Introduction

The Zomi people, whose homeland stretches across the highlands of northwestern Myanmar, northeast India, and parts of Bangladesh, possess a vibrant and multifaceted cultural tradition. Known in colonial sources as the “Chin,” but self-identifying as Zomi, this population has historically lived in dispersed highland villages and developed political, linguistic, and religious systems deeply rooted in their environment. One of the most significant indigenous religious movements to emerge among the Zomi was founded by Pau Cin Hau (1859–1948), remembered as a reformer, prophet, and innovator. His legacy is the Siangsawn Pasian faith—a monotheistic religious system centered on Pasian (the Creator) and supported by the invention of a unique script.

This article traces the origins, theology, and social reforms of the Siangsawn Pasian religion, analyzes its cultural role within Zomi society, and reflects on its significance as an indigenous modernity. Unlike Christianity and Buddhism, which were introduced from external sources, the Siangsawn Pasian faith arose from within Zomi society itself. Today, it stands as a vital chapter in the history of Zomi resilience and identity.¹

Pre-Christian Zomi Religious Practices

Before the arrival of Christianity or the reforms of Pau Cin Hau, Zomi cosmology was animated by a world of spirits, ancestors, and ritual specialists. Sickness, death, and misfortune were explained as the actions of malevolent spirits, known as dawi, who required constant appeasement. Ritual sacrifices—of poultry, pigs, and sometimes cattle or mithun—were offered to restore harmony.²

This system imposed both a spiritual and economic burden. Elaborate status feasts were central to social recognition:

  • Gal-aih (celebrating victory over enemies),
  • Sa-aih (marking the hunting of wild animals),
  • Tang-aih (given when one harvested a hundred baskets of grain), and
  • Ton feast (the grandest, requiring the slaughter of mithun).

These events reinforced hierarchical prestige but often left households indebted. Families unable to provide animals or repay loans risked losing their freedom and becoming bonded laborers.³ Colonial observers such as Carey & Tuck noted that these ritual economies, though impressive, entrenched cycles of debt, feud, and warfare.⁴

From an anthropological perspective, this system reveals the entanglement of ritual, economy, and social status. Religion was not merely belief but the structuring force of social life, sustaining both solidarity and inequality.

Pau Cin Hau: Visionary, Reformer, and Prophet

Pau Cin Hau was born in Tedim in 1859. According to movement traditions, his mother Pi Cing Zam dreamt of a halo descending upon her, signifying his divine mission. Raised in a period of colonial encroachment and cultural transition, he came to articulate a bold religious vision: that Pasian, the Creator, sought to liberate humanity from the oppression of the dawi.⁵

His reforms focused on three key areas:

  1. Abolition of Sacrifice – Pasian commanded him to abstain from taking life for eight years. At the end of this vow, he declared that sacrifices were no longer required. Instead, prayer, purity, and obedience to Pasian became sufficient.⁶
  2. Healing and Pastoral Practice – Pau Cin Hau became known for healing the sick through prayer and “living water” rites. He opposed witchcraft, horoscopes, and spirit-medium rituals, offering an alternative to costly spiritual practices.⁷
  3. Moral Renewal – He preached sobriety, marital fidelity, forgiveness of feuds, and communal solidarity. By redefining religion around ethics and prayer, he introduced a new moral economy that reduced social burdens.

From a sociological standpoint, Pau Cin Hau represents the archetype of the indigenous reformer-prophet: one who reinterprets ancestral tradition to meet new historical challenges.

The Invention of the Siangsawn Script

One of Pau Cin Hau’s most remarkable legacies was the creation of a unique writing system. Around 1902, he began devising a logographic script of hundreds of symbols. Later, by about 1913–1918, he streamlined it into an alphabetic system with 37 characters, making it easier to learn and use.⁸

The script became sacred, known as the Laipian script (“script of the prophet”). Believers regarded it as a divine gift, revealed by Pasian. It was used in hymnals, prayers, and correspondence. During World War I, Zomi laborers recruited to France reportedly wrote letters in this script, testifying to its reach even across continents.⁹

In modern times, scholars and technologists have ensured its survival. The script was encoded in Unicode 7.0 in 2014, thanks to detailed proposals by Anshuman Pandey.¹⁰ Google later released Noto Sans Pau Cin Hau, enabling its digital use across platforms.¹¹ From a cultural perspective, this recognition situates the Zomi alongside other communities whose scripts embody identity, memory, and resilience.

Theology and Ritual Calendar

The Siangsawn Pasian religion presents a structured theological worldview:

  • Monotheism – Pasian is the one Creator of heaven, earth, and humankind.
  • Human Condition – People are enslaved by dawi, needing liberation.
  • Prophet – Pasian sent Pau Cin Hau as a savior to free humankind.
  • Script – The Siangsawn alphabet is divine revelation.
  • Ethics – Believers must practice purity, compassion, and peace.¹²

The religion also established a ritual calendar that punctuates the year with sacred observances:

  • Worship Sunday – weekly rest and worship.
  • Musical Festival Day (21 February) – celebrating nine hymns revealed to the prophet.
  • Mothers’ Day (9 April) – honoring women as bearers of life.
  • Propagation Day (10 July) – marking the birth of later reformer Kam Suan Mang.
  • Harvest Festival (Thadingyut Full Moon) – thanksgiving for abundance.
  • Servants’ Day (29 November) – commemorating victory over dawi.
  • Prophet’s Birthday (Traditional Calendar) – celebrating the birth of Pau Cin Hau.
  • Saints’ Day (1 December) – honoring designated holy couples.¹³

This calendar gave structure and rhythm to Zomi religious life, positioning the faith as a complete system distinct from both animism and mission Christianity.

