Garo (tribe)
Encyclopedia
See also Garo
for other uses.
The Garos are a tribal people in Meghalaya
, India
and neighboring areas of Bangladesh
, who call themselves A·chik Mande (literally "hill people," from a·chik "hill" + mande "people") or simply A·chik or Mande. They are the second-largest tribe in Meghalaya after the Khasi and comprise about a third of the local population.
The Garo Tribal Religion : Beliefs and Practices
The book deals with the origin and migration of the Garos consisting of different tribal groups settled in Garos hill, their ancient animestic religious belifs and practices, numerous deities, which control their life and must be appeased with rituals, ceremonies and animal sacrificies to ensure welfare of the tribe. There is no traditional name for the Garo tribal religion but popularly it is known as sangsarik [ a word possibly comes from Sanskrit root sangsar means family]. The Garo people does not call their religion in this name, but use a tribal word "dacbewal" to refer all of their cultural activities include religious activities.
, Goalpara
and Karbi Anglong Districts of Assam
, Garo Hills
in Meghalaya, and substantial numbers, about 200,000 are found in greater Mymensingh
(Tangail, Jamalpur, Sherpore, Netrakona) and Gazipur, Rangpur, Sunamgonj, Sylhet, Moulovibazar district of Bangladesh
. It is estimated that total Garo population in India and Bangladesh together were about 2 million in 2001.
There are also Garo in the state of Tripura. They numbered around 6,000 in 1971. In the recent survey by conducted by the newly revived Tripura Garo Union found that the Garos have increased to about 15000, spread over all the four districts of Tripura.
Garos are also found in minority number in Cooch Behar
, Jalpaiguri
, Darjeeling
and Dinajpur of West Bengal
. Garos are also found in minority number in Nagaland but many of the young generations are unable to speak the garo mother tongue.
belongs to the Bodo–Garo branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family
. As the Garo language is not traditionally written down, customs, traditions, and beliefs are handed down orally
. It is also believed that the written language was lost in its transit to the present Garo Hills.
Garo language has different sub-languages, Viz- A·beng, Matabeng, Atong, Me·gam, Matchi, Dual [Matchi-Dual]Ruga, Chibok, Chisak, Gara, Gan·ching [Gara-Gan·ching] A·we etc.
In Bangladesh A·beng is the usual dialect, but A·chik is used more in India. The Garo language has some similarities with Boro-Kachari, Rava, Dimasa and Kok-Borok languages.
However, the modern official language in schools and government offices is English and the modern generation is more inclined towards English.
(referred to as Tibotgre) around 400 BC under the leadership of Jappa Jalimpa, crossing the Brahmaputra River
and tentatively settling in the river valley. It is said that they were later driven up into the hills by other ethnic groups in and around the Brahmaputra River till they finally settled the erstwhile uninhabited Garo Hills
. Various records of the tribe by invading Mughal
armies and by British
observers in what is now Bangladesh
wrote of the brutality of the people.
The earliest written records about the Garo dates from around 1800. They "...were looked upon as bloodthirsty savages, who inhabited a tract of hills covered with almost impenetrable jungle, the climate of which was considered so deadly as to make it impossible for a white man to live there" (Playfair 1909: 76-77). The Garo had the reputation of being fierce headhunter
s, the social status of a man being decided by the number of heads he owned.
In December 1872, the British sent out battalions to Garo Hills to establish their control in the region. The attack was conducted from three sides – south, east and west. The Garo warriors (matgriks) confronted them at Rongrenggre with their spears, swords and shields. The battle that ensued was heavily unmatched, as the Garos did not have guns or mortars like the British Army.
Togan Nengminja, a young matgrik, was in command of the valiant Garo warriors. He fell fighting with unmatched heroism and courage in December 1872.
Later, a Garo patriot and statesman Sonaram R Sangma also fought against the British and tried to unify the contiguous Garo inhabited areas.
Ornaments: Both men and women enjoy adorning themselves with varieties of ornaments. These ornaments are:
Weapons: Garos have their own weapons. One of the principal weapons is a two-edged sword called millam made of one piece of iron from hilt to point. There is a cross-bar between the hilt and the blade where attached a bunch of ox’s tail-hair. Other types of weapons are shields, spear, bows and arrows, axes, daggers etc.
