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Photos

Some of the pictures of the karbis.

A karbi girl weaving cloths.

Jamboli Athon- A symbol of the karbis , Five branch representing five clans of the Karbis.

Youth Performing a Karbi Dance called Chong-Kedam, a warrior dance.

Another Picture of Chong-Kedam.

A typical Karbi House ( side view)

A Karbi House ( front view)

Instrument used by the Karbis for Chong-Kedam dance.

A Karbi Lady in traditional dress.

A Karbi Dance

Karbi women in their traditional dress.

Karbi Dance .

Karbi Arts

Social Structure of the Karbis

Division of the society - rules of descent

The Karbi society is Patrilineal and segmented. Patrilineal descent is important in determining the social Identity of a person, inheritance, prohibitions and prescriptions pertaining to the choice of marriage Partners. The Society as a whole is divided into clans, subclans, and lineages, whose members reckon their presumed kinship and common ancestry through the paternal line only. Five primary Patrilineal sections or patriclans (Kur) are further subdivided into more than 80 sub-clans or Patrilinages ( Please refer Clans List). Karbi Language does not makes a real distinction between different levels of segmentation: subclans and patrilineages are only called kur-so (”Small Kur”). Individuals of both sexes use their clan name as patronyms in administrative documents, hence their number is very limited.”A gender suffix (-Pi) is added to clan names patronyms when applied to women ” (such as in Phangcho-pi applied to a girl/woman of the Phangcho clan). A very interesting feature prevalent among the Karbis is that daughters retain their clan’s name even after marriage : a married woman continues to bear her father’s patronym. However the agnatic line is not extended further as her children assume the title of their father only.

With the exception of the Ingti (Lijang) clan to which a few symbolic privileges are conceded as traditional holder of priestly offices, all clans are socially of equal order.

Exogamy

The Karbi clans (kur) have been strictly exogamous groups and still seem to be so. They are the effective divisions of the society, the sub clan and kindred being of secondary importance. Sexual or marital union between people belonging to the same clan is considered incestuous as they are considered as siblings, and any violation of this rule may lead to public banishment. Interestingly, a man and a woman will be regarded as brothers and sisters even if their mother’s clan is same, though they might belong to different clans. Hence they cannot marry each other. This rule, however, does not apply to partners whose paternal grandmothers (father’s mothers) are of the same clan.

Rules of inheritance

The basic rule of inheritance is that all immovable property (land and buildings) as well as family artefacts are to be distributed among a man’s sons, whereas all the jewelry is passed down from mother to daughters and shared equally among them. Cash is divided among both sons and daughters. Generally all sons get equal share of the parental property, except for ritual artefacts of the household which are inherited by the eldest son alone.

Article written by Mr. Bouchery Pascal, Lecturer in Anthropology, University of Poiters, France.

Marriage Circle Rules.

Marriage Circle Rules.

TERANG—->INGTI—–>TIMUNG—–>ENGHI——->TERON——>TERANG

The above marriage circle is adhered by the karbis since time immemorial. The Karbis are custom bound to follow and observed it.

A terang and all its sub-clan should by custom marry an Ingti girl. A Teron should marry a terang girl. A timung should marry an Enghi Girl and An Ingti should marry a Timung Girl.

Any valid and legal marriage among the karbis is a marriage according to the marriage circle. This marriage circle is a must among the karbis till recently. Any violation of this circle was considered as a crime.

But by now, the violation of the marriage circle custom is very frequent. And it seems that the Karbi Society itself has under gone a remarkable change.

The only prohibition which is adhered to till today is the marriage within the same clan, and any violation of this awaits ex-communication and social boycott from the society.

Source: Mr. J.S. Terang, Former Deputy Adviser, Anti-Coruption Bureau, C.B.I( Central Board Investigation), India.

Marriage Rules in karbis

There is a close association of the kinship terminology with the Karbi matrilateral cross-cousin marriage consisting for a man to marry his mother’s brother’s daughter (MBD). At every generation a man is encouraged to choose his wife from the same clan, his mother’s clan. Such a prescriptive rule of alliance unites a whole series of distinct clans or lineages on the basis of wife-taking and wife-giving relationship.

The classification of the kin and the marriage system are obviously linked. It can first be seen in the fact that parallel cousins (father’s brother’s children and mother’s sister’s children) are equated with siblings and therefore not marriageable, while cross cousins (father’s sister’s children and mother’s brother’s children) are clearly identified by several distinctive terms (Karbi terminology is remarkable by the profusion of such terms).

