DOCSLIB.ORG

Tai Ahom Tradition and Culture Vis- a -Vis Thai Culture: an In-Depth Analysis

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Tai Ahom Tradition and Culture Vis- a -Vis Thai Culture: an In-Depth Analysis 13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THAI STUDIES GLOBALIZED THAILAND? CONNECTIVITY, CONFLICT AND CONUNDRUMS OF THAI STUDIES 15-18 JULY 2017, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND Tai Ahom Tradition and Culture vis- a -vis Thai Culture: an In-depth Analysis Gogoi, Hironmoni Borgohain Namrup College, Dibrugarh University Assam India -------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract The Study is an attempt to understand some of the basic Tai traits and traditions interweaved in the lives of the Tai Ahom people in Assam, India and trying to relate them to the Thai culture which forms the essence of life in Thailand. The Tai Ahoms living in India and the Thais living in Thailand and all other Tai communities are the inheritors of the ancient Tai Culture and Civilization which could make an impress on world civilization almost five thousand years ago and persists till date. Because of migration to different parts of the world, occasioned by varied factors, they have been influenced by various social, cultural and religious factors in their new places of habitation - wherein they had adapted and assimilated themselves. Though they still carry with them their Tai cultural legacies, which are deeply embedded in their psyche and their way of life, they are not very aware of the underlying cultural and philosophical significances. Therefore, studies which attempt to identify and probe into these basic traits appear to be an urgent necessity for Tai/ Thai culture to be rediscovered, interpreted, understood, and analyzed to keep them alive, vibrant, and universal for contribution to the world of knowledge. The Methodology will be the Qualitative Approach and focus basically on the Primary Sources like religious rituals of birth, death, marriage, work culture, monuments, music and dance, manuscripts, interviews etc. Secondary sources include authoritative books, critical articles. Some of the salient findings are the understanding of the ‘Humanism‘ inherent or interweaved into their culture, philosophy, way of life, and social relationships. It was this humanism that could set them apart from many other communities of the world where varied social discrimination existed. Uncovering this humanism would throw greater light on Tai/Thai Studies and Culture. Keywords: humanism, tai traits, tai ahoms, underlying philosophy, Thai culture For the humanist interested in art, literature, philosophy and religion, the ancient societies of China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam hold a mirror up to Western culture (John K.Fairbank, 1998) In reality the civilizations of the Occident and Orient are so interwoven that education built on the exclusion of one or the other can hardly be called education at all for it ignores half of human experience. (Clyde & Beers, 1972) 347 13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THAI STUDIES GLOBALIZED THAILAND? CONNECTIVITY, CONFLICT AND CONUNDRUMS OF THAI STUDIES 15-18 JULY 2017, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND Introduction As is the case of all other ancient civilizations of the world, Tai culture and civilization began evolving and developing in its own characteristic manner influenced by environmental and social factors and the hard struggle and toil for survival of the people. One distinguishing feature of this culture is that this group of people inhabiting the eastern region of the world who were predominantly Mongolian in origin had remained comparatively isolated for a very long period of time from the remaining communities of the world. This happened because of their geographical isolation occasioned by the natural barriers (like the Himalayas, the Tibetan Plateau more than ten thousand feet high, the mountain chains radiating there – from, and the vast deserts and steppes of Central Asia and the rugged mountains and jungles of Southwest China and Southeast Asia) (John K.Fairbank, 1998). The Tai Culture and Civilization which is the focal point of discussion forms one of the major foundations of the ancient Chinese civilization which in turn forms the basis for the cultures of the present day China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia (John K.Fairbank, 1998). The study will be an attempt to understand the manifestation of Tai culture and civilization