Tripuri
Encyclopedia
The Tripuri people are the original inhabitants of the Kingdom of Tripura
in North-East India
and Bangladesh
. The Tripuri people through the Royal family of the Debbarma
s ruled the Kingdom of Tripura
for more than 2000 years till the kingdom joined the Indian Union in 1949.
The Tripuris live on the slopes of hills in a group of five to fifty families. Their houses in these areas are built of bamboo
or ua as it is called in Kokborok and raised five to six feet height to save themselves from the dangers of the wild animals. Nowadays a considerable section of this community are living in the plains and erecting houses like the plains people, adopting their methods of cultivation, and following them in other aspects of life, such as dress, manners, and cosmetics. Tripuri women wear a scarp, called rignai, which reaches down just below the knee. They weave in their loin-loom a small piece of cloth, which they call risa
, and they use this small piece of cloth as their breast garment.
The Tripuri people are considered part of the Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group. Originally they migrated from near the upper courses of the Yangtze kiang and the Hwang Ho rivers in Western China
. They had left China
long before the Sui dynasty
came to power. At the time of migration they were animists. So it may be reasonably assumed that they migrated before 65 AD, the year Buddhism
was introduced in China. The common reference to these people as "Kiratas" and "Cinas" in the early Sanskrit
texts of India unmistakably indicates that they came down to the Assam valley long before the dawn of Christian era.
Tripuris entered their present country through its north-eastern corner , settled there and gradually expanded their settlement and suzerainty over the whole of Tripura
. They were able to expand their influence as far south as Chittagong
, as far west as Comilla
and Noakhali (known during the British period as 'plains Tipperah') and as far north as Sylhet
(all in present Bangladesh
). Hardly their forefathers could imagine that their descendants were destined to build a strong monarchy and resist the advance of the Mughals. The ruling dynasty passed through several vicissitudes of history and ruled Tripura for several centuries till up to 14 October 1949, the day Tripura was annexed by India.
tribe spoken around Agartala and the second official language of Tripura
. There are estimated to be 1,000,000 speakers of the various dialects of Tripuri in Tripura, others being in Mizoram
& Assam
in India
and Sylhet
and Chittagong
Hill Tracts in Bangladesh
.
which is heavily influenced by the religious doctrine of the neighbouring Bengali people
. Most of the remaining are Christians, mostly Baptists. The Tripuri Hindus claim Kshatriya
status.
The indigenous Tripuri people comprises various hill tribal communities viz., Tipra, Reang
, Jamatia
, Kaipeng, Noatia
, Koloi
, Halam
, etc. who migrated to this land in successive waves in the ancient past. They grew in isolation and were sometimes subjugated by one another. Each community had its own elementary social and administrative organization starting from the village level and up to the chieftainship of the whole tribe. The tribes enjoy their traditional freedom based on the concept of self-determination. The relation between the king and the subject tribes was as Maharaja
(king) of Tripura-Missip or liaison officer
Roy
of Headman of the tribe - Sardar
of chief of the village-the individual. Earlier, only the Debbarma
or Tipra ethnic group was included within the Tripuri Kshatriya
group. Later, the Raja included other groups like Reang
, Jamatia
and Noatia
as well, in an attempt to foster a sense of kinship among the people under his reign.
The Tripuri people have a rich historical, social and cultural heritage which is totally distinct from that of the mainland Indians, their distinctive culture as reflected in their dance, music, festivals, management of community affairs, dress and food habit has a strong base. Kokborok, the lingua franca of the twelve largest linguistic groups of the indigenous Tripuris and other dialects spoken in Trpura are of the Tibeto-Burman group as distinct from those spoken in India. There is no influence whatsoever of from those spoken by other peoples in the North-eastern region. The great music composer father-son duo of S.D. Burman & R.D. Burman belong to the Tripura royal family.
The main Tripuri tribes are:
Examples include:
from 1949. From a majority of 80% population in 1901 census
they constituted just 30% according to the 2001 census of India.
These has resulted in widespread insurgency and militancy in the state with groups such as TNV (Tripura National Volunteers
), NLFT (National Liberation Front of Tripura
) and ATTF (All Tripura Tiger Force
), whose main motive is to secede from India and drive away the Bengali people and regain the independence of the kingdom.
