Tedim (, , (
Zo: ''Tedim Khuapi'', pronounced ; is a town and the administrative seat of
Tedim Township in
Chin State,
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
. It is the second largest town in Chin State, after
Hakha
Hakha (, ; formerly rendered Haka) is the capital of Chin State in Myanmar.
Hakha is located in the northeast of Chin State, with a total area of about . The city of Hakha is located on a plateau at more than above sea level. Although relative ...
(the capital city of Chin State). The town's four major boroughs (''veng'') are: Sakollam, Myoma, Lawibual and Leilum.
History
The name "Tedim" was derived from a pool in the hills that used to twinkle in the sunlight. Therefore it was called ''te-dim'' (twinkling, shiny) in the local
Tedim language (which is also called "Tedim pau").
As the Zomi lacked a formal
writing system
A writing system comprises a set of symbols, called a ''script'', as well as the rules by which the script represents a particular language. The earliest writing appeared during the late 4th millennium BC. Throughout history, each independen ...
in the past, the story of Tedim mostly depends on
oral tradition
Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication in which knowledge, art, ideas and culture are received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (19 ...
. Establishment of Tedim is ascribed to Gui Mang II, a powerful prince from the then ruling
Guite family in the region (c. 1600). However, due to the untimely death of Gui Lun (the fifth generation from Gui Mang II), Tedim was deserted for two generations. By the time of Pum Go, Tedim was reestablished as the political base of the Guite family. At the time of Mang Suum II, son of Pum Go, the allied force of the Pawihangs began their advance in the region and attacked Tedim. Tedim was again deserted by many, though some local residents survived under the leadership of Mang Gin from the Hatlangh family. In 1840, in order to secure peace, the remaining citizens invited the leadership of Kam Hau of Mualbem, of the emerging Sukte family, since they had good military and political ties with the Zahau family of the Pawis.
[Sing K. Khai, ''Zo People and Their Culture'' (Lamka, Churachanpur, India: Kampu Hatzaw, 1995), 25-27 (Khai comments on the emergence of the Sukte family as a matter of fear of the Pawis of present Falam, that Khan Thuam and his son, Kam Hau, ruled as their vassal).]
When British rule began in 1824, Tedim was chosen as the local residence for the
District Officer.
Geography
The ranges of Hills of Thangmual include Kennedy's Peak, Lunglenkawl, the
Rih Bual, the Hausapi, the Gullu Mual, the Zangmualli, the Tuikangpi, the Suangsuang, and the Lentangmual. There are dams, caves, peaks, and other attractions, including Lennupa Mual, the Twin Fairy Hill and other historic sites.
References
External links
Tedim Bible (Android)Tedim Bible (iOS)Vaphual News in TedimEnglish to Tedim/Zolai DictionaryZolai to English Dictionary and Zolai GrammarZomi Online Library
{{Chin State
Township capitals of Myanmar
Populated places in Chin State