Chapter III the History of Peophng

43 Chapter III The History of PeopHng 3.1 Geographical locaticn and distribution In this chapter the histoi-y of Nagas will be traced to throw light on their origin. The Nagas are found in four states of India and in Myanmar. They live between Brahmaputra and Chindwin Rivers, between 93'’E to longitudes and 24^’N to 27^^ latitudes.' in an area of about 100.000 sq.km. of the Patkai range. Fig 3.1 The Naga Ancestral Domain According to J.P. Mills, the Nagas live in the area “bounded by the Hudkawng valley in the north-east, the plains of Brahmaputra valley to the north-west, of Cachar to the south west and of the Chindwin to the east. In the south, the Manipur valley roughly marks the point of contact between the Naga tribes and the closely interrelated group of Kuki tribes 44 Thadou, Lushei, Chin, etc,”^ In India, they are found, besides Nagaland, in the four Districts of Manipur, one District in Assam and two Districts in Arunachal Pradesh. In addition to this, many Nagas inhabit the Western part of Myanmar (Burma). In Myanmar, Nagas are concentrated in the Somrah tract bordering India, which comes under Kachin state and Sagaing Sub-division. There are 48 major tribes of Nagas with a population of about 3 million in 2001. There are 13 tribes in Nagaland, 17 tribes in Manipur, 2 tribes in Assam, 3 tribes in Arunachal Pradesh and 13 tribes in Myanmar. According to Naga National Rights and Movements NNC, there are 77 tribes, which include the sub-tribes and major tribes, while the Naga Hoho list 60 tribes. According to the 2001 Census, Nagas from Nagaland and Manipur comprise of about 2.7 millions and the rest of the Nagas comprises of about 0.3 million. Table 3.1 Naga, major tribes in India and Myanmar (Burma) SL. No. State Name of the major tribes 1. Nagaland Ao, Angami, Sema, Konyak, Lotha, Chakhesang, Rengma, Pochuri, Sangtam, Yimchunger, Chang, Khiamnungan, Mao, Phom, Tikhir, Zeme. 2. Manipur Tangkhul, Poumai, Zeliangrong*, Mao, Maram, Thangal, Koirao, Moyon, Monsang, Annal, Aimol, Chakhesang, Chiru, Chothe, Inpui, Kharam, Koireng, Kom, Lamkang, Liangmai, Mao, Maring, Purum, Rongmei, Tarao. 3. Arunachal Pradesh Tangsha, Wancho, Singpho, Stutsa, Wanchao and Nocte. 4. Assam Zeme, Rongmei (Zeliangrong) and Rengma. Konyak, Pangaw, Pyangoo, Phom, Yimchunger, 5. Myanmar Pangsha, Hemi, Lainung, Shangpuri, Para, Khiam, Tangkhul, Cheril, Chirr, Khiamnungan, Kengu, Machary/Makury/Makhori, Nocte, Pangmi, Para, Tangsa. *Zeliangrong (include Zemei, .iangmei and Rongmei) It is said that the Nagas immigrated from three directions - North East, North West and South East. Nagas living in the western part traced the origins of Nagas from the west through folktales and legends. But it is also confirmed that the majority of the Nagas immigrated from South East through the corridor of Indo-Myanmar border to the Naga Hills. 45 Fig, 3.2 Naga Tribes in India and Myanmar The Nagas are believed to have dispersed from Makhel (dispersal site of the Nagas), Senapati District, Manipur, emigrated from Indo-Myanmar corridor after they retreated from the Southern Seas - Moulmein (Myanmar). 46 One Naga scholars, the Late R.R. Shimray believed the Nagas came to the Naga Hills during the Bronze Age or early Iron Age. The evidence of smooth stones found in Nagalim made some of the authorities on Naga like Hutton, Pearl, Captain Steel etc show the evidence of Neolithic culture in Nagalim (native name of Nagaland representing the entire Naga inhabited areas). A recent discovery by the archaeologist O.K Singh in 1993 has shown evidence of Paleolithic culture in Nagalim. The Nagas occupied the Naga Hills much earlier before the Ahom Kings came to Assam during 13'*’ Century A.D. In the entire Naga history, there were two strong invaders who came to the Naga Hills and had fierce battles with the Nagas. The Ahom King who came from Thailand under the King of Sukhapa settled down in the plains of Assam in the 13*'’ century A.D. It is recorded in history that Ahom Kings had fought the Naga warriors and when they defeated the Nagas, the Nagas were harshly treated and were forced to have the roasted flesh of their kins killed by Ahoms. According to Elwin Verrier, Ahom Kings regarded the Nagas as their subjects and levied taxes on them in the form of slaves, elephant msks, spears, hand-woven textiles and cottons. The Ahoms settled in the Assam valley and later imposed taxes on some of the Naga tribes living in the vicinity of Assam valley. According to the report on the province of Assam in 1854 by Mills A.J. Moffatt, the British first came in contact with the Nagas in 1832 when Captain Jenkins and Pamberton along with 700 soldiers and 800 coolies (porters) to carry their baggage and provision marched across the Naga Hills in their attempt to find a route from Manipur to Assam. When the British came to the Naga Hills, the Nagas raided the British troops in different villages. The fight between the Nagas and British continued till 1880 when the fort of Khonoma finally fell into the hands of the British troops. After 1880, the British troops dominated many parts of Naga Hills but the Konyak tribe continued to fight the British till 1939.