Tani people

Last updated

Tani
Lhoba tanyi women.jpg
Regions with significant populations
Flag of India.svg  India 2,170,250
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China N/A
Languages
Tani languages
Religion
Donyi-Polo, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Other Sino-Tibetan people

The Tani people refers to the Adi, Apatani, Galo, Mising, Nyishi and Tagin people of India and China. They are part of the Sino-Tibetan ethnic group. Sharing common beliefs and ancestries, they speak various Tani languages and reside in the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, as well as the Tibet Autonomous Region in China. [1]

Contents

The Tani people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Northeast India, with a population of 2.17 million.[ citation needed ]

The Chinese government recognises the Tani people as members of the Lhoba people.[ citation needed ]

History

Most of the residents of Arunachal Pradesh and Upper Assam belong to the six Tani tribes (Nyishi, Adi, Galo, Apatani, Tagin, and Mising) who are all said to be descended from Abotani. Some of the history of the Tani people has been recorded in the ancient libraries of Tibet as the Tani people traded swords and other metals with Tibetans in exchange for meat and wool.[ citation needed ]

Culture and society

Tani man Tani or tanyi man.jpg
Tani man
Tani women in traditional attire Tani or tanyi women in traditional attire.jpg
Tani women in traditional attire

Festivals

Solung

Tribe: Adi

Description

Solung is a major agricultural festival celebrated in early September to mark the harvest. It involves rituals, dances, songs, and community feasts. The festival lasts for about ten days and includes various activities such as animal sacrifices, distribution of rice beer, and performances of traditional dances like Ponung.

Dree

Tribe: Apatani

Description

Celebrated in early July, Dree is an agricultural festival where prayers are offered to deities to ensure a bountiful harvest and to protect crops from pests and diseases. The festival includes sacrificial offerings, traditional songs and dances, and community feasting.

Nyokum

Tribe: Nyishi

Description

Nyokum is celebrated in February and is a communal prayer for prosperity and well-being. The festival involves rituals to appease the gods and spirits, traditional dances, and communal feasts.

Mopin

Tribe: Galo

Description

Celebrated in April, Mopin is a harvest festival seeking prosperity and good health. It involves rituals to worship the goddess Mopin Ane. The festival features dances such as Popir, the preparation of rice beer called Apong, and communal feasting.

Si-Donyi

Tribe: Tagin

Description

Celebrated in January, Si-Donyi is a festival to worship the earth and the sun. It includes rituals seeking for well-being and fertility, traditional dances, and community gatherings.

Ali-Aye-Ligang

Tribe: Mising

Description

Celebrated in February, Ali-Aye-Ligang marks the beginning of the sowing season. It includes rituals to the earth goddess for a good harvest, traditional dances, songs, and feasting on rice and fish.

Language

The languages spoken by the Tani people are part of the larger Sino-Tibetan language family, which includes languages spoken in China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar.

Tonal nature

Some of the Tani language are tonal, meaning that the meaning of a word can change based on its tone.

Oral tradition

Historically, these languages were primarily oral. However, with increased literacy and the influence of education, Roman scripts have been adopted for writing and documentation.

Linguistic research

There has been growing interest in documenting and studying these languages to preserve their unique linguistic heritage, given the pressures of modernization and the influence of more dominant languages in the region.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lhoba people</span> Ethnic group of Tibet

Lhoba is any of a diverse amalgamation of Sino-Tibetan-speaking tribespeople living in and around Pemako, a region in southeastern Tibet including Mainling, Medog and Zayü counties of Nyingchi and Lhünzê County of Shannan, Tibet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arunachal Pradesh</span> State in northeast India

Arunachal Pradesh is a state in northeast India. It was formed from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and India declared it as a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar is its capital and largest town. It borders the Indian states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares international borders with Bhutan in the west, Myanmar in the east, and a disputed 1,129 km border with China's Tibet Autonomous Region in the north at the McMahon Line. Arunachal Pradesh is claimed in its entirety by China as South Tibet as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region; China occupied some regions of Arunachal Pradesh in 1962 but later withdrew its forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Itanagar</span> Capital City in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Itanagar is the capital and largest town of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The seat of Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, the seat of government of Arunachal Pradesh, and the seat of Gauhati High Court permanent bench at Naharlagun are all in Itanagar. Being the hub of all the major economic bases, Itanagar, along with the adjacent town of Naharlagun, comprise the administrative region of the Itanagar Capital Complex Region. This stretches from the Itanagar Municipal limit at Chandranagar Town extended until Nirjuli Town, and is a major junction of cultural, economic, fashion, education and recreational activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adi people</span> Ethnic group of Tibet and Northeast India

