50-965: The Konyaks are a major Naga ethnic group native to the Northeast Indian state of Nagaland . They inhabit the Mon District , which is also known as The Land of the Anghs . The Anghs / Wangs are their traditional chiefs whom they hold in high esteem. Facial tattoos were earned for taking an enemy's head. The Konyaks are the largest of the Naga ethnic groups. They are found in Tirap , Longding , and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh; Sibsagar District of Assam; and in Naga Self-Administered Zone of Myanmar . They are known in Arunachal Pradesh as
100-624: A Tibeto-Burman ethnic group native to Manipur . They form the largest and dominant ethnic group of Manipur in Northeast India . They speak the Meitei language (officially called Manipuri ), one of the 22 official languages of the Republic of India and the sole official language of Government of Manipur . The Meiteis primarily settled in the Imphal Valley region in modern-day Manipur, though
150-438: A Meitei chronicle, record the gradual spread of Meiteis across Kangleipak ( Meitei for ' Manipur ') and their assimilation of other clans into a confederacy. In 1100 CE, Loyumba Shinyen ( Old Manipuri : ꯂꯣꯌꯨꯝꯄ ꯁꯤꯟꯌꯦꯟ , romanized: Loyumpa Shinyen ), an ancient Meitei language constitution was written and regulated under the supervision of Meitei King Loiyumba (Loyumba) (1074 CE-1112 CE) in
200-647: A commercial screening at a theatre. Imagi Ningthem ( Meitei for ' My Son, My Precious ') (1981) is the only Indian film that gets the Golden Montgolfiere at the Festival des 3 Continents , Nantes in 1982, bringing fame and honour of the Indian cinema at the international platform. Ishanou ( Meitei for ' The Chosen One ') (1990) was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at
250-796: A delicacy. The vegetables are either made as stews (Kangsoi) with less oil/no oil used in sauteing, or stir fried directly in oil with various added spices to make an oily spicy side dish (Kanghou). Roasted/Smoked and Sun-dried fish or fried fresh fish is usually added in most of the stews and curry to impart special taste. The vegetables, herbs and fruits consumed in the region are more similar to those in Southeast/East/Central Asian, Siberian, Arctic, Polynesian and Micronesian cuisines such as Myanmar, Thailand, Inuit, etc. E.g. treebean (yongchak), galangal (loklei), culantro (awa phadigom), lime basil (mayangton), fishwort (tokningkhok) and many others, which are not cultivated in northern India. One of
300-500: A long gap, presently, Meitei was written in the indigenous Meitei mayek script. The script was replaced by an alphabet based on the Bengali script in the early 18th century. The Meitei Mayek script has seen a revival in recent decades, and is now seen in street signs, schools, newspapers, and legislative proceeding records. Among the heritage of diverse literary works in Meitei literature,
350-722: A number of factors including the quest for upward mobility in the society of Nagaland, and the desire to establish a common purpose of resistance against dominance by other groups. In this way, the "Naga" identity has not always been fixed. Nagas population are spread across all Northeast Indian States except Tripura and are listed as scheduled tribes in 6 Northeastern States: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland. Nagas in Myanmar are mostly found in Sagaing Division and Kachin state . The Naga territory in Myanmar
400-504: A particular agricultural cycle. The early Western missionaries opposed the use of folk songs by Naga Christians as they were perceived to be associated with spirit worship, war, and immorality. As a result, translated versions of Western hymns were introduced, leading to the slow disappearance of indigenous music from the Naga hills. Folk dances of the Nagas are mostly performed in groups in synchronized fashion, by both men and women, depending on
450-1049: A retinue of Manipuri Brahmins called Bamons, also called Kathe Ponna (ကသည်းပုဏ္ဏား) to advise and conduct court rituals. The Meitei people speak the Meitei language (also known as the Manipuri language), a Tibeto-Burman language. Meitei is one of the languages with legal status in India , and was included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India in 1992. There are many Meitei language movements , including classical language movement (predominantly in Manipur), associate official language movement (in Assam ), linguistic purism movement (predominantly in Manipur ), etc. Historically and then after
500-523: A significant population of Meitei people in Kachin state , Yangon Region , Sagaing Region , Shan state , Ayeyarwady Region , among others. "The beginning of this old Manipuri literature (as in the case of Newari ) may go back to 1500 years, or even 2000 years, from now." — Suniti Kumar Chatterji , Padma Vibhushan awardee Indian scholar The earliest sections of the Cheitharol Kumbaba ,