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
in North-East India
North-East India
Northeast India refers to the easternmost region of India consisting of the contiguous Seven Sister States, Sikkim, and parts of North Bengal...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. The Tripuri people through the Royal family of the Debbarma
Debbarma
Debbarma is the surname or the title generally used by the Borok people, indigenous people of Tripura, a state in India. The mother tongue of this ethnic group is Kokborok.and Bengali-Variations:...
s ruled the Kingdom of Tripura
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
for more than 2000 years till the kingdom joined the Indian Union in 1949.
The Tripuris live on the slopes of hills in a group of five to fifty families. Their houses in these areas are built of bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
or ua as it is called in Kokborok and raised five to six feet height to save themselves from the dangers of the wild animals. Nowadays a considerable section of this community are living in the plains and erecting houses like the plains people, adopting their methods of cultivation, and following them in other aspects of life, such as dress, manners, and cosmetics. Tripuri women wear a scarp, called rignai, which reaches down just below the knee. They weave in their loin-loom a small piece of cloth, which they call risa
Risa
- People :* Risa Coda , a Japanese AV actress* Risa Hayamizu , a Japanese voice actress* Risa Itō , a Japanese manga artist* Risa Junna , a Japanese actress* Risa Kudō , a Japanese model and actress...
, and they use this small piece of cloth as their breast garment.
History
Western China
Western China , refers to the western part of China. In the definition of the Chinese government, Western China covers six provinces: Gansu, Guizhou, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Yunnan; one municipality: Chongqing; and three autonomous regions: Ningxia, Tibet, and Xinjiang.-Administrative...
. They had left China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
long before the Sui dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
came to power. At the time of migration they were animists. So it may be reasonably assumed that they migrated before 65 AD, the year Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
was introduced in China. The common reference to these people as "Kiratas" and "Cinas" in the early Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
texts of India unmistakably indicates that they came down to the Assam valley long before the dawn of Christian era.
Tripuris entered their present country through its north-eastern corner , settled there and gradually expanded their settlement and suzerainty over the whole of Tripura
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
. They were able to expand their influence as far south as Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
, as far west as Comilla
Comilla
Comilla is a city in south-eastern Bangladesh, located along the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. It is the administrative center of the Comilla District, part of the Chittagong Division. The Eastern Wing of Bangladesh Highway Police is located in Comilla....
and Noakhali (known during the British period as 'plains Tipperah') and as far north as Sylhet
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
(all in present Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
). Hardly their forefathers could imagine that their descendants were destined to build a strong monarchy and resist the advance of the Mughals. The ruling dynasty passed through several vicissitudes of history and ruled Tripura for several centuries till up to 14 October 1949, the day Tripura was annexed by India.
Language
The Tripuri people mainly speak various dialects called Kokborok, the standard dialect of the DebbarmaDebbarma
Debbarma is the surname or the title generally used by the Borok people, indigenous people of Tripura, a state in India. The mother tongue of this ethnic group is Kokborok.and Bengali-Variations:...
tribe spoken around Agartala and the second official language of Tripura
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
. There are estimated to be 1,000,000 speakers of the various dialects of Tripuri in Tripura, others being in Mizoram
Mizoram
Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North Eastern India, sharing borders with the states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur and with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Burma. Mizoram became the 23rd state of India on 20 February 1987. Its capital is Aizawl. Mizoram is located in the...
& Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Sylhet
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
and Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
Hill Tracts in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
.
Religion
According to the 2001 census, around 90% of the Tripuri adhere to Vaishnava HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
which is heavily influenced by the religious doctrine of the neighbouring Bengali people
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
. Most of the remaining are Christians, mostly Baptists. The Tripuri Hindus claim Kshatriya
Tripuri Kshatriya
Tripuri Kshatriya is a Vaishnav caste group which encompasses almost all the members of the Tripuri, Reang, Jamatia and Noatia ethnic groups, most of whom live in the Indian state of Tripura. Their Kshatriya status is actively contested by local as well as foreign Brahmins. The Tripuri Royal Family...
status.
Society
Reang
Reang or Riang, as it may be spelt, is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India.Reang is mistakenly recorded by the government actually it's Bru. They are mainly dwelling in the North Tripura, Dalai and the South Tripura districts of Tripura state in India, but are also found in...
, Jamatia
Jamatia
Jamatia is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India. They are mainly dwelling in the West Tripura and the South Tripura districts. They speak the language Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin...
