Kuki

Kuki is an umbrella term used for several related ethnic communities and their languages in the hill regions of Northeast India and western Myanmar. In India, Kuki populations are concentrated in Manipur and Mizoram, with smaller communities in Assam and Nagaland; in Myanmar, they live mainly in Chin State and surrounding areas. The Kuki languages form part of the Kuki-Chin branch of the Tibeto-Burman languages within the wider Sino-Tibetan family. Each subgroup has its own dialect or language, and many Kuki people are bilingual or multilingual, often speaking regional dominant languages such as Meitei, Mizo, or Burmese.

The Kuki communities are traditionally organized into clans and villages, with social practices tied to agriculture, kinship, and customary law. Major religious affiliations today are Christian, due to missionary activity in the 19th and 20th centuries, though Hinduism and Buddhism are also found among some subgroups.

Historically, the Kuki people participated in anti-colonial movements such as the Kuki Rebellion of 1917–1919 against British rule. In modern India, Kuki groups have established associations and political organizations to advocate for rights, recognition, and regional interests within the federal structure. The term "Kuki" is sometimes used as an umbrella label for diverse subtribes, and internal self-designations vary by group.