List of Naga ethnic groups

Naga is an umbrella term for several indigenous communities in Northeast India and Upper Burma. The word Naga originated as an exonym. Today, it covers a number of ethnic groups that reside in the Indian states of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and also in Myanmar.

Before the arrival of the British, the term "Naga" was used in Assam to refer to certain isolated ethnic groups. The British adopted this term for a number of ethnic groups in the surrounding area, based on loose linguistic and cultural associations. Nagaland became the 16th state on 1 December 1965. S. R. Tohring (2010) lists 66 Naga ethnic groups ^[1] whereas Kibangwar Jamir (2016) lists 67 ethnic groups. ^[2] The 1991 Census of India listed 35 Naga groups as Scheduled Tribes: 17 in Nagaland, 15 in Manipur and 3 in Arunachal Pradesh. ^[3]

List of Naga ethnic groups

Ethnic group	Country	Recognized as Scheduled Tribe by India in	Population [4] [5] [6] [7]	Reference for classification as Naga	Comments
Anāl	India, Myanmar	Manipur	72,509	S.R. Tohring, 2010
Angami	India	Nagaland	141,732	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Ao	India	Nagaland	226,625	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Chakhesang	India	Nagaland	154,874
Chang	India	Nagaland	64,226	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Chirr	India	Nagaland	138	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Chiru	India	Manipur	8,599	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Chothe	India	Manipur	3,585	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Inpui	India	Manipur		S. R. Tohring, 2010
Kharam (also Purum)	India	Manipur	1,145	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Khiamniungan	Myanmar, India	Nagaland	61,647	S. R. Tohring, 2010	Also known as Nokow (Noko) in Myanmar.
Konyak	Myanmar, India	Nagaland	205,458	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Lamkang	India	Manipur	7,770	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Lainong	Myanmar	Sagaing	22,617	Anui Sainyiu, 2002; S. R. Tohring, 2010	Also known as Htangngan
Liangmai	India	Nagaland, Manipur			Part of Zeliangrong
Lotha	India	Nagaland	173,111	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Makury (sometimes spelt Makuri)	Myanmar, India			S. R. Tohring, 2010	Considered part of Yimkhiung in Nagaland, India
Mao (also Ememei)	India	Manipur	19,0000	S. R. Tohring, 2010	Khrasi [8]
Maram	India	Manipur	27,524	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Maring	India	Manipur	26,424	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Monsang	India	Manipur	2,427	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Moyon	Myanmar, India	Manipur	2,516	S. R. Tohring, 2010	Moyon Naga. [9] [10] [11]
Nocte (or Nokte)	India	Arunachal Pradesh	34,664	S. R. Tohring, 2010	Part of Tangshang Naga.
Para	Myanmar			S. R. Tohring, 2010
Phom	India	Nagaland	52,682	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Pochury	India	Nagaland	21,948	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Poumai	India	Nagaland, Manipur	179,189	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Rengma	India	Assam, Nagaland	62,951	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Rongmei	India	Assam, Manipur	170,800	S. R. Tohring, 2010	Part of Zeliangrong
Sangtam	India	Nagaland	74,994	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Sümi (or Sema)	India	Nagaland	236,313	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Tangkhul	India, Myanmar	Manipur	178,568
Tangsa (or Tase in language coding name)	India, Myanmar	Arunachal Pradesh	15,295	S. R. Tohring, 2010	Known as Tangshang in Myanmar
Tarao	India	Manipur	1,066	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Thangal	India	Manipur		S. R. Tohring, 2010
Tikhir	India	Nagaland	7,537	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Tutsa	India	Arunachal Pradesh		Robin Tribhuwan, 2005 [12]	It is a sub-tribe of Tangshang Naga.
Wancho	India	Arunachal Pradesh	56,886	S. R. Tohring, 2010	It is a sub-tribe of Tangshang Naga.
Yimkhiung	Myanmar, India	Nagaland	66,972	S. R. Tohring, 2010
Zeme	India	Nagaland, Assam & Manipur	74,877	S.R.Tohring	Part of Zeliangrong Community

• 
  Angami women
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  Ao woman in traditional attire
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  A Konyak chief in his traditional outfit
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  Liangmai youths performing folk dance during Road Show in Peren, Nagaland
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  A Pochury woman on a book cover
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  A diorama and wax figures of Nocte people in a museum
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  Glory Day celebration of the Poumai Naga
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  Tangkhul girl in a modern adaptation of the traditional dress
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  A diorama and wax figures of Tangsa people in a museum
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  A diorama and wax figures of the Wancho people in a museum
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  Yimkhiung girl at the Kutur village morung
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  Rongmeis of Manipur during Gaan-Ngai 2014 at Keikhu, Kabui Village

