Indexed at serial number six of the Schedule Tribes list by the Government of India in 1956, the Gangtes are a colourful tribe who, like the rest of their brethren in the CHIKIM grouping, traced their origin to the proverbial Khul or Cave. Washed up and over by myriads of interpretations and takes, the genesis of this dynamic tribe is almost like a well-kept secret bedimmed by theories of grandeur or otherwise. As is wont to any tribal history wanting in documentation, the Gangtes have their chronicle etched in folklores and traditional oral transmissions and legends. Nevertheless this is not to obliterate the fact that they are an indigenous tribe with independent culture and tradition.

Salient features of the Gangte Socio-Political bases that support the superstructure called Gangte society can briefly be enumerated as follows.

I. The Village:
The village, as an institution, occupies primacy on par with other forms of institutions among the Gangtes. According to Rev. G.S. Gangte in his book Gangte Chronicle, the village constitute the bedrock of social, economic and administrative complex of the Gangtes. Owing to their nomadic tendency, the Gangtes are rarely famed for establishing a flourishing village. In effect, the location of their jhum sites solely determines the situation of their settlements. It is pertinent to note here that like the rest of the tribes, the Gangtes built their villages on hill-tops in consideration of defence against wild animals and enemies which as per history were not wanting. J. Ginjathang (History of the Zomi Family, 1973) asserted that the tribes of CHIKIM, of which Gangte is a unit, after migrating from Tibet to Central China, hid in caves for fear of enemies. Thus, the inference, the Tribes originated from Khul or Cave.

II. Kawmuol:
Khawmuol is the prelude to any Gangte village, a gateway that leads to the village. Khawmuol is a special zone that one passes through just before entering any village proper. No doubt it occupies a pivot niche in the village affairs. The villagers erect a wooden post at Khawmuol upon which they hang the heads of enemies taken after tribal wars. Dignitaries from outside or other tribes are welcome and received here. Moreover, important dos like magical incantations to cast off wild spirit are presided at the Khawmuol.

III. Shelter/Home:
The primitive Gangtes maintained utmost sacredness with a cumbersome meticulousness in choosing location for assembling new houses. They, as a matter of tradition, effectuate a ritual which includes erecting three stone pillars, about knee high each, and facing each other in a triangular orientation. Then, an egg would be snapped in two halves and placed on top of a fire lit between the pillars. If the froth falls towards the to-be owner of the house, the site is deemed fit and auspicious. Otherwise, they search and test a new location for setting up a shelter.

When built a typical Gangte house is mostly erected out of wood, hay and bamboo. The front wall usually doubles up as the mantelpiece where owners display heads of animals hunted.

IV. Chieftainship:
For the Gangtes, chieftainship occupies the highest court of administration and arbitration. Chieftainship, an ascribed position, exacts unquestioning obedience and undying loyalty from the subjects. Dr. T.S.Gangte, in his magnum opus The Kukis of Manipur, elaborated the power of the chief. Dr Gangte wrote that disobedience of the Chief merits expulsion from the village, and neither could outsiders immigrate without his assent. The power of the Chief is nigh absolute in the sense that even in the distribution of and access to wealth of the land, nothing goes but the Chief’s will. The Chief is not only the ruler over his villagers; he is also their protector in times of adversity like famines and tribal wars. If a villager migrate without proper consent of the chief, his property and belonging are detained by the Chief.

The Gangte Chief is entitled to certain tributes from his subjects viz, Changseu, Salieng and Khuotha.

• Changseu: This is a tribute paid to the chief out of reverence and loyalty. Practised till now, Changseu is a form of tribal taxation system, customarily paid in paddy produce. It varies from two, three or five tins of rice grain. The Chief can exempt certain class of villagers who are needy and poor from paying Changseu. This exempted lot are anticipated to offer either chicken or tribal brew to the Chief on the day of Changseu collection. Another set of exempted class is constituted by the members of the village council. Changseu is annually collected on a particular date, post-harvest; and the Chief is obliged to treat his subjects to a sumptuous buffet or binge session.
  
  
• Salieng: Literally reworded, Salieng means the shoulder blade of animals. This is gifted to the Chief by anyone who caught wild animals in gratitude to his permission to hunt within his Chiefdom. It is also obligatory and villagers who play truancy are punish, punishment entails slaying of a mithun or paying forty rupees to invite the Chief’s exoneration.
  
  
• Khuotha: It refers to the collective labour force of all household in the village that a chief can call for if the need arise. Even the villagers are entitled to invite Khuotha but they must provide lunch for the village labour corps on the day of social work. Further, the Chief can make a trade for Khuotha in lieu of Changseu but is not obliged to furnish meal on the day he asks for the labour force.
  

• Inpi Suok - This refers to the first type of slaves under the chief who is the only one accredited to own slaves. Inpi Suok are mostly orphans, the incapacitated who cannot look after themselves and the poor in abject misery. The Inpi Suok are conventionally treated as members of the Chief’s family but they must work and toil harder than genuine members. The chief, being their guardian, is fully responsible for the welfare and security of the Inpi Suok.
  
  
• Chemsan Suok - Rough translation would be ‘slaves due to stained sword’. Chemsan Suok, the second kind of slaves in the Chief’s house, is murderers – accidental or premeditated, and criminals who commit grave lapses that merit revenge as per the contemporary psyche. For such offenders, slavery is the salvation. Once they give in to the chief, they are saved and it is against the law to harm them. Harming them would tantamount to making a mockery of the Chief’s chair and the penalty would also be grave. Chemsan Suok also includes insolvents who cannot repay their debts. Chemsan Souk differs from Inpi Suok. The former do not share habitat with the chief, they are slaves by agreement with the condition that the chief is entitled to the dowry of any Chemsan Suok’s daughter.
  L.B.Thanga (the Mizos, 1979) says that till 1928, Chemsan Suok can buy freedom by compensating the Chief, his master, with a mithun or forty rupees in cash.
  
  
• Tuklut Suok - Tuklut Suok are slaves as a consequence of village wars and they usually belong to the losing side in the battle. For safety, the losing party give themselves to the victorious one and hence, the label Tuklut, meaning ‘give in’. Tuklut Suok can build shelter in the victorious village as and when they can handover a healthy mithun to the Chief and if the Tuklut Suok are of small family, even a mithun can buy their freedom.