Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-3 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in A Historical Outline of the Rabhas of North Bengal Manadev Roy, Assistant Professor of History, Khandra College (Affiliated to Kazi Nazrul University, Burdwan, West Bengal, India. Abstract : The Rabhas are the indigenous tribes of It is generally believed that a Tibeto-Burman North Bengal. They belong to the Indo Mongoloid speaking Indo-Mongoloid tribe, the Bodos, group of people and have similarities with other migrated into India through Patkoi Hills between members of the Bodo group. Scholars have pointed India and Burma and gradually spread into Assam, out that the primal land of the Rabhas was the North Bengal and parts of East Bengal. They ruled Tundra region of Southern Siberia in Russia. They over these tracts of land for many years. It is came to India through North-Eastern hill-passes probable that they marched towards three around thousand yours before the birth of Christ. directions. One part went south up to Kachar and Gradually they spread over the various parts of are called Kacharis. The second part went along the North Bengal as well as South East Assia. Anyway river Brahmaputra and established themselves in the main objective of this paper is to highlight the Assam. This branch of the Bodos is known as livelihood of the Rabhas of North Bengal over the Boros. Most probably the third branch referred to last years since their settlement in this region. They above went and lived in the sprawling fertile valley have many traditional beliefs and practices. It is a washed by the Mechi river in the Morang region of matter to regret that after the interaction with the present day’s Nepal, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Bihar, well to do Rajbansis and the Southern Bengalis, Darjeeling and Sikkim.1 They were further they began to lose these long established cultures. subdivided into four classes, namely, Mech, Koch, Now some of them have settled themselves like Rabha and Garo.2 advanced people of this region but most of them remain in their primal situation. Therefore they are The Rabhas or Ravas belong to the Indo facing identity crisis. Mongoloid group of people and have similarities with other members of the Bodo group. British 1. ‘Introduction’ authors like Francis Buchanan Hamilton, Edward T. Dalton and B.H. Hodgson et al. admitted that the Numerous tribes have been living in North Bengal Rabhas are invariably close to the Koch, Pani- which lies in the lap of northern part of West Koch, the Garos and the Kacharis.3 Bengal, comprising seven districts- Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Uttar Dinajpur, Scholars have pointed out that the primal land of Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda since the period of the Rabhas was the Tundra region of Southern pre-colonial India. Even many tribes migrated to Siberia in Russia. They came to India through this region from Bihar, Orissa, Central Province as North-Eastern hill-passes around thousand yours well as other parts of Bengal in the colonial period. before the birth of Christ. Scholars also argued that All tribes of North Bengal may be divided into two the Rabhas were actually Koch and they left their category i.e. indigenous tribe and migrant tribe. main land and gradually marched towards south- The Rabha is one of the indigenous tribal groups of western China of the Plateau of South-East Tibet. this area. Many historians and scholars carried out After some years they further marched into the pass even carry on their valuable research works on of Patkoi Hill and followed the course of Noyang- various tribes of Northern Bengal, yet it is Dihang River and thereby reached via Brahmadesh perceived that there is a little bit of research gap to East-India. After reaching the starting point of about the origin and habits of the Rabhas. Hence in the Brahmaputra river they were divided into two this paper I have tried to analyze the origin and groups. One group crossed the river and went practices of the Rabhas of North Bengal. ahead westwards through the northern bank of the river. The other group marched towards south 2. ‘Original Identity of the Rabhas’ without crossing the river and settled themselves in south Goyalpara of Assam as well as the region of Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 650 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-3 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in Garo Hill. Further they fought with the Garos. On Usually the Rabhas are medium height and have the other hand the first group settled themselves in flat as well as short nose. They have also slide fold Shonitpur (Tejpur) and later spread to North on upper eyelid, high and prominent cheek-bones. Bengal. A part of this group came and settled in Their hair is black and