# Vonolel

Vanhnuailiana (English: Vonolel; lit. 'the greatest of all under the skies'; c. 1800 - 1871) was the chief of the Eastern Lushai Hills. Vonolel expanded his influence over the Sukte and Poi tribes in the east and attempted incursions into Naga territories in Manipur. He was considered the most powerful chief in the Eastern Lushai Hills until his death in 1871. He presided over several conflicts during his period of chieftainship.

## Chieftainship

Vonolel's father, Lalsavunga, originally migrated his settlement from Champhai to Saitual. It is estimated that Lalsavunga died in 1849 hence allowing Vonolel to inherit chieftainship. Other sources place Lalsavunga's death earlier such as 1820 and Vonolel's rule beginning in 1818. After the North-South War between his uncle Vuta and the Southern Chief Lalpuithanga, Vonolel left Saitual to Tualte.

### Old Tualte

Tualte was one of the largest settlements in pre-colonial Mizo history. The earliest confirmation of its existence was in 1861 despite existing before from an unknown date. The settlement was estimated to consist of over 1000 households. Unlike other notable settlements, which were confederations, Vonolel was the sole chief of this settlement. Vonolel's leadership in Tualte is accompanied by legendary figures in Mizo history known as Pasaltha, which he inherited from his father, Lalsavunga. The settlement boasted 12 heroic personalities namely: Vanapa, Chawngduma, Keihawla, Tawkthiala, Zampuimanga, Chhunkeuva, Darbuta, Chalkhenga, Darruma, Darphawka, Darkuala and Zabiaka. However, Tualte was forced to disperse due to the onset of mautam famine in 1861.

### Conquests in the Lushai Hills

After the death of his father Lalsavunga, Vonolel kept his promise to his father or pushing up towards the north. Vonolel left Lamzawl in Saitual to push the Pawis. When the Pawis heard this they attacked the Lusei and killed them. Vonolel was angered at this and targeted their chief, who was known to walk in the countryside. They shot the chief but his men took cover behind the foot of a tree and fought against the Luseis. Eventually the Pawi were defeated and fled. The Pawis were chased by a party led by Vana Pa. Fighting continued for several days. The Pawi attempted to fight near Kawlkulh with an ambush but retreated after being fought back. The Pawi eventually crossed two rivers and settled for camp. The sentry on guard also fell asleep. A pasalṭha named Tawkthiala proposed to Vana Pa for him to catch any guard in the fields and for him to shoot them. Vana Pa, however did not agree. As Tawkthiala and Chawngduma took their guns, Vana Pa decided to permitted to fire. The Pawi chief's friend who was sleeping on the floor was shot dead. The Luseis then went to a safe place and used the darkness as cover to fight before leaving the camp. The next morning, Tawkthiala attempted to fight again to fight as a leader and capture the body of their victim in the camp. However Vana Pa instead professed that many Pawis had died and their party was unharmed, as a result they returned back.
Vonolel also began a war against the Sukte clans. Vonolel's house was burnt down during the night and the night patrol stated that a Sukte tribesman had committed the act. This prompted Vonolel to wage war on the Sukte tribes. He commanded the Pasalṭha in the Zawlbuk to find any Sukte they could find north of Lentlang and to kill them. Vonolel recalled his men soon after realizing his orders had been too impulsive. However five men could not be called back. A skirmish occurred in which the Lusei men killed a Sukte before they faced retaliation. In a panic they fled and threw away two guns in which the Sukte shot one of the Lusei dead. Vonolel sent an upa to confess that the men were robbers not under his control but the Sukte refused to listen.
Eventually a peace agreement was reached between Vonolel and the Sukte. A non-aggression pact was made with agreements to surrender captives and return runaway slaves escaping to enemy territories.

### War of East and West

Vonolel later moved from Tualte to Lundup (west of Kelkang, near Buang). He sent his son Dothiauva (Deuti) to rule Kelkang. Hostilities with the Western Lushai chiefs erupted due to Khalkam's wish to take a maiden named Tuali who was betrothed to Vonolel's son, and migrations of settlements becoming too close during jhum cultivation.Khalkam's attempt at capturing Tuali failed in the end.

### Manipur Conflict

Vonolel began expanding his influence in Manipur in 1853. Vonolel succeeded in driving out the previous tribes of the Manipur frontier, namely the Khongjai and Kom Kukis. Vonolel attempted to invade another Khongjai village where his war party suffered 10 deaths as opposed to 2 deaths of the settlement who possessed mounted men. An outpost was established at the point fo entry in the valley. In 1856, the village of Nomidong (which had previously been raided by Lushais before) was cut up and destroyed. The Manipuri officials did not ascertain the responsibility of the raid to the Lushais or Khongjais.
In 1858, the Lushais attacked the Thana of Kala Naga with 500 warriors and destroyed it. They would return three months later before the sepoy villages could be reinforced and overran them again. The Lushais returned a third time and burnt a village before being ambushed by Manipuri reinforcements. A total of ten Lushais were captured and were detained for 3-4 years. However, nine of them would escape custody before their sentence ended. The last remaining prisoner was a relative of Vonolel, so William McCulloh entered into negotiations with Vonolel who agreed to not raid into Manipuri territory. Vonolel upheld the agreement with McCulloh. The promise was kept till 1868. In 1868, the Lushais made raids on Mukti, Nungdang and burnt down the Kala Naga stockade. Chatterjee argues this was due to the replacement of McCulloh with Brown. Brown failed to control the warring hill tribes in their internal disputes which escalated conflict into raiding once more.

