
It was in 1891 or 1892, that American Baptist missionaries, the Reverends Roberts and Hanson, came up to the Sinlum Hills from Bhamo, asking my father Zau Li and my uncles Zau Tang and Gauri Nawng (co-chieftains of the Gauri Lahpai clan), for a piece of land on which to build a house for Rev. Hanson[i], who needed to escape from Bhamo’s scorching heat in the summer to continue with his translation work.
My father and uncles granted the missionaries a sizeable plot, also helping them build a bamboo, thatched house. Every summer, they would go down to the Bhamo plains to fetch the Hansons, and escort them back on their return.
After Rev. Hanson and his family were more or less settled in their little house, Mama[ii] Hanson embarked on efforts to educate us children. We children were: I – Zau Tu, my cousin Seng Li, Malang Gumbau, Hpa Grawng, Ndup Nawng, and a few girls. Mama enticed us by handing out sugar candy one day, small coins the next, and pictures and molasses candy on other days. Then she taught us a song, and afterward said, “Tomorrow, I’m going to teach you to read and write”.
I was at the Hanson house earlier than usual the next morning. I had been so overcome with excitement I had hardly slept that night. After singing the song “When Jesus Our Lord Was Here”, Mama began writing the letters on a board and showed them to us.
From then on, I went everyday to learn from Mama. My friends could not be there every day. I went and stayed with the Hanson children for one whole week, and by the end of my stay, I had learned to write all the letters. Then my uncle came to the house and said I needed to come home with him, as my father was not well.
When I got home, I found that my father was not sick at all. He was in fact very well. He told me the missionaries, after teaching us the letters, would transport our spirits, so that they could take us to the low lands and devour us. “So, don’t go anymore” he said. I retorted, “If they’re going to spirit away the other children, let them spirit me away also!” My father then continued to frighten me by telling me that Sragyi[iii] had been seen stretched out on his porch, sated after eating a dog from the village. He had carried away the dog after shapeshifting into a tiger. Unfazed, I again said, “If he’s going to eat other people’s children, let him eat me also!” But soon the rains began to fall and it became cooler, and the Hansons went back to Bhamo.
Not long after, my uncle Zau Tang told me that he planned to take his son Seng Li and our friend Malang Gumbau to the Bhamo mission school after he had finished planting the paddy fields. I was to keep this a secret from my father if I wanted to come along. I was so overjoyed that the mere thought of going to school caused me to choke on my food while eating, break into an excited run when walking, or wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go back to sleep again.
When the time came, I put the 2 blankets I had squirreled away in a bag, and left for Bhamo without telling my father and mother. So the five of us – my uncle Zau Tang and aunt Htu Ting, my cousin Seng Li, Malang Gumbau and myself – started on our journey to Bhamo.
(The young Zau Tu spent his school days at the Bhamo mission school working as a stable boy for the Roberts, to earn his upkeep. He met his future wife Nangzing Hka Jan at the school, and they both went on to establish the first self-supporting Kachin primary school at Pangmu, Sinlum. His children became the first Kachins to receive university education.)
[i] Dr. Ola Hanson; Litt.D., M.R.A.S., a much beloved missionary, spent 28 years among the Kachins. He formulated an orthography for the Kachin language using the Roman alphabet, translated the Bible into Kachin, completed a Kachin grammar and a Kachin-English dictionary, while also publishing a number of Kachin-related writings.
[ii] “Mama”, meaning ‘elder sister’ in Burmese, was a term of respect commonly used in addressing missionary women.
[iii] “Sragyi”, or “great teacher”, a term used to refer to male missionaries.
By Kachinland news
Pangmu shayi
