Tribal and ethnic groups in Bangladesh
Khasi people
The Khasi
are an indigenous or tribal people, the majority of whom live in the
State of Meghalaya in north east India, with small populations in
neighbouring Assam, and in parts of Bangladesh.
They call themselves Ki Hynñiew trep, which means "the seven huts" in
the Khasi language. Their language Khasi is the northernmost
Austroasiatic language. This language was essentially oral until the
arrival of European missionaries. Particularly significant in this
regard was a Welsh missionary, Thomas Jones, who transcribed the Khasi
language into Roman Script. The Khasi people form the majority of the
population of the eastern part of Meghalaya. A substantial minority of
the Khasi people follow their tribal religion; called variously, Ka Niam
Khasi and Ka Niam Tre in the Jaintia region and within that indigenous
religious belief the rooster is sacrificed as a substitute for man, it
being thought that the rooster "bears the sins of the man and by its
sacrifice, man will obtain redemption”[2](compare Kapparot). Other
religions practiced include Presbyterian, Anglican, Unitarian, Roman
Catholic and very few are Muslims. The Khasi people who reside in the
hilly areas of Sylhet, Bangladesh are of the War sub-tribe. The main
crops produced by the Khasi people living in the War areas, including
Bangladesh, are betel leaf, areca nut and oranges. The War-Khasi people
designed and built the living root bridges of the Cherrapunjee
region.[3] In several States of India, Khasis have been granted the
status of Scheduled tribe. The Khasis are a matrilineal society.
The Jaintia
Jaintia, an ethnic group living in Sylhet region and also known as
Synteng, have a very rich tradition and political history. Once they
lived in the northern area of Sylhet. But after the Partition of Bengal
in 1947, majority of them migrated to the Jaintia Hills in Assam where
most of them are now settled. A small section of them are now living in
Jaintapur Upazila in Sylhet. The Jaintias in Bangladesh constitute an
ethic group numbering about twenty thousand. According to the
Anthropologists, Jaintia is one of the ancient original groups who
migrated to the North Eastern region of the sub-continent and settled
down there. There is a view holding that the Jaintia is a branch of the
Khasi community. The Khasi is a branch of the Mon-khem race while
Jaintia belongs to the Mongoloids. The similarity is consequent upon
their co-existence for a long time and that similarity is confined in
physical features only. No documentary evidences are available regarding
the naming of the community. Some are of opinion that they are named
after their principal goddess Joyanti. Devi Joyanti is an incarnation of
Hindu goddess Durga. Jaintias also introduce themselves as Pnar.
Jaintias have their own language, but no alphabets. The Jaintias in
Bangladesh get education in the schools through the medium of Bangla.
The literacy rate of the Jaintia is 80%, the highest among all tribes
living in greater Sylhet region. At present many of them are serving in
different government and private organisations. A number of children
from Jaintia families are getting education at Shillong in Meghalaya.
Though they use their mother tongue in conversation with their tribal
people they speak in Bangla to communicate with others. The dress of the
male members of both Jaintia and Khasi tribes is similar. However, the
male members of Jaintia tribe living in Bangladesh wear same kind of
dresses with the mainstream Bengali males. But the women wear the
traditional Jaintia dresses. They cover the upper portion of the body
with a piece of colourful decorated cloth. But the Jaintia ladies wear
another piece of cloth as a modesty scarf knotted on the shoulder like
Khasi women. Most of the Jaintia women are now accustomed to wear
sari-blouses, although they prefer traditional attires at home. They are
also fond of ornaments made of gold and silver. Agriculture is the main
occupation of the Jaintias. They cultivate betel leaves and various
nuts, which are used in local trading. The Jaintia society is
matriarchal. Mothers dominate their respective families and children
adopt the title of mother’s clan. The women exclusively inherit the
family property. The Jaintia society is divided into a number of tribes,
such as Sarty, Nayang, Kayang, Lanong, yangyoung, rymbai, dkhar etc. In
spite of the existence of tribal system in the Jaintia society, caste
discrimination is totally absent there. Intra tribal marriage is
prohibited in Jaintia society. A social panchayet system settles
disputes through arbitration. The arbitration is conducted under the
chief panchayet and supported by the elders in the society. The decision
of the panchayet is final in respect of any social problems. The chief
of the panchayet is elected by the community.
Rice is the staple food of the Jaintias and they take it with various
vegetables, fish and meat. Pork is their favourite dish. They also like
mutton, chicken, milk and milk products. They are also used to drink
tea, and they entertain guests with betel leaf and nuts. Locally brewed
wine, known as kiad is popular among them. They like all the seasonal
vegetables, especially bulbous plants and esculent roots. They consider
dried fish as a delicacy. They cook their food like the Bengalis.
