The Purum are an "old Kuki" tribe of Manipur. They are (were) notable because their marriage system is the subject of ongoing statistical and ethographical analysis; Buchler states that "they are perhaps the most over-analyzed society in anthropology". Purum marry only in selected sibs; the allowed sibs are fixed by traditional customs.
According to the 1931 Census of India, the Purums numbered 145 men and 158 women, all practising their ancestral tribal religion; in 1936 they numbered 303 individuals but in the 1951 census they numbered only 43 individuals.
The Purums are divided into five sibs, namely, Marrim, Makan, Kheyang, Thao and Parpa. There is no indigenous centralized government.
Purum family
The Lupho, Lupheng, Misao and Neitham clans belong to the above Marrim and Makan family. This clans had got absorbed in other tribes of Manipur in due course of time. And is recognise under Any kuki Tribes in Manipur, Mizoram, Assam and Meghalaya. among the Thadou Kuki they are knowns as Milhiem or Meriem which has the same meaning with Marrim. Some of them are also found in Kom tribe known as (komrem) of Manipur.purum are very close to Aimol Chiru Koireng Kom Kharam and chothe tribes.There custom culture and language are similar they all came out from cave KHURPUI all this tribes are KOMREM.