Food and drink: The staple cereal food is rice. They also eat millet, maize, tapioca etc. Garos are very liberal in their food habits. They rear goats, pigs, fowls, ducks etc. and relish their meat. They also eat other wild animal like deer, bison, wild pigs etc. Fish, prawns, crabs, eels and dry fish also are a part of their food. Their jhum fields and the forests provide them with a number of vegetables and root for their curry but bamboo shoots are esteemed as a delicacy. They use a kind of potash in curries, which they obtained by burning dry pieces of plaintain stems or young bamboos locally known as Kalchi or Katchi. After they are burnt, the ashes are collected and are dipped in water and are strained in conical shaped in bamboo strainer. These days most of the town people use soda from the market in place of this ash water. Apart from other drinks country liquor plays an important role in the life of the Garos.
Garo Architecture: Generally one finds the similar type of arts and architecture in the whole of Garo Hills. They normally use locally available building materials like timbers, bamboo, cane and thatch. Garo architecture can be classified into following categories:
Greatest among Garo festivals is the Wangala, usually celebrated in October or November, is thank-giving after harvest in which Saljong, the god who provides mankind with Nature’s bounties and ensures their prosperity, is honored.
Other festivals: Gal·mak Doa, Agalmaka, etc.
Wangala of Asanang: There is a celebration of 100 drum festival in Asanang near Tura in West Garo Hills, Meghalaya, India usually in the month of October or November. Thousands of people especially the young people gather at Asanang and celebrate Wangala with great joy. Beautiful Garo girls known as nomil and handsome young men pante take part in 'Wangala' festivals. The 'pante's beat a kind of long drum called dama in groups and play bamboo flute. The 'nomil's with colorful costume dance to the tune of dama' 'and folk songs in a circle. Most of the folk songs depict ordinary garo life, God's blessings, beauty of nature, day to day struggles, romance and human aspirations.
Christmas: Though Christmas is basically a religious celebration, in Garo Hills the month of December is a great season of celebration. In the first week of December the town of Tura and all other smaller towns are illuminated with lights and celebration goes till about 10 January. The celebration is featured by worship, dance, merry-making, grand feasts and social visits. People from all religions and sections take part in the Christmas celebration.
Tallest Christmas Tree of the World: In December 2003 the tallest Christmas tree of the world was erected at Dobasipara, Tura by the Baptist boys of Dobasipara. Its height was 119.3 feet and BBC television had come to take a coverage and broadcasted. The tree was decorated with 16,319 color electric bulbs and it took about 14 days to complete the decoration. The Christmas tree had attracted several tourists and journalists from outside of Meghalaya, India.
The annual winter festival AHAIA : The festival, conceptualised in 2008, is aimed to promote and brand this part of the region as a popular tourist destination vis-à-vis giving an opportunity for the local talents to showcase their skills and expertise. The three-day fest will feature a gala event with carnival, cultural show, food festival, rock concert, wine festival, angling competition, ethnic wear competition, children fancy dress, DJ Nite, exhibitions, housie housie and other games. The entry forms for carnival and other events are available at Tourist Office, Tura.
Dance forms are Ajema Roa, Mi Su·a, Chambil Moa, Do·kru Sua, Chame mikkang nia, Kambe Toa, Gaewang Roa, Napsepgrika and many others.
The traditional Garo musical instruments can broadly be classified into four groups.
Garo
-Garo People and languages :* Garo , a tribe in India and Bangladesh.* Bodo-Garo languages, a small family of Tibeto-Burman languages spoken in eastern India,** Garo language, the language spoken by the Garo tribe...
for other uses.
The Garos are a tribal people in Meghalaya
Meghalaya
Meghalaya is a state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means the Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit and other Indic languages. Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km long and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 8,700 sq mi . The...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and neighboring areas of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, who call themselves A·chik Mande (literally "hill people," from a·chik "hill" + mande "people") or simply A·chik or Mande. They are the second-largest tribe in Meghalaya after the Khasi and comprise about a third of the local population.
Religion
Garos are mainly Christians although there are some rural pockets where the traditional animist religion and traditions are still followed.The Garo Tribal Religion : Beliefs and Practices
The book deals with the origin and migration of the Garos consisting of different tribal groups settled in Garos hill, their ancient animestic religious belifs and practices, numerous deities, which control their life and must be appeased with rituals, ceremonies and animal sacrificies to ensure welfare of the tribe. There is no traditional name for the Garo tribal religion but popularly it is known as sangsarik [ a word possibly comes from Sanskrit root sangsar means family]. The Garo people does not call their religion in this name, but use a tribal word "dacbewal" to refer all of their cultural activities include religious activities.
