41-588: The Barman Kacharis are an indigenous community of Northeast India and are a subsection of the Dimasa people in Barak Valley but claim to a separate group in Brahmaputra Valley. They are mainly found in the districts of Lower Assam and in Barak Valley like Cachar , Hailakandi and Karimganj and some parts of Arunachal Pradesh . Barman Kachari is Dimasa convert group of North-East India. Since
82-545: A Tibeto-Burman language . This community is fairly homogeneous and exclusive, with members required to draw from both parents' separate clans. Dimasa kingdom , one of many early states in Assam following the downfall of Kamarupa kingdom , was established by these people. The Dimasas are one of the oldest inhabitants of the Northeastern part of India and is one of the many Kachari tribes . Kacharis appear to be one of
123-619: A natural and similar pattern between their traditional faith and Hinduism and hence they belong to both simultaneously.' Kailash Kumar Chhetri (Ecological Significance of the Traditional Beliefs and Practices of Dimasa Kaschari Tribe, 2001) has also written while mentioning the Dimasai life system. Dimasa Kachari has its unique social system. This social system has its own culture, tradition, and religious beliefs and practices, which are related to
164-554: A Dheki (handmade grinder). In Barman, the Dheki is pronounced Dhengki , or container of salt (Khamba). Barman Kachari men prepare Hukas (Dhaba) which they use for smoking. Barman-Kacharis are a peaceful people. Living among the people of various cultures for two and a half centuries, they have maintained their ethnic identity, although cultural assimilation and acculturation and Sanskritisation has taken place. The impact of modernisation has transformed Barman society, but has not destroyed
205-810: A severe drought they were instrumental in establishing the Dimasa kingdom a traditional kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley, the Dimasa kingdom ended after the Ahom kingdom of the Tai Ahom people invaded the Brahmaputra valley. After long wandering, they settled at Di-laobra Sangibra , the confluence of the Brahmaputra and Sangi or Di-tsang, where they held a great assembly. The Dimasas were till recently agricultural, centering on shifting agriculture; but in recent times this has changed with profound changes in
246-814: Is a highly endangered language. It is a Tibeto-Burman language that belongs to the Bodo-Garo sub-group. Though the population of the Barman Kachari community is 24,237, according to a 2017 census, only a small part of this population speaks the language. Barman Kacharis of Assam are classified as Scheduled Tribe(Plains) in the valley of Barak (however, the Barman Kacharis of Brahmaputra Valley remain unscheduled till date). The Barman Kacharis number some 21,747 persons, forming 0.6% of Barak Valley's population, according to 2011 census. Out of this number, 12,555 are males and 11,503 are females. Their literacy rate
287-429: Is a process similar to "passing" in sociological terms. This term was made popular by Indian sociologist M. N. Srinivas in the 1950s. Sanskritisation has in particular been observed among mid-ranked members of caste-based social hierarchies. In a broader sense, also called Brahmanisation, it is a historical process in which local Indian religious traditions become syncretised , or aligned to and absorbed within
328-706: Is called meshak , which is performed in fairs and festivals such as Bohag Bihu, Magh Bihu and in pujas. The day of Uruka is called 'Aarbish' by Barmans. On Aarbish cattle are bathed and worshiped and offered Gourd-Brinjal, Pitha, and younger Barmans pay their respects to the elder members of the family and pray for blessings for the whole year. The youths, male and female, old man and women wear traditional dresses to sing and dance. Barman Kachari use musical instruments such as kherem , khambak , charinda and singaa . Barman Kacharis use many tools made of bamboo, such as Jakoi (Jakha/Jakhei), Khaloi (Khokki/Khok), and Pal (which are used for fishing). Every Barman Kachari house has
369-441: Is called thaowl . Barman Kacharis perform Magh Bihu, which they call 'pusura'. The influence of Vaisnavite Chaitanya dev's religion has enabled them to adopt some Bengali culture, rites and rituals. Barman Kachari tribes celebrate the indigenous traditional Bihu festival of the indigenous Assamese community. Bihu is the traditional festival for the Barman Kacharis, which is celebrated in mid-April. The traditional dance of Barman
410-408: Is clear that Dimasa Kachari also gives an important place in their Dharmic structure to the twelve Daikhos present in their entire region along with various abstract states. Dimasai Life: Dharmic Beliefs, Systems The traditional village headman, who is at the top of the village administration, is a Khunang. He has both executive and judiciary powers. He is assisted by another official called
