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Total population | |
---|---|
c. 7000 | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Assam, Arunachal Pradesh | |
Languages | |
Khamyang, Assamese | |
Religion | |
Theravada Buddhism | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Khamyang people | |
---|---|
Thai name | |
Thai | ไทคำยัง |
The Khamyang(Tai-Khamyangs or Shyam),is a subgroup of the Tai peoples of Southeast Asia. [1] They are numerically a small indigenous group found in Tinsukia,Jorhat,Sivasagar and Golaghat districts of Assam,and adjacent parts of Arunachal Pradesh. Their population totals about 7,000,of which only a small minority speak the native Tai Khamyang language while the vast majority speak the Assamese language. The Khamyang are followers of Theravada Buddhism and are closely related to the Khamti. They maintain good relations with other Tai Buddhist tribes of Assam.
They ruled an independent principality in Mungkong until the end of the 18th century. Many Khamyang have historically used "Shyam",which is a cognate with "Siam",the old word for Thailand,as a surname. The modern trend is for mostly their family names:Thaomung,Chowlu,Chowlik,Tungkhang,Wailong,Pangyok,Chowsong and Chowhai.
The Khamyang,as a distinct tribe,are found in Balijaan Shyam Gaon,Na Shyam Gaon and Betbari Shyam Gaon (Betoni) near Titabor in Jorhat district,Disangpani,Chalapather Shyam Gaon and Rahan Shyam Gaon near Sapekhati in Sivasagar District,Pawaimukh khamyang Gaon near Margherita in Tinsukia district and Rajmai Shyam Gaon near Sarupathar and Rajapukhuri Shyam Gaon Golaghat District.
Tai Khamyang people are also found in some villages of Namsai District and Lohit District of Arunachal Pradesh.
"Khamyang" itself is a Tai word,deriving etymologically from "kham" (gold) and "yang" or "jang" (to have),and meaning "people having gold".
The Khamyang language, along with its close relatives, Khamti, Tai Phake, Turung, Tai Aiton and Shan, is classified with the Northwestern subgrouping of the Southwestern Tai languages in the Tai-Kadai language family. Khamyang as a language has an estimated 15 speakers, mostly elderly, remaining in Northeast India, across 8 villages. [2] The majority speak the Assamese language although many Khamyang (Tai) terms are still retained in their vocabulary. There are also few Tai Khamyang people in Arunachal Pradesh who speak the Tai Khamti language.
Various efforts are undergoing for the effective revival of Tai-Khamyang language by workshops, publishing souvenir, compiling textbooks, etc. [2]
The Tai-Khamyangs belong to an area called "Khamjang" which lies in the Kachin state of Myanmar. This small unit of Tai-Khamyang people migrated from "Möng Mao Lung dynasty" (A.d-764-A.d-1252) in present-day Yunan Province of China and settled near Kopdup river in Upper Myanmar. It is said that the regions of Upper Myanmar geographically have full of resources. The Kopdub river flows through this region and has plenty of golds in the form of sand. The Tai-Khamyangs resided for a long period in this area lying on the Kopdub river. So literally they were known by the name "Khamyang" (Kham- Gold & Yang- To have) or "the people having gold"
According to Ahom chronicles, prince Sukhapha and his followers were attacked by the Nagas at Khamjang on their way over Patkai. After his crossing over the Patkai, Khamyangs were driven away to take refuge in Assam under the oppressions of Siukhanpha. It is that early settlement of the section of Noras who was subsequently known by that name.
The Tai Khamyangs, in the Patkai, got divided into two groups namely the Maan Nam or Pani Nora (Low Land Nora) and Maan Loi or Dum Nora (Upper land Nora). This settlement lies near the great lake "The Lake Of No Return" (Nong Kheo Lok Yang). In the mid-eighteenth century, due to the criticism surrounding for the presence of a couple of Cobras in the lake and problems faced from the Kachins, the Tai-Khamyangs crossed over the Patkai hill and settled in a fertile valley of Arunachal Pradesh. It is said that they constructed a pagoda which is still present near the no return lake. In the later period, they maintained good relationships with the Tai-Khamtis and established villages in Tengapani area. During the rule of Ahom king Gaurinath Singha, they immigrants to Jorhat district of Assam. With regard to their earlier migration to Assam, it may be noted that some Noras had accompanied Swargadeo Sukhapha and later on their separate identities were merged with the name Khamyang. History bears testimony to the fact that in 1524 Swargadeo Chukungmong married the daughter of the Nora Raja and Nora Raja equally was honored with a Khamyang damsel. It is quite probable that some Noras might have accompanied the princess in 1576. Swargadeo Chukhamfa also married one Nora princess. The princess was accompanied by a Nora prince, a priest, and 1000 Nora people.
Assam is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of 78,438 km2 (30,285 sq mi). It is the second largest state in northeastern India by area and the largest in terms of population, with more than 31 million inhabitants. The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur to the east; Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Bangladesh to the south; and West Bengal to the west via the Siliguri Corridor, a 22-kilometre-wide (14 mi) strip of land that connects the state to the rest of India. Assamese and Boro are the official languages of Assam. Meitei (Manipuri) is recognised as an additional official language in Hojai district and for the Barak Valley region, alongside Bengali, which is also an official language in the Barak Valley.
The Ahom dynasty (1228–1826) ruled the Ahom Kingdom in present-day Assam, India for nearly 598 years. The dynasty was established by Sukaphaa, a Shan prince of Mong Mao who came to Assam after crossing the Patkai mountains. The rule of this dynasty ended with the Burmese invasion of Assam and the subsequent annexation by the British East India Company following the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826.
The Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh has a total population of roughly 1.4 million on an area of 84,000 km2, amounting to a population density of about 17 pop./km2. The "indigenous groups" account for about two thirds of population, while immigrants, mostly of Bengali/Hindi belt origin, account for the remaining third.
The Tangshang people or Tangsa , are of Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group of the Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. They also reside in Sagaing Region and parts of Kachin State of Myanmar. In Myanmar they were formerly known as Rangpang, Pangmi, and Haimi. They speak their own language Tangsa.
Tinsukia is an industrial city. It is situated 480 kilometres (298 mi) north-east of Guwahati and 84 kilometres (52 mi) away from the border with Arunachal Pradesh.Tinsukia serves as the headquarters of the Moran Autonomous Council, which is the governing council of the Morans.
The Khamti language is a Southwestern Tai language spoken in Myanmar and India by the Khamti people. It is closely related to, and sometimes considered a dialect of, Shan.
Naharkatia is a town and a Municipal board in Dibrugarh district in the Indian state of Assam. It is well known for petroleum and gas reserves. Earlier, Duliajan, the head office town of Oil India Limited was in its circle. However, the towns are close, within a 30-minute journey.
Namsai is the headquarters of Namsai district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. This place is one of the 60 constituencies of Arunachal. Name of current MLA (August-2016) of Namsai constituency is Zingnu Namchoom.
The Tai Khamti, also known as the Hkamti Shan or simply as Khamti, are a Tai ethnic group of India, China and Myanmar. The Tai-Khamti are followers of Theravada Buddhism. The Tai-Khamti have their own script for their language, known as 'Lik Tai', which originated from the Shan (Tai) script of Myanmar. Their mother tongue is known as Khamti language. It is a Tai language, closely related to Thai and Lao.
Khamyang is a critically endangered Tai language of India, spoken by the Khamyang people. Approximately fifty people speak the language; all reside in the village of Powaimukh, located seven miles downstream of Margherita in the Tinsukia district. It is closely related to the other Tai languages in the Assam region: Aiton, Khamti, Phake, and Turung.
Magh Bihu (also called Bhogali Bihu or Maghar Domahi is a harvest festival celebrated in Assam, North-East India, which marks the end of harvesting season in the month of Magh. A bonfire is lit for the ceremonial conclusion and prayer to the God of Fire. The festival is developed by the Tibeto-Burman cultures and festivals Magan of Kachari.
Upper Assam is an administrative division of the state of Assam comprising the undivided Lakhimpur and Sivasagar districts, of the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra valley. The other divisions are: Lower Assam, North Assam and Hills and Barak Valley. The division is under the jurisdiction of a Commissioner, stationed at Jorhat.
The Tiwa people, are a Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group primarily inhabiting the Northeast Indian states of Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland, and some parts of neighbouring Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Khamyang may refer to:
Dehing Patkai National Park is a national park in the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts of Assam covering an area of 231.65 km2 (89.44 sq mi) of rainforest. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary on 13 June 2004. On 13 December 2020, the Government of Assam upgraded it into a national park. On 9 June 2021, the Forest Department of Assam officially notified it as a national park. It is located in the Dehing Patkai Landscape which is a dipterocarp-dominated lowland rainforest. The rainforest stretches for more than 575 km2 (222 sq mi) in the districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Charaideo. The forest further spreads over in the Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh. Dehing Patkai National Park harbours the largest stretch of lowland rainforests in India. Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve under Project Elephant. Dehing-Patkai as a potential wildlife sanctuary was identified in late 1980s during a primate survey as "Upper Dehing Wildlife Sanctuary". Subsequently during a study on white-winged wood duck in early 1990s, it was discovered as a globally important site for this duck and recommended to be upgraded to "Upper Dehing National Park".
The Tai Aiton are one among the six indigenous Tai communities of Assam. They are Animist and Buddhist by religion. They speak the Tai Aiton language, which is similar to other Tai languages spoken in Thailand. They have been recognized as Scheduled Tribes (Hills) and are listed as Man-Tai speaking people by the Government of Assam.
The Aiton language or Tai Aiton language is spoken in Assam, India, in the Dhonsiri Valley and the south bank of the Brahmaputra. It is currently classified as a threatened language, with fewer than 2,000 speakers worldwide. Its other names include Aitonia and Sham Doaniya.
The Phake language or Tai Phake language is a Tai language spoken in the Buri Dihing Valley of Assam, India. It is closely related to the other Southwestern Tai languages in Assam: Aiton, Khamti, Khamyang, and Turung.
The Sangken festival is celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Assam, India and in Kachin, Sagaing region of Myanmar as the traditional New Year's Day from 14 to 16 April by the Theravada Buddhist Communities. It coincides with the New Year of many calendars. The Sangken festival is celebrated by the Khamti, Singpho, Khamyang, Tangsa tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, and Tai Phake, Tai Aiton, and Tai Turung communities of Assam. Sangken generally falls in the month of 'Nuean Ha', the fifth month of the year of the Tai lunisolar calendar coinciding with the month of April. It is celebrated in the last days of the old year and the New Year begins on the day just after the end of the festival.
The Golden Pagoda of Namsai, also known as Kongmu Kham, in the Tai-Khamti language, is a Burmese-style Buddhist temple that was opened in 2010. It is located on a 20 hectares complex in Namsai District of Arunachal Pradesh, India and at a distance of 68 km (42 mi) from the nearest railway station Tinsukia, Assam. A sum of 3 crores was spent by Arunachal politician Chowna Mein, the local MLA in building the pagoda in a plot provided by the state government. The World Tripiṭaka Foundation is currently developing Kongmu Kham as the first international Tripiṭaka center in India.
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