, Kaipeng, Noatia
Noatia
Noatia is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of the Tripura state of India. The tribe mainly lives in the hills of Dhalai and the North Tripura districts of the Tripura state of India. They speak the Noatia dialect of Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin. Their appearance is mongoloid.-See...
, Koloi
Koloi
Koloi is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India. They are mainly dwelling in the West Tripura districts. They speak the language Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin. Their appearance is mongoloid.-See also:* Tripuri people* Kokborok...
, Halam
Halam (ethnic group)
The Halam people are a Kuki tribe native to the state of Tripura in India. The name Halam is coined by the Tipra Raja. They are also known as Mizo, while some people called them Ranglong. They are further divided into 15 sub-clans.-History:...
, etc. who migrated to this land in successive waves in the ancient past. They grew in isolation and were sometimes subjugated by one another. Each community had its own elementary social and administrative organization starting from the village level and up to the chieftainship of the whole tribe. The tribes enjoy their traditional freedom based on the concept of self-determination. The relation between the king and the subject tribes was as Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
(king) of Tripura-Missip or liaison officer
Liaison officer
A liaison officer or LNO is a person that liaises between two organizations to communicate and coordinate their activities. Generally, they are used to achieve the best utilization of resources or employment of services of one organization by another. In the military, liaison officers may...
Roy
Roy
-United States:*Roy, Louisiana*Roy, Montana*Roy, New Mexico*Roy, Utah**Roy , a transit station*Roy, Washington-Family name:*Annadashankar Roy, Bengali author and poet*Arundhati Roy, an Indian novelist and peace activist...
of Headman of the tribe - Sardar
Sardar
Sardar is a title of Indo-Aryan origin that was originally used to denote feudal princes, noblemen, and other aristocrats. It was later applied to indicate a Head of State, a Commander-in-chief, and an Army military rank...
of chief of the village-the individual. Earlier, only the Debbarma
Debbarma
Debbarma is the surname or the title generally used by the Borok people, indigenous people of Tripura, a state in India. The mother tongue of this ethnic group is Kokborok.and Bengali-Variations:...
or Tipra ethnic group was included within the Tripuri Kshatriya
Tripuri Kshatriya
Tripuri Kshatriya is a Vaishnav caste group which encompasses almost all the members of the Tripuri, Reang, Jamatia and Noatia ethnic groups, most of whom live in the Indian state of Tripura. Their Kshatriya status is actively contested by local as well as foreign Brahmins. The Tripuri Royal Family...
group. Later, the Raja included other groups like Reang
Reang
Reang or Riang, as it may be spelt, is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India.Reang is mistakenly recorded by the government actually it's Bru. They are mainly dwelling in the North Tripura, Dalai and the South Tripura districts of Tripura state in India, but are also found in...
, Jamatia
Jamatia
Jamatia is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India. They are mainly dwelling in the West Tripura and the South Tripura districts. They speak the language Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin...
and Noatia
Noatia
Noatia is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of the Tripura state of India. The tribe mainly lives in the hills of Dhalai and the North Tripura districts of the Tripura state of India. They speak the Noatia dialect of Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin. Their appearance is mongoloid.-See...
as well, in an attempt to foster a sense of kinship among the people under his reign.
The Tripuri people have a rich historical, social and cultural heritage which is totally distinct from that of the mainland Indians, their distinctive culture as reflected in their dance, music, festivals, management of community affairs, dress and food habit has a strong base. Kokborok, the lingua franca of the twelve largest linguistic groups of the indigenous Tripuris and other dialects spoken in Trpura are of the Tibeto-Burman group as distinct from those spoken in India. There is no influence whatsoever of from those spoken by other peoples in the North-eastern region. The great music composer father-son duo of S.D. Burman & R.D. Burman belong to the Tripura royal family.
The main Tripuri tribes are:
- DebbarmaDebbarmaDebbarma is the surname or the title generally used by the Borok people, indigenous people of Tripura, a state in India. The mother tongue of this ethnic group is Kokborok.and Bengali-Variations:...
or Tipra , from which the royal family Debbarman ruled the kingdom. - ReangReangReang or Riang, as it may be spelt, is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India.Reang is mistakenly recorded by the government actually it's Bru. They are mainly dwelling in the North Tripura, Dalai and the South Tripura districts of Tripura state in India, but are also found in...
or Bru - JamatiaJamatiaJamatia is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India. They are mainly dwelling in the West Tripura and the South Tripura districts. They speak the language Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin...
