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Abstract
Settlement of many ethnic groups in the inaccessible mountainous region of Manipur, with a high degree of isolation from each other, was the natural phenomena in the Pre-colonial period. The highly civilized Meitei Kingdom which flourished in the middle of the valley exerted little influence on the surrounding tribal village due to its scattered pattern of settlement. The Tangkhul ethnic groups though remains isolated from the influence of civilized world developed their own customs, law and system of administration for the smooth functioning of their day to day life. The Traditional village council, which was a council of tribal chief headed by the Village Chief/Awunga were vested with absolute authority to strictly enforce the unwritten law or to enact new laws according to the requirement of time. The constituent unit of village, its system of functioning and the changes it underwent in governance are discussed in detail, while underscoring the factors which effect the changes.