451-411: Is estimated at 4 percent. The level of literacy of males and females is 2.5% and 1.5%, respectively. Barman Kacharis are patrilineal. Marriage within a clan is prohibited among the Barman Kachari tribe. Barman Kacharis have their traditional dresses and attires. They wear a kind of long gamsa with langti . Elderly Barman Kacharis wear suria , while the girls and women ( maifu ) wear a garment upon
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#1732771748355492-412: Is far from a rigid system, in which the position of each component caste is fixed for all time. Movement has always been possible, and especially in the middle regions of the hierarchy . A caste was able, in a generation or two, to rise to a higher position in the hierarchy by adopting vegetarianism and teetotalism, and by Sanskritising its ritual and pantheon. In short, it took over, as far as possible,
533-542: Is of Hindu Jat in rural North India who did Sanskritisation with the help of Arya Samaj as a part of a social upliftment effort. An unsuccessful example is the Vishwakarma caste's claim to Brahmin status, which is not generally accepted outside that community, despite their adoption of some Brahmin caste traits, such as wearing the sacred thread , and the Brahminisation of their rituals. Srinivas juxtaposed
574-693: The Varna status of Brahmin or Kshatriyas, the two prestigious Varna of the Vedic-age Varna system. One of the main example of it is various non-elite pastoral communities like Ahir , Gopa , Ahar , Goala etc. who adopted the Yadav word as part of Sanskritisation effort to gain upward mobility in society during late 19th century to early 20th century. Similar attempts were made by communities who were historically classed as non-elite tillers like Kurmi and various communities like Koeri , Murao etc. from
615-507: The Brahmanical religion , resulting in the pan-Indian religion of Hinduism . Srinivas defined Sanskritisation as a process by which a low or middle Hindu caste, or tribal or other group, changes its customs, ritual, ideology, and way of life in the direction of a high and frequently twice-born caste. Generally such changes are followed by a claim to a higher position in the caste hierarchy than that traditionally conceded to
656-520: The Mymensingh and Sylhet districts of present-day Bangladesh. Partition of the country had resulted in the migration of these people to then undivided Assam. In 1708, during the reign of Tamradhaj, Kachari people adopted Hindu custom. By 1825, in the days of Govinda Chandra , the Kachari king along with some noble families had to flee Khaspur, migrating to Mymensingh and Sylhat. This was due to
697-517: The ancestral deities of the Dimasas, have authority over the entire Dimasa land. Thus came the concept of 'Area God' among the Dimasas. As the entire Dimasa land is under their control, hence they have unstructured mythological shrines in different areas of the traditional Dimasa area. It is believed that the gods and goddesses living in a particular sacred area protect
738-654: The 2002 Amendment act, many Barman Kacharis in Assam are referred to as 'Barman'. They are sparsely found in Brahmaputra valley. Barmans are called Kacharis because of their Kachari origin. They are spread diffusely, in Assam and in places such as Meghalaya , Tripura and the Nagaland . Barman Kachari villages are scattered over the state of Meghalaya like Garo Hills and Khasi Hills and also in Tripura. Prior to Indian independence, several Barman Kachari settlements existed in
779-602: The Dillik (Assistant Headman). Next to him is Daulathu who occupies the third place. Next to the Daulathu is the Haphaisgao, who holds office for two years. Other village officials include Phrai, Montri, Hangsbukhu, and Jalairao. The Dimasas form a "sealed" society—every member drawing his or her patriarchal lineage from one of the forty two male clans ( sengphong —"holder of the sword") and the matriarchal lineage from one of
820-478: The Dimasa Kachari are complex in character. Any Dimasa dance is called Baidima ( Bai-means dance, Dima-means Dimasa). Sanskritisation Sanskritisation (or Sanskritization ) is a term in sociology which refers to the process by which castes or tribes placed lower in the caste hierarchy seek upward mobility by emulating the rituals and practices of the dominant castes or upper castes. It
861-470: The Kachari the earth, air, and sky alike are inhabited by a large number of invisible spiritual beings, commonly known as Modai. On the other hand, Humi Thousen (2019) has cited various references of Dipali Danda (Among the Dimasas of Assam, 1988) and S.K. Barpujari (History of the Dimasas from the Earliest times to 1896, 1997), Using it, it is written that six gods, who are considered as
