THE TRIBES IN THE PLAIN DISTRICTS OF ASSAM

Assam is home to a diverse groups of tribes who have given colour and vibrancy to the state’s culture . The Government of India has given Scheduled Tribe status to various communities in both the hills and Plains of the state. The total Scheduled Tribe population according to 2011 census stands as 3,884,371 of which 3,665,405 are from rural areas and 218,966 are from urban areas. The Scheduled tribe population accounts for 12.41 percent to total population of the state. There are altogether fifteen numbers of Scheduled Tribes (Hill) and fourteen Scheduled Tribes (Plain) having distinctive culture, language, folkways, legal system, religious belief and practices, and are at various stages of development socially, educationally and economically. The Scheduled Tribes, both plains and hills are distributed in all the 32 districts of the state. The plain tribes are found in the plain districts and the hill tribes are concentrated mainly in the hill districts of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills. The following is the list of the Scheduled Tribes in Assam . The Tribes in the Autonomous Districts are – Chakma, Dimasa kachari, Garo, Hajong, Hmar, Khasi- Jaintia- Synteng- Pnar- Bhoi- Lyngngam, Any Kuki Tribes, Lakher, Man (Tai ), Any Mizo (Lusai Tribes ), Mikir, Any Naga Tribes, Pawi, Lalung.
In the state of Assam excluding the autonomous districts the different Tribes are  Barmans  of Cachar  ,Boro, Boro Kachari, Deori, Hojai,  Sonowal Kachari, Lalung, Mech , Miri , Rabha , Dimasa , Hajong, Singpho, Khampti, Garo . Although , the population of the Brahmaputra valley, The Barak Valley and the Hill districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao constitute the people of Assam, yet for the convenience of the study the culture and society of the people of the Brahmaputra valley has been taken as the focus of this study.
The Brahmaputra valley is the meeting ground of diverse linguistic and racial groups. The valley is home to both tribal and non tribal communities. The Bodo also called as Boro or Boro Kacharis is a branch of the great Bodo Group of the Indo Mongoloid family. Regarded as one of the earliest settlers of this region, this group of people had their original habitat in Tibet or China. The Bodos are scattered throughout the Northeastern States of  India. There are some small Bodo pockets outside India like in Burma, Nepal, and Bhutan. The state of Assam is the main adobe of the Bodos. Their main concentration is now on the north bank of the river Brahmaputra starting from Dhubri to Dhemaji district in the east.  In some of the Districts they have a few  population in Bongaigaon, Nalbari, Barpeta, Darrang, Goalpara, Dhubri and Kamrup apart from newly constituted Kokrajhar, Baska, Chirang and Udalgiri districts of Bodoland Territorial Area District. They also inhabit the regions of Nagaon, Karbi Anglong and Golaghat districts. Bodo is regarded as a generic term and different names are used to designate them. In Bengal and in Nepal, they are known as Meches. In Upper Assam they are identified as Sonowal Kachari, while in the western Assam, they are more popularly known as Boro or Boro- Kachari.
In the Southern districts of North Cachar and Cachar they are designated as Dimasa and Barmans respectively (Bordoloi.B. N, et al., 1987, pp. 1).The Boro or Boro Kachari according to 2011 census is the largest tribe of Assam with a population of 1,361,735 persons.
The Mising of Assam previously known as Miris is the second largest group of Scheduled Tribe (Plains) of Assam. The term ‘Miri’ was given to them by the plain people and the tribe prefer to call themselves as Mising. Their population according to 2011 census is 6,80,424 persons. They are mainly concentrated in the riverine areas of Lakhimpur, Sibsagar, Dhemaji, Jorhat, Golaghat, Sonitpur and Tinsukia districts of Assam. Originally, they were hill dwellers and lived along with the Abors of Arunachal Pradesh. They migrated to the plains of Assam before the reign of the Ahom kings and began settling in the riverine areas of the Brahmaputra and Subansiri rivers. They migrated to the Brahmaputra valley from an area upstream of the Dihong river . They belong to the Tibeto Burman family of the Mongoloid group.
The Rabhas are one of the Scheduled Tribes in the plains districts of Assam. They are widely scattered, but mostly concentrated in the districts of Goalpara, Kamrup and Darrang. Besides Assam, their distribution spreads over Meghalaya, Bangladesh, Nepal, West Bengal, Manipur etc. According to 2011 census, their population is 296,189. There are divergent views by different scholars regarding the ethnic individuality of the tribe, its original place of abode, and the relationship with other tribal groups. Rev. S. Endle had shown seven ‘sub-tribes’ of the Rabhas such as ‘Rangdaniya’, ‘Maitoriya’, ‘Pati’, ‘Koch’, ‘Bitliya’, ‘Dahuriya’ and ‘Sangha’.  The Pati section of the tribe shows great Hindu influences and the impact of acculturation is more prominent amongst them. Numerically the Rangdanis are well represented in western Goalpara. The Maitoris are numerically less in Assam than the Rangdanis and is concentrated in western Meghalaya. The Dahuri group is found in north Goalpara and the Totlas in north Kamrup area and in the northern belt of Darrang District particularly around Rowta, Udalguri and Hugrajuli.
