Languages | |
---|---|
Zeliangrong languages | |
Religion | |
Christianity (majority), Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak, Paupaise and Heraka. | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Other Naga tribes |
This article possibly contains original research .(January 2024) |
The Zeliangrong people are one of the major indigenous Naga communities living in the tri-junction of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland in India. They are the descendants of Nguiba. The term "Zeliangrong" refers to the Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei Kindred tribes combined. [1] Earlier, the term also covered the Inpui tribe. [2] The descendants of Hoi of Makuilongdi (Makhel) were divided and were made peripheral appendages to three political entities - Nagaland, Manipur and the Dima Hasao (N.C Hill district) of Assam. The Zeliangrong may be classified as an ethno-cultural entity. The Zeliangrong belong to the larger Southern Mongoloid population and their language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. [3]
The ethnonym 'Zeliangrong' is derived from 3 words ZE-LIANG-RONG. ZE from Zeme, LIANG from Liangmai and Rong from Rongmei. It traced back to the three kindred tribes. The three tribes are the Zeme (dwellers of the warmer) or Mejahme (lower region), Liangmai (men of the North) the original Northerner; on the other hand the term Rongmei (people settled in the south) and finally Inpui (Puimei).
The word Zeliangrong was first coined on 15 February 1947 at Keishamthong Imphal. [4] The terminology Zeliangrong was coined in coherence with the solidarity movement after India's independence.
The Zeliangrong have been living in the present location of their land since time immemorial, in a compact and contiguous geographical setting of approximately 12,000 km2 lying between 93 degrees E and 94 degree E longitude and 94.40 degrees and 24 degrees N latitude in N. C Hills of Assam; Peren district of Nagaland; Tamenglong district, Senapati district, Kangvai subdivision of Churachanpur district, Jiribam subdivision of Imphal district, Imphal valley and Cachar district along with various villages and its adjoining slopes in Manipur.
Earlier, Manipur had only 9 districts but, due to administrative changes, it led to the formation of 7 new districts, namely Kamjong, Kakching, Noney, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal, Pherzawl, and Jiribam. [5]
When it comes to religion, majority of Zeliangrong follow Christianity.
At present, the non-Christian Zeliangrongs follow three faiths, namely the Heraka, Poupei Chapriak (in Assam) and Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak (in Manipur), all venerating Tingkao Ragwang (Tingwang in short), the supreme deity of the Zeliangrong pantheon.
Imphal East district is one of the 16 districts of Manipur state in northeastern India. In 2011, it was the second most populous district in the state, after Imphal West. In 2016, the Jiribam subdivision, which was an exclave at the western periphery of the state, was separated as an independent district.
Senapati district, is one of the 16 districts of the Indian state of Manipur. The present Senapati district was formed in December 2016, after spawning off the Sadar Hills region in the south into a separate Kangpokpi district. The district headquarter is located in the town of Senapati, also known as Tahamzam.
Gaidinliu Pamei popularly known as Rani Gaidinliu was an Indian Naga spiritual and freedom fighter, political leader who led a revolt against British rule in India. At the age of 13, she joined the Heraka religious movement of her cousin Haipou Jadonang. The movement later turned into a political movement seeking to drive out the British from Manipur. Within the Heraka faith, she came to be considered an incarnation of the Goddess Cherachamdinliu. Gaidinliu was arrested in 1932 at the age of 16, and was sentenced to life imprisonment by the British rulers. Jawaharlal Nehru met her at Shillong Jail in 1937, and promised to pursue her release. Nehru gave her the title of "Rani" ("Queen"), and she gained local popularity as Rani Gaidinliu.
The Zo languages are a geographic and linguistic grouping within the Sino-Tibetan language family. This term is more factual and accurate than the widely used but imprecise term Kuki-Chin–Naga, which appears in James Matisoff's classification as a non-monophyletic branch of "Tibeto-Burman" used for convenience in Ethnologue. The genealogical relationships within the Zo languages, and their connections to the broader Sino-Tibetan family, remain unresolved and require further research.
