There is undoubtedly a dominance of the Mongoloid element in the population of North-East India. Besides the racial differences, there is a tribal–nontribal duality recognized by the Constitution of India to secure certain benefits to the tribal community, to enable them to catch up with the rest of the society, in educational attainment and the level of living. Most of the tribes or tribal communities are concentrated in the hilly states of Arunachal Pradesh; Nagaland; Manipur; Mizoram, on the Myanmar border; and Meghalaya sandwiched between Assam and Bangladesh.
People of Northeast India
Northeast India has over 220 ethnic groups and an equal
number of dialects in which Bodo from the largest indigenous ethnic group. In
the north-eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and
Nagaland, upward of 90 percent of the population is tribal. However, in the
remaining northeast states of Assam, Manipur, Sikkim, and Tripura, tribal
peoples form between 20 and 30 percent of the population.
People of Assam
Human settlement in the region probably, dated back 2000 B. C. since when, it is known with certainty that, there was a movement of population from the Hwangho and the Yang-Tse-Kiang in China to India through Assam and these Mongolid people along with others who migrated from Northern Burma (Myanmar) formed the bulk of the population of Assam.
Later there was a wave of migrations into Assam through the northeastern routes. these migrants belong to the 'Indo-Chinese linguistic Family" of which the two most important subfamilies are Mon-Khmer and the Tibeto-Burman. The third, Siamese-Chinese includes Sban, which was spoken by the Ahoms, the last of these invaders.
out of these three Mongolian groups, the Assam has at present descendants of the last two known as the Boro, Kacharis and Ahoms respectively. A group of Aryans had made their eastward move entered Assam through Bihar and North Bengal and had spread their culture and civilization in the western part of the Assam. It is claimed by some scholars that a group of Aryans penetrated far east of the Assam and established cities and kingdoms as early as the Mahabharat period. In the process of these two immigrations, a significant fact of Aryan and Mongolian traits leading to the present Assamese culture. (R L Sing 1971)
Assam is acknowledged as the settling land for a lot of
cultures.
Ahoms along with Chutia, Moran, Motok, and Koch are still regarded as semi-tribal groups who have nominally converted to Ekasarana Dharma even though keeping alive their own tribal traditions and customs.
As per the latest development indigenous ethnicities like Moran, Chutia, Motok, Tai Ahoms and Koch & also non-indigenous ethnic group like the Tea tribes have realized the above-mentioned points and have applied for ST status. This will make Assam a predominantly tribal state having wider geopolitical ramifications.
People of Arunachal Pradesh
The ancient history of Arunachal
Pradesh remains uncertain, yet many traces can be made to Indian History. It is
often believed that Arunachal has an ancient connection with India and its
mention can be found in the Mahabharata and the Kalika Purana. Sage Parshurama
had washed off his sins in the Lohit District, Maharshi Vyasa had meditated
here and Lord Krishna is said to have married Rukmini from here. The sixth
Dalai Lama was born here in Tawang in the 17th century. This rich and diverse
backdrop makes Arunachal Pradesh one of the significant parts of India’s unique
history.[3]
The state is inhabited by the world’s largest variety of
ethnic tribal groups and subgroups numbering over a hundred and each tribe
speaking their own language and dialect. Their diverse and unique rich culture
and traditional heritage constitute arts and crafts, fares and festivals,
social structure, folklores in the form of songs and dances that still remain
fresh and well-preserved in this state.
A place brimming with tremendous
anthropological richness, Arunachal Pradesh is home to several groups of
indigenous people. Broadly speaking there are three cultural groups; first
being Monpas and Sherdukpen of Tawang and West Kameng districts who are
followers of the tradition of Mahayana Buddhism. The second group comprising of
Apatanis, Adis, Galos, Mishmis, Nyishis, Tagins, Akas etc worship the Sun and
Moon God while the third group including Noctes, Wanchos and Khampti (tribal
communities of TLCN – Tirap, Longding, Changlang, Namsai) follow basic
Vaishnavism and Buddhism respectively and are ruled by a hereditary chief.
