Mishing
Encyclopedia
The Mishings are an ethnic group inhabiting the districts of
Dhemaji
, North Lakhimpur
, Sonitpur
, Tinsukia
, Dibrugarh
, Sibsagar
, Jorhat
and Golaghat
of Assam
. Nearly 20,000 live in and around Pasighat
of East Siang
, Lower Dibang Valley and Lohit
districts of Arunachal Pradesh
. They are the second largest tribe in Assam and one of the largest tribal group in North-East India. They were earlier called Miris. However the Constitution of India
still refers them as Miris. Further steps are been taken for amending the nomenclature from 'Miri' to 'Mishing' in the Indian Constitution by the students of Cotton College, a premier college of North East India.
The Mishings belong to a mixture of East Asian as well as Southeast Asian subrace of the Mongoloid race, similar to the mixture of the Mongoloid subraces inside political China as people from Southern China may look more like the South East Asian brown-skinned Mongoloids and more towards the Northern China more fair skinned Mongoloids dwell. It's not known exactly where they migrated from, but it is popularly believed that they were dwellers of the hills of present day Arunachal Pradesh
. This explains the cultural and linguistic similarities they have with the people of the Adi (erstwhile Abor) tribe, and to some extent of the Hill Miri
and Dafla tribes of Arunachal Pradesh
. Somewhere around the 13th century, they started migrating towards the plains of Assam, most probably in search of fertile land. This exodus continued for at least 2-3 centuries.
As fate would have it, they found one of the most fertile river-beds (that of the mighty Brahmaputra) and settled on both banks along the length of the river, starting right from Sadiya
in the east, to Jorhat
in the west. They continued their practice of living in thatched houses raised on bamboo stilts, known as Chang ghar. It was a protection against flood waters during the rainy season, although the original logic behind raised houses was protection from wild beasts.
The yearly floods ensured that the Mishings lived a life of abject poverty and misery. Agriculture
being their main occupation, floods affect them in more ways than one. Moreover, due to their affinity towards living close to river banks brings about Malaria
and water-borne diseases. But 94% of them still continue to live along the banks of Brahmaputra and its tributaries, unfazed by the disasters striking them.
Their chief festival is Ali-Aye-Leegang, in the month of February, which marks the beginning of the sowing season. Most Mishings follow both the Donyi-Polo
and Hinduism
religions, and there are a few Christians who follow the Catholic
or Baptist
faith.
. It belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family of languages, and is spoken by some 25,000 people.
Script:
Mishing language is written in modified Roman script (Govt. of Assam recognition on 30 October 1985).
Mishings are broadly divided into:
Typically, it is easy to identify if a person is Dagdung or Daktok from his surname. A further classification can be based on the "dialect" of the language. These groups are:
The variations of Mishing spoken by these groups differ from each other in intonation, sentence formation, word usage etc., with the exception of Samugurias, who do not speak Mishing at all. They use Assamese instead.
Mishing surnames reflect the clan (opeen) they belong to. Over 51 clans have been identified so far.
This is a social setup that has been followed since time immemorial. Other clans (people having surnames besides Doley and Pegu) claim brotherhood (seegnam) alongside either Pegu or Doley. For example, Patirs,Pathori and Lagachus (among others) are regarded as brothers to Pegus, and to each other. Similarly, Kutums and Kulis (among others) and regarded as brothers to Doley.
This classification of "brotherhood" was made primarily for marital reasons. Clans belonging to the same brotherhood of Pegu are not to marry within the clan, and the same applies for the Doley brotherhood. However, there is yet another group of clans that can freely marry within either Pegu or Doley. Surnames like Morang, Payeng, Pangging,Taye, Mili etc. belong to this group. Marriage between two people having the same surname is taboo. It would amount to sacrilege if a Pegu were to marry another Pegu, or if a Doley another Doley.
(Dr.) Jatin Mipun (PhD Sociology) who is an ethnic Mishing (also written as "Mishing", even "Missing") served in the Indian Police Service. Known in the North East India community for his publication of the novel "Mixijili" written in the Assamese language of Assam (Assamese language is the mother-tongue of the native Assamese tribe of Assam).
2. Sonadhar Doley is Mishing community's first IFS.
3. Mrinal Miri as Mishing's first doctorate degree holder.
4. Sakuntala Doley, Mishing's first ladies IAS office.
5. Nomal Pangging, retird IPS, First Mishing's Bachelors In Commerce pass.
6. Gopinath Pegu - Mishing's first IAS officer.
7. Dr Nomal Pegu - Mishing's first MBBS.
8. Dr Bina Doley, retird professor and head, department of medicine, Assam Medical College,
first Mishing's ladies MBBS, MD, and Royal College Of Physician.