The Sonowal Kacharis is one of the important plain tribes of Assam. They are distributed in the districts of Dibrugarh,Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sibsagar, Jorhat and Golaghat. The Sonowal Kachari has a population of 2,53,344. They belong to the great Bodo group. The Sonowal Kachari believes that they are the descendents of Bhaskarbarman, Narakasur, Ban, Bhagadatta, Hirimba, Ghototkos, Bhim, Prahlad and Bali. Regarding the origin of the name ‘Sonowal’, it is opined that the Kacharis who used to collect gold or ‘son’ from the bank of the Subansiri came to be known as Sonowal Kacharis.
The Tiwas , earlier referred to as Lalungs are one of the major ethnic groups in Assam. According to Tiwa language, ‘Ti’ means ‘water’ and ‘Wa’ means ‘great’. The origin of the tribe is shrouded in mystery. It is said that while migrating to Assam, they followed the course of the Brahmaputra and introduced themselves to others as Tiwa. They were called as Lalung by the non Tiwas. The Karbis called those people as Lalungs who were living on the South bank of the Brahmaputra. ‘La’ means water and ‘lung’ means rescued. The river Brahmaputra gave shelter to this people; hence, they came to be called as Lalung. They are a branch of the Bodo group and belong ethnically to the Mongoloid stock.
The Tiwas are mostly concentrated in Nagaon, Morigaon and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam. Besides these, there are a few other Tiwa villages in Dhemaji, Sonitpur, Jorhat and Kamrup districts. In respect of habitats, the present day Tiwas can be divided into two viz., Plains and Hill Tiwas, the latter being able to preserve their traditional life and culture. The topography and ecology of the plains and hills have influenced the Tiwas considerably. Certain aspects of socio-cultural life of the Hill Tiwas have become distinct from that of the Plains Tiwas. The Hill Tiwas have been able to maintain many of their traditional characteristics. The Plain Tiwas are settled cultivators where as the Hill Tiwas still resort to Jhum system or Terrace cultivation. According to 2011 census, the population of the Tiwas in the plains is 1,82,663. The Garos have received the status of Scheduled tribes both in the hills and Plains of Assam. In the plain region they are distributed in Kamrup, Goalpara and Dhubri districts of the Brahmaputra valley.
The Garos call themselves as Achik Mande meaning ‘HillMan’. They belong to the Mongoloid race, and are from the Tibeto Burman families of the Bodo linguistic group. According to 2011 census, their population in the plain is 1,36,077. The Garos follow the matrilineal family structure. They trace their lineage through females.
Another riverine community of Assam is the Deori tribe .They are one of the fourteen Scheduled Tribes ( Plains) of Assam. The original adobe of the Deori was on the banks of the river Kundilpani at Kundil, presently known as Sadiya . In the census of 1901, it is mentioned that the banks of the Kundilpani river is the ancient habitation of the Deoris. Brown In the book ‘Deori Chutiya Grammar’ (1837) observes that the Deories had their original habitation on the bank opposite to Sadiya. ( cited Deori .S, 2013,pp.11). They are ethnically affiliated to the Tibeto Burman tribes of northeast India. The term ‘Deori’ means the ‘off springs of God and Goddess’. They were regarded as the Levite or priestly body and functioned as the priests of the Chutiyas of Assam(Deori. 2002, pp.16). The Deories are also known as Jimochanya. The Deories had come from China and Mongolia in the distant past. From there, they migrated to Kundil or Sadiya and then moved to several places like Manas Sarovar, Lhasa, banks of the Swati Sarovar and Tsangpo and finally settled in Sadiya and Jaidam. These people settled on the valleys of the Brahmaputra and other areas. Later they settled on the bank of the rivers Dibang, Tengapani and Patorsal, at present within the jurisdiction of Arunachal Pradesh and Sadiya Chapakhoa Sub Division of Tinsukia District of Assam. Their present habitation is spread in the riverine areas of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Sibsagar, Jorhat, Tinsukia and Sonitpur and Golaghat districts of Assam. As per 2011 Census their total population is 43750.