Besides, the following equations :

EBW (m. s.) = MBD+

MB = WF = WFB

MBS (m.s.) = WB (m. s.)

MBW = WM

MBSW = WBW

FZS = ZH (m. s.)

FZH = HF (f. s.)

S = BDH (f. s.)

D = ZSW (m. s.)

DH (m. s.) = ZS (m. s.)

FZ = HM

FZH = HF ( f. s.)

FZD (f. sp.) = HZ (f. sp.)

For the abbr. meaning please refer to Karbi kinship Terminology.

are strongly suggestive of marriage preference with the mother’s brother’s daughter. It becomes apparent in the diagram below :

In black, kinship relations as considered from a male point of view. In red, kinship relations as considered from a female point of view. In blue, karbi kinship terms

Diagrammatic representation of preferential marriage arrangements among the Karbis, showing the reflection of the prescriptive rules of alliance in the terminology

In the case of a man marrying his mother‘s brother‘s daughter, his maternal uncle will become his father-in-law. The terminology applies the same term Onghai to denote both relationships. Similarly his mother’s brother’s son will be his brother-in-law, and the two again are equated (Ongsar). A man’s maternal uncle’s wife will become his mother-in-law, both being classified as Ni. The latter term is again used to denote two other linked relations, his maternal uncle’s daughter-in-law who is to become his wife’s brother’s wife. In such a marriage arrangement, a man’s daughter would become his sister’s daughter-in-law, and therefore the terminology classifies them into the same category Sopi. Reciprocally a woman’s son would become her brother’s son-in-law, again both fall into the same category, Sopo. The system being generalized to all clans, a man’s sister should be married to one of his father’s sister’s son, therefore not surprisingly a unique term (Meh) is applied to denote both paternal aunt’s son and brother-in-law.

Prescribed matrilateral cross-cousin marriage (marrying the MBD) is also reflected in the fact that the category Ong includes not only the maternal uncle but also his sons and grandsons, the relative generation being identified only by using appropriate suffixes (-hai, -sar, -so). This indicates a permanent relationship of one’s own lineage with the maternal uncle’s lineage or clan, from which wives are received through generations.

Karbi Kinship Terminology

I’m really thankful to Mr. Bouchery Pascal, Lecturer of Anthropology, University of Poiters, France for his keen interest in studying about the karbis and allowing me to publish his works in my blog. He has been working on the karbis for the last one month with the information I have been providing and he is really showing his expertise by completing the following list of terminology at a very unexpected span of time.He has visited India several times, and conducts research on Tibeto-Burman speaking societies of North Eastern States, including Karbis . It really gives me satisfaction to provide all the information he wants which are within my reach. I wish him all the very best and foreseen that the day will not be far when he will be a known man among the karbis for his contribution towards them at par with Charles lyall, who was the first man to study the society of the Karbis.

KARBI KINSHIP TERMINOLOGY

1. Phu’ : FF, MF

2. Phi : FM, MM

3. Po’ : F

4. Pai/pei : M

5. Pesar : FeB, FeBW, MeZ, MZH+, HMeB

6. Punu : FyB, MZH-, HMyB

7. Pinu/Penu : FyBW, MyZ, WFZ (pinu)

8. Ni : FeZ (m. sp. eventually with suffix -sarpi), FeZ (f. sp., eventually with suffix -hai denoting respect), FyZ, (m. sp., along with bai), MBW (m. sp., with suffix -hai), MBW (f. sp.), MBSW (m. sp), FZSW (m. sp.), WBW (m. sp.), WM (with suffix -hai), WMZ (with suffix -hai), HM (with suffix -hai), HMZ

9. Lok : FZH, HF (f. sp., with suffix -hai denoting respect)

10. Ong : MB (m. s., with suffix -hai denoting respect), WF (with suffix -hai), WFB (with suffix -hai), MB (f. sp.), MBS (m. sp., with suffix -sar), MBS (f. sp.), MBSS (m. sp. with suffix -so) MBSS (f. sp.), WB (m. sp., with suffix -sar)

