Conceptual Change of Earth Shape in Mizo Society

Abstract:
Mizos, from time immemorial, believed that the earth originated from the goddess called Khawzingnu. The earth was flat and it was carried by a tortoise. By the advent of British, Mizo’s view regarding the shape of the earth had totally changed. The main objective of this paper is to show how the Traditional Mizo, from Lusei Centric, believed the evolution of earth and how changes in the belief of earth shape was made after colonization.

Keywords: Earth shape, Mizo, British, Sphere

Introduction
The concept of the earth shape has become a core concept in the theory of astronomy and has been associated with a number of revolutions in the theory of this science. In most societies, the earliest conceptions about the earth were that it is flat, that it is the centre of the universe. The earth was hypothesised to be flat in early Egypt, in Sumeria, in early Greece as well as in early India. In historical development of cosmological theories the view that the earth is flat is eventually replaced by the view that is spherical. Aristotle in his book, On the Heavens offered a number of arguments as to why the earth should be a sphere. One of the arguments has to do with the position of the North Star. The Greeks knew from their travels that the North Star appears lower in the sky when viewed in the south than in the north. Another argument was based on the explanation of the eclipses of the moon. Aristotle hypothesized that the eclipse of the moon were caused by the earth’s shadow on the moon. Since this shadow was always round, he argued that the earth must be spherical.1 This conceptual change was dominated by the view that concepts consist of necessary and sufficient features and that conceptual development characterised by sequences of global institutional shift.

The Traditional view of Mizo
Mizos initially adopted a flat earth position since time immemorial. This idea began with the goddess called Khawzingnu. She created the earth with no soil but with large flat rock. During the time when ‘Khawzingnu’ created the earth there was neither earth nor human, only animals existed. There was one big ocean called Tuihriam which was very large and extremely cold. Everywhere was plate of stone, except Tuihriam, in which no kind of vegetation could grow. On the other shore of Tuihriam there was a little soil and whosoever tried to swim across the ocean to take the soil died due to the chilling and vastness of Tuihriam. While everyone began to think no one dared to take the soil, a porcupine believed himself to take the daring challenge. He started taking the fatal expedition to Tuihriam. His determination luckily brought him to the other shore after a long struggle in the cold water. He took the soil and swam back to his friends. His adventurous survival for the soil had now made his friends happier than before. But the soil which the porcupine took was not enough for vegetal growth. They started thinking of multiplying it to supply their needs and requirement. They were again in despair after a long meeting and discussion, for no one was able to multiply the soil. Ultimately, an earthworm stepped out and said to his friends, “I will eat this soil and multiply it by excretion.” But his friends said, “The decision you make is only to feed your stomach.” He again replied boldly, “If this is only for me you’ll cut me off into three pieces.” When his friends knew the earthworm was firm in his words, they accepted and let him eat the soil. The earthworm excreted the soil and ate his excretion again and again. Gradually, the soil increased. The animals took the soil away in different places and ultimately they had a plain earth with soil but without valleys and hills. The earth, in the beginning, was very soft. Chulteinu2 smoothened it before it dried up.3

The existence of the soil was followed by human existence. There was a big tree called thingvantawng4 that grew at a village called Vanlaiphai. People wanted to cut the tree but they were afraid to spoil up the ground. One day, they sent Lailen5 out to investigate the ground. Lailen flew over the ground and occasionally touched the ground with its foot. He came back with the message that the he found the earth totally dry, but in reality his lightness did not make any sense over the ground to spoil. Then, people prepared to cut Thingvantawng with their axes. They tried so hard and helped each other to slash down that big and tall tree. When it was finally cut it hit the ground fiercely. But the ground was not yet dry which resulted in the formation of hills and valleys. The places where the big branches hit the ground created deep valleys and the small branches created smaller shallow valleys. 6

The earth, according to early Mizos, was also hypothesised to be flat and having ten layers which was carried by a tortoise. They believed man could only dig in to the eighth layer. This is the reason why the idiom ‘Piallei thuah riat’ meaning the eighth layer of the earth connotes grave. At the tenth layer one lazy evil spirit wass lying. His name was Chhama7. The phrase Chham ang zal8 signifying a lazy sleeping person has also come from this story.9 The end of the earth is called Kawlkil (End of Horizon) which is guarded by a strong man. Earthquake happened when the guard shook the earth or put live ember on the tortoise.10

Deconstruction of the Traditional Concept
The colonization by the year 1890 influenced the British Missionaries to take advantage in changing the traditional concept of the earth’s shape because of the introduction of a new system of literature in the erstwhile Lushai Hills. In the early 1894, the first English Missionaries of the Aborigine Mission who came to Mizoram through Tlawng River introduced Mizo alphabets in the form of Roman script. This introduction of script was revolutionary for a society in the transformation of Mizo ideology and cultural practices and belief. It opened a door for further exploration into the wider world which the Mizo did not even know existed. These two missionaries, Lorrain and Savidge, opened a school in Aijal on 1st April, 1894 with two pupils but soon abandoned as they wanted to concentrate on translation. They left a mark by translating the Bible in Mizo from the Gospel of Luke, John and Act. J.H. Lorrain also compiled Grammar and Dictionary of the Lushai Language containing 7000 words, which was published in the later part of 1899. In 1897, D.E. Jones of Welsh Mission took over the mission because the two pioneer missionaries who enlightened Mizo in Christianity were moved by their Mission Headquarters to Arunachal Pradesh. D.E. Jones later reopened school on 28th February, 1898. From that day, management of school was undertaken by the Welsh missionaries.11 Sunday school was a very important place to learn not only about the Bible but also disciplinary study and Mizo alphabets.

