Great Andamanese

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Great Andamanese
Great Andamanese RIALA 1890.jpg
Riala, an interpreter for the British from the Aka-Kede Tribe of Great Andamanese from Middle Andaman, in 1890
Total population
59 (2020) [1]
Regions with significant populations
Flag of India.svg  India
Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Strait Island)		59
Languages
originally Great Andamanese languages, today mainly Hindi and other Indian languages, Census of India 2001
Related ethnic groups
Onge, Jarawa, Jangil, Sentinelese

The Great Andamanese are an indigenous people of the Great Andaman archipelago in the Andaman Islands. Historically, the Great Andamanese lived throughout the archipelago, and were divided into ten major tribes. Their distinct but closely related languages comprised the Great Andamanese languages, one of the two identified Andamanese language families. [2]

Contents

The Great Andamanese were clearly related to the other Andamanese peoples, but were well separated from them by culture, language and geography. The languages of those other four groups were only distantly related to those of the Great Andamanese and mutually unintelligible; they are classified in a separate family, the Ongan languages.[ citation needed ]

They were once the most numerous of the five major groups in the Andaman Islands with an estimated population between 2,000 and 6,600, before they were killed or died out due to diseases, alcohol, colonial warfare and loss of hunting territory. Only 52 remained as of February 2010; [3] by August 2020 there were 59. The tribal and linguistic distinctions have largely disappeared, so they may now be considered a single Great Andamanese ethnic group with mixed Burmese, Hindi and aboriginal descent. [4] [5] [6]

Origin

The Great Andamanese are classified by anthropologists as one of the Negrito peoples, which also include the other four aboriginal groups of the Andaman islands (Onge, Jarawa, Jangil and Sentinelese) and five other isolated populations of Southeast Asia. The Andaman Negritos are thought to be the first inhabitants of the islands, having emigrated from the mainland tens of thousands of years ago. [7]

Until the late 18th century, the Andamanese peoples were preserved from outside influences by their fierce rejection of contacts (which included killing any shipwrecked foreigners) and by the remoteness of the islands. Thus, the ten Great Andamanese tribes and the other four indigenous groups are thought to have diverged on their own over the course of millennia.[ citation needed ]

Demographics

Territories of the Great Andamanese tribes, languages, and dialects and other Andamanese peoples at the time of British contact Languages and dialects of the Andaman Islands at British contact.png
Territories of the Great Andamanese tribes, languages, and dialects and other Andamanese peoples at the time of British contact

In 1789, when the British established a colonial presence on Great Andaman, the Great Andamanese were divided into 10 main tribes with each having a distinct language, each counting between 200 and 700 individuals. [8] Their territories spanned most of the Great Andaman islands, including Ritchie's Archipelago and Rutland Island but excluding Little Andaman (inhabited by the Onge) and the North and South Sentinel Islands (of the Sentinelese). On South Andaman the Great Andamanese coexisted with the Jarawa, and on Rutland Island with the Jangil. Arranged by territory, roughly from north to south, the original tribes were: [2]

(The prefixed forms of the names actually refer to the respective languages, but they are often used for the tribes themselves.) By 1994 there were also four Great Andamanese individuals with no tribal affiliation. [9]

The Great Andaman islands run in a north–south line for some 350 km but are only some 50 km wide at their widest extent. This peculiar geography meant that each tribe typically had only two or three neighbours. Indeed, until colonial times, the northern and southern tribes seemed unaware of each other's existence. [8] Except for the Bea and Bale, who had intense and friendly relations and whose languages were mutually intelligible to some extent, there was little interaction between the tribes at the time of first European contacts. [8] The tribes were further split into smaller units—"septs", "local groups", and families—and also between shore-dwellers (aryoto) and forest-dwellers (eremtaga). [8]

The distributions of different Andamanese peoples, languages, and dialects at the time of British contact compared to the present-day. Distribution of different Andamanese peoples, languages, and dialects at the time of British contact compared to the present day.png
The distributions of different Andamanese peoples, languages, and dialects at the time of British contact compared to the present-day.