The Adi people are one of the most populous groups of indigenous peoples in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. A few thousand are also found in the Tibet Autonomous Region, where they are called the Lhoba together with some of the Nyishi people, Na people, Mishmi people and Tagin people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apatani people</span> Ethnic group living in Northeast India

The Apatani people are an ethnic group who live in the Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh's Lower Subansiri region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miji people</span> Ethnic group of Arunachal Pradesh, India

The Miji, are a social group of Arunachal Pradesh, India. They are located in various districts of Arunachal Pradesh including the West Kameng, East Kameng and Kurung Kumey.Their population of 37,000 are found near the lower parts of the sub-Himalayan hills bordering Assam; they speak the Sajalong language.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donyi-Polo</span> Indigenous religion of Arunachal Pradesh, India

Donyi Polo is the designation given to the indigenous religion, of animistic and shamanic type, of the Tani and other Sino-Tibetan peoples of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in Northeast India. The name "Donyi-Polo" means "Sun-Moon", and was chosen for the religion in the process of its revitalisation and institutionalisation started in the 1970s in response to inroads made by Christianity and the possibility of absorption into Hinduism.

The Tani language, often referred to as Tani languages, encompasses a group of closely related languages spoken by the Tani people in the northeastern region of India, primarily in the state of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. These languages belong to the Sino-Tibetan family and include several major dialects such as Nyishi, Galo, Apatani, Adi, Tagin, and Mising.

Abotani or Abu Tani is considered the progenitor of the Tani tribes of the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India. Abotani are located in Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh. In China, Abotani tribes recognized as part of Lhoba ethnic group. The Apatani, Nyishi, Adi, Galos, Tagin and Mising are the Subtribes of Abotanis. They follow the Donyi-Polo religion and credit Abotani with the technique of rice cultivation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galo tribe</span> Ethnic group in Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India

The Galo are a tribe in Arunachal Pradesh, who are descendants of Abotani. They speak the Tani Galo language. Other names which have been used to reference the Galo tribe in the past include Duba, Doba, Dobah Abor, Galo Abor, Galo, Galo Adi, etc. The Galo have been listed as a scheduled tribe under the name Galo since 1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magh Bihu</span> Harvest festival in Assam, India

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.

The Apatanis who inhabit a tranquil pine clad valley called Ziro at the core of Lower Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh, are famous for their unique practice of wet rice cultivation. They are also known for their sustainable agricultural practices and the agricultural cycles govern their everyday lives. The agricultural festival of Dree is the highlight in this cycle.

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

The 'Mopin' or 'Moopin' Festival is an agricultural festival celebrated by the Galo tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, India in particular of the Galo group of tribes which resides in East Siang and West Siang districts. It is a celebration of the harvesting season held in the Galo months of "Lumi" and "Luki", corresponding to March–April and the new year for the Galo tribe. The Galo tribe follow an animist religion called Donyi-Polo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hill Miri dialect</span> Tani language of Arunachal Pradesh, India

Nyishi (Kamle) or Sarak is a Tani language of India. It is spoken in Arunachal Pradesh by an estimated 9,000 people of the Nyishi tribe. It appears to be a dialect of the Nishi language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mising people</span> Indigenous community in northeast India

The Mising people are a Sino-Tibetan ethnic group inhabiting mostly in the Northeast Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. They are part of the greater Tani group of people of India and Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

Here is a list of glossary of culture of India in alphabetical order:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apo (drink)</span> Indian rice beer

Apo, apong, or poka is an alcohol drink commonly found among the Tani tribes in the Northeast India states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. It is prepared by fermentation of rice. It is known by various names across different tribes in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Marriage Practices of Galo Tribe or Traditional Galo Tribe Wedding/Marriage Practices are part of the cultural fabric of Arunachal Pradesh, India. In Galo dialect, it is called as NYIDA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakke-Kessang district</span> District of Arunachal Pradesh in India

Pakke-Kessang is a district located in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in the Northeast of India. The district used to be a part of the neighboring district, East Kameng, and was created out of its five southernmost administrative units: Pijerang, Passa Valley, Pakke-Kessang, Dissing Passo and Seijosa. The district headquarters of Pakke-Kessang is located at Lemmi.

References

  1. Riba, Tomo (5 March 2013). Shifting Cultivation and Tribal Culture of Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, India. Rubi Enterprise. ISBN   9789843373045.