The Sailo clan formed a loose confederacy led by a supreme Lal, and other prominent dynasties, such as the Lais and Fanais, maintained their systems.
[3] However, this period of relative calm was shattered by a feud between two powerful Sailo Lals: Lalpuithanga of the South and Vuta of the North.
[4] According to popular accounts, Vuta composed a mocking song accusing Lalpuithanga of giving up part of his territory.
Enraged by their admission, Lalpuithanga fired a blank shot as they departed—an act signifying a declaration of war in Mizo culture.
[6] The massacre became a legendary tale in Mizo culture, immortalized through the romantic oral narrative Sanga, which recounts the story of Chala and Thangi, two Khawnglung citizens separated by the attack.
The war ended abruptly in 1859 due to the Mautam famine, a natural disaster that devastated the region and forced both sides to abandon the fighting.