Zawlbuk

Zawlbûk (/zɔːlˈbuːk, zɒl-/; from Lushai zâwl 'flat' and bûk 'hut') was a traditional bachelorsʼ quarters of the Mizo people, predominantly of the Luseis living in Mizoram, India.

Even though its basic use was as a dormitory for all unmarried men of the village, it was much more a social institution where education, entertainment, skill and personal developments, and security of the tribal community were (almost) entirely centred.

[6] The space around this verandah was called awkpaka, which was delimited by one (or two) massive log of wood, at about 2 ft high, spanning the whole breadth of the entrance.

This was known as bawhbel (or pawmpual to the southerners) and was an off-limit to the rest of the population, women, children, married men, and even the royalty and the council.

[7] Lodging in Zawlbuk was a type of compulsory commitment in which male members of the community above 15 years of age must enter and remain there until they get married.

All internal management and activities were highly democratic and entirely decided by the lodgers, and no external interference was allowed, even from the chief and the village council.

The residents were entirely of young men, typically of above 15 years of age, properly titled tlangvâl; and the leader of the members was vâl-upa who monitored all the activities.

because each of them were assigned specific amounts of firewood, and they had to know that they fulfilled their tasks.The thingfawm boys were restricted from participating in the main activities of the tlangval, though they were allowed to play around and join their merrymaking.

Another popular activity is the Insuknawr and the insai hrui pawh in which the participants try to drag each other by crawling while being tied to each other with a rope Zawlbûk was much more than a simple dormitory for regular overnight stay, it was a centre of village education, defense, discipline and development.

The beginning of formal education and mass conversion to Christianity indeed changed the course of ethnic identity which ultimately led to the abandonment of Zawlbûk.

[14] The status of Zawlbûk suffered a fatal blow when the power of the traditional chieftainships was stripped off and governmental administration was set up by the British.

Parry, an English Superintendent (1924–28) of Lushai Hills, realising its crucial role in the Mizo society, made an attempt to revive it in 1926 by compelling all villages to rebuild their Zawlbûk, but to no avail.

[13] On 1 January 1938 the successor Superintendent, Anthony Gilchrist McCall, convened a public meeting at Thakthing, Aizawl, on the subject of continuing the official order of reviving Zawlbûk.