extant in the kingdom of Assam in North Eastern India which had been under the rule of the Tai Ahoms from 1228 AD to 1826 AD, a period spanning six hundred years. Efforts will be made to understand the underlying truths of culture and philosophy behind the massive stamps etched on the landscape in the form of vast sea-like ponds, hill- like pyramid –shaped burial mounds, palaces with underground tunnels, the solid stone bridges, the facts laden, objective historical records, the development of an organized system of governance, the relationships established with the neighboring kingdoms, the creation of human resources with versatile abilities, the withstanding of repeated Mughal invasions, the establishment of a self-sufficient economy etc. Nartsupha and Wichasin (2007) observe that this group of Tai people had been able to carve the second largest Tai Kingdom in the world, next to Ayutthaya. Since the kingdom was independent for six centuries, it became the depository of a highly developed culture in the form of manuscripts, buildings, rituals and customs. The Ahoms did not have contact with other Tai groups over a long period. Therefore their historical documents reflect many archaic elements of the Tai community, which have been lost or obscured among other Tai groups. They did not have Buddhism and retained beliefs in natural and ancestral spirits. Their chronicles are supposed to be mines of knowledge of ancient Tai society and culture. Lying in close proximity to medieval India, the Ahoms had to constantly withstand the attacks by the Mughals who had by then conquered almost the whole of India, except a very small handful of independent kingdoms. They were able to resist the Mughal Army seventeen times. There was only one time when they were defeated by the Mughals who tried to gain occupation of their land but this happened for a short period of time as the Ahom King, nobles and common men could not rest in peace until they were able to free their kingdom left to them by their ancestors. This bears evidence of their intense craving for freedom, valour, courage and deadly determination to triumph by virtue of their indomitable spirit no matter how strong and huge are the enemy forces. When the first Tai Prince Choulung Siukapha arrived in the present day North Eastern Region of India, the land was inhabited by different indigenous communities belonging to the Mongolian stock and they had their chiefs and kings who ruled over them. He had set forth from Moung Mao Lung (located in present day Yunnan Province in South China) in 1215 AD accompanied by a huge band of nine thousand men folk comprising of nobles, queens (there are differences of opinion regarding this), priests, soldiers, the revered 348 13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THAI STUDIES GLOBALIZED THAILAND? CONNECTIVITY, CONFLICT AND CONUNDRUMS OF THAI STUDIES 15-18 JULY 2017, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND deity Somdeo, their necessities of daily life, seeds of food grains etc. Moreover the Tai ruler had brought along with him Tai culture and civilization with which he would be working to carve a Tai Kingdom or Empire. It is recorded that his maternal grandmother had taken the initiative to send him to a different land to build a kingdom there. This strong hold of culture and civilization nourished and enriched with the lifeblood of ‘humanism’ would help him to win the hearts of the different communities residing in his new land who could recognize a sort of dignity and worth in the people. One of the attributes for the name of Assam appears to be interpreted as ‘Asama’ meaning ‘unparalleled’ or ‘peerless’ in Sanskrit (Devi, 1968). Statement of the Problem Strangely enough it is the word ‘humanism’ which appears silent in the books on history and culture dealing with the Tai Ahoms. History books appear to be concerned with the facts that had happened or occurred or ‘what’ happened and ‘how’ it happened. This paper would be an attempt to try to understand ‘why’ did the Tai people think in a certain line, behave in a certain manner. It would try to trace its origins and to see in what manner they differed from other cultures and civilizations. Objectives The study will be an attempt to understand: a) The salient aspects of Tai culture still visible in the form of historical records, architectural heritage, the rituals, customs and traditions practiced by the Tai Ahoms in their day to day lives and a glimpse into their personalities as shaped by this culture. b) To attempt to penetrate to the