Additionally there are the Galo, Nyishi, Tagin, Apatani and Adi communities who
are commonly known as Tani clans due to their connection with Abotani
(abu/abo-father, tani-tribes) – from whom the mythical heritage of mankind’s
origin is associated.[3]
People of Manipur
People of Manipur include Meitei,
Naga, Kuki, Meitei Pangal and other colorful communities which have lived
together in complete harmony for centuries. These are the people whose
folklore, myths & legends, dances, indigenous games and martial arts,
exotic handlooms & handicrafts are infested with the mystique of nature.
The wonders have no end in Manipur.[4]
About two-thirds of the people
are Meitei (Meetei), who occupy the Manipur valley and are largely Hindus.
Meitei women conduct most of the trade in the valley and enjoy high social
status. Indigenous hill tribes, such as the Nagas in the north and the Kukis in
the south, make up the rest of the population. Divided into numerous clans and
sections, the people of these tribes speak languages of the Tibeto-Burman
family and practice traditional animist religions. Some of the Nagas have been
converted to Christianity. More than three-fifths of the people speak Manipuri,
which, along with English, is the official language of the state. Manipur’s
population is largely rural, Imphal being the only city of any size.[5]
People of Meghalaya
Historical account suggest that there were waves of migration into Northeast India through the north-eastern routes and these migration were rather invaders who belong to the "Indo-Chinese Linguistc Familly" of which two most important sub-families are the Mon-Khmer and Tibeto-Burman. The Mon-Khmer which constitutes Khasi and the Jaintias was drive by subsequent Tibeto-Burman hordes into the Khasi Hills Which that sub-family now exists.
The Tibeto-Burman sub-family there were three groups, viz., Naga, Kuki-Chin and Bodo. The Naga and the Kuki were driven to the hills in the northeast and the Bodo dominated in the plains, Garo Hills and the North Cachar hills. The Bodo was later divided into a number of small linguistic groups such as Garo, Kachari, Mech, Dimasa, Tippea, Lalung, Rabga and Chutia. (R L Sing,1971)
People of Mizoram
Historian believes that the Mizos are a part of the great wave of the Mongolian race spilling over into the eastern and southern India centuries ago. Their sojourn in Western Burma, into which they eventually around the seventh century, is estimated to last about two centuries. They came under the influence of the British Missionaries in the 9th century, and now most of the Mizos are Christians. One of the beneficial results of Missionary activities was the spread of education.
The Missionaries introduced the Roman script for the Mizo language and formal
education. The cumulative result is a high percentage of 95 % (as per National
Sample Survey 1997-98) which is considered to be highest in India. The Mizos
area distinct community and the social unit was the village. Around it revolved around the life of a Mizo. Mizo Village is usually set on the top of a hill with the
chief's house at the center and the bachelor’s dormitory called Zawlbuk, prominently.
In a way, the focal point in the village was the Zawlbuk where all young
bachelors of the village slept. Zawlbuk was the training ground, and indeed,
the cradle wherein the Mizo youth was shaped into a responsible adult member
of the society. [6]
The residents of Mizoram consist
almost entirely of Scheduled Tribes (an official category embracing indigenous
groups that fall outside the predominant Indian social hierarchy). These groups
are loosely called Mizo, a local term meaning “highlanders.” Among the most
prominent of the Mizo peoples are the Kuki, Pawi, and Lakher. Most of the Mizo
are Tibeto-Burman peoples, speaking Mizo or a closely related Tibeto-Burman
language or dialect. One group in the state, however, the Chakma, speaks an
Indo-Aryan language. Mizo and English are the principal and official languages.
Having no script of its own, Mizo uses the Roman alphabet.[7]
People of Nagaland
The derivation of the word 'NAGA' used for the people of this land is obscure. It has been generally believed that the term Naga is derived from Kachari 'Naga' meaning young man and hence warriors the source of this word. Verrier Elwin thinks that the word is derived from 'Nok' meaning people in a few Tibeto-Burman languages. (R.L Sing, 1971)
Nagaland has a rich linguistic
tradition with as many languages as there are tribes, each exclusive to itself.
What is even more remarkable is that even within the language of a particular
tribe, there are dialects mutually unintelligible. For instance, in some tribes
like the Angami, every village has a slightly different variation even within
the same dialect-this variance progressively increasing with the geographical
distance. This makes inter-tribe and intra-tribe communication very difficult.