11. Ik : eB, yB (f. sp.), FBS+, MZS+

12. Muh’ : yB (m. sp.), FBS-, MZS-

13. Ni/bai : eZ (m. sp.), FBD+, MZD+,

14. Bong’ : yZ, FBD-, MZD-

15. Teh/Bai : eZ (f. sp.), eBW (f. sp.), FZSW (f. sp.)

16. Meh : FZS (m. sp., eventually with suffix -hai denoting respect), ZH (m. sp., eventually with suffix -hai)

17. Neng : MBD (f. sp., with suffix -hai denoting respect), FZD (f. sp., with suffix -so), BD (f. sp.), yBW (f. sp.), yZH (f. sp.), MBSW (f. sp.), BSW (f. sp.), HZ, HFZ (with suffix -hai),

18. Tepi/ Tipi : eBW (m. sp.), MBD+ (m. sp.), WZ+ (m. sp.)

19. Korpi : yBW (m. sp.), MBD- (m. sp.), WZ- (m. sp.)

20. Tepo : eZH (f. sp.), FZS+ (f. sp.), HB+

21. Korpo : FZS- (f. sp.), HB-

22. Philipi : FZD (m. sp.), ZD

23. Sopo : S, BS (m. sp.), ZS (f. sp.), BDH (f. sp.)

24. Sopi : D, BD (m. sp.), ZD (f. sp.), BDH (m. sp.), ZDH (f. sp.)

25. Ikso : BS (f. sp.)

26. Munhai : SW, BSW (m. s.), ZSW (f. s.)

27. Usha : DH (m. sp., with suffix -hai denoting respect), ZS (m. sp., with suffix -hai), BDH (m. sp., with suffix -hai), HZS, ZDH (f. sp., with suffix -hai)

28. Phu : ZDH (m. sp.)

29. Su’po : SS

30. Su’pi : SD

31. Piso/ Peso : W

32. Penan/ Pengnan : H

33. Phuso : WMB

To read the above table :

F = father; M = mother, eB = elder brother; yB = younger brother; Z = sister; S = son; D = daughter; W = wife; H = husband; + = older than speaker; - = younger than speaker; m. sp. = male speaking; f. sp. = female speaking.

So FeZS should be read as father’s elder sister’s son.

Festivals Of Karbis

Festivals of the Karbis

Among the festivals observed by the Karbis, mention may be made of the “Chojun Puja” or “Swarak Puja” ;“Rongker”; “Sok-keroi”; “Hacha-Kekan”, “Chomangkan” , etc. While the former four festivals are socio-religious in nasture and the letter is a social one.

The spot for “Chojun Puja” or “Swarak Puja” is generally selected near the house of the family which wishes to perform the puja. The deities in this festival are Barithe, Shar Arnam, Arni and the Devil Hi-i and other smaller Gods. Hemphu, the greatest God of the Karbis is also propriated.The puja is peformed for the welfare of the family.

Rongker is performed at the beginning of the new year by propitiating the different gods and goddesses for the well being of the entire village. The deities are worshipped by all the elderly male people of the village so that with their blessings the people of the village could be free from diseases, natural calamities during the year and the families could have a good harvest. The women are not allowed to enter into the worship arena.

There is an another kind of Rongker performed in a greater scale. This type of Rongker which is performed at the beginning of every 5 years is called Wofong Rongker. This Wofong Rongker is performed for the well-being of all the people of the villages that fall within the jurisdiction of a Mauza (a revenue administrative region consisting of a number of revenue villages). Each revenue village is represented by the village headman and a number of village elders (males only) in the performance of the Wofong Rongker. While the Rongker performed for a village is only of one day’s duration, the Wofong Rongker continues for two days.

Sok-kerroi festival is observe when the paddy field is ripened to the fullest extent. The ripened paddy is cut and taken to a place specially cleared in the field. Then the paddy is dehusked on the floor and the paddy is collected. A large number of youngmen go and collect paddy in bags and carry it to home. There starts a great rejoicing and the young ones dance to their hearts’ context. Sok-erroi means the carrying of the paddy from the field. In the festival, one person is selected as the leader who provides the leadership in dancing and singing. He is called ‘LUNSE”. He is the director of singing and dancing.

The Hacha-Kekan is not exactly based on the folk-tales.Hacha-Kekan festival is associated with the after harvest rejoicings. There is no fear element in it and there is no need to propitiate any god. Hence it is to be assumed that the Hacha-Kekan is secular in its activities and differs substantially from another festival - RONGKER. Because, the latter needs the propitiation of god.