underlying philosophy of Tai culture which has been identified as the ‘Humanism’ predominant in the culture and civilization and to understand how this has manifested itself in the different aspects of life. c) To attempt to relate it to the Thai culture prevalent and practiced in Thailand. Relevance of the Study This study bears relevance in the context of the present day world as insightful studies which will help to understand the essence of Tai Culture and civilization and its contribution to the present day scenario where in amidst the boiling cauldron of globalization, the time has arrived for every culture and civilization to understand whether it is trekking the right direction in order that culture can thrive for the better. On the other hand if in the name of change or modernity or globalization it becomes perverted or distorted then it will not be able to achieve its organic growth which is the need of the hour and is the case with all other culture and civilizations. The flow of civilization can be compared to a flowing river which even when it meets a barrier it takes a new bend but it does not lose its essence.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Forgotten Saga of Rangpur's Ahoms
    High Technology Letters ISSN NO : 1006-6748 The Forgotten Saga of Rangpur’s Ahoms - An Ethnographic Approach Barnali Chetia, PhD, Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Vadodara, India. Department of Linguistics Abstract- Mong Dun Shun Kham, which in Assamese means xunor-xophura (casket of gold), was the name given to the Ahom kingdom by its people, the Ahoms. The advent of the Ahoms in Assam was an event of great significance for Indian history. They were an offshoot of the great Tai (Thai) or Shan race, which spreads from the eastward borders of Assam to the extreme interiors of China. Slowly they brought the whole valley under their rule. Even the Mughals were defeated and their ambitions of eastward extensions were nipped in the bud. Rangpur, currently known as Sivasagar, was that capital of the Ahom Kingdom which witnessed the most glorious period of its regime. Rangpur or present day sivasagar has many remnants from Ahom Kingdom, which ruled the state closely for six centuries. An ethnographic approach has been attempted to trace the history of indigenous culture and traditions of Rangpur's Ahoms through its remnants in the form of language, rites and rituals, religion, archaeology, and sacred sagas. Key Words- Rangpur, Ahoms, Culture, Traditions, Ethnography, Language, Indigenous I. Introduction “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare, the lone and level sands stretch far away.” -P.B Shelley Rangpur or present day Sivasagar was one of the most prominent capitals of the Ahom Kingdom.
    [Show full text]
  • The TAI AHOM Movement in Northeast India: a Study of All Assam TAI AHOM Student Union
    IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 23, Issue 7, Ver. 10 (July. 2018) PP 45-50 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org The TAI AHOM Movement in Northeast India: A Study of All Assam TAI AHOM Student Union Bornali Hati Boruah Research Scholar Dept. of Political science Assam University, Diphu campus, India Corresponding Author: Bornali Hati Boruah Abstract: The Ahoms, one of the foremost ethnic communities in the North East India are a branch of the Tai or Shan people. The Tai Ahoms entered the Brahmaputra valley from the east in the early part of the thirteenth century and their arrival heralded a new age for the people of the region. The ethnic group Tai Ahoms of Assam has been asserting their ethnic identity more than a century old today. The Ahoms who once ruled over Assam seek to maintain their distinct identity within the larger Assamese society. The Tai Ahoms of Assam faced a lot of problem after independence in different aspects. Moreover, though once Tai Ahoms ancestors were ruling race but today they have been squarely backward .They have been recognized as one of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. As a measure to solve their multifold and multifaceted demands, the ethnic group Tai Ahoms has been struggling through their organizations. In present time, All Tai Ahom Student Union (ATASU) has been very much concerned about the various problems of Tai Ahoms community. While struggling for the overall development of the Tai Ahom community, rightly or wrongly the All Tai Ahom Student Union has been raising political issues and thus got involved in the politics of the state despite being a non-political organization.