Population decline

Estimates of the Great Andamanese population by the time of the establishment of a British colonial presence (1789–1796) vary between 2000 and 6600 individuals. [4] [11] When the British established a permanent settlement and penal colony on Great Andaman in the 1860s, the population was estimated at 3500. [4] At that time their isolated culture was suddenly confronted with the industrial and colonial culture of 19th century Europe. [12] [13] The colonial administrators proactively tried to pacify and co-opt the tribes, recruiting them to capture escaped convicts. Populations went into sharp decline due to outside diseases. [14] Outside infectious diseases, to which the islanders had no immunity, decimated the tribes at the end of the 19th century; In some cases, people who became sick were killed by other tribe members in an attempt to stop contagion. [4] The migration of Indian settlers to the islands accelerated this decline.[ citation needed ]

By 1901, only 625 Great Andamanese were left, [4] [15] and following censuses reported steadily declining numbers: 455 in 1911, 207 in 1921, 90 in 1931. [4] Von Eickstedt counted "around one hundred" in 1927. [13]

In 1949, the surviving Great Andamanese were relocated to a reservation on Bluff Island (1.14 km2) in an attempt to protect them from diseases and other threats. [16] In 1951, after Indian independence, their numbers had shrunk to about 25, [10] mostly from the northern tribes. [8] They became extinct in the mid 20th century, but had a few admixed individuals which went to an all-time low of only 19 in 1961. [15] [17]

In 1969, the 23 surviving Great Andamanese were again relocated, to Strait Island (about 5 km2). [16] Their numbers have slowly increased since then, to 24 (1971 census), 26 (1981), 45 (1991), and 43 (2001). There were about 50 individuals living on Strait Island in 2006 [18] and 52 individuals in January 2010. [19] [20] However, by 1995 the people identified as Great Andamanese already included many people with partly Burmese or Hindi descent. [4]

As the Great Andamanese retreated, the Jarawa occupied part of their former territory on the west coast of Great Andaman, which they were still inhabiting as of 2011. Also, by 1911, some 80 Onge had moved into the former territory of the Bea and the Jangil, in Rutland Island and South Andaman; however by 1921 they had dwindled to 61, and were gone by 1931. [4]

Current status

Today only two tribes (Jeru and Bo) remain in significant number; the Cari tribe is on its way to extinction. [16] [21] There are still a few people (all elderly) with partial Kora and Pucikwar descent, but they identify themselves as either Jeru or Bo. [5] However, the cultural and linguistic identities of the individual tribes have largely been lost; their members now speak mostly Hindustani [19] [20] or a mixed language, a Great Andamanese creole. [18]

Although the Great Andamanese on Strait Island still obtain some of their diet from hunting, fishing and gathering, they now consume rice and other Indian food, and are dependent on support by the Indian government for survival. [8] They now practice some agriculture, and have established some poultry farms. [22]

An Andamanese family on the Great Andaman island in 2006. Andamanese Onge.png
An Andamanese family on the Great Andaman island in 2006.

Some of the Great Andamanese work in government jobs in the union territory's capital Port Blair. Indian officials announced on 27 August 2020 that 10 out of 59 surviving members had contracted the COVID-19 disease during the pandemic in the union territory, but six of them had recovered and been taken into home quarantine. After six who had gone for work to Port Blair a week earlier tested positive, a team of health officials was sent to Strait Island to conduct their tests. The team found four to be positive and they were admitted to a hospital. [23] [1] All of them had recovered by September. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andaman Islands</span> Archipelago in the Bay of Bengal

The Andaman Islands are an archipelago, made up of 200 islands, in the northeastern Indian Ocean about 130 km (81 mi) southwest off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region. Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a maritime boundary between the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east. Most of the islands are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a Union Territory of India, while the Coco Islands and Preparis Island are part of the Yangon Region of Myanmar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andamanese languages</span> Languages spoken by people of the Andaman Islands

The Andamanese languages are the various languages spoken by the indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean. There are two known Andamanese language families, Great Andamanese and Ongan, as well as two presumed but unattested languages, Sentinelese and Jangil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opucikwar dialect</span> Extinct language of the Andaman Islands, India

The Pucikwar language, A-Pucikwar, is an extinct language of the Andaman Islands, India, formerly spoken by the Pucikwar people on the south coast of Middle Andaman, the northeast coast of South Andaman, and on Baratang Island. It belonged to the Great Andamanese family.

The Pucikwar were one of the indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands, one of the ten or so Great Andamanese tribes identified by British colonials in the 1860s. They spoke the Opucikwar dialect closely related to the Okol dialect. The tribe disappeared as a distinct group sometime after 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentinelese</span> Voluntarily isolated tribe in the Bay of Bengal

The Sentinelese, also known as the Sentineli and the North Sentinel Islanders, are an indigenous people who inhabit North Sentinel Island in the Bay of Bengal in the northeastern Indian Ocean. Designated a particularly vulnerable tribal group and a Scheduled Tribe, they belong to the broader class of Andamanese peoples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andamanese</span> People of Andaman archipelago

The Andamanese are the various indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands, part of India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the union territory in the southeastern part of the Bay of Bengal. The Andamanese are a designated Scheduled Tribe in India's constitution.