Although, the Karbis perform the funeral ceremony at the time of the cremation of the deceased, they also perform the death ceremony called “Chomangkan” at a later date for the eternal peace of the deceased. It is the most elaborate and expensive socio-religious ceremony of the Karbis which containues for four days and four nights non-stop.The ceremony does not require any formal invitation and all are welcome to it. In spite of the sad undertone, it is the proud day for the family and they welcome all with great warmth. They come in batches and everyone carries a symbolical rod with 5(five) branches and at the end of each branch, there is a wooden bird, which is called in Karbi “Vo-rali”. The whole rod is called “Jambili Athan”. This is the symbolical representation of the tribe and it is also the symbol of clan unity.

Photo Above:-Jambili Athon

The Jambili is a very interesting phenomenon. The tribe has five Kurs or clans and the Jambili has five branches. Under the cover of it, the Karbis listen the story of their origin. It is called “Muchera Kehir”.

RONGKER & CHOMANGKAN

Celebrated In : Karbi Anglong, Assam. Celebrated by : Karbi Tribe Significance of Rongker : For the well being of people and good harvest Significance of Chomangkan : Death Ceremony

Blue and lusty green hills, covered with mist, the giggling springs, fragrance of wild flowers, and the call of the cuckoos have made Karbi Anglong the peaceful abode of the Karbis, the Mongoloid group who migrated to this land several hundred years BC. Karbis are very peace loving people.

Peculiar Features Of The Karbi Festivals Rongker and Chomangkan are the two most important festivals of the Karbis. Rongker is basically a springtime festival and is performed at the beginning of the New Year. To propitiate different gods and goddesses for the well being of the entire village, the elderly male folk organise Rongker so that people could be free from diseases, natural calamities for the entire year. They pray for a good harvest too. The women are not allowed to enter the worship arena.

On the other hand, Chomangkan is a festival, dedicated to the dead. It is primarily a death ceremony. It depends upon the convenience of the locality. This festival is a must for every Karbi. It is a non-stop four days rituals

Clans in Karbis

The name of all the five clan and its respective sub clan of the Karbis is as given below.

A) Lijang ( Ingti):

1. Ingti Hansek 2.Ingti Kather Bura 3. Kather Riso 4. Ingleng 5. Taro 6. Ingti Killing.

B) Hanjang ( Terang) :

1.Terang 2. Terang Engnar 3. Terang Ingjai 4. Terang Dilli 5. Terang Rongcheicho 6. Bey Ke-ik 7. Bey ke-et (Ronghang) 8. Bey Chingthong 9. Bey Dum 10. Bey Lindok 11. Bey Miji 12. Kro 13. Kro Nilip 14. Kro Nihang 15. Kro Khamu

C) Ejang ( Enghi / Inghi) :

1.Enghi 2. Rongpi 3. Rongpi Ronghang 4. Rongpi Amri 5. Rongpi Chingthong 6. Rongpi Lindok 7. Rongpi Meji 8. Rongpi Rongchehon 9. Ronghi 10. Ke-ap 11. Rengoi 12. Renglum 13. Rente 14. Lekthe 15. Bongrung 16. Kramsa 17. Hanse Lindok 18. Hanse Chingthong 19. Hanse Durong 20. Hanse Nongphili 21. Hanse Nongloda 22. Hanse Ka’I (Kalongtam) 23.Ronghang 24. Ronghang Lindok 25. Tisso Rongphu 26. Tisso Rongchitim 27. Tisso Rongling 28. Tisso Motho 29. Tisso Rongcheicho 30 . Tisso

E) Kronjang (Teron) :

1.Millik 2. Kongkat 3. Langne 4. Sirang 5. Dengja 6. Ai 7. Torap 8. Sir-ik 9. Miji.

D) Tungjang ( Timung):

1.Timung 2. Timung Rongpi 3. Timung Killing 4. Timung Phura 5.Phangcho 6. Phangcho Juiti 7. Phangcho Langteroi 8. Phangcho Ingnar 9. Phangcho Vojaru 10. Pator 11. Killing Miji 12. Lilling Nokbare 13. Senar 14. Senar Muchiki 15. Senar Meji 16. Tokbi Ronghang 17. Tokbi Totiki 18. Tokbi Chingthong 19. Tokbi Dera 20. Rongphar Senot 21. Rongphar Phura 22. Nokbare (Longthulu) 23. Nongdu 24. Nonglada 25. Dera 26. Senar Pator 27. Senot 28. Chalut Senot 29. Mu Chophi 30. Tokbi Killing.

Source: Mr. Chesong Bikram Sing Terang, Ex-General Secretary, GGKSA & Editor of Aturkimi, A Souvenir of the G.G.K.S.A ( Greater Guwahati Karbi Students’ Association), 1st Issue:2002-03.