Recognition, Contestation, and Decline

The movement received recognition when Pau Cin Hau was reportedly honored with the Kyetthazisaung Salwe sash by the Governor of India in 1917.¹⁴ Local chiefs later exempted him from taxation in recognition of his moral and spiritual authority.¹⁵

However, the Siangsawn Pasian faith also faced contestation. Christian missions expanded rapidly in the Chin Hills after 1899, offering modern schooling and health services. Many Zomi converted, seeing in Christianity a path to modernity. The Siangsawn faith, while innovative, lacked the same institutional infrastructure. By the mid-twentieth century, it declined.¹⁶

A revival came in 1968 under Kam Suan Mang, who sought to purify the religion, remove residual animist practices, and reassert Pau Cin Hau’s original message. This highlights a key dynamic: indigenous religions survive not only by preserving tradition but also by undergoing internal reforms.

Cultural and Scholarly Significance

For scholars, the Siangsawn Pasian faith exemplifies indigenous modernity. It was not a rejection of modern change but a creative adaptation:

  • Anthropological view – It redirected ritual practice into ethical and economic reforms, alleviating debt cycles.
  • Linguistic view – Its script-making placed Zomi on the map of global literacy traditions.
  • Religious studies view – It embodied the role of the prophet-reformer as mediator between tradition and transformation.¹⁷

Bernard Dua interprets it as a spiritual counterpart to Christianity, while Pum Khan Pau situates it in the broader colonial encounter, describing it as both a competitor and complement to Christian identity.¹⁸ VanBik’s linguistic work underscores the script’s importance in situating Zomi within Kuki-Chin heritage.¹⁹

Conclusion

The Siangsawn Pasian faith stands as a testament to Zomi ingenuity and resilience. By abolishing sacrifices, introducing prayer-based monotheism, and creating a script, Pau Cin Hau transformed religion, language, and society. Today, his legacy endures as both a faith and a cultural marker, demonstrating the power of indigenous reform to preserve identity in times of change.

In the broader frame of Southeast Asian highland history, the Siangsawn Pasian faith reflects how marginalized communities respond to external pressures with creativity and vision. It remains a story of empowerment—one that continues to inspire the motto: Preserve the Past, Celebrate the Present, Empower the Future.

References

  1. The Irrawaddy. “A Visit to Chin State’s ‘Holy Land.’” 2019. https://www.irrawaddy.com/photo/photo-essays/a-visit-to-chin-states-holy-land.html
  2. Siangsawn Model Village. “History of Pau Cin Hau’s Siangsawn Pasian Religious Sect.” Accessed 2025. http://www.siangsawnmodelvillage.com/history
  3. Sakhong, Lian H. Religion and Politics among the Chin People in Burma (1896–1949). Studia Missionalia Upsaliensia 80. Uppsala: Uppsala University, 2000.
  4. Carey, Bertram S., and H. N. Tuck. The Chin Hills: A History of the People. Calcutta: Superintendent of Government Printing, 1896.
  5. ABC Religion & Ethics. “Laipianism: the Indigenous Faith That Rivalled Christianity in Myanmar.” 2022. https://www.abc.net.au/religion/laipianism-the-indigenous-faith-that-rivalled-christianity/101979640
  6. Dua, Bernard. A Reinterpretation of Chin Christian Spirituality in Relation to Laipianism. M.Th. thesis, Luther Seminary, 2018.
  7. Pandey, Anshuman. “Introducing the Logographic Script of Pau Cin Hau.” Unicode Technical Proposal, 2013. https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2012/12239-pau-cin-hau.pdf
  8. ScriptSource. “Pau Cin Hau Script.” https://scriptsource.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=entry_detail&uid=r2ug5r3ddv
  9. VanBik, Kenneth. Proto-Kuki-Chin: A Reconstructed Ancestor of the Kuki-Chin Languages. STEDT Monograph 8. Berkeley: University of California, 2009.
  10. Google Fonts. “Noto Sans Pau Cin Hau.” https://fonts.google.com/noto/specimen/Noto+Sans+Pau+Cin+Hau
  11. Aeon. “The Indigenous Faith That Reveres Its Own Alphabet as Sacred.” 2020. https://aeon.co/essays/the-indigenous-faith-that-reveres-its-own-alphabet-as-sacred
  12. Pum Khan Pau. “Christianity vs Indigeneity: Colonial State, Mission and Laipianism in Chin Hills.” In Routledge Handbook of Religious Indigeneity. London: Routledge, 2023.