Tani (tribes)

The Tani people include the Adi, Apatani, Galo, Mising, Nyishi, and Tagin ethnic groups of India and China. As members of the Tibeto-Burman ethnic group, they speak various Tani languages and primarily reside in the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, as well as the Tibet Autonomous Region in China.

With a population of approximately 2.17 million, the Tani people are among the largest ethnic groups in Northeast India.

The Chinese government categorises the Tani people under the Lhoba ethnic group.

History

Most of the residents of Arunachal Pradesh and Upper Assam belong to the six Tani tribes ( Nyishi, Adi, Galo, Apatani, Tagin, and Mising) who are all said to be descended from Abotani. Some of the history of the Tani people has been recorded in the ancient libraries of Tibet as the Tani people traded swords and other metals with Tibetans in exchange for meat and wool.

Festivals

Solung

Solung, observed by the Adi people, is a major agricultural festival celebrated in early September to mark the harvest. It involves rituals, dances, songs, and community feasts. The festival lasts for about ten days and includes various activities such as animal sacrifices, distribution of rice beer, and performances of traditional dances like Ponung.

Dree

Celebrated in early July by the Apatani people, Dree is an agricultural festival where prayers are offered to deities to ensure a bountiful harvest and to protect crops from pests and diseases. The festival includes sacrificial offerings, traditional songs and dances, and community feasting. The vibrant dances, drumming, and the rhythmic chanting of prayers are believed to bring blessings and prosperity for the coming agricultural season.

Nyokum

Nyokum is celebrated in February by the Nyishi people and is a communal prayer for prosperity and well-being. The festival involves rituals to appease the gods and spirits, traditional dances, and communal feasts.

Mopin

Celebrated in April by the Galo people, Mopin is a harvest festival seeking prosperity and good health. It involves rituals to worship the goddess Mopin Ane. The festival features dances such as Popir, the preparation of rice beer called Apong, and communal feasting.

Si-Donyi

Celebrated in January by the Tagin people, Si-Donyi is a festival to worship the Earth and the sun. It includes rituals seeking for well-being and fertility, traditional dances, and community gatherings.

Ali-Aye-Ligang

Celebrated in February by the Mising people, Ali-Aye-Ligang marks the beginning of the sowing season. It includes rituals to the Earth goddess for a good harvest, traditional dances, songs, and feasting on rice and fish.

Languages

The languages spoken by the Tani people are part of the Tibeto-Burman language family which in turn is part of the larger Sino-Tibetan language family, which includes languages spoken in China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar.

Some of the Tani languages are tonal, meaning that the meaning of a word can change based on its tone.

Historically, these languages were primarily oral. However, with increased literacy and the influence of education, Roman scripts have been adopted for writing and documentation.

There has been growing interest in documenting and studying these languages to preserve their unique linguistic heritage, given the pressures of modernisation and the influence of more dominant languages in the region.

See also

* List of people of Tani descent

References

Scheduled Tribes of India
Ethnic groups in India
Tibetan people

{{ArunachalPradesh-stub