### Anglo-Lushai Relations

John Edgar, Deputy Commsioner of Edgar, described Vonolel as a great fighter whose extended his territories beyond Champhai. Early in his rule as chief, Vonolel subdued the petty chiefs of the Eastern Lushai Hills before directing his efforts south of his territory. The south of Vonolel's territory consisted of Poi (Chin) tribes. Vonolel subdued the Pois and took many captive. He carried out a policy of displacement by resettling them across his territory. After subduing the Poi chiefs, Vonolel also successfully defeated the chiefs of the Sukte clan. Vonolel repeated his policy of resettling conquered chiefdoms into his newly expanded territory.
Vonolel cooperated with the British in 1864 alongside Sukpilal in Silchar. Both chiefs were offered an annual grant of rs. 600 by preserving peace on the frontier and regularly sending tributes. However, the expansion of tea estates on the borders of the Lushai Hills deteriorated the relations of the two parties with the British.
Vonolel met with Captain Stewart on 2 April 1866 in Silchar. Vonolel questioned whether Stewart had demanded tributes from Eastern Lushai chiefs such as Mulla. Vonolel pointed out that Mulla had requested an amount of tribute to be paid off to the British. Stewart, in response, assured Vonolel the tribute is Mulla's responsibility alone. Stewart provided Vonolel with immunity from giving tribute to the British. Vonolel's meeting with Stewart was seen as a sign of goodwill to continue conciliation and cooperation with the Lushai chiefs.

## Biography

Eastern Lushai Chiefs Family Tree :
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Lallula | Lallula | Lallula | Lallula | Lallula | Lallula |
| Mungpira | Mungpira | Mungpira | Mungpira | Mungpira | Mungpira | Lallianvunga | Lallianvunga | Lallianvunga | Lallianvunga | Lallianvunga | Lallianvunga | | | | | | | Lalpuilena | Lalpuilena | Lalpuilena | Lalpuilena | Lalpuilena | Lalpuilena | | | | | | | | | | | | | Vuta | Vuta | Vuta | Vuta | Vuta | Vuta | Neipuithangi | Neipuithangi | Neipuithangi | Neipuithangi | Neipuithangi | Neipuithangi |
| Sukpilal | Sukpilal | Sukpilal | Sukpilal | Sukpilal | Sukpilal | Ngura | Ngura | Ngura | Ngura | Ngura | Ngura | Lalpung | Lalpung | Lalpung | Lalpung | Lalpung | Lalpung | Thongbuna | Thongbuna | Thongbuna | Thongbuna | Thongbuna | Thongbuna | Lalsavunga | Lalsavunga | Lalsavunga | Lalsavunga | Lalsavunga | Lalsavunga | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Vonpilal | Vonpilal | Vonpilal | Vonpilal | Vonpilal | Vonpilal | Poiboi | Poiboi | Poiboi | Poiboi | Poiboi | Poiboi | Lalruma | Lalruma | Lalruma | Lalruma | Lalruma | Lalruma | Chenglena | Chenglena | Chenglena | Chenglena | Chenglena | Chenglena | Vonolel | Vonolel | Vonolel | Vonolel | Vonolel | Vonolel | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lalhai | Lalhai | Lalhai | Lalhai | Lalhai | Lalhai | | | | | | | Deuti | Deuti | Deuti | Deuti | Deuti | Deuti | Lemkham | Lemkham | Lemkham | Lemkham | Lemkham | Lemkham | Ropuiliani | Ropuiliani | Ropuiliani | Ropuiliani | Ropuiliani | Ropuiliani | Lalbura | Lalbura | Lalbura | Lalbura | Lalbura | Lalbura | Bengtewa | Bengtewa | Bengtewa | Bengtewa | Bengtewa | Bengtewa |
| Tankama | Tankama | Tankama | Tankama | Tankama | Tankama | Vanpunga | Vanpunga | Vanpunga | Vanpunga | Vanpunga | Vanpunga | Lalhreya | Lalhreya | Lalhreya | Lalhreya | Lalhreya | Lalhreya | | | | | | | Lalthuama | Lalthuama | Lalthuama | Lalthuama | Lalthuama | Lalthuama | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Langsuma | Langsuma | Langsuma | Langsuma | Langsuma | Langsuma | Sangluna | Sangluna | Sangluna | Sangluna | Sangluna | Sangluna | Lalvunga | Lalvunga | Lalvunga | Lalvunga | Lalvunga | Lalvunga | Lungliana | Lungliana | Lungliana | Lungliana | Lungliana | Lungliana | Kairuma | Kairuma | Kairuma | Kairuma | Kairuma | Kairuma | Lalkuma | Lalkuma | Lalkuma | Lalkuma | Lalkuma | Lalkuma |

### Death

Vonolel died during the onset of the Lushai Expedition. His tomb was found well preserved with many posts and heads. The inside of the tomb held a broken Burmese idol. The tomb was decorated with a large mithun skull with horns impaling and carrying a human head and arm recently cut off. A foot was found outside the tomb. The expedition identified the remains of the headhunting remnants as the Sukte villagers who had been attacked earlier. The expedition hoisted a British flag on a bare tree and declared that the goal of reaching Vonolel's stronghold had been reached in the name of Queen Victoria and the Viceroy. The expedition burned down Vonolel's settlement but left his tomb intact, changing only the headhunted remains into a proper burial place.
During the Lushai Expedition many of the Pois and Suktes resettled in Champhai were anxious to leave during the chaos of the expedition. Before the expedition, many were afraid of bringing harm to their families in attempting to escape to the Chin Hills. The Pois and Sukte villagers often defected to the military encampments under General Nuthall to escape.

### Legacy

Frederick Sleigh Roberts who participated in the Lushai Expedition named his horse, an arab charger, Vonolel in honour of the chief and his prestige.
In 2021, the discovery of a new snake species in Mizoram was named Stoliczkia vanhnuailianai in honour of Vanhnuailiana.