Rutland Island is an island of the Andaman Islands. It belongs to the South Andaman administrative district, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The island is located 20 km (12 mi) south from Port Blair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onge</span> Ethnic group of Andaman Islands

The Onge are an Andamanese ethnic group, indigenous to the Andaman Islands in Southeast Asia at the Bay of Bengal, India. They are traditionally hunter-gatherers and fishers, but also practice plant cultivation. They are designated as a Scheduled Tribe of India.

The Jangil were one of the Indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands in India. They lived in the interior of Rutland Island, and were given the name Rutland Jarawa because it was supposed that they were related to the neighboring Jarawa people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akabale language</span> Extinct Southern Great Andamanese of India

The Bale language, Akar-Bale, is an extinct Southern Great Andamanese language once spoken in the Andaman Islands in Ritchie's Archipelago, Havelock Island, and Neill Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentinelese language</span> Presumed language of the Sentinelese of North Sentinel Island

Sentinelese is the undescribed language of the Sentinelese people of North Sentinel Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Due to the lack of contact between the Sentinelese people and the rest of the world, essentially nothing is known of their language or its vitality. The Sentinelese people do not allow outsiders onto the island and are generally hostile towards visitors. Friendly interactions have been rare.

The Jarawas are an indigenous people of the Andaman Islands in India. They live in parts of South Andaman and Middle Andaman Islands, and their present numbers are estimated at between 250–400 individuals. They have largely shunned interaction with outsiders, and many particulars of their society, culture and traditions are poorly understood. Since the 1990s, contacts between Jarawa groups and outsiders grew increasingly frequent. By the 2000s, some Jarawas had become regular visitors at settlements, where they trade, interact with tourists, get medical aid, and even send their children to school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onge language</span> Ongan language of Little Andaman Island

The Onge language, also known as Önge, is one of two known Ongan languages within the Andaman family. It is spoken by the Onge people in Little Andaman Island in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Andamanese languages</span> Nearly extinct language family of the Andaman Islands

The Great Andamanese languages are a nearly extinct language family of half a dozen languages once spoken by the Great Andamanese peoples of the northern and central Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean, and part of the Andamanese sprachbund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akakede language</span> Extinct Great Andamanese language of India

The Kede language, Aka-Kede, is an extinct Great Andamanese language, of the Northern group. It was spoken in the Northern section of Middle Andaman island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akabo dialect</span> Extinct Great Andamanese language

Akabo, or Bo is an extinct dialect of the Northern Andamanese language. It was spoken on the west central coast of North Andaman and on North Reef Island of the Andaman Islands in India. It was recorded as being mutually intelligible with Aka-Jeru, and the vocabularies are very similar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akachari dialect</span> Extinct Great Andamanese language

Akachari, or Cari, is an extinct dialect of the Northern Andamanese language that was spoken by the Cari people, one of a dozen Great Andamanese peoples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akakhora dialect</span> Extinct Great Andamanese language

Akakhora, or Kora (Cora), is an extinct dialect of the Northern Andamanese language. It was spoken on the northeast and north central coasts of North Andaman and on Smith Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarawa language (Andaman Islands)</span> Language of India

Järawa or Jarwa is one of the Ongan languages. It is spoken by the Jarawa people inhabiting the interior and south central Rutland Island, central interior, and south interior South Andaman Island, and the west coast of Middle Andaman Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kora people</span>

The Kora, Khora or Cora were one of the ten Indigenous tribes of the Great Andamanese people, originally living on the eastern part of North Andaman Island in the Indian Ocean. The tribe is now extinct, although some of the remaining Great Andamanese on Strait Island claim to have Kora ancestors.

