Source: – @porbotialora / twitter.
A thread on how the greater Assamese society came to be via perspective of immigration of the 4 main groups in Axom.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 3, 2019
•Tibeto-Burman
•Tai-Kadai
•Austroasiatic
•Indo-Aryan pic.twitter.com/w3xCix8PCi
Axom can be divided into 4 parts
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
[The first two constitute the Brahmaputra Valley]
•Ujoni Axom (Upper Assam)
•Namoni Axom (Lower Assam)
•Transtional Hills Region
•Southern Assam (Barak Valley) pic.twitter.com/neEYGc3N8U
The first immigrants were Austroasiatic people. Most of these people were absorbed by the incoming Tibeto-Burman groups.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
The HbE gene present among many Tibeto-Burman people of Assam indicate this.
The only remaining people of this group are Khasis and Jaintias in Meghalaya pic.twitter.com/9XxKOptfcd
The next group to arrive were the Tibeto-Burman people.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
About 60-75% of the native populace of Axom has full or partial Tibeto-Burman ancestry. While some of them got detribalized, some retained their tribal status.
Many Mongoloid non-tribals are former Tibeto-Burman tribals. pic.twitter.com/FQMILQmPKQ
The Kachari (meaning Koch race) are a collection of various Tibeto-Burman tribes who share a common ancestry and originally spoke a Tibeto-Burman language although some have adopted Indo-Aryan in course of time. pic.twitter.com/oBXI6txMGN
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
Based on an 1881 census, there were 19 groups within the Kachari classification:
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
•Bodo
•Dimasa
•Dhimal
•Garo
•Hajong
•Koch
•Lalung (Tiwa)
•Mech
•Moran
•Modahi
•Phulgaria
•Chutiya
•Deuri
•Rabha
•Sonowal Kachari
•Saraniya Kachari
•Solaimiya
•Thengal
•Tiprasa pic.twitter.com/aGzT4UfOvH
The ancient land of 'Kirat' is also referred to the land of the Kachari.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
Some of the most prominent kingdoms founded by the Kochari people (কছাৰী) were Kamata, Chutiya, Dimasa-Kachari and Twipra kingdoms. pic.twitter.com/X6FwuveX3l
Bodos are one of the most prominent of the Kochari tribes. They inhabit the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts, an autonomous region in Lower Assam.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
They are practicioners of Hinduism and Bathouism. pic.twitter.com/ouY05r7qJz
The famed ancient kingdom of Purgajwngtipur (Pragjyotishpura, or "City of Eastern Lights") was first ruled by the Bodo king Mairong Raja (Mahiranga Danava), who founded the Danava Dynasty. pic.twitter.com/s58KarnTrD
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
Bodo is a Tibeto-Burman language of the Baric (Bodo-Garo) branch. It is one of India's 22 Scheduled languages. It's the only Tibeto-Burman language to have that status apart from Meiteilon. pic.twitter.com/Va5M6o3Q6W
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
Dimasa are another Kochari tribe who inhabit the Dima Hasao district of Assam in the Central Hills region.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
They worship Hidimba, the wife of Bheem who is also called Bhutandevi. pic.twitter.com/PImfagy8Sl
Dimasa are another Kochari tribe who inhabit the Dima Hasao district of Assam in the Central Hills region.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
They worship Hidimba, the wife of Bheem who is also called Bhutandevi. pic.twitter.com/PImfagy8Sl
They believe that they are the children of Bangla Raja and the divine bird Aarikhidima. The six sons namely- Sibrai, Doo Raja, Naikhu Raja, Waa Raja, Gunyung Brai Yung, Hamyadao born to Bangla Raja and Arikhidima are their ancestors and their ancestral gods pic.twitter.com/7apdbgb74F
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
Their historic capital Dimapur now falls in Nagaland.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
They used to rule as far as the Barak Valley when the Ahoms encountered them. pic.twitter.com/h5JRNAUfHs
Paintings of Raja Govina Chandra Hasnu, the last Dimasa king.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
In 1832, the Dimasa Raja, died leaving no heir and hence British annexed his territory, Cachar. Similarly in 1854, North Cachar, the territory of the Dimasa Senapati Tularam Hasnu was also annexed pic.twitter.com/7PU3BstBqr
Dhimal are another Kochari group who also inhabit the Terai region of Nepal.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
Their language of also of similar Tibeto-Burman extraction. pic.twitter.com/j018dVBM7K
Garo (natively called A·chik Mande i.e. Hill people) are another Kochari ethnic group. They form majority in the Garo Hills Region of Meghalaya.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
The present CM of Meghalaya @SangmaConrad belongs to this group.
