The Samugurias: Assamese-Speaking Mising People
North Lakhimpur College, Assam, India
ABSTRACT
Assam is situated in the Eastern part of India (Bharat). The great river of Assam names Brahmaputra is also known as Tsangpo (Purifier) in China flows through the green plains of this end. There are many tribes in Assamese Society. The Mising are second largest tribes in Assam of the Brahmaputra Valley which from anthropological and linguistical point of view belongs to the Tibeto-Burmese and Indo-Mongoloid people. In Assam the Misings are divided into many different clans, viz. (i) Ayengia, (ii) Bebezia, (iii) Bihia, (iv) Bonkual, (v) Chamua, (vi) Chayengia, (vii) Dambukial, (viii) Delu, (ix) Moyengia, (x) Pagro, (xi) Samuguria and (xii) Temera. Again the Misings are linguistically divided into two broad groups; (i) Mising speaking and (ii) Assamese Speaking. The Assamese speaking Misings are Bihia, Bonkual, Chamua, Samuguria and Temera. Here it will be discussed on the Assamese speaking Mising society of Samugurians only. Samugurians are those living only in the two districts of Assam; Lakhimpur and Dhemaji. There are no sufficient research works on the Samugurian people till today in scientific method. So it will be a unique work. The aim of this paper is to highlight the socio-cultural life of the Samugurians; which are Assamese speaking Misings. It is an honest trial to study the process of assimilation of this society in the time being. At present the influence of globalization is leading to the extinction of this very small population of the Samugurias. Therefore it is a necessity to draw attention, highlight and research on this topic.
KEYWORDS
Tibeto-Burmese, Assamese Society, mising, division, Samuguria, assimilation, existence, highlight, research, scientific method