Manipur: Tribes and communities
Graphic courtesy: The Times of India
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Tribes
Manipur is located in India's northeast. It is bordered on the north by Nagaland, on the west by Assam, on the southwest by Mizoram, and on the south and east by Myanmar (Burma). Manipur is a name that means "land of diamonds."
According to the 2011 Census of India, it has a total population of 28, 55,794 people living in an area of 22,327 square kilometres. The population of the valley accounts for 58.9% of the total, while the population of the hills accounts for 41.1 per cent.
Tribes:
In Manipur, there are 33 recognized tribes that either belongs to the Nagas or the Kukis, two separate conglomerates of Manipur tribals. The biggest differences between the two populations are their separate accents, clothes, customs, and traditions.
The Meiteis and Nagas are the only two indigenous communities known to have lived in Manipur since the beginning of time. Kukis, on the other hand, has just lately begun to settle in Manipur, and they have arrived in waves, according to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland.
Thadou is the most populous ST in Manipur, with 1.8 lakh people, accounting for 24.6 percent of the state's total ST population, followed by Tangkhul (19.7%), Kabui (11.1%), Paite (6.6%), Hmar (5.8%), Kacha Naga (5.7%), and Vaiphui (5.7%). (5.2 percent ).
The recognized tribes who made their home in Manipur for years now are Aimol, Anal, Chiru, Chothe, Gangte, Inpui, Hmar, Kharam, Khoibu, Koirao, Kom, Lamkang, Liangmai, Mao, Maram, Maring, Mate, Monsang, Moyon, Paite, Poumai, Purum, Ralte, Rongmei (Kabui), Simte, Suhte, Tangkhul, Tarao, Thadou, Thangal, Vaiphei, Zeme and Zou.
Manipur is a multi-ethnic state located at the easternmost part of India. It has a total population of 28, 55,794 according to 2011 Census of India covering an area of 22,327 square kilometers. Out of this, 58.9% represents the valley population and 41.1% represents the population of the hills.
The hills are inhabited mainly by the tribals with a total population of 11, 67,422. Of which, there are 33 recognised tribes (in Manipur) which either fall under the Nagas or the Kukis, the two different conglomerates of Manipur tribals. The two communities are differentiated mainly from their distinctive dialects, costumes, cultures and traditions. The Nagas have a history of headhunting and a strong warrior tradition whereas the Kukis are a sub-family of the Tibeto-Burman language group which is also related to Mizos of Mizoram and Chins in Myanmar.
The recognized tribes who made their home in Manipur for years now are Aimol, Anal, Chiru, Chothe, Gangte, Inpui, Hmar, Kharam, Khoibu, Koirao, Kom, Lamkang, Liangmai, Mao, Maram, Maring, Mate, Monsang, Moyon, Paite, Poumai, Purum, Ralte, Rongmei (Kabui), Simte, Suhte, Tangkhul, Tarao, Thadou, Thangal, Vaiphei, Zeme and Zou.
All the tribes generally communicate in their own dialects among the same ethnic groups while communication between different groups is carried out in Meitei or Manipuri language, the official language of Manipur. Despite the socio-political and linguistic differences among them, all the ethnic tribes originate from the same Mongoloid group having similarities in cultural and traditional domains. Rice is consumed as the main food by all tribes of Manipur whereas meat, fish and seasonal vegetables are being the favorites.
Despite the fact that landforms and the number of tribes divide Manipur geographically and politically, the common lifestyle followed by different tribes, such as the food they eat, the core reason for the festivals they celebrate, and the bright colors in the clothes they wear, has a strong unifying effect. It's fascinating to observe how so many cultures can coexist with so many similarities while still standing apart in some manner. As a result, it's no surprise that Manipur is known as the "Land of the Jewels."
The more populous tribes
Among the many tribes that inhabit Manipur's territory, the following are a handful of the more well-known
1. Aimol:
Aimol belongs to the Kuki tribes, which may be found in both Assam and Manipur. Aimol translates to "crab mountain." They speak the Aimol language, which is classed as Kuki-Chin-Mizo. Aimol is listed under the Kuki tribes found living both in Assam and Manipur. They speak Aimol language, classified under Kuki-Chin-Mizo language. They are based in parts of Chandel district, Senapati district and around Loktak Lake in Bishnupur district. They practice slash and burn agriculture and are primarily Christians.
2) Anal:
The Anal tribe is one of the oldest dwellers in the Southern hills of Tengnoupal district. They were recognized as a tribe in 1951. Earlier they were recognized as one of the oldest Kuki tribes but nowadays they identify themselves as a Naga tribe. The Anal tribe is one of the oldest in the Tengnoupal district's southern highlands. They used to be known as one of the earliest Kuki tribes, but they now refer to themselves as a Naga tribe.
3) Chiru:
Chirus are one of the earliest inhabitants of Manipur and Assam. It was recognized as a Scheduled Tribe in 1956. They are found in four districts of the state, in Tamenglong, Kangpokpi, Churachandpur and Thoubal district. They speak Chiru dialect, one of Kuki-Chin-Naga languages. Chirus are one of Manipur's and Assam's first residents. Their demeanor, customs, and language look to be Kuki, however their body, habits, hairdo, and other characteristics are Naga.
4) Chothe:
They are settled in Chandel and Bishnupur districts and speak a Kuki-Chin dialect. Their main occupations are cultivation, livestock rearing, blacksmith and weaving. They are divided into seven clans. They are also known as Purums since they settled in the Purum region of Chandel. The word "chothe" comes from the word "kachohte," which means "to bring or hold a boy."
5) Gangte:
They are one of the major Kuki-Chin tribes dwelling in Churachandpur, Tamenglong and Senapati districts; Christianity being their apex religion. They have quite a strong population with around 40,000 worldwide, as of 2018. The Gangtes are also one of the educated and a developed lot with 99% literacy rate.