    [Show full text]
  • 1. the Ahom Dynasty Ruled the Ahom Kingdom for Approximately A) 300 Years B) 600 Years C) 500 Years D) 400 Years
    Visit www.AssamGovJob.in for more GK and MCQs 1. The Ahom Dynasty ruled the Ahom Kingdom for approximately a) 300 Years b) 600 Years c) 500 Years d) 400 Years 2. Who was the founder of the Varmana Dynasty? (a) Bhaskar Varman (b) Pushyavarman (c) Mahendravarman (d) Banabhatta 3. In which year did the Koch King Naranarayan invade the Ahom kingdom? (a) 1555 (b) 1562 (c) 1665 (d) 1552 4. The Yandaboo Treaty was signed in 1826 between (a) British Crown and the Burmese (b) British King and the Ahom King (c) East India Company and the Ahom King (d) East India Company and the Burmese 5. Which Ahom king was known as ‘Dihingia Roja’ ? (a) Suhungmung (b) Sukapha (c) Suseupa (d) Sudangpha 6. Who was the last ruler of Ahom kingdom? (a) Sudingpha (b) Jaydwaja Singha (c) Jogeswar Singha (d) Purandar Singha 7. The Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang visited Kamarupa in which year? (a) 602 A.D. (b) 643 A.D. (c) 543 A.D. (d) 650 A.D. 8. Which among the following has written the Prahlada Charita? (a) Rudra Kandali (b) Madhav Kandali (c) Harivara Vipra (d) Hema Saraswati 9. Which Swargadeo shifted the capital of the Ahom Kingdom from Garhgaon to Rangpur (a) Gadhar Singha (b) Rudra Singha (c) Siva Singha (d) None of them 10. Borphukans were from the following community (a) Chutias (b) Mech (c) Ahoms (d) Kacharis 11. Who founded the Assam Association in 1903? (a) Manik Chandra Baruah (b) Jaggannath Baruah (c) Navin Chandra Bordoloi (d) None of them 12. Phulaguri uprising, first ever peasant movement in India that occurred in middle Assam in which year? (a) 1861 (b) 1857 (c) 1879 (d) 1836 13.
    [Show full text]
  • Identity Politics and Social Exclusion in India's North-East
    Identity Politics and Social Exclusion in India’s North-East: The Case for Re-distributive Justice N.K.Das• Abstract: This paper examines how various brands of identity politics since the colonial days have served to create the basis of exclusion of groups, resulting in various forms of rifts, often envisaged in binary terms: majority-minority; sons of the soil’-immigrants; local-outsiders; tribal-non-tribal; hills-plains; inter-tribal; and intra-tribal. Given the strategic and sensitive border areas, low level of development, immense cultural diversity, and participatory democratic processes, social exclusion has resulted in perceptions of marginalization, deprivation, and identity losses, all adding to the strong basis of brands of separatist movements in the garb of regionalism, sub-nationalism, and ethnic politics, most often verging on extremism and secession. It is argued that local people’s anxiety for preservation of culture and language, often appearing as ‘narcissist self-awareness’, and their demand of autonomy, cannot be seen unilaterally as dysfunctional for a healthy civil society. Their aspirations should be seen rather as prerequisites for distributive justice, which no nation state can neglect. Colonial Impact and genesis of early ethnic consciousness: Northeast India is a politically vital and strategically vulnerable region of India. Surrounded by five countries, it is connected with the rest of India through a narrow, thirty-kilometre corridor. North-East India, then called Assam, is divided into Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. Diversities in terms of Mongoloid ethnic origins, linguistic variation and religious pluralism characterise the region. This ethnic-linguistic-ecological historical heritage characterizes the pervasiveness of the ethnic populations and Tibeto-Burman languages in northeast.
    [Show full text]
  • June 2016 1 in Narration, Read How the Women Workers Coincidences, Traced It Back to Its Origins
    June 2016 1 In Narration, read how the women workers coincidences, traced it back to its origins. on our estates have been positively We invited him to share his story with us influencing their community for decades, in SerendipiTea. while young girls are being educated about All the Company’s estates in the Moran their rights and encouraged to find their circle were part of the Ahom kingdom ‘place in the sun’. and still retain relics of their illustrious Education is a cause that the Company past but it is Rajmai T.E. which is situated and its executives believe in implicitly. An closest to the historic town of Sivasagar. initiative by a resident of one of the In The World Around Us, one of the estates was given impetus by the executives from the estate tells us about Management, resulting in an English the monuments that still remain in and medium school for the estate’s children. around Sivasagar. Incidentally, a statue of We bring you the Green Valley Academy Siu-Ka-Pha, the Shan prince from China at Koomsong T.E. in Beneficence. who founded the Ahom dynasty in 1228, is situated just outside Lepetkatta T.E. We have many talented, interesting Six months of the year are gone and the “Let others sing in praise of wine; people working in the Company whom next six lie before us, like chapters of a Let others deem it joy divine we feature in Cameo. This time, it is the turn of an adventurous young planter book waiting to be written.