In schools, as reported by Edwin Rowland12, the missionaries taught in Lower Primary Thu in chhang (Responsive reading) and Pathian thu tinreng (The word of God), Hla thu hrilhfiah leh Zirtir (Description and teaching of poem), Drill, Chhiar(Reading), Ziak(writing), Arithmetic and Geography. In Geography they taught Map Hrilhfiah (description of map), mahni vela luite ziah chhuah ( writing out of various adjacent rivers….) In his report Mr. J.C. Arbuthnot, C.I.E., I.C.S., Commissioner, Surma Valley & Hill Districts, on visit to Aijal (1907), listed and reported Lushai Text Books like Lushai Primer, Lushai Advance Reader, Notes on St. Luke’s Parables etc., while Geography of Assam and Geography of India was in a printing process.13 All these books helped the pupils in understanding the subject matter and were the sources of information. Besides these, the writing in Newspapers had also given bulky knowledge about the earth.

In the May issue of Mizo newspaper called Mizo leh Vai Chanchinbu of 1908, there was an article on the different planets of our solar system in which the planet earth is also described. According to the article, the earth revolves round the sun, like the moon revolves round the earth, within 365 ¼ days.14 In addition to this, it had also been published that some of the school examination question paper in this newspaper where some were solved and some other were not solved. The unsolved question of Lushai Primier found in July Issue, 1908 was to describe the earth.15 Here, it is evident that that the syllabus in school under the British Missionary covered the description of the shape of the earth.

The 1921 Lushai Primer, also called Duhlian zirtirh bu, was an important source that proved that pupils were taught about the shape of the earth. This book has 67 chapters where the 43rd chapter has a topic about the earth.16 The chapter is divided into 9 points as follows:-

1) The earth is a sphere and is suspended in the air like the moon. It appears to be flat because of its vastness.
2) The earth revolves round the sun in one year (365 days and 6 hours) and has one rotation within 24 hours.
3) Because of earth inclination on its axis there are winter, rainy, summer and autumnal seasons.
4) There is hot and molten liquid within the earth’s surface. Earthquakes and volcanoes are also related to the molten liquid.
5) The outermost part is solid. It composes of mountains and plains.
6) The ocean is three times larger than continents.
7) If we go west we will reach east after a couple of years.
8) There are mountains that are higher than Hmuifang17. Some of the mountains are 5 miles higher than Hmuifang. (Translated by the Samuel R. Vanlalruata from Lushai Primer)

Pupils explained their knowledge about geography to their kin and friends. People found it very difficult to accept the concept of spherical earth because of lack of scientific explanation about the earth. Sometimes, the pupils themselves doubted their explanation and made fun about how the people attached themselves in spherical earth for they did not realise the power of gravity. Thus, colonial period is dominated by the introduction of the correct explanation of earth’s shape.

Post Colonial View & Scientific correlation with Biblical View
After the Independence of India from the British rule, Mizoram became a district of Assam in 1952. The colonial legacy of the British was still among the people of Mizo society. The teacher taught the classes with the help of a globe. Pupils were also assigned to make globe and their imaginary degree of latitude and longitude. The spherical earth concept and solar system was still part of the curriculum in schools and it had still been a confusing concept until the completion of middle level of education of the government. Some of the problems of the students in the elementary level and middle level were:-

1) Why was water not falling out of the earth if it is a sphere?
2) If the earth is spinning man and animals would fall out from the earth.
3) Is man attached at the surface of the earth?

Unlike the colonial era, pupils in the post colonial era could mostly understand after reaching high school level because they began to think logically and scientifically since the educational system and method was improving in Lushai Hills District which is now known as Mizoram. They told their illiterate and low level educated friends and parents about the story of the earth and moon from what they learnt.

One of the most revolutionary changes brought during this period was the mission to the moon undertaken by National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) in 1969. This news had also reached Mizoram which enabled students to see a broader and real view of the earth and the documentary film of this mission made by Neil Armstrong and his friends was already shown by means of the cinema to students in 1970. The film not only helped students to understand their mission and picture of the moon, but also the real earth shape which was taken from the moon.

In 1972, Mizoram became a Union territory. After this year, Around the World in Eighty Days written by Jules Verne was published in 1973 in France. It was studied in Rapid Reader18 within this decade. It demonstrated the knowledge and application of scientific fact as well as spherical earth concept. Through this book, students not only understood the earth is spherical, but also analyse the relationship between latitude, altitude and climate.