6) Hmar:
They belong to Kuki-Chin-Mizo group concentrated mainly in Churachandpur district. Agriculture and weaving are their main occupations. They adopted Christianity from 1910. Hmar have their village administration consisting of Lal (Chief), Khawnbawlupa (chief minister), Khonbols (ministers).
7) Kharam:
They are settled in 7 villages in Senapati district, of which KharamPallen village is their main biggest settlement. They were recognized as a scheduled tribe in 2003. Most of them follow Christianity.
8) Khoibu:
Khoibu is one of the Naga tribes of Manipur. They speak Khoibu dialect and call themselves ‘Uipo’. KhoibuKhullen is the oldest and the first Khoibu settlement village in Chandel district. They are recognized as a Scheduled Tribe of Manipur in 1949.
9) Koirao:
Also called themselves ‘Thangals’, are settled mostly in Senapati district. They are close-knit and live in hill villages mostly located along the National Highway No. 2. Thangals generally dress in bright and colorful attires.
10) Kom:
Koms are settled in Churachandpur, Tengnoupal and Senapati districts. They speak language similar to that of Koireng, Aimol and Chiru and closely related to the Hmar. Christianity is its main religion. Some major festivals of Koms are Seling, Hlungphun, Belam and Lamkut.
11) Inpui:
Inpui is one of the Naga tribes of Manipur. They initially settled in Haochong sub-division of Tamenglong, and Senapati districts. They speak the Inpui also known as the Puiron language. Many of the Inpuis have also settled in Imphal valley. They are the lovers of festivals and they observe several festivals throughout the year. Some of their major festivals include Karing-Ngei, Tataaknu, Nabitnu, Ba-Ngeipui, Muiliangnu, etc. The festivals are celebrated to showcase the culture, tradition and strength of the Inpuis.
12) Lamkang:
The Lamkang tribe is one of the Naga tribes that mostly settled in Manipur and Myanmar. They share close cultural and language similarity with the Anal tribe. They speak the Lamkang dialect which originally belongs to the Tibeto-Burman group of language.
13) Liangmai:
They settle in Tamenglong, Kangpokpi and Senapati districts of Manipur. The Liangmais in Manipur follow Christianity while there are some non- Christians in Nagaland. They speak the Liangmai language, a Tibeto-Burman language. Chaga- Ngee is the biggest festival of the Liangmai community which is celebrated in the month of October. This festival showcases their rich culture and tradition.
14) Mao:
The Mao tribe is one of the major tribes constituting the Nagas. They mainly settled in Senapati district of Manipur. Agriculture is their main occupation while many have started to adopt other business activities. Christianity is their main religion. Chiithuni and Saleni are their major festivals.
15) Maram:
The Maram tribe is one of the tribes that form the Naga tribes of Manipur. They mainly settled in Senapati and Kangpokpi districts of Manipur and speak the Maram language. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people- both men and women. The most important festival for the Marams is the Ponghi festival. This is a pre-harvest festival which is celebrated for 7 days in the month of July. The Kanghi festival is another major festival celebrated in the month of December.
16) Maring:
The Marings are settled mostly in Chandel District of Manipur. Some of them also settle in places like Senapati, Ukhrul, Churachandpur, Tamenglong and Thoubal. There are also few Maring villages in Andro and Waithou. They speak the Maring language. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people. They follow Christianity however there are one or two non- Christian practitioner in every village. The Hnungkaap is their biggest festival which is celebrated after every five years in the month of May.
17) Mate:
The Mate tribe belongs to the Kuki tribes of Manipur. They speak the “Mate Pao” language which is similar to the language of the Thadou tribe. Earlier, they settled in the hills of Myanmar but now with the growth of their population they have started to settle in various parts of Manipur.
18)Meitei:
The dominant and most important ethnic group in Manipur is the Meitei, who settled in the central plains of the state and make up the bulk of the state's population. Manipur's native language, Meitei, is the most widely spoken in the state.
19) Monsang:
The Monsang tribe mostly settled in Chandel district of Manipur. They have their own distinct culture and tradition. They speak the Monsang language which is a Sino-Tibetan language of Northeast India.
20) Moyon:
They mainly settled in Chandel district of Manipur. They are involved in consuming rice beer, which they make locally and in a traditional way with the help of fermented rice. They have unique designs of traditional dress which is related to their history and culture. Women are involved in designing and weaving the attire by themselves. The Moyon tribe preserves their tradition and culture by passing from generation to generation through folk tales and folk dances. Moyons also have their own music and musical instruments which are used in festivals and different dances.
21) Paite:
The Paites are dominant in Churachandpur district of Manipur. Jhum cultivation is the main occupation of the people in the villages. The tradition of folksongs and folktales and culture of the people have been passed through generations. They speak the Paite language and follow Christianity.
22) Poumai:
The Poumais mostly settled in Senapati district of Manipur. They speak their own language called the Poula and are generally Christians. Thounii is one of their major festival. This festival is translated as “New year festival or the festival of dawn”. On festivals and occasions, men wear Roh-lai (a type of crown), Vee-hoxzu (a colourful bird’s feather), Phao-hah, paongi (bangles), etc. Women wear Lakiteisha (a black shawl with red and green stripes), Poupumu (a white-skirt with black and green stripes), bangles and necklaces.
23) Purum:
The Purum tribe currently settled in Saikul sub-division of Kangpokpi district. They speak Purum which is a Kuki-chin language. They mostly communicate in Kom language. Hunting and cultivation are the main occupation of the people. Phou hongba is their traditional festival which is celebrated just before the sowing of seeds.