- KoloiKoloiKoloi is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India. They are mainly dwelling in the West Tripura districts. They speak the language Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin. Their appearance is mongoloid.-See also:* Tripuri people* Kokborok...
- NoatiaNoatiaNoatia is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of the Tripura state of India. The tribe mainly lives in the hills of Dhalai and the North Tripura districts of the Tripura state of India. They speak the Noatia dialect of Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin. Their appearance is mongoloid.-See...
- MurasingMurasingMurasing is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India. They are mainly dwelling in the South Tripura district of Tripura state of India. They speak the language Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin.-See also:* Tripuri people* Kokborok...
- HalamHalam (ethnic group)The Halam people are a Kuki tribe native to the state of Tripura in India. The name Halam is coined by the Tipra Raja. They are also known as Mizo, while some people called them Ranglong. They are further divided into 15 sub-clans.-History:...
- UchoiUchoiUchoi is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India. They are mainly dwelling in the Dhalai and the South Tripura districts of Tripura state of India. They speak the language Reang dialect of Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin. Their appearance is mongoloid...
Tripuri games and sports
Like many parts of the world the Tripuri has traditional sports. It is common in almost all the clans of Tripuri. They are called thwngmung in Tripuri. Nowadays these traditional sports are being abandoned gradually, as Tripuris are attracted to modern games and sports. But some of the sports still played and preferred in rural Tripura.Examples include:
- Achugwi Phan Sohlaimung
- Bumanikotor
- Dwkhwi Sotonmung
- Phan Sohlaimung
- Kaldong or Kadong
- Longoi Chokmung
- Muphuk Sagwnang
- Musta Seklaio
- Sohlaimmung
Issues
The Tripuri people have been reduced to a minority in Tripura due to the large scale migration of the Bengali people since Tripura kingdom joined IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
from 1949. From a majority of 80% population in 1901 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
they constituted just 30% according to the 2001 census of India.
These has resulted in widespread insurgency and militancy in the state with groups such as TNV (Tripura National Volunteers
Tripura National Volunteers
Tripura National Volunteers was a Tripuri nationalist militant group in the Tripura region of India that launched an armed struggle in the early 1980s to separate Tripura from India. TNV was led by Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl.TNV surrendered in 1988 and integrated themselves into a political party...
), NLFT (National Liberation Front of Tripura
National Liberation Front of Tripura
The National Liberation Front of Tripura is a Tripuri nationalist militant organization based in Tripura, India.The NLFT seeks to secede from India and establish an independent Tripuri state, and has actively participated in the Tripura Rebellion...
) and ATTF (All Tripura Tiger Force
All Tripura Tiger Force
The All Tripura Tiger Force is an isolationist group from the Tripura region of India. It was founded on July 11, 1990, by a group of former Tripura National Volunteer members under the leadership of Ranjit Debbarma. The ATTF is currently considered a terrorist organization by India. The...
), whose main motive is to secede from India and drive away the Bengali people and regain the independence of the kingdom.
See also
- Kokborok literatureKokborok LiteratureKokborok, the principal language of Tripura state, has gone through considerable development/evolution during the 20th century. There have been many Royal Tripuri Princes and Government Officials and also common people who have contributed to the language's development in the last century...
- Tripuri nationalismTripuri nationalismTripuri nationalism is an ideology that supports self-determination by the Tripuri people.-History:Tripuri political organizations and militant groups include:*All Tripura Tiger Force*Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura...
- Tripura rebellionTripura rebellionThe Tripura Rebellion is a conflict in Tripura state of India. It is a rebellion of the National Liberation Front of Tripura and the All Tripura Tiger Force, which claim to represent the Tripuri people, an economically disadvantaged community.. The NLFT, founded in 1989, aims for independence for...
- Tripuri KshatriyaTripuri KshatriyaTripuri Kshatriya is a Vaishnav caste group which encompasses almost all the members of the Tripuri, Reang, Jamatia and Noatia ethnic groups, most of whom live in the Indian state of Tripura. Their Kshatriya status is actively contested by local as well as foreign Brahmins. The Tripuri Royal Family...