In 1988, 1996 and 2007 the first, second and third edition of Bible leh Science written by P.C. Biaksiama brought a new era by influencing school education students and their teachers, researchers and Church elder. The book has sought the correlation between Bible and Science. He objects to the theory of evolution, both atheistic and theistic theory of the earth which could influence Christianity in Mizoram through laws of Entropy. The origin of the solar system, according to him, was not the big bang theory but believed it was created by a supernatural being. He believed the earth is a sphere. He supports this by placing the picture of earth which was taken from the moon. The earth, according to him, was created by the Christian God as described in the book of Genesis in the Bible. The origin of mountains and valleys in Bible, as stated by him, are also related with Catastrophism which happens vigorously in different regions of the earth. He said that the principle of Catastrophism acted as volcanoes, earthquakes, and flood is sole importance and acceptable rather than uniformitarianism in forming and shaping the earth’s surface. 19

Years later, after the publication of the first volume of Bible leh Science, Biaksiama published Bible leh Science Vol-II. Here, he took out from the book of Isaiah 40:22 the verse, “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth…”. As explained by him Circle in Hebrew means hug which really means round. He calculated the era of Isaiah as 700 B.C. He believed God of Christian had let someone write in the Bible about the correct shape of the earth. The author also wrote about the suspension of earth in the air by taking out from Job 26:7, “the earth was hung on nothing”. 20

Recent Development
Besides theoretical education, technology has also improved dramatically. In 1988, Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre (MIRSAC) was established. The Centre was re-established as an autonomous Government Institution under Science, Technology and Environment Wing, Govt of Mizoram on September, 2008. This Centre provides valuable information about the earth through Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System.21 The shape of the earth is not confusion anymore. The technology not only helps to understand the shape, but also allows cartographers and map makers to measure the earth and produce precise maps for developmental activities.

Conclusion
Like many other civilisations and cultural history, Mizo has also a traditional belief of flat earth theory. With the passage of time, the improvement of educational system and technology brought a clearer view about the description of the earth. The Christian missionaries would be given first credit, followed by systematic learning and technological revolution that happened among the Mizo society.

Notes and References:

• 1 Hussain, Majid, Evolution of Geographical Thought, Rawat Publication, Jaipur and New Delhi.
• 2 Chulteinu is a mythical rodent family.
• 3 Zama, Margaret Ch, Origin Myths of the Mizos, India International Centre Quarterly, Vol. 32, No. 2/3, Where the Sun Rises When, The North-east (MONSOON-WINTER 2005), pp. 7-11, India International Centre.
• 4 Thingvantawng means a tree that reaches the sky.
• 5 The English name is white wagtail (Motacilla Alba Dikhunesis). It is migratory bird which is generally found in winter in Mizoram.
• 6 Thanmawia, R.L., Mizo Hnahthlak Thawnthu Vol-I, Dindin Heaven, M-24, Ramhlun South, Aizawl, Pp 31-34, 41 & 42.
• 7 It has also been regarded an evil spirit at jungle pool called ‘sih’. The reddish deposit found at the bottom is believed to be an excretion of this spirit.
• 8 Sleeping like Chhama
• 9 Sanga, S.K., British leh Mizote Chanchin, J.S. Printing Work Vaivakawn, Aizawl, Mizoram. pp 37
• 10 J.H. Lorrain Log book. P. 96
• 11 Rohmingmawii, Social economic and Political History of the Mizo, (ed), Orality to Literature: its impact on colonial Mizoram, EBH Publisher, Guwahati, India.
• 12 Edwin Rowland was a Welsh Christian missionary in North East India and Burma. He was the second Welsh Missionary who reached Mizoram after D.E. Jones. He arrived at Aizawl on 31st December, 1898. He was known as Zosapthara. He took charge of education from 1900. Through him Government funding were managed by the mission till he held the charge in Mizoram. He left Mizoram in 1908.
• 13 Mizoram State Archive CB-8, Edn-129
• 14 Mizo leh Vai Chanchinbu, May issue, 1908
• 15 Mizo leh Vai Chanchinbu, July issue, 1908
• 16 Lushai Primier 1921
• 17 Hmuifang is located 23044 N and 92076 E. It is 1619 m.high. It is 50 km south from Aizawl. The British, through Lushai Primier, became aware that it is not the highest peak in Mizoram. It seems that the Mizo, before colonization, did not know peaks higher than Hmuifang.
• 18 Rapid Reader is a text book studied in Mizoram in 1980s.
• 19 Biaksiama, P.C., Bible leh Science Vol 1, Mualchin Publication and Paper Works, Peter Street, Khatla, Aizawl, Mizoram. Pp102
• 20 Biaksiama, P.C., Bible leh Science Vol 2, Partnership Publishing House, Aizawl. Pp 140-146
• 21 See mirsac.nic.inElectronic / Web sources:
  Malsawmthanga, H.C. Mara Literature Hmasiena Lathloh. April 20 2019. https://maraliterature.blogspot.com

Cite the original source: 
Vanlalruata, Samuel R and Lalmalsawmzauva, Dr. KC. “Conceptual Change of Earth Shape in Mizo Society.” Mizo Studies, IX, no. 1, Mar. 2020, pp. 95–105.