Geographical distribution
The Garos are mainly distributed over the KamrupKamrup
Kamrup district is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India, named after Kamarupa, a name by which Assam was previously known in ancient times. The district, however, is now a small western part of Assam, with a distinctive native Kamrupi culture and dialect . The distinctive...
, Goalpara
Goalpara District
Goalpara district is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters are located in Goalpara town.-History:...
and Karbi Anglong Districts of Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, Garo Hills
Garo Hills
The Garo Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi range in Meghalaya, India. They are inhabited mainly by tribal dwellers. Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, is located in this range. It is one of the wettest places in the world. The range is part of the Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion.Garo Hills...
in Meghalaya, and substantial numbers, about 200,000 are found in greater Mymensingh
History of Mymensingh
History of Mymensingh refers to the history of old or greater Mymensingh district, presently covered by Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Tangail, Jamalpur, and Sherpur districts in Dhaka Division of Bangladesh. Mymensingh district was established by the British East India Company on 1 May 1787...
(Tangail, Jamalpur, Sherpore, Netrakona) and Gazipur, Rangpur, Sunamgonj, Sylhet, Moulovibazar district of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. It is estimated that total Garo population in India and Bangladesh together were about 2 million in 2001.
There are also Garo in the state of Tripura. They numbered around 6,000 in 1971. In the recent survey by conducted by the newly revived Tripura Garo Union found that the Garos have increased to about 15000, spread over all the four districts of Tripura.
Garos are also found in minority number in Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar District
Cooch Behar district is a district of the state of West Bengal, India, as well as the district's namesake town. During the British Raj, the town of Cooch Behar was the seat of a princely state of Koch Bihar, ruled by the Koch dynasty....
, Jalpaiguri
Jalpaiguri District
Jalpaiguri district is the largest district of North Bengal, covering an area 6,245 km2. It is situated between 26° 16' and 27° 0' North latitudes and 88° 4' and 89° 53' East longitudes...
, Darjeeling
Darjeeling district
Darjeeling District is the northernmost district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India in the foothills of the Himalayas. The district is famous for its beautiful hill stations and Darjeeling tea. Darjeeling is the district headquarters...
and Dinajpur of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. Garos are also found in minority number in Nagaland but many of the young generations are unable to speak the garo mother tongue.
Language
The Garo languageGaro language
Garo is the language of the majority of the people of the Garo Hills in the Indian state of Meghalaya. Garo is also used in Kamrup, Dhubri, Goalpara and the Darrang districts of Assam, India as well as in neighboring Bangladesh...
belongs to the Bodo–Garo branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family
Language family
A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestor, called the proto-language of that family. The term 'family' comes from the tree model of language origination in historical linguistics, which makes use of a metaphor comparing languages to people in a...
. As the Garo language is not traditionally written down, customs, traditions, and beliefs are handed down orally
Oral tradition
Oral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and traditions transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants...
. It is also believed that the written language was lost in its transit to the present Garo Hills.
Garo language has different sub-languages, Viz- A·beng, Matabeng, Atong, Me·gam, Matchi, Dual [Matchi-Dual]Ruga, Chibok, Chisak, Gara, Gan·ching [Gara-Gan·ching] A·we etc.
In Bangladesh A·beng is the usual dialect, but A·chik is used more in India. The Garo language has some similarities with Boro-Kachari, Rava, Dimasa and Kok-Borok languages.
However, the modern official language in schools and government offices is English and the modern generation is more inclined towards English.
Historical accounts
According to one such oral tradition, the Garos first immigrated to Garo Hills from TibetTibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
(referred to as Tibotgre) around 400 BC under the leadership of Jappa Jalimpa, crossing the Brahmaputra River
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra , also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. It is the only Indian river that is attributed the masculine gender and thus referred to as a in Indo-Aryan languages and languages with Indo-Aryan influence...
and tentatively settling in the river valley. It is said that they were later driven up into the hills by other ethnic groups in and around the Brahmaputra River till they finally settled the erstwhile uninhabited Garo Hills
Garo Hills
The Garo Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi range in Meghalaya, India. They are inhabited mainly by tribal dwellers. Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, is located in this range. It is one of the wettest places in the world. The range is part of the Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion.Garo Hills...
