Origin of “Old Kukis” vs “New Kukis”
Old Kukis (Nagas, Komrems and some Kukis like Gangtes) =/= New Kukis (Thadou, Paite, Hmar, etc). Kuki militants were attacking Koms not long ago.
Old Kukis were brought in by Meitei kings to act as counter against Nagas only around 16th century. Mizos arrived into Mizoram only in 19th-20th century as recorded by the British. Kukis started arriving into Manipur from around 17th century. Old Kukis (Reangs, Halam, etc) arrived earlier while New Kukis (Mizo/Lushai) arrived in 18th-19th displacing the Nagas. British accounts of Manipur show Kukis doing routine massacre of Nagas, taking many as captives.
Another angle to this is religiosity, as Kukis converted in bulk to Christianity first while the Nagas resisted for a longer period.
See
- “Life Style, Indian Tribes: Locational Practice, Volume 1” - Shiva Tosh Das
- “Evangelizing the Nation: Religion and the Formation of Naga Political Identity” - John Thomas