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#1732771748355902-670: The attack of the Ahoms and Manipuri armies as well as frequent attacks by Burma. In 1826, the Kachari king returned to his homeland after signing the Treaty of Yandaboo with the British, though the treaty stipulated that Assam be placed under British rule. Kachari King Govinda Chandra died in 1830. The language that is associated with the Barman Kacharis is the Barman language , or Barman Thar (IPA: /bɔɾmɔn thaɾ/), where “thar” means language. It
943-571: The chest ( dafna) and wrap a gamsa around the neck ( duma) . A gamsa may also be tied at the waist takara . The traditional village headman at the top of the village administration is the Chiga Matthaisa or matbar . He has executive and judiciary powers. No community function in the village can be performed without his approval. Though Barmans follow Hindu rites and rituals, they have their own sacred beliefs. Their rituals include Basto Puja, Lakshmi Puja and Padma Puja. The place of worship
984-557: The claimant class by the local community..." In a broader sense, Sanskritisation is the process whereby local or regional forms of culture and religion – local deities, rituals, literary genres – become identified with the great tradition of Sanskrit literature and culture: namely the culture and religion of orthodox, Aryan, Brahmans, which accepts the Veda as revelation and, generally, adheres to varrṇāśrama-dharma . In this process, local traditions (little traditions) become integrated into
1025-432: The community. Following political problems in the 18th century, the Dimasa ruler moved further south in the plains of Cachar and there took place a division among them–with the hills Dimasa maintaining their traditional living and political exclusiveness, the plains Dimasas have made no attempt to assert themselves. The Dimasa Kachari plains tribe (Dimasa language speakers) of Cachar are known as Barman, forming one of
1066-678: The core Barman Kachari culture. The Barman Kacharis are one of the most colorful ethnic groups of Assam, maintaining their own culture and traditions. They recognize their place among the different indigenous Assamese ethnic groups of Assam. Agriculture is the main occupation of Barman-Kacharis. Inhabitants of foothill areas sell firewood. Many farmers work as share-croppers. They cultivate rice, wheat, pulses, and mustard, among other crops. They grow vegetables such as potato, chilli, and brinjal. Their produce also includes betel nut, mango, jackfruit and coconut. Barman-Kacharis have little formal education, limiting their ability to work in government. Most of
1107-573: The customs, rites, and beliefs of the Brahmins, and adoption of the Brahminic way of life by a low caste seems to have been frequent, though theoretically forbidden. This process has been called ‘Sanskritisation’ in this book, in preference to ‘Brahminisation’, as certain Vedic rites are confined to the Brahmins and the two other twice-born castes. The book challenged the then prevalent idea that caste
1148-732: The earliest indigenous ethnic groups of northeastern India. They are a part of the greater Bodo-Kachari family of ethnolinguistic groups of Northeast India which includes Boro , Tripuri , Rabha , Garo , Tiwa , Koch , Moran etc. peoples of northeast india. They speak Dimasa language a Boro-Garo language of the Tibeto-Burman family. It stands for Di-ma-sa meaning sons of big waters referring to Brahmaputra river (known as Dilao in Dimasa). Ancient Dimasa tradition maintains that sixty thousand (60,000) Moon months ( Lunar months ) ago, they left their ancestral land when it suffered
1189-555: The forty-two female clans ( jalik or julu ). These clans are distributed among twelve territorial "sacred groves" called daikho s. Dimasa men are divided into 40 patriarchal clans. These are: Since 1994 as per the decision of Dimasa community of Dima Hasao, the Autonomous Council of Dima Hasao had officially declared 27 January as Busu Dima festival day. The male Dimasa use only two types of ornaments namely Yaocher and Kharik. Females use: The dance forms of
1230-578: The great tradition of Brahmanical religion, disseminating Sanskrit texts and Brahmanical ideas throughout India, and abroad. This facilitated the development of the Hindu synthesis , in which the Brahmanical tradition absorbed local popular traditions of ritual and ideology. According to Srinivas, Sanskritisation is not just the adoption of new customs and habits, but also includes exposure to new ideas and values appearing in Sanskrit literature. He says
1271-652: The indigenous tribes of undivided Cachar (including Dima-Hasao , Hailakandi and Karimganj ). The Dimasas, inhabiting in the Cachar district are officially recognized as one of the Scheduled Tribes under the plains category in Assam in the name called “ Barmans in Cachar ”. They live mostly in Dima Hasao District , an administrative autonomous district of the Indian state of Assam that includes