In the circumstances, English has come to serve as the State language while
Nagamese, a kind of pidgin Assamese, has become the common lingua.[8]
The Nagas, an Indo-Asiatic
people, form more than 20 tribes, as well as numerous subtribes, and each one
has a specific geographic distribution. Though they share many cultural traits,
the tribes have maintained a high degree of isolation and lack cohesion as a
single people. The Konyaks are the largest tribe, followed by the Aos,
Tangkhuls, Semas, and Angamis. Other tribes include the Lothas, Sangtams,
Phoms, Changs, Khiemnungams, Yimchungres, Zeliangs, Chakhesangs (Chokri), and
Rengmas.[9]
People of Sikkim
Roughly three-fourths of Sikkim’s residents are Nepalese in
origin; most speak a Nepali (Gorkhali) dialect and are Hindu in religion and
culture. About one-fifth of the population consists of Scheduled Tribes (an
official category embracing indigenous peoples who fall outside the predominant
Indian social hierarchy). The most prominent of these tribal groups are the
Bhutia, the Lepcha, and the Limbu; they all speak Tibeto-Burman languages and
practice Mahayana Buddhism as well as the indigenous Bon religion.[10]
The Lepchas
The original inhabitants of Sikkim are said to be Lepchas.
They existed much before the Bhutias and Nepalese migrated to the state. Before
adopting Buddhism or Christianity as their religion, the earliest Lepcha
settlers were believers in the bone faith or mune faith. This faith was
basically based on spirits, good and bad. They worshipped spirits of mountains,
rivers and forests which was but natural for a tribe that co-existed so
harmoniously with the rich natural surroundings. The Lepcha (Zongu) folklore is
rich with stories. The Lepcha population is concentrated in the central part of
the Sikkim. This is the area that encompasses the confluence of Lachen and
Lachung rivers and Dickchu.
The Bhutias
These are the people of Tibetan origin. They migrated to
Sikkim perhaps somewhere after the fifteenth century through the state of
Sikkim. In Northern Sikkim, where they are the major inhabitants, they are known
as the Lachenpas and Lachungpas. The language spoken by the Bhutia's is
Sikkimese. Bhutia villages are as large as those compared to those of Lepchas.
A Bhutia house called “Khin” is usually of rectangular shape.
The Nepalese
The Nepalese appeared on the Sikkim scene much after the
Lepchas & Bhutias. They migrated in large numbers and soon became the
dominant community. The Nepalese now constitute more than 80% of the total
population. The Nepali settlers introduced the terraced system of cultivation.
Cardamom was an important cash crop introduced by the Nepalis’. Except for the
Sherpas & Tamangs who are Buddhists, the Nepalis’ are orthodox Hindus with
the usual cast system.[11]
People of Tripura
The original tribes of Tripura are Tripuri, who used to be
known as "PANCHA TRIPURA" that is five Tripuris during Manikya
Monarchy, till its merger with Indian Union. The five branches are Tripuri/Tripur, Tripura,
Jamatia, Reang, Halam. Within these five main branches of Tripuris, there are
smaller sub-branches like-Murasing, Uchui, Rupini, and Kolois etc. These
branches have their many branches, that are having their little
characteristics.
The people of Tripura are said to belong to the same origin
as the Katcharis; the similarities in their religion, customs and appearance
make this probable. It may be added that the Rajas of both countries, Tipperah
and Katchar.[12]
The Tripuri constitute more than half the tribal community.
Other prominent tribal groups include the Reang, the Chakma, the Halam (a
subgroup of the Kuki), the Garo, the Lusai (Mizo), and the Marma (Mogh); most
originally moved to Tripura from various hill regions in neighboring states.
Bengali (Bangla), an Indo-Aryan language, is spoken by more
than half the population; it and Kokborok (Tripuri), a Tibeto-Burman language,
are the state’s official languages. Manipuri, another Tibeto-Burman language,
also is widely spoken.
Hinduism is the religion of the great majority of Tripura’s
people. Muslims constitute the largest minority but account for less than
one-tenth of the population. There also are small minorities of Christians,
particularly among the tribal peoples. Most of the Chakma and Mogh is
Buddhist.[13]
To study more about people of northeast India and their culture some books recommendation given below. These are also used as references for this article. I also recommend you go through this book's which will help you to acquire knowledge on this topic. For details click the book title.
India A Regional Geography [R.L Sing]
North East India A Regional Geography
Tribal People Of North East India
People and Forest in North East India