Probably no one has a better acquaintance with the Lolos than the Catholic missionary, M. Paul Vial. He has lived for many years among the Nyi (or Ngi) Lolos of Yunnan, and has come to the conclusion that “Man-tzu et Lolos ne sont qu’une seule et meme race.

In the study of languages and dialects I found that there are many words which are very much the same between the Tibetan language and the languages spoken by the ZO Ml (Chin) and Burmans.

In the lower plains of Burma the Zo Chins have assimilated with fhe Burmans gradually, but in the sub-montane regions like Natchaung, Sidok-taya, Yaw-Tilin and Gangaw and Pauk and other areas along the main Arakan Yomah down to Prome, the peoples although Burmanised themselves admit their being Zo, Yaw, Yo, Sho which is the same name given by the earlier pmakers to all the people inhabiting the whole Western ranges up to Assam identifying themselves with the nomenclature given themselves ma by the majority of the Chins within and without the selves without the Chin Hills.

Not only are the Chins scattered outside Burma but their allied languages are found in several parts of Assam: “South of the Naga Hills lies the State of Manipur, and here we first meet the group of languages known as Kuki-Chin. Meithei, the official language of the State, is the one of them which possesses an alphabet and a literature. Owing to the existence of the latter its development has been retarded, so that it is in an older stage that the rest. The others are scattered in colonies over Manipur and Cachar, and extend south, through the hill country, as far as the Sandoway District of Burma. Since they occupied this latter area, there has been a constant tendency to expand northwards. On the West they were barred by the sea, and on the south and east by the stable government of Burma. Thus wave after wave has been driven to the north by those who were behind. The Kuki-Chins of Manipur and Cachar once occupied the hills immediately to the south, and these are now held by the Lushais, who were originally pushed forward from the south-east and drove them on. This progress has been arrested by our conversion of Cachar into settled territory. There are more than thirty Kuki-Chin languages, our conversion some with several dialects

The Khyengs call themselves Hiou or Shou and state that the Shindoos, Khumis, and Lungkhes are members of the same race as themselves. They have a tradition that they came down from the Kyendweng river, but they possess no written record of their descent; they are fond, however, of singing rude ballads, which portray the delights of their ancient country, specimen of which is here given :

1. Ania la chan don a kho a, e e e e
2. htoan za na baleng a hpuan a, e e e e
3. apok a poichi a oat mlu a, e e e e
4. htoan za na baleng a hpuan a,
5. ane ye olo ve dimo e, e e e e
6. si sho e lo po e hnaung e, e e e e
7. son sho e a toan e sy e, e e e e
8. kanau o suam ei o htui yo.

Translation
1. To the upper (country of the) Kyendweng (river)
2. To the level (plains of the) baleng and dry htoan (grasses)
3. To the brick (walled) city of our forefathers
4. To the level (plains of the) baleng and dry htoan (grasses)
5. Which are so charming (lit. not a little charming)
6. Let us hie, come along!
7. Let us haste with every speed
8 Oh my fairy — like young brother!

The above is quoted from “On the Khyeng People of the Sandoway District, Arakan” by Major G. E. Fryer, Deputy Commissioner, Sandoway.

The words “Hiou or Shou” has little difference phonetically from “Zo, Yo, Yaw”. Taking into account the distance of the hundred miles or so which separates the Zo Chins from the plains Hiou/Shou or Yaw Chins, the similarity existing among the different words is still most striking. Thus we might conclude that the races found in between or around must have once belonged to the same stock.

One historical account of the Siyin Zos is that once all the Zo (Yaw Chins) inhabited the Kalemyo valley. The Governor of Kale who was a son of the King of Ava was, however, most oppressive and forced the people to construct a palatial four walled fort with a moat running all around it like the one at Ava. With the incessant raids from Manipur the people could devote little time to ploughing their fields and all the time was spent in building the fort. It is related that the fingers accidentally cut during the course of this forced labour filled a whole basket. The people tired of this oppression decided to migrate west and south. Those who went up the west came into the hill region by way of Thuam Vum (Kennedy Peak) and by Natchaung-Webula road, and several went down south to Tilin, Gangaw, Sidoktaya, Minbu and down to Arakan. The Hiou or Shou (Khyengs) living in Sandoway district, whose ballads are recorded by Fryer mention a brick walled city :

“To the brick (walled) city of our forefathers” in the third stanza and they claimed also to have descended from the Kyendweng river. The Frontier Areas Enquiry Commission of 1947 recorded the same history.