Dimasa People

The Dimasa people or Dimasa Kachari people are an ethnolinguistic community presently inhabiting in Assam and Nagaland states in Northeastern India. They speak Dimasa, a Tibeto-Burman language. This community is fairly homogeneous and exclusive, with members required to draw from both parents' separate clans. The Dimasa kingdom, one of many early states in Assam following the downfall of Kamarupa kingdom, was established by these people.

The Dimasas are one of the oldest inhabitants of the Northeastern part of India and are one of the many Kachari tribes.

Dimasa appear to be one of the earliest indigenous ethnic groups of northeastern India. They are a part of the greater Bodo-Kachari family of ethnolinguistic groups of Northeast India which includes Boro, Tripuri, Rabha, Garo, Tiwa, Koch, Moran etc. peoples of northeast India. They speak Dimasa language a Boro-Garo language of the Tibeto-Burman family.

Etymology

It stands for ''Di-ma-sa'' meaning ''people of big waters'' referring to the stream of upper tributary of Brahmaputra i.e. Lohit (known as ''Dilao'' in Dimasa), which is in Arunachal today. There is also an endonym within the tribe called as ''Ha-Tseng-Tsa'' or ''Ha-Cheng-Sa'' meaning ''people of the soil/sand''. ''Ha-Tseng-Sa'' could have been the original name of the tribe before setting down in the valley between Dilao( Lohit) and Tsang river(Brahmaputra). This is reflected in the folk lores of Dimasa royal clans as well as in the descent and titles of the King.

History

Ancient Dimasa tradition maintains that sixty thousand (60,000) Moon months (Lunar months) ago, they left their ancestral land when it suffered a severe drought they were instrumental in establishing the Dimasa kingdom a traditional kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley, the Dimasa kingdom lost it's eastern control after the Ahom kingdom of the Tai Ahom people invaded the Brahmaputra valley. After long wandering, they settled at ''Di-lao-bra Tsangi-bra'', the confluence of the Lohit and Sangi or Di-tsang ( Brahamputra), where they held a great assembly.

Cultivation

The Dimasas were till recently agricultural, centering on shifting agriculture; but in recent times this has changed with profound changes in the community. Following political problems in the 18th century, the Dimasa ruler moved further south in the plains of Cachar and there took place a division among them–with the hills Dimasa maintaining their traditional living and political exclusiveness, the plains Dimasas have made no attempt to assert themselves.

Ethnicity

The Dimasa Kachari plains tribe (Dimasa language speakers) of Cachar are known as Barman, forming one of the indigenous tribes of undivided Cachar (including Dima-Hasao, Hailakandi and Karimganj). The Dimasas, inhabiting in the Cachar district are officially recognized as one of the Scheduled Tribes under the plains category in Assam in the name called “ Barmans in Cachar”.

Distribution

They live mostly in Dima Hasao District, an administrative autonomous district of the Indian state of Assam that includes the ravines of the Jatinga Valley and Dhansiri Valley, Diphu City and Howraghat region of Karbi Anglong district (East), West Karbi Anglong, Kampur region of Nagaon district, Hojai district, Cachar district, Hailakandi district, Karimganj district of Assam and Dimapur district of Nagaland and parts in Jiribam district of Manipur respectively.

Religion

The Dimasa are still following the ancient animistic/shamanic faith, most of them claim to be Hindus. They find themselves in a natural and similar pattern between their traditional faith and Hinduism and hence they belong to both simultaneously. Kailash Kumar Chhetri (Ecological Significance of the Traditional Beliefs and Practices of Dimasa Kaschari Tribe, 2001) has also written while mentioning the Dimasai life system. Dimasa Kachari has its unique social system. This social system has its own culture, tradition, and religious beliefs and practices, which are related to the land and nature of their residence. Land and nature are the source of their economy, culture, history, and Dharmic heritage. Regarding the Kachari (Dimasa) belief, on the one hand, Sidney Endley (The Kacharies, 1911:33), declaring it animistic, has written that, as a rule, neither idols nor worship is found in a typical Kachari village, But in the mind and imagination of the Kachari the earth, air, and sky alike are inhabited by a large number of invisible spiritual beings, commonly known as Modai. On the other hand, Humi Thousen (2019) has cited various references of Dipali Danda (Among the Dimasas of Assam, 1988) and S.K. Barpujari (History of the Dimasas from the Earliest times to 1896, 1997), Using it, it is written that six gods, who are considered as the ancestral deities of the Dimasas, have authority over the entire Dimasa land. Thus came the concept of 'Area God' among the Dimasas. As the entire Dimasa land is under their control, hence they have unstructured mythological shrines in different areas of the traditional Dimasa area. It is believed that the gods and goddesses living in a particular sacred area protect the people there and control their destiny. These unstructured shrines are called Daikho, whose number is widely believed to be twelve. As an actual empirical fact in the Dimasas, the concept of Madai as the supreme God and Daikho as the house of that God is found. The meaning of Daikho is made up of two words Madai or Dai and Kho, which is considered as the house of God. Hence, it is clear that Dimasa Kachari also gives an important place in their Dharmic structure to the twelve Daikhos present in their entire region along with various abstract states. Dimasai Life: Dharmic Beliefs, Systems

Language

The Dimasa language is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Dimasa people in Assam and Nagaland, India. It belongs to the Boro-Garo group of Kachari-Kachin-Konyak(SAL languages) sub-branch and is closely related to languages like Boro, Kokborok, and Garo. Dimasa is agglutinative, forming words through processes such as prefixation, suffixation, compounding, reduplication, and onomatopoeia. It has a rich phonological system with six vowels and sixteen consonants and uses both Latin and Eastern Nagari scripts for writing. As of the 2011 census, there are approximately 137,184 native speakers of Dimasa, though the language is considered vulnerable due to limited use outside the home environment.

