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Religion significantly shapes the socio-cultural identity of the Deories, an indigenous Assamese tribe within the Sino-Tibetan Mongoloid lineage. They've preserved their Mongolian features, languages, and traditions, honoring ancestors and Hindu deities through rituals and hymns.The Deori language, part of the Sino-Tibetan family, is primarily spoken in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. While most Deori speakers, excluding the Dibongia clan, have shifted to Assamese over time, reflecting a language shift phenomenon.
Deori society is structured into four main clans—Dibongia, Borgoya, Tengaponiya, and Pator-goya—each further divided into various sub-clans. These sub-clans, known as "Boja" or "Bahor" in the Deori language, are crucial in Deori introductions and identities.
The Deori homeland was in eastern undivided Assam, with folklore suggesting settlement in Joidaam, Patkai foothills, and the upper Brahmaputra valley. Historical events like Burmese aggression in 1817-1826 and the devastating earthquake in 1869 led to migrations and the adoption of river names as clan identities. Deoris adhered to local laws and customs in new territories, maintaining their culture and dialect.
Claims of assimilation of the Pator-goya clan with the Tiwa tribe in central Assam lack scientific evidence, prompting Deoris to search for traces of the lost clan. Recent investigations suggest a possible presence of the Deori people in Kachin province and near Yangon in Myanmar. The Dibongia class mostly retains their mother tongue alongside Assamese, while the other three classes primarily understand and speak Assamese, residing in specific districts.
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The Hajong people, an ethnic group in Northeast India and northern Bangladesh, primarily practice rice farming and have the status of a Scheduled Tribe in India. Belonging to the Bodo-Kachari group, their ancestors migrated from Tibet to the Brahmaputra Valley in ancient times, spreading across the region. They have no recorded history but trace their roots through legends and folktales, linking their migration to the Hajo area. Their language, classified as Indo-Aryan, displays similarities with Assamese, Bengali, and Tibeto-Burman languages. With over 175,000 speakers, the Hajong language retains elements of its Tibeto-Burman origins while now considered Indo-Aryan, featuring a unique phonology and script using Eastern Nagari. Folklore suggests their descent from the Sun god, and historical references include a Kshatriya Sanmelan organized in 1939 for community welfare and tradition preservation. Some hypotheses propose Sino-Tibetan origins for the Hajong language, potentially relexified by Old Bengali, indicated by linguistic traits like case markers.
The Hmar, residing in northeastern Indian states of Manipur, Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Tripura, are recognized for their resilience and inhabit regions characterized by lush forests and rugged mountains. Their migration from Sinlung, believed to be in China, led them to this region due to ecological challenges like famine. They uphold distinctive traditional attire and have historical territorial conflicts with neighboring tribes. Despite inhabiting remote areas, the introduction of Christianity since 1910 by Welsh missionaries has significantly impacted their culture, education, and even diminished alcohol consumption. Their language, formerly unwritten, was transcribed in Roman script by missionaries, fostering unity among different Hmar clans. Socio-economic, political, and religious aspects have experienced transformations, partly attributed to government initiatives and voluntary organizations. However, there's an ongoing call for the Hmar community to embrace the vision of Christ's Great Commission and engage more with neighboring communities.
The tribes in Assam exhibit self-reliance in their domestic economy, crafting utensils from wood and producing cotton for traditional apparel. The Karbi tribe, also known as Mikirs in official documents, live in Assam's hill areas and are distinctively known as Karbis or Arleng. While primarily in Karbi Anglong District, they also inhabit other districts like North Cachar Hills, Kamrup, Morigaon, Nagaon, and Sonitpur. They belong to the Mongoloid group and linguistically align with the Tibeto-Burman group. Their origins trace back to Central Asia in a wave of migration. Their history, largely drawn from folk tales, indicates their past habitation in areas like Kajiranga, later being driven into hills during the reign of Kachari kings and entering Jaintia hills under Jaintia suzerainty. Migration continued due to harassment, leading to their settlement in Ahom territory by the 17th century and later facing Burmese invasions. Amidst these adversities, the Karbis retained their cultural identity and traditions.
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The Kachari Sonwal, a subgroup of the Kachari tribe in northeast India, historically engaged in gold panning during the Ahom kingdom. Presently, they predominantly practice agriculture, cultivating rice, betel nut, sweet potatoes, and cotton. Skilled in weaving and possessing knowledge of indigenous medicine, Sonowal women excel in cotton weaving, inheriting handlooms upon marriage. Their traditional lifestyle involves extended families in villages, with inheritance patterns favoring sons for property and daughters for clothes and jewelry. Village councils and elders' assemblies manage disputes and mete out appropriate punishments. They follow a blend of Hinduism and folk religion, with Shiva as their primary deity. Their festivals, Bihus, center around the Assamese agricultural year, marked by dancing, music, feasting, and rituals. Prayerful wishes include spiritual growth among Christian Sonwal, a deeper hunger for God's Word, and a transformation from folk religion to embracing Christ's message of love and redemption.
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The Misings, an ethnic group in Assam, originated from China and migrated to the riverine areas of Assam, particularly along the Brahmaputra and Subansiri rivers. Formerly called 'Miris,' they have physical features of Mongoloids and belong to the Tibeto Burman family. Originally a hill tribe in Arunachal Pradesh, they settled in Assam before the Ahom kings' rule. The term 'Mising' stems from 'mi' (man) and 'sing' (water/river), reflecting their riverine habitat. Despite historical connections with Arunachal tribes, they have integrated into Assamese society. Their staple food is rice, complemented by fish, meat, and pig farming. Weaving and sericulture are integral to their culture, with every Mising woman being a skilled weaver. Social and religious festivals involve pig and rice beer.
The Tai ethnic group, originating from Yunnan, China, migrated across Southeast Asia and South Asia, including areas like Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, and India. Despite diverse migration patterns, they share a common cultural and socio-political legacy and have preserved their ethnic identities through generations.Primarily followers of Buddhism, their religious affiliations before this era are uncertain, possibly rooted in animism. Known for their expertise in rice cultivation, which enabled settlement in various terrains, many Tai families maintain personal farmlands. Communal living is integral to their social structure, granting equal status to men and women in society, education, and economics.Six Tai groups settled in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh during the twelfth century, including the Tai Khamyangs. They're a subgroup of the Mongoloid Tai racial stock and are dispersed across various villages in Assam's Jorhat, Sivasagar, Golaghat, and Tinsukia districts, as well as in parts of Arunachal Pradesh. Some Tai Khamyangs also reside in urban areas for work purposes, expanding their settlements beyond traditional villages.
The Turungs, a distinctive community in Assam, are followers of Buddhism and settled in the region during the early 19th century. Believed to be a subgroup of the Tai people, they have villages scattered across Golaghat, Jorhat, and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam.The Tai people, including various subgroups like Shan, Siamese, Lao, etc., trace their migration history back to Yunnan, China. The Turungs, migrating from Northern Burma, entered Assam as one of the last Tai groups. They were invited by the Nora Tai group living in the Ahom kingdom but were detained by the Singpho people while crossing the Patkoi range.Accounts vary regarding the period of their enslavement by the Singphos; while some suggest it lasted for years, the Turungs refute the notion of being enslaved, although they acknowledge close proximity to the Singphos. Historical reports suggest their enslavement lasted a significant period, during which they adopted the Singpho language. The British intervention during the first Anglo-Burmese war led to the Turungs' release, relocating them to present-day Jorhat district in Assam.There are differing perspectives on the Turung history among the Singpho community, with some claiming the Turungs were initially a Singpho clan that integrated Tai language features over time. However, the Turungs dispute this assertion.
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