The Dimasa Kachari constitutes one of the major tribal groups of Assam and is an important ethnic group in the autonomous hill districts and also in the plain districts of Assam. In the plains they have a population of 19,702. Linguistically, the Dimasa belong to the Boro group of Tibeto-Burman family. The tribal meaning of the word ‘Dimasa’ is ‘son of a big river’. ‘Di’ means ‘water’, ‘Ma’ means ‘big’ and ‘Sa’ means ‘son’. There are several opinions regarding the origin of the name Dimasa. As the Brahmaputra is the biggest and longest river in Assam, it is presumed that the Dimasas consider themselves to be the descendents of the Brahmaputra. Another section of scholars opine that the Bodos came to be known as Dimasa after they established their capital at Dimapur on the bank of the river Dhansiri. In Dimasa, the river Dhansiri is called as ‘Dima’. Till recent years, the Dimasa Kacharis were also known as Hill Kacharis as they prefer to live in hilly areas. Before the advent of the Ahoms in the thirteenth century, the Kachari kingdom was extended along the south bank of the Brahmaputra from the Dikhou River to Kolong River. It included the Dhansiri valley.
The Singphos in Assam has a population of 2,342. The Singphos belong to the Tibeto Burmese language group of the Mongoloid stock. According to Singpho tradition, the Singphos migrated to this region through the Brahmaputra via the Sampo River between 800-700 B.C. There are several references about the tribe from literature of the medieval times. The four boundaries of the Singpho territory are given in the periodical Arunodoy ( cited in Ninkhe, 2013, pp. 18-19) as follows- towards North lies the Brahmaputra, towards East lies Mishmi hills, towards West lies the Patkai mountains and towards South it extends from the mouth of the Na Dihing river to the Burhi Dihing river. The Singphos inhabit around twenty five villages in Margherita region of Tinsukia district. They are also found in the two villages of Dighali and Ouguri in Sibsagar district. The Singphos have been credited to have first introduced the tea plant to the British. Around 1823, Robert Bruce met the Singpho chief called as ‘Bisa gam’ who showed Bruce the tea plant which was a traditional plant of his family. He also gave Bruce seeds and saplings of the tea plant. This was stated to be the beginning of the tea culture in Assam which the British learnt from the Singphos. Ningroola , from the Singphos was the first person to own tea plantation on the bank of the Burhi Dihing river.
The Khamti tribe of Assam consists of 1,106 persons. The Tai Khamtis migrated to Assam from Bar Khamti (khamti Lung) in Burma during the18th century. First they settled on the bank of the Tengapani River. From there they went to Sadiya and ultimately to Narayanpur. At present the Tai Khamtis inhabit several villages in the Narayanpur region of North Lakhimpur district. They were earlier settled in Sadiya, from where they migrated to the bank of the Dikrong River at Narayanpur.
The Karbis are an important tribe of Assam. They are mainly found in the hill district of Karbi Anglong. They are given the status of scheduled tribe ( H) in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts. A large number of Karbi villages are also found in the plain areas of the state. They are mentioned as Mikir in the constitution order, Govt of India. Although their main concentration is in the Karbi Anglong. In the plains, Karbis live in the districts of Kamrup (M), Morigaon, Nagaon, Golaghat, Sonitpur, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Cachar. Racially the Karbi belong to the Mongoloid group and linguistically they belong to the Tibeto- Burman group. They call themselves as ‘Arleng’. The Karbis are divided into four groups, namely, Chinthong, Ronghang, Amri and Dumrali. The Karbis believe that their migration to the plains of Assam took place at the beginning of the seventeenth century. There are several small tribal communities in Assam who follow the Buddhist religion. They are the Turungs, Aitonias, Tai Phakes and Khamyangs.
 The Tai Turungs were originally residing on the bank of the river Turung in Burma. From there they migrated to Assam. They are presently found in three villages of Jorhat, two villages in Golaghat and one village in Karbi Anglong district. There are six villages in Karbi Anglong and three in Golaghat district inhabited by the Aitonias. They came to Assam from Myanmar during the 18th century. Another small community following the Buddhist faith are the Tai Phakes. At present they inhabit the villages of NamPhake and TipamPhake in Namrup area of Tinsukia. According to historical sources (cited in Ninkhe. R, 2013, pp. 47), the Tai Phakes inhabited the Hukong Valley in the Patkai range of Mountains. From here they had to migrate to other places. Between 1742 to 1850 they had to shift from one place to another in search of proper habitation. In 1777, they came by the river on boat and arrived at Kokilamukh. Here they settled on the bank of the river Disou in Jorhat. In course of time, after several eventful situations they finally settled in Naharkatiya.
 The Tai Khamyangs are presently found in Margherita area of Tinsukia district, and in some villages of Jorhat, Golaghat and Sibsagar. During the 16th century they were believed to have inhabited the place called as Khamjang Na, in the Patkai range. In course of time they migrated to the Tengapani and Sadiya regions of Assam. The Ahom community in Assam inhabit the Upper Assam districts of Jorhat, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, North Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Dhemaji and in certain areas of Nagaon and Sonitpur districts . They are also distributed in small pockets in other parts of the state. The Ahoms belong to the Tai ethnic group of the Mongoloid race. They came to Assam during the early part of the thirteenth century. The kingdom which Sukapha, the first Ahom king of Assam laid down in 1228 continued till 1826 .Within this six hundred years , they have left a rich legacy in the history of this land.