Ethnic diversity of Assam – APSC Mains Essay
(Essay submitted in APSC Mains Essay Writing Contest 2019 – Essay Topics for week 1)
Ethnic Diversity of Assam
By Sumita Duara
Assam – the land of the red river & blue hills tucked in the northeastern part of India has been a melting pot of diverse ethnic communities since ages and is an amalgamation of multi-ethnic, multi linguistic & multi-religious groups.
To understand the diversity that is Assam, one has to understand her physiographic location. The state is bounded by seven states & has international borders with Bhutan & Bangladesh. Several geographical barriers also bound the state. To the north lie the eastern Himalayas. The lushai (mizo) hills, Chittagong hill tract & Hill Tippera lie to the south. To the northeast lies the patkai bum hill, which serves as a border between Assam & Myanmar. Though surrounded by hills yet it is estimated that eleven major ethno linguistic migrations occurred through these mountainous terrains. Thus, an amalgamation of races as Austric, Mongolian, Dravidian and Aryans has shaped Assam into the ethnically diverse land.
History of migration:
According to B.S Guha the eminent anthropologist, the earliest settlers of the land are the Mon Khmer speakers from South East Asia who are now identified as the Khasis & Synteng (Jaintia) groups. Then came the Tibeto –Burmese tribes of the Eastern Himalayas; and are today identified as the Mishings & Deuris; the Bodos & Kacharis ; the Karbis.
The next wave of migration occurred in the proto historic era from North India with the arrival of the Indo Aryans in around 500 BC and then migrants from the Gangetic plains of the Bengal occupied the Barak valley. Towards the end of the ancient period the defeated soldiers of Bakhtiyar Khilji settled in the Hajo area, becoming the first Islamic settlers in the state.
The Ahoms under the leadership of Sukaphaa crossed into Assam through Pangsu pass in the Patkai bam from Myanmar. With them came the Buddhists of the same ethnicity who are recognized as the Khamtis, Phake, Turung & Khamtang people.
The year 1826 saw the first anglo-burmese war and the signing of the Yandaboo treaty; this led to political instability & the migration of the Kachin & Kuki-Chan people from Myanmar who are at present identified as the Singphos & the Kuki chin tribes respectively.
With the advent of the colonialists came the service providers from the states of Bengal, Rajasthan. And to tend to the burgeoning tea plantations the britishers bought the tribesman from the tribal heartland of India as indentured labourers.
Present Scenario:
The Indian constitution has recognized 23 tribes in the state, with 14 of them being hill dwelling tribes (Chakma, Dimasa, Garo,Hajong,Hmar,Khasi & Jaintias, Lakher, Maan, Karbi, Pawi,Synteng, Kukis, Nagas ,Mizos) & the rest 9 (Barman, Bodo,Deori,Hojai,Sonowal Kachari,Tiwa ,Mech, Mising & Rabha) reside in the plains. The ethnic diversity of the land can be enumerated from the very fact that languages spoken in the state belong to three main language groups: Indo-Aryan, Austro-Asiatic, & Tibeto-Burman.
The tea tribe of Assam is an umbrella term for 109 tribes (Bhonda, Chamar, Goala, Tanti etc). Adding the Hindu Aryans, Islamic & Sikh settlers and migrants from the states of mainland India in search of a livelihood;to the milieu is what makes the land of the Brahmaputra a mosaic society with people living in harmony since times immemorial.
[ 540 Words ]
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