The Zeme people, also known as the Zeme Nagas, are a Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group from Northeast India. Their villages are mostly spread across Peren district in Nagaland; Tamenglong district, Senapati district in Manipur and Dima Hasao district in Assam.
The Rongmeis are one of the Naga ethnic communities of North-East India. They are recognised as a scheduled tribe (STs) in the Constitution of India.
The Zemeic, Zeme, Zeliangrong or Western Naga are a languages branch of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken mostly in Indian state of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur in northeast India. It may have close relationship with other Naga languages pending further research. The corresponding ethnic group is the Zeliangrong people. There were 63,529 Zeliang-speaking people in India in 2011.
Naga nationalism is an ideology that supports the self-determination of the Naga people in India and Myanmar, and the furtherance of Naga culture.
Rongmei is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Rongmei Naga community in Northeast India. It has been called Songbu and is close to Zeme and Liangmai. The language has been nomenclatured as "Ruangmei" and studied as a First Language paper from class I to X of Board of Secondary Education, Manipur. Ruangmei is studied as a Minor Indian Language (MIL) in Class XI & XII of Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur (COHSEM).
Zeme is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in northeastern India. It is one of the dialects spoken by the Zeme Naga, the other being Mzieme.
Lianglad is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by Liangmai Naga community in India. It has been called Kwoireng and is particularly close to Zeme and Rongmei.
Inpui or Puiron is a Naga language spoken in different villages of Senapati district, Tamenglong district, Noney District, and Imphal district in Manipur, and in some areas in Nagaland, India. Speakers of Inpui and Rongmei are subsumed under single ethnic group Kabui. But the two major ethnic groups have different languages and identity. Even though they are considered to be cognate ethnic group. The speakers of this language use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.
Jadonang Malangmei (1905–1931), popularly known as Haipou Jadonang, was a Naga spiritual leader and political activist from Manipur, British India. He established the Heraka religious movement, which was based on the ancestral Naga religion, and declared himself to be the "messiah king" of the Nagas. His movement was widespread in the Zeliangrong territory before the conversion to Christianity. He also espoused the cause of an independent Naga kingdom, which brought him in conflict with the colonial British rulers of India. He was hanged by the British in 1931, and succeeded by his cousin Rani Gaidinliu.
Lui Ngai Ni is the seed-sowing festival celebrated by the Naga tribes of Manipur India. The festival heralds the season of seed sowing and marks the start of the year for the Nagas and the festival was declared a state holiday since 1988.
Jiribam District is a district at the western periphery state of Manipur, India. It borders the Cachar district of Assam on the west, and serves as the western gateway for Manipur. Formerly a subdivision of the Imphal East district, it was made an independent district in December 2016.
Noney district is a district in Manipur, India, created by bifurcating erstwhile Tamenglong district.
Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak (TRC) is one of the two traditional religions followed by the Zeliangrong people of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland states in North Eastern India. It is a polytheistic religion based on the fundamental belief of Tingkao Ragwang, the supreme god or almighty and other smaller brotherly gods.
Gaan-Ngai is a festival of the Zeliangrong people of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland states in North Eastern India. Gaan-Ngai is a festival of light, celebrating the victory of light over evil and the commemoration of the coming of light or fire. It is a post harvest festival celebrated to thank the God Tingkao Ragwang for a good harvest season and heralds the beginning of a new year. The festival is celebrated for five days with various rituals, prayers and festivities such as music, dance and feast accompanying the same.
Pongringlong (Charoipandongba), also known locally as Puangringluang, is a Rongmei Naga village located along NH 37. The village is located within the Saitu Gamphazol subdivision of Senapati district, Manipur state, India. The villagers are mostly small farmers practicing Slash-and-burn, or jhum, cultivation of land that is communally owned.