9. Dutirani Doley, Mishing's first Ladies IPS Officer.
10. Kulodhar Kutum - Mishing's first ACS officer and deputy commissioner.
11. Utpal Miri - Mishing's first BE and ME.
12. Rajen Mili - Mishing's first world champion in Arm Wrestling.
13. Tabu Taid is an eminent educationist in North East India and among the native East Asian (including South East Asian) community of India is also a forerunner in the development of Mishing language specially using the Roman language as a script for modern usage.
Dhemaji
Dhemaji
Dhemaji is the headquarters of Dhemaji district, Assam, India. It is one of the remotest districts of Assam. From the State Capital , it takes about 10 hours by road to reach Dhemaji. Dhemaji is a very flood-prone district. For a few days it remains cut off from the rest of the country every year...
, North Lakhimpur
North Lakhimpur
North Lakhimpur is a city in India and a municipal board in Lakhimpur district in the North Eastern state Assam, about north east of Guwahati...
, Sonitpur
Sonitpur
Sonitpur is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters are located at Tezpur. As of 2011 it is the third most populous district of Assam , after Nagaon and Dhubri.-Etymology:...
, Tinsukia
Tinsukia
Tinsukia is a city and a municipal board in Tinsukia district, Assam, India.Tinsukia is a business city in the Indian state of Assam. It is situated north east of Guwahati and kilometres away from the border with Arunachal Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Tinsukia District of...
, Dibrugarh
Dibrugarh
Dibrugarh is the headquarters of Dibrugarh district, Assam, India, and is the second largest city in Assam after Guwahati. It is situated on the banks of the Brahmaputra River, about north-east of Guwahati. It is the gateway to the three tea-producing districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, and Sibsagar...
, Sibsagar
Sibsagar
Sivasagar is a town in the Sibsagar district in the state of Assam in India, about north east of Guwahati....
, Jorhat
Jorhat
Jorhat is a city of Assam in India. Jorhat was established as a new capital in the closing years of the 18th century by the declining Tunkhungia Ahom Dynasty. Jorhat, as the name signifies, was just a couple of markets . Two parallel markets namely, Chowkihat and Macharhat, lay on the eastern...
and Golaghat
Golaghat
Golaghat , which was one of the largest subdivisions of Assam later, elevated to the position of a full-fledged district of Assam on 15 August 1987, is the headquarters of Golaghat district and is a sister town to Jorhat which is about 55 km away....
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...
. Nearly 20,000 live in and around Pasighat
Pasighat
Pasighat is the headquarters of East Siang district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Situated at 155 meters, with its scenic splendours Pasighat is Arunachal's oldest town and also the district headquarters of East Siang.- History:...
of East Siang
East Siang
East Siang is an administrative district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India.-History:In 1989 territory was transferred from West Siang district to East Siang. A decade later, in 1999, the district was bifurcated to make Upper Siang district....
, Lower Dibang Valley and Lohit
Lohit
Lohit may refer to:* Lohit River* Lohit districtlohit literal meaning in Sanskrit means 'red' colour.Lohit is an Indian name.Widely used by Hindus. Lohit indicates/symbolizes good luck, good omen...
districts of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
. They are the second largest tribe in Assam and one of the largest tribal group in North-East India. They were earlier called Miris. However 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...
still refers them as Miris. Further steps are been taken for amending the nomenclature from 'Miri' to 'Mishing' in the Indian Constitution by the students of Cotton College, a premier college of North East India.
The Mishings belong to a mixture of East Asian as well as Southeast Asian subrace of the Mongoloid race, similar to the mixture of the Mongoloid subraces inside political China as people from Southern China may look more like the South East Asian brown-skinned Mongoloids and more towards the Northern China more fair skinned Mongoloids dwell. It's not known exactly where they migrated from, but it is popularly believed that they were dwellers of the hills of present day Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
. This explains the cultural and linguistic similarities they have with the people of the Adi (erstwhile Abor) tribe, and to some extent of the Hill Miri
Hill Miri
The Hill Miri are a people of Arunachal Pradesh, India. They are mainly settled in and around Daporijo. In 1998 they were officially consolidated with their more populous neighbors, the Nishi due to their tiny population. The consolidation is still a matter of disagreement among many Hill Miris....
and Dafla tribes of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
. Somewhere around the 13th century, they started migrating towards the plains of Assam, most probably in search of fertile land. This exodus continued for at least 2-3 centuries.