. Various records of the tribe by invading Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
armies and by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
observers in what is now Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
wrote of the brutality of the people.
The earliest written records about the Garo dates from around 1800. They "...were looked upon as bloodthirsty savages, who inhabited a tract of hills covered with almost impenetrable jungle, the climate of which was considered so deadly as to make it impossible for a white man to live there" (Playfair 1909: 76-77). The Garo had the reputation of being fierce headhunter
Headhunter
Headhunter or head hunter may refer to:-General use:* Headhunting, the practice of literally taking a person's head after killing them* Headhunter, an informal name for an employment recruiter, sometimes referred to as executive searcher...
s, the social status of a man being decided by the number of heads he owned.
In December 1872, the British sent out battalions to Garo Hills to establish their control in the region. The attack was conducted from three sides – south, east and west. The Garo warriors (matgriks) confronted them at Rongrenggre with their spears, swords and shields. The battle that ensued was heavily unmatched, as the Garos did not have guns or mortars like the British Army.
Togan Nengminja, a young matgrik, was in command of the valiant Garo warriors. He fell fighting with unmatched heroism and courage in December 1872.
Later, a Garo patriot and statesman Sonaram R Sangma also fought against the British and tried to unify the contiguous Garo inhabited areas.
Culture
The Garos are one of the few remaining matrilineal societies in the world. The individuals take their clan titles from their mothers. Traditionally, the youngest daughter (nokmechik) inherits the property from her mother. Sons leave the parents' house at puberty, and are trained in the village bachelor dormitory (nokpante). After getting married, the man lives in his wife's house. Garos are only a matrilinear society, but not matriarchal. While property of Garo's is owned by the women, the men folk govern the society and domestic affairs and manage the property. This gives a solid security to the Garo women folk. Garo also have their traditional names. However, the culture of modern Garo community has been greatly influenced by Christianity. Nokpantes are glory of the past and all children are given equal care, rights and importance by the modern parents.Ornaments: Both men and women enjoy adorning themselves with varieties of ornaments. These ornaments are:
- Nadongbi or sisha – made of a brass ring worn in the lobe of the ear.
- Nadirong – brass ring worn in the upper part of the ear
- Natapsi – string of beads worn in the upper part of the ear
- Jaksan – Bangles of different materials and sizes
- Ripok – Necklaces made of long barrel shaped beads of cornelian or red glass while some are made out of brass or silver and are worn in special occasions.
- Jaksil – elbow ring worn by rich men on Gana Ceremonies
- Penta – small piece of ivory struck into the upper part of the ear projecting upwards parallel to the side of the head
- Seng'ki – Waistband consisting of several rows of conch-shells worn by womenPilne – head ornament worn during the dances only by the women
Weapons: Garos have their own weapons. One of the principal weapons is a two-edged sword called millam made of one piece of iron from hilt to point. There is a cross-bar between the hilt and the blade where attached a bunch of ox’s tail-hair. Other types of weapons are shields, spear, bows and arrows, axes, daggers etc.
Food and drink: The staple cereal food is rice. They also eat millet, maize, tapioca etc. Garos are very liberal in their food habits. They rear goats, pigs, fowls, ducks etc. and relish their meat. They also eat other wild animal like deer, bison, wild pigs etc. Fish, prawns, crabs, eels and dry fish also are a part of their food. Their jhum fields and the forests provide them with a number of vegetables and root for their curry but bamboo shoots are esteemed as a delicacy. They use a kind of potash in curries, which they obtained by burning dry pieces of plaintain stems or young bamboos locally known as Kalchi or Katchi. After they are burnt, the ashes are collected and are dipped in water and are strained in conical shaped in bamboo strainer. These days most of the town people use soda from the market in place of this ash water. Apart from other drinks country liquor plays an important role in the life of the Garos.
Garo Architecture: Generally one finds the similar type of arts and architecture in the whole of Garo Hills. They normally use locally available building materials like timbers, bamboo, cane and thatch. Garo architecture can be classified into following categories:
- Nokmong: The house where every A'chik household can stay together. This house is built in such a way that inside the house, there are provisions for sleeping, hearth, sanitary arrangements, kitchen, water storage, place for fermenting wine, place for use as cattle-shed or for stall-feeding the cow and the space between earthen floor and raised platform for use as pigsty and in the back of the house, the raised platform serves as hencoop for keeping fowl and for storing firewood, thus every need being fully provisioned for in one house.