Their traditional religion Songsarek is now replaced by Christianity pic.twitter.com/DfJY5xamQC
Garo (natively called A·chik Mande i.e. Hill people) are another Kochari ethnic group. They form majority in the Garo Hills Region of Meghalaya.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
The present CM of Meghalaya @SangmaConrad belongs to this group.
Their traditional religion Songsarek is now replaced by Christianity pic.twitter.com/DfJY5xamQC
Hajongs are another Kochari group. They also initially spoke a Tibeto-Burman language, but in due course of time their language has become Indo-Aryan having a high mutual intelligibility with Axomiya. pic.twitter.com/S0dpJsSwln
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
Hajong women are easily identifiable with their brightly red stripped dress called Pathin. pic.twitter.com/1psTJeCJWG
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
Hajongs are ~100% practicioners of Hinduism, even if some of them have English names nowadays.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
Idols of deities in native wear. pic.twitter.com/zWDHKjPdBc
Their variation of Hinduism is called Dyaoism which incorporates a lot of animistic traditions.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
They have shamans called Dyaoshi who perform rituals and sacrifices. pic.twitter.com/SuZmoXTEgS
Koch Rajbonshis (কোচ ৰাজবংশী) are probably the most numerous of the Kachari people. The name of the group comes from them.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
They are estimated to make up 19-23% of the total population of Assam. pic.twitter.com/Yb6NqgNPyH
They are also the native inhabitants of North Bengal and are also found in Rangpur region of Bangladesh Kishanganj region of Bihar and some eastern parts of Nepal. pic.twitter.com/oVFDQ21TTw
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
The Koch royalty played a very important role in Hinduization and Sanskritization of various ethnic groups in Northeast.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
The present Kamakhya temple was rebuilt by Koch King Naranarayan after it was destroyed by Alauddin Hussain Shah, a Sultan of Bengal.
Nartiang temple (right) pic.twitter.com/HCPzkHxKoY
King Naranarayan (Malladeva) and his brother Chilarai (Shukaldhwaj) expanded the kingdom to immense proportions by defeating Meiteis, Tiprasas, Jaintias and other kingdoms. Although the kingdom split soon among his songs into Koch Hajo and Koch Behar.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
General Bir Chilarai pic.twitter.com/Kj9QHDCaON
Koch kingdom was also called Kamatapur after the goddess Kamateshwari. In due course of time, the Tibeto-Burman speaking people adopted Kamrupi Prakrit which became the Kamatapuri language.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
The language has a high mutual intelligibility with Axomiya. pic.twitter.com/moJKWAfFK3
Ahoms and Kochs were bitter rivals and would clash from time to time.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
Ahom King Susengphaa (Pratap Singha) married Koch princess Mangaldahi, daughter of Parakshit Narayan in 1608. Mongoldoi is named after her. pic.twitter.com/SDfwq3Ng6e
The Ahoms adopted the worship of goddess Durga during the rule of the king. Durga was worshipped with earthen idols at Bhatiapara near Sibsagar under his rule for the first time.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
The expanding Ahoms would later go on to absorb the Koch Hajo. pic.twitter.com/Wbk4WO5ZMS
A third branch at Khaspur would be absorbed into the Dimasa Kachari kingdom when king Bhim Singha's only child, princess Kanchani married the Dimasa king in 1745. pic.twitter.com/ldSirTplKI
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
Nartiang Shaktipeeth came to be when Jaso Manik (1606–1641), the Jaintia king married Lakshmi Narayan, the daughter of king Naranarayan. She influenced the Jaintia royalty to convert to Hinduism.
— ꯃꯥꯀꯨ (@porbotialora) March 4, 2019
He never imposed the religion on his subjects but influences can still be seen. pic.twitter.com/vGYETbdrAc
