![]() Thadou man and woman in traditional dress | |
Total population | |
---|---|
229,000–313,000 in India [1] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
India, Myanmar and Bangladesh | Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Mizoram, Tripura |
Languages | |
Thadou | |
Religion | |
Predominantly Protestantism (Baptist) and Catholicism; very small minority Judaism (Bnei Menashe) | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Zo people · Chin · Kuki · Mara · Bnei Menashe, Ranglong · Mizo |
Thadou people, also called Thadou Kukis, are the Thadou language-speaking Kuki people inhabiting Northeast India, Burma, and Bangladesh. "Thadou" is also the name of a particular clan among the Thadou Kukis. Other clans include Haokip, Kipgen, Doungel, Hangshing, Mangvung etc. [2] [3] [4]
According to the 2011 census of India, there are 229,340 Thadou language-speakers in the country. The vast majority of them (97.6%) are in the state of Manipur. [5] Within Manipur, the Thadou Kukis make up the largest single tribal group, forming about 19% of all its Scheduled Tribes. [6] There are also significant numbers of Thadou-speakers in Meghalaya and Assam. [5]
In addition, many Thadou language-speakers are also believed to list their language as "Kuki" in the census. [7] The 2011 census lists 83,968 "Kuki" language-speakers, who are mostly distributed in the states of Nagaland, Manipur and Assam. [8]