- Nokpante: In the Garo habitation, the house where unmarried male youth or bachelors live is called Nokpante. The word Nokpante means the house of bachelors. Nokpantes are generally constructed in the front courtyard of the Nokma, the chief. The art of cultivation, various arts and cultures, and different games are also taught in the Nokpante to the young boys by the senior boys and elders.
- Jamsreng: In certain areas, in the rice field or orchards, small huts are constructed. They are called Jamsireng or Jamdap. Either the season’s fruits or grains are collected and stored in the Jamsreng or it can be used for sleeping.
- Jamatdal: The small house, a type of miniature house, built in the jhum fields is called Jamatdal or ‘field house’. In certain places, where there is danger from wild animals, a small house with ladder is constructed on the treetop. This is called Borang or ‘house on the treetop’.
Festivals
The common and regular festivals are those connected with agricultural operations.Greatest among Garo festivals is the Wangala, usually celebrated in October or November, is thank-giving after harvest in which Saljong, the god who provides mankind with Nature’s bounties and ensures their prosperity, is honored.
Other festivals: Gal·mak Doa, Agalmaka, etc.
Wangala of Asanang: There is a celebration of 100 drum festival in Asanang near Tura in West Garo Hills, Meghalaya, India usually in the month of October or November. Thousands of people especially the young people gather at Asanang and celebrate Wangala with great joy. Beautiful Garo girls known as nomil and handsome young men pante take part in 'Wangala' festivals. The 'pante's beat a kind of long drum called dama in groups and play bamboo flute. The 'nomil's with colorful costume dance to the tune of dama' 'and folk songs in a circle. Most of the folk songs depict ordinary garo life, God's blessings, beauty of nature, day to day struggles, romance and human aspirations.
Christmas: Though Christmas is basically a religious celebration, in Garo Hills the month of December is a great season of celebration. In the first week of December the town of Tura and all other smaller towns are illuminated with lights and celebration goes till about 10 January. The celebration is featured by worship, dance, merry-making, grand feasts and social visits. People from all religions and sections take part in the Christmas celebration.
Tallest Christmas Tree of the World: In December 2003 the tallest Christmas tree of the world was erected at Dobasipara, Tura by the Baptist boys of Dobasipara. Its height was 119.3 feet and BBC television had come to take a coverage and broadcasted. The tree was decorated with 16,319 color electric bulbs and it took about 14 days to complete the decoration. The Christmas tree had attracted several tourists and journalists from outside of Meghalaya, India.
The annual winter festival AHAIA : The festival, conceptualised in 2008, is aimed to promote and brand this part of the region as a popular tourist destination vis-à-vis giving an opportunity for the local talents to showcase their skills and expertise. The three-day fest will feature a gala event with carnival, cultural show, food festival, rock concert, wine festival, angling competition, ethnic wear competition, children fancy dress, DJ Nite, exhibitions, housie housie and other games. The entry forms for carnival and other events are available at Tourist Office, Tura.
Music and Dance
Group songs may include Ku·dare sala, Hoa ring·a, Injoka, Kore doka, Ajea, Doroa, Nanggorere goserong, Dim dim chong dading chong, Serejing, Boel sala etc.Dance forms are Ajema Roa, Mi Su·a, Chambil Moa, Do·kru Sua, Chame mikkang nia, Kambe Toa, Gaewang Roa, Napsepgrika and many others.
The traditional Garo musical instruments can broadly be classified into four groups.
- Idiophones: Self-sounding and made of resonant materials – Kakwa, Nanggilsi, Guridomik, Kamaljakmora, all kinds of gongs, Rangkilding, Rangbong, Nogri etc.
- Aerophone: Wind instruments, whose sound come from air vibrating inside a pipe when is blown –Adil, Singga, Sanai, Kal, Bolbijak, Illep or Illip, Olongna, Tarabeng, Imbanggi, Akok or Dakok, Bangsi rori, Tilara or Taragaku, Bangsi mande, Otekra, Wa·pepe or Wa·pek.
- Chordophone: Stringed instrument – Dotrong, Sarenda, Chigring or Bagring, Dimchrang or Kimjim, Gongmima or Gonggina.
- Membranophone: Which have skins or membranes stretched over a frame – Am·beng Dama, Chisak Dama, Atong Dama, Garaganching Dama, Ruga and Chibok Dama, Dual-Matchi Dama, Nagra, Kram etc