550-535: A sizeable population has settled in the other Indian states of Assam , Tripura , Nagaland , Meghalaya , and Mizoram . There is also a notable presence of Meitei people in the neighbouring countries of Myanmar and Bangladesh . The Meitei ethnic group represents about 53% of Manipur's population. The Meitei are known by a number of endonyms , Meitei , Meetei , Meithei ( Meitei ), and as well as by numerous exonyms , such as Meckley , Manipuri , Cassay-Shan , and Kathe ( Burmese ). The term Manipuri
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#1732904763897600-527: Is the longest Indian epic just after the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Some of the significant intricate designs of the traditional Meitei architecture and sculptures are seen in various buildings and institutions, especially the temples of traditional Meitei religion : Hiyangthang Lairembi Temple , Pakhangba Temple, Kangla , Sanamahi Kiyong Temple , Thangjing Temple, Moirang , among many. Others include
650-710: Is a festival celebrated in the first week of April (1–6) to welcome the spring and also to invoke the Almighty's ( Kahwang ) blessing upon the land before seed-sowing, is the biggest festival of the Konyaks. Another festival, Lao Ong Mo , is the traditional harvest festival celebrated in the months of August/September. The Konyak language belongs to the Northern Naga sub-branch of the Sal sub-family of Sino-Tibetan . Konyak language share similarities with Garo and Bodo languages than it
700-525: Is highly populated by the considered lost tribes ( Red Shans ). But Kukis , Burmese , Chinese and Indians are also found there. Hkamti township is populated altogether by all the Naga tribes majority and with a number of Burmese, Shans , Chinese and Indians. Tanai in Kachin state of Myanmar is inhabited by the Tangshang Nagas among the Kachin people . The Naga languages are either classified under
750-582: Is marked by Kabaw valley in the south bordering to the Chin state , the Kachin on the north and the Burmese on the east. The Major Naga ethnic groups in Myanmar are : Some other minor Naga groups are Anāl , Lamkang , Moyon , Koka (sometimes spelt as Goga or Koki), Longphuri , Paung Nyuan (Makhyam), etc The townships which are inhabited by the Nagas are : Anāl and Moyon are mainly found in Tamu township on
800-479: Is one of the major Indian classical dance forms, originating from the historical Manipur Kingdom . The first Manipuri-language film , Matamgi Manipur , was released on 9 April 1972. Paokhum Ama (1983) is the first full-length colour feature film (according to the Academy's definition of a feature film) of Manipur and was directed by Aribam Syam Sharma . Lammei (2002) is the first Manipuri Video film to have
850-830: Is to other Naga languages. Naga people Nagas ( Burmese : နာဂလူမျိုး ) are various Southeast Asian Tibeto-Burman ethnic groups native to northeastern India and northwestern Myanmar . The groups have similar cultures and traditions, and form the majority of population in the Indian state of Nagaland and Naga Self-Administered Zone of Myanmar (Burma); with significant populations in Manipur , Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India ; Sagaing Region and Kachin State in Myanmar. The Nagas are divided into various Naga ethnic groups whose numbers and populations are unclear. They each speak distinct Naga languages often unintelligible to
900-404: Is widely used, but problematic because of its ambiguous scope: next to being a synonym for Meitei / Meetei , it can also refer in a wider sense to the native ethnic groups in the hills of Manipur. The Indian state of Manipur has the largest Meitei population among all its geographical distribution. Meitei people are the third largest ethnic group, after Bengalis and Hindi speaking people, in
950-543: The Khamba Thoibi Sheireng , ( Meitei : ꯈꯝꯕ ꯊꯣꯏꯕꯤ ꯁꯩꯔꯦꯡ , lit. ' poem on Khamba Thoibi ' ) ), is regarded as the national epic of the Manipuris . It is an epic poem based on the ancient romantic adventure tale of Khamba and Thoibi . It is the best known magnum opus of Hijam Anganghal Singh . It is often considered to be the greatest of all the Meitei epic poems. At 39,000 verses , it
1000-577: The 1991 Cannes Film Festival , and again after a gap of 33 years, it was recognised as a "World Classic" by the 2023 Cannes Film Festival . Notably, it was the only film selected from India for the event in that year. According to the 2011 census, 83.38% of Meiteis practice Hinduism , around 16% of Meiteis follow the traditional Sanamahi religion, about 8% follow Islam and are known as Meitei Pangals , and about 1.06% are Christians. Meiteis follow both Hinduism as well as Sanamahi religious traditions and rituals. For example, they worship Sanamahi in
