The Dimasa people (local pronunciation:[dimāsā]) 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.
Dimasa kingdom, one of many early states in
Assam following the downfall of
Kamarupa kingdom, was established by these people.[6] The Dimasas were till recently agricultural, centering on shifting agriculture; but in recent times this has changed with profound changes in the community.[7] 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.[8]
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. After long wandering, they settled at Di-laobra Sangibra, the confluence of the
Brahmaputra and Sangi or Di-tsang, where they held a great assembly.[9]
The Dimasa
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).[10] These clans are distributed among twelve territorial "sacred groves" called daikhos. The Dimasas are one of the oldest inhabitants of the Northeastern part of India and is one of the many
Kachari tribes. 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.
It stands for Di-ma-sa meaning sons of big waters[11] referring to
Brahmaputra river (known as Dilao in Dimasa). Kacharis 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.
Clans
Dimasa men are divided into 40 patriarchal clans. These are:[12][13]
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
Distribution
Distribution of Dimasa, as reported in the Language Survey of India 1903
According to the 2011 Census of India, more than 99% of all Dimasa living in
Assam are
Hindu.[15]
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.[16]
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.[17]
Dress and ornaments
Ornaments
The male Dimasa use only two types of ornaments namely Yaocher and Kharik.
^"Population by Religious Communities". Census India – 2001. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 1 July 2019. Census Data Finder/C Series/Population by Religious Communities
^"Another local kingdom ... was that of the Dimasas in the north Cachar hills. They were known to the Ahoms as Timisa, clearly a corruption of Dimasa..." (
Shin 2020:61)
^" Culturally speaking, present-day Cachar Dimasa can hardly be distinguished from the Bengali majority and they seem to make little attempt politically to assert their identity. In the hills, however, Dimasa remained demographically dominant whilst cohabiting with Hmar-Kukis and Zemi Nagas." (
Ramirez 2007:93)
Jacquesson, François (2008).
"Discovering Boro-Garo"(PDF). History of an Analytical and Descriptive Linguistic Category.
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) .
Bathari, Uttam (2014). Memory History and polity a study of dimasa identity in colonial past and post colonial present (PhD). Gauhati University.
hdl:
10603/115353.
Bhattacharjee, J. B. (1992), "The Kachari (Dimasa) state formation", in Barpujari, H. K. (ed.), The Comprehensive History of Assam, vol. 2, Guwahati: Assam Publication Board, pp. 391–397
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.
Ramirez, Ramirez (2007), "Politico-ritual variations on the Assamese fringes: Do social systems exist?", in Sadan, Mandy; Robinne., François (eds.), Social Dynamics in the Highlands of Southeast Asia Reconsidering Political Systems of Highland Burma, Boston: Brill, pp. 91–107
Shin, Jae-Eun (2020). "Descending from demons, ascending to kshatriyas: Genealogical claims and political process in pre-modern Northeast India, The Chutiyas and the Dimasas". The Indian Economic and Social History Review. 57 (1): 49–75.
doi:
10.1177/0019464619894134.
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