As fate would have it, they found one of the most fertile river-beds (that of the mighty Brahmaputra) and settled on both banks along the length of the river, starting right from Sadiya
Sadiya
Sadiya is a small town in the Tinsukia district of the North-eastern Indian state of Assam. It stands on a grassy plain, nearly surrounded by forested Himalayan mountains, on the right bank of what is locally considered the main stream of the Brahmaputra river...
in the east, to Jorhat
Jorhat
Jorhat is a city of Assam in India. Jorhat was established as a new capital in the closing years of the 18th century by the declining Tunkhungia Ahom Dynasty. Jorhat, as the name signifies, was just a couple of markets . Two parallel markets namely, Chowkihat and Macharhat, lay on the eastern...
in the west. They continued their practice of living in thatched houses raised on bamboo stilts, known as Chang ghar. It was a protection against flood waters during the rainy season, although the original logic behind raised houses was protection from wild beasts.
The yearly floods ensured that the Mishings lived a life of abject poverty and misery. Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
being their main occupation, floods affect them in more ways than one. Moreover, due to their affinity towards living close to river banks brings about Malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and water-borne diseases. But 94% of them still continue to live along the banks of Brahmaputra and its tributaries, unfazed by the disasters striking them.
Their chief festival is Ali-Aye-Leegang, in the month of February, which marks the beginning of the sowing season. Most Mishings follow both the Donyi-Polo
Donyi-Polo
Donyi-Polo is an animist religion, literally meaning "Sun-Moon" . It is followed by many of the tribal groups of Arunachal Pradesh, India like the Galos, Adis, Apatanis, Nishis, Hill Miris, Mishings...
and Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
religions, and there are a few Christians who follow the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
or Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
faith.
Language
The language of the Mishing people is also known as Mishing languageMishing language
Mishing is a Tibetan–Burman language spoken by the Mishing people. There are over 500,000 speakers of the language. It is also known as Plains Miri or Takam....
. It belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family of languages, and is spoken by some 25,000 people.
Script:
Mishing language is written in modified Roman script (Govt. of Assam recognition on 30 October 1985).
Mishings are broadly divided into:
- Dagdung (belonging to the North), and
- Daktok (belonging to the South).
Typically, it is easy to identify if a person is Dagdung or Daktok from his surname. A further classification can be based on the "dialect" of the language. These groups are:
- Pagro,
- Mohying,
- Sahyang,
- Delu,
- Dambuk
- Oyan,
- Samuguria,
- Tamar, and
- Samua.
The variations of Mishing spoken by these groups differ from each other in intonation, sentence formation, word usage etc., with the exception of Samugurias, who do not speak Mishing at all. They use Assamese instead.
Mishing surnames reflect the clan (opeen) they belong to. Over 51 clans have been identified so far.
This is a social setup that has been followed since time immemorial. Other clans (people having surnames besides Doley and Pegu) claim brotherhood (seegnam) alongside either Pegu or Doley. For example, Patirs,Pathori and Lagachus (among others) are regarded as brothers to Pegus, and to each other. Similarly, Kutums and Kulis (among others) and regarded as brothers to Doley.
This classification of "brotherhood" was made primarily for marital reasons. Clans belonging to the same brotherhood of Pegu are not to marry within the clan, and the same applies for the Doley brotherhood. However, there is yet another group of clans that can freely marry within either Pegu or Doley. Surnames like Morang, Payeng, Pangging,Taye, Mili etc. belong to this group. Marriage between two people having the same surname is taboo. It would amount to sacrilege if a Pegu were to marry another Pegu, or if a Doley another Doley.
Famous Mishing Personalities
1. Jatin Mipun.(Dr.) Jatin Mipun (PhD Sociology) who is an ethnic Mishing (also written as "Mishing", even "Missing") served in the Indian Police Service. Known in the North East India community for his publication of the novel "Mixijili" written in the Assamese language of Assam (Assamese language is the mother-tongue of the native Assamese tribe of Assam).
2. Sonadhar Doley is Mishing community's first IFS.
3. Mrinal Miri as Mishing's first doctorate degree holder.
4. Sakuntala Doley, Mishing's first ladies IAS office.
5. Nomal Pangging, retird IPS, First Mishing's Bachelors In Commerce pass.
6. Gopinath Pegu - Mishing's first IAS officer.
7. Dr Nomal Pegu - Mishing's first MBBS.
8. Dr Bina Doley, retird professor and head, department of medicine, Assam Medical College,
first Mishing's ladies MBBS, MD, and Royal College Of Physician.
9. Dutirani Doley, Mishing's first Ladies IPS Officer.
10. Kulodhar Kutum - Mishing's first ACS officer and deputy commissioner.
11. Utpal Miri - Mishing's first BE and ME.
12. Rajen Mili - Mishing's first world champion in Arm Wrestling.
13. Tabu Taid is an eminent educationist in North East India and among the native East Asian (including South East Asian) community of India is also a forerunner in the development of Mishing language specially using the Roman language as a script for modern usage.