1050-596: The Ancient Kangleipak (early Manipur ). It is a formal proclamation of the proto-constitution which was drafted in 429 CE by Meitei King Naophangba . The idea of its constitutionalism was functional until it was substituted by the Manipur State Constitution Act 1947 . Myanmar is home to a sizeable community of Meiteis, who are called Kathe in Burmese. Unlike other Hindu communities in Myanmar,
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#17329047638971100-787: The Assamese language , is a widely spoken language. Every community has its own mother tongue but communicates with other communities in either Nagamese or English . However, English is the predominant spoken and written language in Nagaland. Hindi is also taught along with English in most schools and most Nagas prefer to use Hindi to communicate with the migrant workers of the state, that primarily comes from Bihar, UP and Madhya Pradesh. Since 2022, Hindi in Northeastern India has been taught in school until class 10. Meitei people The Meitei people , also known as Meetei , Manipuri people , are
1150-577: The Barak Valley region of Assam state of India. The population of Meiteis are found in four districts of Sylhet Division in Bangladesh, namely Sylhet District (thirteen villages), Moulvibazar District (twenty-eight villages), Sunamganj District (three villages) and Habiganj District (four villages). In early times, there were Meitei population in Dhaka , Mymensingh and Comilla also. Myanmar has
1200-551: The Chin-Naga languages or the Sal languages . Nagas have more language diversity than any other ethnic group or states in India. Naga people speak over 89 languages and dialects, mostly unintelligible with each other. However, there are many similarities among the languages spoken by them. The diversity of languages and traditions of the Nagas results most likely from the multiple cultural absorptions that occurred during their successive migrations. According to legend, before settling in
1250-515: The Ima Keithel , Kangla Sanathong . include Some of the worthy to mention finely crafted sculptures are the Marjing Polo Statue , Kangla Sha sculptures, Statue of Meidingu Nara Singh . The Lai Haraoba ( Meitei for 'Merrymaking festival of the gods') is a traditional Meitei ritualistic theatrical festival, consisting of different dances, musical performances and carnivals in
1300-410: The 'baan' (a communal house). The number of hunted heads indicated the power of a warrior. The headhunting expeditions were often driven by certain beliefs, such as code of honour and principles of loyalty and sacrifice. The ethnic members maintain a very disciplined community life with strict adherence to duties and responsibilities assigned to each of them. Other unique traditional practices that set
1350-496: The 19th century, the British attempted to subjugate the Naga tribes and abolish traditional Naga practices such as headhunting and intertribal violence. After India became independent from British rule in 1947, the Naga became Indian citizens , though an ongoing ethnic conflict exists in the region since 1958. According to the Burmese chronicles Tagung Yazawin , the first Chaopha of Mongkawng Samlongpha (1150–1201 CE) with
1400-521: The Burmese occupation of Manipur from 1819 to 1826. Alaungpaya , during the former campaign, resettled Meiteis in Sagaing and Amarapura . The Meitei people's horsemanship skills were employed in the Burmese royal army, where they formed the elite Cassay cavalry (ကသည်းမြင်းတပ်) and artillery regiments (ကသည်းအမြောက်တပ်) which were employed during the Burmese–Siamese wars . The Burmese court also retained
1450-463: The Government of Nagaland has organized the annual Hornbill Festival since 2000. Another inter-ethnic festival is Lui Ngai Ni . The group-specific festivals include: The word Naga originated as an exonym . Today, it covers a number of ethnic groups that reside in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh states of India, and also in Myanmar. Before the arrival of the British, the term "Naga"
1500-457: The Konyaks apart are: gunsmithing, iron-smelting, brass-works, and gunpowder-making. Members of a village were asked to urinate in one particular place for months. Urine has potassium nitrate and sulphur. The urine rich soil is then boiled. A black residue floats on top of the water which is collected, dried, mixed with charcoal, and turned into gunpowder. They are also known for making excellent Yanglaü (machetes) and wooden sculptures. Aoleang