About Karbis

Racially the Karbis belong to the Mongoloid group and linguistically they belong to the Tibeto-Burman group. The original home of the various people speaking Tibeto-Burman languages was in western China near the Yang-Tee-Kiang and the Howang-ho rivers and from these places they went down the courses of the Brahmaputra, the Chindwin and the Irrawaddy and entered India and Burma. The Kabis, alongwith others entered Assam from Central Asia in one of the waves of migration.

The folk-lores of the Karbis, however, indicate that during the long past, once they used to live on the banks of the rivers the Kalang and the Kapili and the entire Kajiranga area, the famous National Park situated in Assam, was within their habitation. During the reigns of the Kachari kings, they were driven to the hills and some of them entered into Jaintia hills, the erstwhile Jaintia kingdom and lived under the Jaintia suzerainty.

While a section of the Karbis remained in the Jaintia kingdom, others moved towards north-east by crossing the river Barapani, a tributory of the Kapili and entered into the Rongkhang Ranges. There they established their capital at a place called SOCHENG. The Karbis who migrated to the Ahom kingdom had to face the Burmese invasion.

The Burmese who invaded Assam perpetrated inhumane oppression on the people. The Karbis took refuge in the deep jungles and high hills leaving their hearth and home in the submountane regions. In order to save themselves from the greedy eyes of the Burmese invaders, the young Karbi girls started to use a black line from the forehead to the chin which is known a “DUK” with a view to making them ugly looking. While some of the Karbis migrated to lower Assam, some had crossed the Brahmaputra and settled in the north bank.

The Karbis have 5(five) clans called “KUR”. These are Terang, Teron, Enghee. Ingti and Timung. Each of the five clans has a number of Sub-clans. While Enghee and Timung have 30(thirty) sub-clans each, Terang have 15(fifteen) sub clans, Teron have 9(Nine) sub-clans , and the remaining clan Ingti has only 6(Six) sub-clans. These clans are completely exagamous and marriage between a boy and a girl belonging to the same clan can never take place since the children of the same clan are considered as brothers and sisters. Violation of this customary law obviously leads to ex-communication of the couple involved. Even in the cremation ground called Tipit or Thiri, area is kept demarcated for each clan. Although all the five clans are socially on an equality, Ingti being a priestly clan was supposed to have a higher status in former times.

Although, monogamy is the prevailing practice, there is no bar to polygamy and the cases of polygamy are very rare. Cross-cousin marriage is a preferential one. Like other tribal societies, the Karbis do not have the system of bride price. After marriage, the wife continues to use the surname of her father. But the children assume the title of their father. Thus, the Karbis follow the patriarchel system of family structure.

The settlement pattern of the Karbis is in the form of a village. Each village has a headman called Gaonbura or Sarthe who is appointed by the authority of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council. But each revenue village has a number of hamlets situated kilometers apart. Each of the such hamlets has also a Gaonbura. Each Karbi village is named after the Gaonbura. The Karbis, like the other hill tribes, have a tendency to live on the hill tops. The Karbis who practice jhuming or shifting cultivation very often shift their villages to new jhum sites which might be 10 to 20 kms away from the present site.

Among the festivals observed by the Karbis, mention may be made of the “Chojun Puja” or “Swarak Puja” ;”Rongker”; “Sok-keroi”; “Hacha-Kekan”, “Chomangkan” , etc.
While the former four festivals are socio-religious in nasture and the letter is a social one.

The spot for “Chojun Puja” or “Swarak Puja” is generally selected near the house of the family which wishes to perform the puja. The deities in this festival are Barithe, Shar Arnam, Arni and the Devil Hii-i and other smaller Gods. Hemphu, the greatest God of the Karbis is also propriated.The puja is peformed for the welfare of the family.

The Karbis have their traditional dresses which are artistically designed. These dresses are woven at their family looms.There are separate dresses for men and women.

The aged men use an artistically designed shirt called Choy-nangpo and the shirt used by the young men is called Choy-hongthor. The men use a loin cloth called Rikong.

The Karbi women and girls generally use Pinicamflak, a piece of cloth tied around the waist like a Mekhela. A piece of artistic cloth is used by them to cover the upper part of their body and it is called Pe-kok. A very highly artistic waist band called Wankok is also used by every woman and girl. The ladies use coloured and striped Endi scarf called Khongjari during winter