Naga ethnic groups with limited recognition

Ethnic group	Country	State	Reference for classification as Naga	Comments
Khoibu	India	Manipur	Romesh Singh, 2006 [13]	Also considered as a clan of Maring
Heimi Naga (also Haimi or Hemi) [14]	Myanmar		S. R. Tohring, 2010	Limited scope of former name of Tangshang
Pangmi Naga	Myanmar		S. R. Tohring, 2010	Limited scope of former name of Tangshang
Muklom Naga	India		S. R. Tohring, 2010	Clan of Tangsa/Tangshang Naga
Rangpang Naga	India	Arunachal Pradesh	S. R. Tohring, 2010	Limited scope of former name of Tangshang
Ollo Naga (Lazu)	India	Arunachal Pradesh		Also considered as a clan of Nocte
Koka Naga (Goga)	Myanmar		S. R. Tohring, 2010	sometimes considered as a clan of Somra Tangkhul
Longphuri Naga	Myanmar		S. R. Tohring, 2010	Also considered as a clan of Makury
Makyam Naga (Paung Nyuan)	Myanmar		S. R. Tohring, 2010	Also considered as a clan of Khiamniungan Naga
Tikhak Naga	India, Myanmar	Arunachal Pradesh	S. R. Tohring, 2010	Also considered as a clan of Tangsa/Tangshang Naga

Composite ethnic groups or communities

Pakan

Anāl, Maring, Lamkang, Moyon, Monsang, Khoibu

Tangshang

A combination term, Tang from Tangnyu Vang (Wang) and Shang from Shangnyu Vang (Wang) chieftains, which were formerly known as and includes Heimi (Haimi), Pangmi, Rangpang, Tangsa, Wancho, Nocte, and Tutsa now.

Tenyimi

Angami, Chakhesang, Inpui, Mao, Maram, Pochury, Poumai, Rengma, Thangal, Zeliangrong and Northern villages of Jessami, Soraphung and Chingjaroi (Swemi) in Ukhrul district. ^[15]

Angami: Chakhro Angami, Northern Angami, Southern Angami, Western Angami

Chakhesang: Chokri, Khezha and formerly Pochury (Southern Sangtam) combined ^[8]

Shepfomei or Shepoumai (Mao–Poumai): Ememei, Lepaona, Chiliivai and Paomata together ^[8]

Zeliangrong: Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei

Northern Ukhrul: Villages of Jessami, Soraphung (Krowemi) , Chingjaroi (Asinei) In Northern Ukhrul District

^[16]

References

1. S. R. Tohring (2010). Violence and identity in North-east India: Naga-Kuki conflict. Mittal Publications. pp. xv–xvii. ISBN   978-81-8324-344-5.
2. Jamir, Kibangwar. The Nagas with the three great nations (1st ed.). Dimapur, Nagaland.
3. U. A. Shimray (2007). Naga population and integration movement. Mittal Publications. pp. 25–33. ISBN   978-81-8324-181-6.
4. "List of Scheduled Tribes - Nagaland". Census India.
5. "List of Scheduled Tribes - Manipur". Census India.
6. "List of Scheduled Tribes - Arunachal". Census India.
7. "List of Scheduled Tribes - Assam". Census India.
8. William Nepuni (2010). Socio-cultural history of Shüpfomei Naga tribe. Mittal Publications. pp. 24–25. ISBN   978-81-8324-307-0.
9. Sipra Sen (1992). Tribes and Castes of Manipur: Description and Select Bibliography. Mittal Publications. p. 58. ISBN   978-81-7099-310-0.
10. Folk tales of Moyon-Monsang. Directorate for Development of Tribals and Backward Classes, Manipur. 1982. p. 1.
11. G. K. Ghosh; Shukla Ghosh (1997). Women of Manipur. APH. p. 54. ISBN   9788170248972.
12. Robin D. Tribhuwan (1 January 2005). Tribal Housing Issues. Discovery Publishing House. pp. 56–. ISBN   978-81-7141-917-3 . Retrieved 8 September 2013.
13. M. Romesh Singh (1 January 2006). Tribal Development in 21st Century: An Experience from Manipur. Mittal Publications. p. 60. ISBN   978-81-8324-150-2 . Retrieved 8 September 2013.
14. "SS Khaplang dead: Another rebel bids adieu". 9 June 2017.
15. "Tenyimi Day message from TPO president". The India Post. 22 February 2012.
16. G. K. Ghosh; Shukla Ghosh (1997). Women of Manipur (illustrated ed.). APH Publishing. p. 4. ISBN   978-81-7024-897-2.