1550-457: The Meitei resemble other Burmese ethnic groups in terms of physical appearance, which has accelerated their assimilation and integration into Burmese society. In the early 1950s, Burmese Meiteis numbered approximately 40,000, with a third of them residing in Mandalay . Current estimates are approximately 25,000. Meiteis have resettled throughout the country, including in villages near Myitkyina to
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1600-588: The Wanchos ('Wancho' is a synonymous term for 'Konyak'). Ethnically, culturally, and linguistically the Nocte and Tangsa of the same neighbouring state of Arunachal Pradesh, are also closely related to the Konyaks. The Konyaks were the last among the Naga ethnic groups to accept Christianity. In the past, they were infamous for attacking nearby villages, often resulting in killings and decapitation of opposing warriors. The severed heads were taken as trophies and usually hung in
1650-563: The cloths are woven by the women. They use beads in variety, profusion and complexity in their jewelry, along with a wide range of materials including glass, shell, stone, teeth or tusk, claws, horns, metal, bone, wood, seeds, hair, and fibre. According to Dr. Verrier Elwin , these groups made all the goods they used, as was once common in many traditional societies: they have made their own cloth, their own hats and rain-coats; they have prepared their own medicines, their own cooking-vessels, their own substitutes for crockery. Craftwork includes
1700-621: The commonly accepted nomenclature, and was also used by the British. According to the Burma Gazetteer, the term 'Naga' is of doubtful origin and is used to describe hill tribes that occupy the country between the Chins in the south and Kachins ( Singphos ) in the Northeast. Aside from developing contacts with the Ahom kingdom , the Nagas generally lived an isolated existence from the outside world. During
1750-706: The design of the shawl denotes the social status of the wearer. Some of the more known shawls include Tsüngkotepsü and Rongsü of the Aos; Sütam, Ethasü, Longpensü of the Lothas; Süpong of the Sangtams, Rongkhim and Tsüngrem Khim of the Yimkhiungs; and the Angami Lohe shawls with thick embroidered animal motifs. Naga jewelry is an equally important part of identity, with the entire community wearing similar bead jewelry, specifically
1800-582: The main town in Mogaung captured Naga country in the early 1200s. In the chronicle Naga country is named as "Khang Se". According to the History of Hsenwi state chronicle and Mengguo Zhanbi, in 1318, Si Kefa , the ruler of Mongmao appointed his brother Sanlongfa as the general and led an army of 90,000 to attack the king of Mong Wehsali Long ( Assam). In the end, he designed a plan to make Mong Wehsali Long surrender and pay tribute every 3 years. Hkum Sam Long accepted
1850-534: The making of baskets, weaving of cloth, wood carving, pottery, metalwork, jewellery-making and bead-work. Weaving of colorful woolen and cotton shawls is a central activity for women of all Nagas. One of the common features of Naga shawls is that three pieces are woven separately and stitched together. Weaving is an intricate and time consuming work and each shawl takes at least a few days to complete. Designs for shawls and wraparound garments (commonly called mekhala ) are different for men and women. Among many groups
1900-448: The most important ingredients in Meitei cooking is Ngari (fermented fish). Roasted ngari is used in the singju (a kind of salad), morok metpa (chilli chutney), eromba (boiled and mashed veggies with chillies). A variety of fermented bamboo shoots (soibum) as well as fresh bamboo shoots (Ushoi/Shoidon), and fermented soya beans (hawaijaar) also form an important part of Meitei cuisines. All meals are served with some fresh aromatic herbs on
1950-661: The necklace. The Indian Chamber of Commerce has filed an application seeking registration of traditional Naga shawls made in Nagaland with the Geographical Registry of India for Geographical Indication . Naga cuisine is characterized by smoked and fermented foods. Folk songs and dances are essential ingredients of the traditional Naga culture. The oral tradition is kept alive through the media of folk tales and songs. Naga folk songs are both romantic and historical, with songs narrating entire stories of famous ancestors and incidents. Seasonal songs describe activities done in
2000-452: The north, Homalin , Kalewa , Pyay , in the center of the country, and Yangon to the south. They continue to practice Hinduism in Myanmar. As a result of wars between the Meitei kingdom and the Konbaung dynasty between the 17th and 18th centuries, many Meiteis were resettled in the Burmese kingdom. Some Meitei settlements in modern-day Myanmar originate from the 1758–1759 war, and from