    [Show full text]
  • Revivalism in Northeastern India In
    B. Terwiel Recreating the past; Revivalism in Northeastern India In: Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 152 (1996), no: 2, Leiden, 275-292 This PDF-file was downloaded from http://www.kitlv-journals.nl Downloaded from Brill.com09/28/2021 12:30:10PM via free access BJ. TERWIEL Recreating the Past Revivalism in Northeastern India Introduction In this article I would like to introduce the problems of reviving a ritual once it has disappeared without a trace, posing the modern actors an inter- esting set of dilemmas. The paper centres upon the example of the Ahom, an ethnic group in Northeast India which over the past centuries has lost trace almost completely of the culture of its Southeast Asian forebears. During the past fifteen years I have witnessed and personally played a minor, essentially indirect, role in the blossoming of a revivalist movement among the people of Ahom descent. It is a movement that has taken root in the face of what seem to be almost overwhelming odds. Tai-speaking peoples Tai-speaking peoples form the most numerous and most widely spread peoples in Mainland Southeast Asia. They first became recognizable as such in the first millennium A.D. in what is now Kuangsi Province in Southern China. In the middle of the eleventh century they became embroiled in a long and fierce war with the Chinese, which ended in a resounding defeat of the Tais. Hereupon many Tais suddenly began migrating southwards and south-westwards into the region of Mainland Southeast Asia. They fanned out rapidly, and within a few hundred years had conquered most of the valley regions where they are now found: in northern Vietnam, in Laos, in all of Thailand, in Northern Myanmar, in the Chinese province of Yunnan, and in Northeastern India.
    [Show full text]
  • History of North East India (1228 to 1947)
    HISTORY OF NORTH EAST INDIA (1228 TO 1947) BA [History] First Year RAJIV GANDHI UNIVERSITY Arunachal Pradesh, INDIA - 791 112 BOARD OF STUDIES 1. Dr. A R Parhi, Head Chairman Department of English Rajiv Gandhi University 2. ************* Member 3. **************** Member 4. Dr. Ashan Riddi, Director, IDE Member Secretary Copyright © Reserved, 2016 All rights reserved. No part of this publication which is material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or transmitted or utilized or stored in any form or by any means now known or hereinafter invented, electronic, digital or mechanical, including photocopying, scanning, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the Publisher. “Information contained in this book has been published by Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. and has been obtained by its Authors from sources believed to be reliable and are correct to the best of their knowledge. However, IDE—Rajiv Gandhi University, the publishers and its Authors shall be in no event be liable for any errors, omissions or damages arising out of use of this information and specifically disclaim any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular use” Vikas® is the registered trademark of Vikas® Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. VIKAS® PUBLISHING HOUSE PVT LTD E-28, Sector-8, Noida - 201301 (UP) Phone: 0120-4078900 Fax: 0120-4078999 Regd. Office: 7361, Ravindra Mansion, Ram Nagar, New Delhi – 110 055 Website: www.vikaspublishing.com Email: [email protected] About the University Rajiv Gandhi University (formerly Arunachal University) is a premier institution for higher education in the state of Arunachal Pradesh and has completed twenty-five years of its existence.