their complexion an olive earlier Jalpaiguri district by the name of Rabha.4 brown. Physically they are strong. They have good They settled themselves at Dakshin (South) physical similarities with the Meches, Garos, Kamakhyaguri, Madhya (middle) Kamakhyaguri, Rajbansis, Hajangs and Lalungs. The Rabha Narar khali, Radha Nagar, Hemaguri (East Shalbari women have long hair, small eyes and developed and Jhiltong), Ray-Dak Indu forest adjoining the lips. village of Kumargram police station, Nimti, Mendaranga of Kalchini police station and villages 3. ‘Society of the Rabhas’ of Madarihat police station as well as Khuklung basti of Dhupguri police station under Jalpaiguri The Rabhas of North Bengal are traditionally and Alipurduar districts.5 Now they are also found matrilineal like the Garos. Still the mother has in various parts of Cooch Behar and Darjeeling highest respect in their society. They have been districts. living jointly since the time of their settlement in the various parts (forest and forest adjoining There is no mention of the name of ‘Rabha’ or villages) of North Bengal. There are two groups of ‘Rava’ in ancient literatures or documents. The Rabhas who have two different sets of social name ‘Rabha’ can be located for the first time in patterns. The social pattern of Agriculturist Rabhas the book of Mirja Nathan Alauddin. He mentioned is quite akin to the Rajbansi community, while the this word in his Farsi book ‘Baharistane forest adjoining villages’ dwellers have still Ghayebee’, which was written between the years retained many of their traditional socio-religious 1608 to 1624 A.D. Actually the Rabhas were Koch. beliefs, customs and practices. Naturally they have Because, Hucheng the leader of the Atang branch many long established social customs which is of the Garos welcomed some of the Koches in the observed by them. Children trace their lineage from Someswari valley of the northern bank of their mother’s side. Anyway most of the Rabhas of Brahmaputra river for agricultural development of North Bengal still lead their poor and self-sufficient the almost vagabond Garos in between of 1450 to social life, which is regulated by some folk 1460 A.D. The Garos of the Brahmaputra valley customs. After the introduction of Panchayati Raj called the new Koches by the name of ‘Raba’. The and influence of the Christian missionaries as well meaning of the term was welcomed people.6 In as interaction with other developed communities 1662, Mir Jumla the commander of Mughal empire such as educated Rajbansis and Southern Bengalis, sent some troops to conquer Assam. Naturally the a transformation has been occurred in the social Rabhas left this place and took shelter in the deep structure of the Rabhas. forest of the northern part of Parbatijhora region. Later they were also influenced by the main branch Koches. As a result they are known as Koch- Rabha. So the educated Rabhas of Northern Bengal ‘Clans’ identify themselves as Koch-Rabha. Besides, there is a good similarity between the Rabhas and the The Rabhas are basically divided into eight Koches.7 According to some anthropologists and distinct groups (khels). They are [i] Bongdania, [ii] scholars it is clear that at the time of entering India Maitari, [iii] Kocha, [iv] Pati or Petti, [v] Dohari, the Rabhas (Koch or Kocha) were defeated by [vi] Bithalia, [vii] Hema and [viii] Totala. But most some other races and many men of the Rabhas of the Rabhas of North Bengal are ‘Kocha’ and were killed. Consequently the women went under hence they identify themselves as ‘Koch-Rabha’. the possession of the victors. As a result the next They are further divided into six different groups or generations of these Rabha women were of mixed clans. These are [i] Pani Koch, [ii] Sharaniya Koch, blood. It is imagined that the prime-Rabhas [iii] Mahat Koch, [iv] Garami Koch, [v] Jalda Koch 8 (Koches) had to fight with the prime-Austric races. and [vi] Mahadi Koch. The Rabhas inherit their Hence some scholars argued that the Rabhas are of mother’s gotra and which is not changed after their Austro-Mongoloid origin. In the census report of marriage. The identification of their gotra is done 1901, there was no mention of the name of Rabha by the names of some animals, birds, trees etc. tribe in the districts of North Bengal and even in According to Kochakrou (language of the Rabhas) West Bengal. In the census report of 1911, the language gotra is called ‘Hosuk’. For example, name of the Rabhas came out for the first time and fawn is the symbol of ‘Moistok gotra, iron is the they were considered as Scheduled Tribes. symbol of ‘Saradiyang gotra’, likewise brinjal is Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 651 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-3 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in ‘Bantrao gotra’, seat-fish is ‘Majipan gotra’ etc.