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1312-482: The land and nature of their residence. Land and nature are the source of their economy, culture, history, and Dharmic heritage. Regarding the Kachari (Dimasa) belief, on the one hand, Sidney Endley (The Kacharies, 1911:33), declaring it animistic, has written that, as a rule, neither idols nor worship is found in a typical Kachari village, But in the mind and imagination of
1353-480: The late 19th century onwards through their caste organisations by claiming higher social status. Kalwar caste is traditionally involved into distillation and selling of liquor, but around the start of the 20th century, various organisations related to the caste sought to redefine the image of their community through this process. Another example in North India is of Rajput . According to historical evidence,
1394-695: The males are carpenters or masons. Barman-Kachari women play an important role in the economic life of the house. They raise livestock, including cattle, goats, pig, hens-ducks and pigeons. Many Barman wives work as labourers in neighbouring communities. Some women weave cloth using traditional looms. Unlike other tribes, Barman Kachari women help in the paddy fields. Dimasa people The Dimasa people or Dimasa Kachari people ( local pronunciation: [dimāsā] ) are an ethnolinguistic community presently inhabiting in Assam and Nagaland states in Northeastern India . They speak Dimasa ,
1435-411: The people there and control their destiny. These unstructured shrines are called Daikho, whose number is widely believed to be twelve. As an actual empirical fact in the Dimasas, the concept of Madai as the supreme God and Daikho as the house of that God is found. The meaning of Daikho is made up of two words Madai or Dai and Kho, which is considered as the house of God. Hence, it
1476-486: The present day Rajput community varies greatly in status, consisting of those with royal lineage to those whose ancestors were petty tenants or tribals who gained land and political power to justify their claim of being Kshatriya . One clear example of Sanskritisation is the adoption, in emulation of the practice of twice-born castes , of vegetarianism by people belonging to the so-called low castes who are traditionally not averse to non-vegetarian food. One more example
1517-615: The ravines of the Jatinga Valley and Dhansiri Valley, Diphu City and Howraghat region of Karbi Anglong district (East), West Karbi Anglong, Kampur region of Nagaon district , Hojai district , Cachar district , Hailakandi district, Karimganj district of Assam and Dimapur district of Nagaland and parts in Jiribam district of Manipur respectively. The Dimasa still Following the ancient animistic/shamanic faith, most of them claim to be Hindus. They find themselves in
1558-1020: The success of the Lingayat caste in achieving advancement within Karnataka society by such means with the failure of the Vishwakarma to achieve the same. Their position as a left-hand caste has not aided their ambition. Srinivas was of the view that Sanskritisation was not limited to the Hindu castes, and stated that the semi-tribal groups including Himalayas's Pahadis , central India's Gonds and Oraons , and western India's Bhils also underwent Sanskritisation. He further suggested that, after going through Sanskritisation, such tribes would claim that they are castes and hence Hindus. This phenomenon has also been observed in Nepal among Khas , Magar , Newar , and Tharu people . Yogendra Singh has critiqued
1599-415: The term was coined by Srinivas, the process itself had been described by colonial administrators such as E. T. Atkinson in his Himalayan Gazetteer and Alfred Lyall , in whose works Ambedkar might well have encountered it." Virginius Xaxa notes that sometimes the anthropologists also use the term Kshatriyisation and Rajputisation in place of Sanskritisation. Sanskritisation is often aimed to claim
1640-491: The words Karma , dharma , papa , maya , samsara , and moksha are the most common Sanskrit theological ideas which become common in the talk of people who are sanskritised. Srinivas first propounded this theory in his D.Phil. thesis at Oxford . The thesis was later brought out as a book, which was an ethnographical study of the Kodava (Coorgs) community of Karnataka . Srinivas writes: The caste system
1681-466: Was a rigid and unchanging institution. The concept of Sanskritisation addressed the actual complexity and fluidity of caste relations. It brought into academic focus the dynamics of the renegotiation of status by various castes and communities in India. According to Jaffrelot 2005 , p. 33, a similar heuristic was previously described by Ambedkar (1916, 1917). Jaffrelot goes on to say, "While