    [Show full text]
  • A Comprehensive Analysis on Administration of Ahom Kingdom and Their Socio-Economic Importance
    International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology Vol. 29, No. 2, (2020), pp. 4737 - 4741 A Comprehensive Analysis on Administration of Ahom Kingdom and Their Socio-Economic Importance Dr. Biva Rani Das1, Minakshee Boruah2. 1Assistant Professor, Department of Assamese, DhakuakhanaCollege,Dhakuakhana,Assam,India. 2Research scholar, Department of Assamese, Cotton university, Panbazar,Assam, India. Abstract: Assam located in the north eastern part of India known for different great dynasties of kings. The Ahoms who had ruled in this land came in 1228 AD well known as descendent of Indra, the king of heaven. The Ahom originally lived in Iravati valley of Burma. Around 10 century AD, two prince known as Khulung and Khunglai started moving in the north east direction whomSukafa was believed to be the descendent, who is said to be the founder of Ahom kingdom. The Ahom rule for Brahmaputra valley for six hundred years, they mainly worshiped ‘Somdeo’, who was their chief deity. To administer the kingdom properly they, they had a unique administrative system. Borgohain, Burhagohain and Barpatragohain were the three most important minister of the kingdom. In this paper, we are going to discuss about administrative system of the Ahom system. Key word: Assam, Ahom, Period, Administrative system, Monarchy Introduction:When it comes to Ahom period,it basically refers to the long 600 years period of Ahom history. From the 3rddecade of the 13thcentury to the 4th decade of 19th century. The Ahom had ruled in Assam. A total of 41 rulers from the dynasty ruled during the period over coming various ups and downs,wars and peace,alliance and enmity etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Pdf File
    International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Science Society and Culture(IJIRSSC) Vol: 3, Issue:1, (June Issue), 2017 ISSN: (P) 2395-4345, (O) 2455-2909 Impact Factor: 1.585 Religion and Social Change among the Ethnic Communities of Assam Juri Saikia Assistant professor, Department of History D.D.R. College, Chabua, Dibrugarh, Assam ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT : Every ethnic group of Assam have some individual cultural characteristics. But in the age of globalisation it is impossible to remain within the boundary of own culture. On the other hand the greater Assamese culture is formed by the contributions of all the ethnic communities. Various socio- cultural processes like acculturation, assimilation, progressive absorption, fusion, aryanisation, sanskritisation etc. has influenced upon almost all ethnic communities. Religion is one of the important organs of society. It brings new elements to society and culture and a society is depended in large scale on religion in the maintaining of social norms and value. In the present scenario, religion and social change has become a common feature of every society. This is seen in the societies of the ethnic communities of Assam also. Keywords: Chaturbarna , Deka chhangs ,Neo-Vaishnavite, Society, Thaans. ___________ _______________________________________________________________________________ I. Introduction: The kings of Kamrupa established the Brahmanas in different parts of the country. Thus Vedic culture spread in ancient Assam. To assimilate the non- Aryans, the Aryans had to change their own cultural outlook. As a result Vedic culture took a new form with both Aryan and non-Aryan elements. Fetishism, animism, cult of fertility, human sacrifice, ancestor worship etc. as elsewhere in India, passed on to Hinduism, and moulded its character which became manifest in new local forms.[1] There were Saivism, Sakti worship, Tantrik Buddhism, Sun worship in the society of the ancient Assam.
    [Show full text]
  • Lachit Borphukan
    Lachit Borphukan November 25, 2020 In news The Prime Minister has paid tribute to Lachit Borphukan on Lachit Diwas A brief history of Lachit Borphukan He was born on 24th November 1622 at Charaideo in Assam He was the son of Kunti Moran(mother) and Momai Tamuli Borbarua, the1st Borbarua (Phu-Ke-Lung) of upper-Assam and Commander-in-Chief of the Ahom army) under Prataap Singha. Lachit was a commander and Borphukan (Phu-Kon-Lung) in the Ahom kingdom of Assam Other offices held by Lachit before his appointment as Borphukan included Superintendent of the Stable of Royal Horses (Ghora Barua), Commander of the strategic Simulgarh Fort and Superintendent of the Royal Household Guards (Dolakaxaria Barua) for King Chakradhwaj Singha. He is known for his leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat that thwarted a drawn-out attempt by Mughal forces under the command of Ramsingh I to take over Ahom kingdom. King Chakradhwaj Singha selected Lachit to lead the forces of the Kingdom of Ahom to liberate Guwahati from Mughal-occupation. Lachit raised the army and recovered Guwahati from the Mughals and successfully defended it against the Mughal forces during the Battle of Saraighat. He died about a year after the victory at Saraighat due to natural causes. About the Battle of Saraighat It was a naval battle fought in 1671 between the Mughal Empire led by the Kachwaha king, Raja Ramsingh I, and the Ahom Kingdom led by Lachit Borphukan on the Brahmaputra river at Saraighat, now in Guwahati, Assam In this battle the Mughal were defeated by the weaker Ahom Army with its brilliant uses of the terrain, clever diplomatic negotiations to buy time, guerrilla tactics, psychological warfare, military intelligence and by exploiting the sole weakness of the Mughal navy.