2050-514: The only non-vegetarian elements used and a significant number of meiteis follow it where meat is cooked and eaten outside the house if consumed. Rice is the main carbohydrate source in a Meitei dish; typically, it is served with vegetables, fish, freshwater snails, crabs, oyesters, eels etc. Among the most famous species of fishes Manipuri Sareng ( Wallago attu ) or commonly known as Helicopter catfish, Hilsa ( ilish Tenualosa ilisha), freshwater snails ( pila (gastropod) ) and edible oysters are considered
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2100-422: The others, but all are loosely connected to each other. The present day Naga people have historically been referred to by many names, like "Noga" or "Naka" by the inhabitants of the Ahom kingdom in what is now considered as Assam which means "people with pierced ears", "Hao" by Meitei people of Imphal Valley and "Nakas" by Burmese of what is now considered as Myanmar . However, over time "Naga" became
2150-465: The region, these groups moved over vast zones, and in the process, some clans were absorbed into one or more other groups. Therefore, until recent times, absorptions were a source of many interclan conflicts. In 1967, the Nagaland Assembly proclaimed English as the official language of Nagaland and it is the medium for education in Nagaland. Other than English, Nagamese , a creole language form of
2200-669: The side. A typical every day Meitei meal will have rice, vegetable or fish curry, a piquant side dish (either morok metpa or eromba accompanied with herbs), a champhut (a steamed/boiled vegetable with little sugar, e.g., carrot, pumpkin or cucumber slices or steamed/boiled mustard green stems, etc. without sugar), and a Kanghou. Meat cuisines are also popular amongst the Meiteis and some of the common meat curries are yen thongba (chicken curry) and nganu thongba (duck cury) and depending on regions, oak thongba (pork curry) and shan thongba (beef curry). The Meitei are mainly agriculturists in which rice
2250-547: The south and a few Somra Nagas are also found in and around Tamu bordering to Layshi jurisdiction. Makury , Para and Somra tribes are mainly found in Layshi township. Makury Nagas and a few Somra Nagas are also found in Homalin township . Lahe is highly populated by Konyak , Nokko , Lainong and Makury tribes. Nanyun on the north is the home of Tangshang tribe which comprises more than 54 sub-dialect groups. Homlin township
2300-417: The south-west corners of their homes. The Meitei people follow a traditional calendar called Maliyafam Palcha Kumsing , which has 12 months and a 7-day week. Rice, vegetables and fish are staple food of the Meiteis, although meat is also consumed; but in traditional meitei dishes meat is never used in non-vegetarian dishes. In traditional and cultural gatherings fish, snails, oysters, crabs, eels etc. are
2350-506: The temples and the streets. It's dedicated to the worship of the ancient Meitei gods and goddesses , who are categorised as the Umang Lai ( Meitei for 'Sylvan deities') and Lam Lai ( Meitei for 'Tutelary deities'). The Manipuri classical dance , also referred to as the Manipuri Raas Leela ( Meitei : Jagoi Raas, Raas Jagoi ), is a jagoi and
2400-617: The terms made by the ministers of Mong Wehsali Long and marched back to Mongmao . In Yan-aung-myin Pagoda inscription found in Pinya of Myanmar mentions that the Kingdom of Ava under Minkhaung I (1400–1421) in the early 1400s extended till the territories of the Nagas. The Naga people love colour, as is evident in the shawls designed and woven by women, and in the headgear that both sexes design. Clothing patterns are traditional to each group, and
2450-485: The type of dance. Dances are usually performed at festivals and religious occasions. War dances are performed mostly by men and are athletic and martial in style. All dances are accompanied by songs and war cries by the dancers. Indigenous musical instruments made and used by the people are tati , bamboo mouth organs, bamboo flutes, trumpets, drums made of cattle skin and log drums. The various Naga groups have their own distinct festivals. To promote inter-group interaction,
2500-418: Was used by Assamese to refer to certain isolated ethnic groups. The British adopted this term for a number of ethnic groups in the surrounding area, based on loose linguistic and cultural associations. The number of groups classified as "Naga" grew significantly in the 20th century: as of December 2015, 89 groups are classified as Naga by the various sources. This expansion in the "Naga" identity has been due to
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