^ The British administered most of the Naga villages but they were not able to control all the Nagas villages. When the British left the Naga Hills after India got Independence, the Nagas declared Nagaland (Nagalim) as an Independent Nation on 14**’ August 1947. But the Indian Government did not recognize the unilateral declaration of 47 Naga National Independence and the indigenous Naga people continued to struggle for sovereignty from the Indian Government. 3.2 What some of the authorities comment about Nagas? The Nagas belong to the Mongoloid stock. The Philologists grouped Naga languages as belonging to the Tibeto-Burma family. Each tribe has a common language but there are some Naga villages, which have different dialects and cannot be understood by other villagers among the same tribe. For instance, the dialect spoken in three Poumai Naga villages cannot be understood by other villagers among the Tangkhul Nagas - every village has a different dialect, which is also not understood by other villagers. Different authors on Nagas comment being very courageous, industrious, cordial, colorfial, amicable and truthful. To quote Verrier Elwin, ‘They are a fine people, of whom their country is proud, strong and self reliant, with the free and independent outlook, characteristics of highlanders everywhere, good to look at, with an unerring instinct for color and design, friendly and cheerful with a keen sense of humor, gifted with splendid dances and a love of song.”"* J.H. Hutton, an authority on Nagas commented, “One of the first characteristics that strikes a visitor to the Angami’s country is his hospitality, a hospitality which is always ready to entertain a visitor and which forms a curious contrast to the very canning frugality of his domestic economy...Another very striking trait of the Angami is his geniality. Both men and women are exceedingly good humored and always ready for a joke. J.P. Mills commenting on the Lotha Nagas wrote, “Their sense of humor is well developed and they are always ready with a laugh.”*^ Maj. Gen. Sardeshpande, one of the Indian authors on Nagas comments about the Khiamungan and Konyak Nagas as, “Nagas are magnificent. You have to see and live amidst them to believe this simple statement. A very large majority of us know very little about them. The little that we know is about their nakedness, headhunting and anti-national, hostile, underground, insurgent activity for the last thirty years of independent India’s consciousness of it north-eastern periphery.. .By nature they are suspicious, sensitive, wary, distrustful, inward-looking, volatile and very proud. There cannot be a better friend than the Naga once he identifies his friend; there cannot be a worse foe than the 48 Naga once he feels deceived or let down. Deep inside his inscrutable exterior and penetrating eyes there is tremendous warmth, great geniality, and sharp intellect and immense good-will.”’ Shimray R.R., one of the authorities on the Nagas wrote, “Indeed, they are fierce looking and hostile to those with bad intentions, but certainly not all the attributes are right. They are, on the contrary, very good to those who are good to them, and friendly to those who are friendly and exceptionally hospitable to those who come with good intentions.”* In addition to the traits stated above, the Nagas love democracy, equality, justice and freedom of life in every respect. The Naga seniors do not expect high respect and reverence from their subordinates as they believe in equality and freedom. There is no tradition of slaves and master in Naga society- this is alien to them. The Nagas are a big family where there is no division based on caste, creed and religion. But they were also endowed with their own weak points and negativism, like they are orthodox, conservative, and sensitive to their traditions. 3.3 The myths of Naga Origin Though many ethnologists haves studied the Nagas tribe since ancient times, the British were the pioneers who encountered the Naga people and studied them seriously. The Nagas do not have their own written history about their origin as they followed the oral tradition. The folksongs, folk-tales and legends of different tribes of Nagas are the main sources of Naga history with which we can trace the origin of the Nagas. The different authorities on Nagas hypothesized or contributed to three main opinions about their origin.

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