Culture

Society

The traditional village headman, who is at the top of the village administration, is a Khunang. He has both executive and judiciary powers.
He is assisted by another official called the Dillik (Assistant Headman). Next to him is Daulathu who occupies the third place. Next to the Daulathu is the Haphaisgao, who holds office for two years. Other village officials include Phrai, Montri, Hangsbukhu, and Jalairao.

Clans

The Dimasas form a "sealed" society—every member drawing his or her patriarchal lineage from one of the forty two male clans (''sengphong''—"holder of the sword") and the matriarchal lineage from one of the forty-two female clans (''jalik'' or ''julu''). These clans are distributed among twelve territorial "sacred groves" called ''daikho''s.

Dimasa men are divided into 40 patriarchal clans. These are:

* Ardaosa
* Mitherpangsa
* Diphusa
* Hagjersa
* Thaosensa
* Phonglosa
* Sengyungsa
* Raijungsa
* Bader-Baiga
* Daulagajao
* Daolagupu
* Hojaisa
* Kemprai
* Jidungsa
* Baindosa (Nunisa)
* Khersa
* Hasnu
* Haflongbar
* Bodosa/Bathari
* Hapila
* Diruwasa
* Naidingsa
* Daodunglangtha
* Karigapsa
* Joraisa
* Hasamsa
* Nabensa
* Dibragede
* Langthasa
* Girisa
* Porbosa
* Maibangsa
* Johorisa
* Sorongpang
* Gorlosa
* Hakmaosa
* Maramsa
* Jarambusa
* Labtaisa
* Laobangdisa

Festivals

Since 1994 as per the decision of Dimasa community of Dima Hasao, the Autonomous Council of Dima Hasao had officially declared 27 January as Busu Dima festival day.

Dress and ornaments

Ornaments

The male Dimasa use only two types of ornaments namely Yaocher and Kharik.

Females use:
* ''Phowal'': necklace made of expensive Coral and Real silver metal beads; also worn by males
* ''Jongsama'': necklace made of micro-beads of any colour, with coral and silver beads in between.
* ''Rangbarsha'': necklace made of coins.
* ''Chandrawal'': necklace made of three silver chains with flower shapes.
* ''Rmailik'': necklace made of micro-beads; the colour pattern is same with the Rijamphain beren or Rmai (chest wrapper)
* ''Likjao'': necklace made of Red micro beads
* ''Likshim'': necklace made of black micro beads
* ''Khadu'': heavy silver bangle
* ''Khamaothai'': silver or gold earring
* ''Yaoshidam'': finger ring

Dances

The dance forms of the Dimasa Kachari are complex in character.

Any Dimasa dance is called Baidima ( Bai-means dance, Dima-means Dimasa).

See also

* Dimaraji

Notes

References

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* Bareh, H. ''Gazetteer of India''
* Barman, N. K. ''Queen of Cachar of Herambo and the History of the Kachchhari''
* Barpujari, S. K. (ed) (1997) ''History of the Dimasas: from the earliest times to 1896 AD'', Haflong: Autonomous Council, N.C. Hills District (Assam) .
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* Bordoloi, B. N. (1988) ''The Dimasa Kachari'', Tribal Research Institute of Assam, Guwahati.
* Danda, D. (1989) ''The Dimasa Kacharis of Assam'', Concept Publishing co. New Delhi.
* Gait, Edward A. (1906) ''A History of Assam'', Calcutta 1906.
* Rhodes, N. G. and Bose, S. K. (2006) ''A History of the Dimasa Kacharis - As Seen through Coinage'' New Delhi : Mira Basu Publishers.
* Roy, Babul (1998) "Socio-Cultural and Environmental Dimensions of Tribal Health: A Study among the Dimasa Kacharis and the Zeme Nagas of N. C. Hills in Assam" ''Ph. D. Thesis'' (Unpublished), Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam (India).
* Roy, Babul (2000) "Medical Pluralism and Pattern of Acceptance of Medicine among the Dimasa Kacharis of Assam" ''The Journal of Human Ecology''. Kamal-Raj Pub., Delhi.
* Roy, Babul (2002) "Descent groupings, belief system and social structure among the Dimasa Kacharies of Assam", ''Man in India'', Vol.82,No.1&2.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dimasa People
Bodo-Kachari
Ethnic groups in Northeast India
Hindu ethnic groups
Social groups of Assam
Tribes of Assam
Scheduled Tribes of Meghalaya
Ethnic groups in South Asia
Ethnic groups in India