References

  1. 1 2 Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (27 August 2020). "Ten in remote Indian tribe of 59 test positive for Covid-19". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Jarawa: The Great Andamanese". Survival International . Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. The Great Andamanese were originally ten distinct tribes, including the Jeru, Bea, Bo, Khora and Pucikwar. Each had its own distinct language, and numbered between about 200 and 700 people. They are now collectively known as the Great Andamanese.
  3. ↑ "Language lost as last member of Andaman tribe dies". The Daily Telegraph . 5 February 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Weber, George (2009). "7. Numbers". The Andamanese. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  5. 1 2 Abbi, Anvita (2006). "Great Andamanese Community". Vanishing Voices of the Great Andamanese. Archived from the original on 23 October 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  6. ↑ "VOGA". Vanishing Voices of the Great Andamanese. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007.
  7. ↑ "Members of Ancient Tribe Escape". CBS News. 14 January 2005. Archived from the original on 10 February 2005. Anthropologists believe five tribes of the southern Indian archipelago—including the Jarawas, Shompens, Onges and Sentinelese—date back 70,000 years.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Weber, George (2009). "8. The Tribes". The Andamanese. Archived from the original on 7 May 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Sharma, A. N. (2003). Tribal Development in Andaman Islands. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. p. 75. ISBN   978-81-7625-347-5.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 van Driem, George (2001). Languages of the Himalayas: An Ethnolinguistic Handbook of the Greater Himalayan Region : Containing an Introduction to the Symbiotic Theory of Language. Brill. ISBN   90-04-12062-9. ... The Aka-Kol tribe of Middle Andaman became extinct by 1921. The Oko-Juwoi of Middle Andaman and the Aka-Bea of South Andaman and Rutland Island were extinct by 1931. The Akar-Bale of Ritchie's Archipelago, the Aka-Kede of Middle Andaman and the A-Pucikwar of South Andaman Island soon followed. By 1951, the census counted a total of only 23 Greater Andamanese and 10 Sentinelese. That means that just ten men, twelve women and one child remained of the Aka-Kora, Aka-Cari and Aka-Jeru tribes of Greater Andaman and only ten natives of North Sentinel Island ...
  11. ↑ Weber, George (2009). The Andamanese. Archived from the original on 24 July 2013.
  12. ↑ Cooper, Zarine (2002). Archaeology and History: Early Settlements in the Andaman Islands. Oxford University Press. ISBN   0-19-565792-6. ... iron implements, glass bottles, beads, and other objects were freely distributed by the British among the Great Andamanese...
  13. 1 2 Mukerjee, Madhusree (2003). The Land of Naked People. Houghton Mifflin Books. ISBN   0-618-19736-2. ... In 1927 Egon Freiherr von Eickstedt, a German anthropologist, found that around one hundred Great Andamanese survived, 'in dirty, half-closed huts, which primarily contain cheap European household effects.'
  14. ↑ Lee, Richard B.; Daly, Richard Heywood (1999). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunters and Gatherers. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   0-521-57109-X. ... Over time, the Great Andamanese, who occupied the forests around Port Blair, were pacified. Beginning to cooperate with British authorities, they helped recapture escaped convicts. By 1875, when these peoples were perilously close to extinction, the Andaman cultures came under scientific scrutiny...
  15. 1 2 Sarkar, Jayanta (1990). The Jarawa. Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN   81-7046-080-8. ... The Great Andamanese population was large till 1858 when it started declining ... In 1901, their number was reduced to only 600 and in 1961 to a mere 19 ...
  16. 1 2 3 Mann, Rann Singh (2005). Andaman and Nicobar Tribes Restudied: Encounters and Concerns. Mittal Publications. p. 149. ISBN   81-8324-010-0.
  17. ↑ "Basic Statistics – 1 – Demographics, table 1.16 'Tribal Population'" (PDF). A & N Islands Administration, Directorate of Economics and Statistics. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  18. 1 2 Abbi, Anvita (2006). Endangered Languages of the Andaman Islands. Lincom Europa. ISBN   9783895868665. ... The latest figure in 2005 is 50 in all ...
  19. 1 2 "Language lost as last member of Andaman tribe dies". The Daily Telegraph . 5 February 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  20. 1 2 "Lives Remembered: Boa Sr". The Daily Telegraph . 10 February 2010. Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  21. ↑ Malekar, Anosh. "The case for a linguisitic survey". Infochange Media. Archived from the original on 24 April 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  22. ↑ "A Brief Note on Vulnerable Tribal Groups". Andaman and Nicobar Administration. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  23. ↑ "Coronavirus Hits 10 of Dying Andaman Tribe of Just Over 50 People". NDTV. Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  24. ↑ Singh, Shiv Sahay (11 September 2020). "All members of Great Andamanese tribe recover from COVID-19". The Hindu. The Hindu. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
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