Hmar - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Hmar is the name of one of the numerous mizo/kuki/chin tribes of 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...

, spread over a large area in the northeast. The Hmars belong to the Chin-Kuki

Kuki people

The Kukis are an ethnic group that spread throughout the Northeastern region of India, Northwest Burma and Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. In Northeast India they are present in all the states except Arunachal Pradesh. This dispersal across international borders is mainly attributed to the...

-Mizo group of tribes, and are recognised as Scheduled Tribe under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution of India

Constitution of India

The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens...

. Literally, Hmar means North or Northern people, as they are living north to the Lusei people. But this is hotly debated among the community itself. Some scholars are of the opinion that the word originated from the style of tying the hair knot on the head.

Area

Hmars live mostly in the hills of south Manipur

Manipur

Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...

, Mizoram

Mizoram

Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North Eastern India, sharing borders with the states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur and with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Burma. Mizoram became the 23rd state of India on 20 February 1987. Its capital is Aizawl. Mizoram is located in the...

, Cachar, North Cachar, 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...

, Tripura

Tripura

Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...

and Chittagong Hill Tracts

Chittagong Hill Tracts

The Chittagong Hill Tracts comprise an area of 13,295 km2 in south-eastern Bangladesh, and borders India and Myanmar . It was a single district of Bangladesh until 1984. In that year it was divided into three separate districts: Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban. Topographically, this is the...

. Although these areas are within different administrative divisions, they are geographically connected. In Manipur, the Hmars reside in the south, especially in the Churachandpur

Churachandpur

Churachandpur is the largest district in the Indian state of Manipur.- Origin of Churachandpur on the bank of Khuga :Located southwest of Manipur, Churachandpur District covers an area of 4570 km² and is the largest district within the state of Manipur. The terrain of the district is mainly...

District and its adjoining areas. These areas, except Tuithaphai (the Khuga Valley/Churachandpur), are hilly. Tuiruong (Barak), Tuivai and Tuithapui (Khuga) are some of the important rivers flowing through this area. In Mizoram, the Hmars live mostly in the north, especially in the Aizawl

Aizawl

Aizawl is the capital of the state of Mizoram in India. With a resident population 228,280 , it is the largest city within the state. It is also the center of all important government offices, state assembly house and civil secretariat...

District. In 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...

, the Hmars live in the Cachar and North Cachar District. In Meghalaya, the Hmars live in the Jaintia Hills District

Jaintia Hills district

Jaintia Hills is an administrative district in the state of Meghalaya in India. The present district was created in 22 February 1972 and occupies an area of 3819 km². It has a population of 295,692 , of which a vast majority is rural. The district headquarters are located at Jowai...

and Shillong in Khasi Hills District. In Tripura, the Hmars mostly live in and around Darchawi, a village on the Mizoram – Tripura border.

Origins

The Hmars trace their origin to Sinlung

Sinlung

Sinlung, sometimes called Chhinlung or Khul, is the ancestral home of the Zonhnathlak. The Hmars trace their origin to Sinlung. Numerous poems, songs and tales about this place have been made and handed down from generation to generation. However, the exact location of Sinlung is still open to debate...

, the location of which is hotly debated. The Hmars are part of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo groups of people found in North East India, Burma and Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The Hmars are generally medium statured (5′–5′6″), sturdy, dark haired, brown skinned. The Hmars still treasure and garner their traditional arts, including folk dance, folk songs, handi crafts, etc., representing scenes of adventure, battle, love, victory, and other experiences throughout history.

The majority of the Hmars are cultivator

Tillage

Tillage is the agricultural preparation of the soil by mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. Examples of human-powered tilling methods using hand tools include shovelling, picking, mattock work, hoeing, and raking...

s. The Hmars in South Manipur were introduced to Christianity in the year 1910 by Watkin Roberts, a Welsh

Welsh people

The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...

missionary

Political Movements

The Hmar People's Convention
Hmar People's Convention
The Hmar People's Convention was established as a political party in 1986. The group advocates for the rights of members of the Hmar tribe , one of the smaller tribes of northeastern India....

(HPC) is the political party representing the separatist interest of the tribe. Since 1987 it rose in insurgency, until a ceasefire was signed in 1992. After that a radical section split off, calling itself Hmar People's Convention (Democracy). An armed wing Hnam Santu (English: Hmar Protection Cell) has been active since 2003.

Literature

Dena, Lal; In search of identity: Hmars of North-East India; New Delhi 2008; ISBN 978-81-8370-134-1

Hmar-related websites

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