evidence: The hill areas of Manipur are predominantly inhabited by 38 scheduled tribes; these tribes fall into the Naga, Kuki or Zomi categories, or those who stand to retain their respective community identity. There are also other small pockets in the hill districts that are inhabited by certain sections of Meiteis, Gurkhas and others. [...] "The Kukis who came to Manipur after the first Anglo-Burmese War (1824-1826) are termed 'New Kukis'," says Ningthouja. "If one says Kukis existed in Manipur in the 16th and 17th centuries, they were not Kukis. They were what the British categorised as 'Old Kukis' but have now organisationally affiliated to the Naga appellation," he elaborates. [...] The 'New Kukis' were brought and settled in strategic locations surrounding the Manipur valley by the British in the early 19th century, where they served as mercenaries. They were used as buffer to protect the valley from the regular raids by the Naga tribes.