    [Show full text]
  • Class-7 New 2020.CDR
    Class - VII Brief Introduction to Formation of Landforms Assam, located in tropical latitudes (24N˚ to 28N)˚ and eastern longitude (895˚ ’ E - 961˚’ E), is the most populous state in the North-east India. It is surrounded on three sides by hills and mountains. The river Brahmaputra and Barak flows in the north and south respectively. Assam is diverse in physical features and the major physiographical components are the senile plateau of Karbi-Anglong, representing a part of peninsular India, North Cachar hills which display the most youthful and highly differentiated relief features and the Brahmaputra and Barak plains present aggradational surfaces. Landmasses from Archaean to Tertiary origin bear the evidences of the evolutionary history of the earth in Assam and North-East India. The Karbi plateau is a part of Old-Gondwana land of more than 600 million years, the folded hills of North-Cachar belongs to tertiary period and the alluviums are of Quaternary Period. The North-Eastern region of India including Assam is situated in the merging zone of two Tectonic plates, namely the Indo-Australian and Euro-Asian plates. So the entire region is seismically very active. Physiographical Divisions of Assam On the basis of physical setup, Assam can be divided into three physiographical units: 1) The Brahmaputra valley or Assam valley 2) The Barak plain or Surma Valley 3) The hilly areas of Karbi-Anglong and North- Cachar Hill Districts Fig1.1: Physiographic Divisions of Assam. 40 The Brahmaputra Valley The most prominent physical feature in Assam is the Brahmaputra valley. This plain is surrounded by Bhutan and the Arunachal Himalayas in the north, Patkai Bum and Arunachal Hills in the east and Naga Hills, Karbi Plateau in the south.
    [Show full text]
  • The Samugurias: Assamese-Speaking Mising People
    Running Head: THE SAMUGARIAS: ASSAMESE-SPEAKING MISING PEOPLE 7 ICLEHI 2017-009 Rupanjali Morang Saha The Samugurias: Assamese-Speaking Mising People Rupanjali Morang Saha North Lakhimpur College, Assam, India [email protected] Abstract Assam is situated in the Eastern part of India (Bharat). The great river of Assam names Brahmaputra is also known as Tsangpo (Purifier) in China flows through the green plains of this end. There are many tribes in Assamese Society. The Mising are second largest tribes in Assam of the Brahmaputra Valley which from anthropological and linguistical point of view belongs to the Tibeto-Burmese and Indo-Mongoloid people. In Assam the Misings are divided into many different clans, viz. (i) Ayengia, (ii) Bebezia, (iii) Bihia, (iv) Bonkual, (v) Chamua, (vi) Chayengia, (vii) Dambukial, (viii) Delu, (ix) Moyengia, (x) Pagro, (xi) Samuguria and (xii) Temera. Again the Misings are linguistically divided into two broad groups; (i) Mising speaking and (ii) Assamese Speaking. The Assamese speaking Misings are Bihia, Bonkual, Chamua, Samuguria and Temera. Here it will be discussed on the Assamese speaking Mising society of Samugurians only. Samugurians are those living only in the two districts of Assam; Lakhimpur and Dhemaji. There are no sufficient research works on the Samugurian people till today in scientific method. So it will be a unique work. The aim of this paper is to highlight the socio-cultural life of the Samugurians; which are Assamese speaking Misings. It is an honest trial to study the process of assimilation of this society in the time being. At present the influence of globalization is leading to the extinction of this very small population of the Samugurias.
    [Show full text]