Relocating Sinlung!

 

By: Dr Joseph Suantak, Tuibuang Bazar, Churachandpur

 

In my previous publication viz, “The Vaipheis: Their history & Culture (with a concise & critical analysis of the Chin-Kuki-Zo origin and their exodus) [2010]” I had argued the absence of a place called Sinlung which lies on the bank of Yalong river in present day Sichuan [to pronounce ‘Shuh-chu’ân’]. Indeed, it is true that most of the maps of China bear no such name. However, it cannot be denied — there are two-three or more Xinlong [to pronounce ‘Shin’+ ‘lung’] and Xinglong. ‘XINLONG’ is a Chinese word for ‘new dragon’, which signifies ‘New China’, and ‘XINGLONG’ qualifies ‘Star Dragon’.

 

To tell the truth, the Chinese Xinlong or Sinlung in *Sichuan got its name only after the Chinese occupation since 1950 [Tibet was forcibly incorporated into the People's Republic of China in 1950] Ref-http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Tibet]. This Xinlong area/county was previously called Nyarong by the natives ‘Tibetans’. ‘Nya’ = now sinocised ‘Yalong’, and ‘Rong’= valley. Historically, the township Xinlong is originally called Barshok or Drugmo Dzong. It is the hometown of the Khampa warriors. Before the Chinese annexation and its incorporation within the Sichuan Province, it used to be within the Kham division or kingdom of ancient Tibet. [*known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu. The current name of the province, "四川", is an abbreviation of "四川路" (Sì Chuānlù), or "Four circuits of rivers", which is itself abbreviated from "川峡四路" (Chuānxiá Sìlù), or "Four circuits of rivers and gorges". Sources: http://www.answers.com/].

 

Strictly, in a nutshell, if the places that bear the name ‘Xinlong’ [pronounce Shinlung/Sinlung], anywhere within present day geopolitical boundary of China is to be accepted as the CKZ’s ancestral hometown or county, the evolution of the CKZ people should be dated back to only about 1911 CE [at the earliest] to 1970 CE!

 

Today, with a geo-political policy the Chinese government had gradually sinocised not only names of a number of places but also rivers. For instances, Nyarong river have been changed into Yalong River, Ma Chu into Huanghe [Yellow River], Dri Chu into Yangtze, Dza Chu into Mekong, Gyamo Ngul Chu into Salween. What is more, even some of our brethren Tibetans began sinocizing their personal names since recent time!

 

Now, from what has been pictured, it can fairly be posited that, the traditional ‘Sinlung’ of the CKZ and the recent Chinese name ‘Xinlong’ are simply an identical terms/names which have nothing to do with their ancestral homeland. Truly, CKZ’s Sinlung or Chhinlung rather seem to be an indication of the legendary Khul where all of them once dwelled together in about ~20-30KYABP somewhere within/between the Eastern bank of the Brahmaputra in present day Bangladesh and Western realm of Myanmar.

 

Concluding remark: Let us not be tempted, too soon, too easily, by identical names/terms/words &c which are Semetic, Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan, Burmese etc, while tracing our origin.

 

[Editor: This extract forms a section from yet to be published ‘Chin+Kuki=Zo Genesis & Exodus’]