Hoktoi is the religious festival of the Jaintia. They celebrate the
festival for two days. The event is celebrated by the Jaintia to pray
for the peace of the soul who died and for the welfare of the next
generation. They cook different kinds of foods and serve fruits to the
guest. It has been said that, ‘better the dance, better the crop’ by the
Jaintia people which has made them skilled in their own dimension of
dancing. Such festivals are really part our culture which has made it
more diversified.
Though pantheist in belief the Janitias are much influenced by
Hinduism. Their main deity is goddess Jayanti, an incarnation of Hindu
goddess Durga. They worship their traditional gods and goddesses along
with the Hindu gods and goddesses. But it is an exception that they
don’t have any specific temple or place of worship. They believe that
their deities exist in nature and they offer their prayer in open air.
They also believe in the eternal existence of a creator with whom the
human being had a direct link at an initial stage. But when they started
to be driven by selfish motives, they could not see God with their eyes
as He disappeared. Thus the human beings became busy with their
families and worldly affairs so much that they started forgetting God
gradually as the relationship weakens. So God advised them to follow a
few moral sayings to live in the world in a modest way. The directives
of God were: (a) earn honestly (Kamai ya ka haq), (b) know the people,
understand God (Thipbru Thipblai) and (c) know both the lineages of your
parents (Thipkur-Thipkhar). Jaintias also believe that God had sent
some gods and goddesses on earth to control the indisciplined human
being. They keep them in their control by imposing illness and diseases.
Jaintias also worship those gods and goddesses in order to mitigate
their rage. They have their own conception of sins and piety, heaven and
hell, crime and punishment. However, some of them have embraced
Christianity.
The Chakmas
The Chakmas are the largest tribe of Bangladesh. The Chakmas are of mixed origin but reflect more Bengali influence than any other tribe.
The Marmas
Marmas are the second largest ethnic group in Bangladesh and they are of Burmese (Myanmar) ancestry. The Marmas regarded Burma
(Myanmar) as the centre of their cultural life. Historically it is
believed that the Arakanese emperor has invaded the south-eastern region
of the current Bangladesh. Since then the region was ruled under the
Burmese emperor and Marma ethnic groups were established from that
period. Their cultural traits are connected to their ancestral heritage,
including dress (which is call thumbui—the lower part, and angi—the upper part), food (mostly spicy, sour, and hot), writing (Burmese script), traditional songs and musical instruments (for example, kappya, jjea, and kharra). They speak Marma, and the majority are Theravada Buddhist. They have many festivals during the year, but Sangrai
is regarded as the biggest celebration among them. It is a tradition to
welcome the new year according to the Buddhist lunar calendar. This
festival held for three days, and the popular ritual during the second
and third day of the festival is to splash water on each other. They
believe that the water takes away all the sorrow and pure up our soul
and body, so one must to greet others (even strangers) by splashing
water on them. But the culture of marma is unique. It has also their own
language, tradition, culture etc.
Santals
The Santals are known as one of the oldest and largest indigenous
communities in the northwestern belt of Bangladesh. They have been
living in the pristine natural surroundings of the area for thousands of
years. They might be described as children of nature who are nurtured
and reared by its bounty. Santals are largely seen in the northern
districts of Dinajpur, Naogaon, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh,
etc. The Santals are of ebony colour with little growth by way of
beard, are generally of stocky build and capable of undertaking hard
labour. Physically the Santals are not prepossessing. The face is round
and softly contoured; the cheekbones moderately prominent; eyes full and
straight, nose broad and depressed, mouth large and lips full, hair
straight, black and coarse. They are long-headed and of medium height.
By nature, they are very peace-loving, honest, industrious and
trustworthy people. They always respect their social customs and are
satisfied with what they earn and what they eat. They have profound
respect for the land they live in, the soil they till and the community
they live with. They are not acquainted with hypocrisy, double-dealing,
deception, fraudulent practices and tricks and artifices used to obtain
things illegally. Their bravery, courage and righteousness are well
known. They have actively participated in the Tebhaga movement led by Ila Mitra in 1950, the Santal revolt, Birsa Munda Uprising, Kol revolt, Jitu Samur Rebellion, Pandu Raja Insurgency, Swadeshi Movement and the War of Liberation in 1971.
Santal women, especially young girls, are by nature very
beauty-conscious. Santal women wear ornaments on their hands, feet,
nose, ears and neck and also wear peculiarly shaped ornaments on their
ankles. They fix flowers on their heads and hair-buns, and make
themselves graceful with simple ornaments. Like their simple, plain and
carefree way of life, their dress is also very simple. Santal dresses
are called panchi, panchatat and matha. The Santal women wear coarse
homespun cotton sarees of bright colours that barely reach their knees,
while the upper end is flung over the shoulders. Santal men and women
wear tattoos[5]
on their bodies. Most of their houses are usually neat and clean even
though built of mud. Their homestead often includes a garden. The
peculiarity of the houses is that they have small and low doors and
almost no window. There is practically no furniture except a wooden
bedstead and bamboo machang on which the people of the comparatively
well-to-do class spread their beds. The Nabanna
ceremony is undoubtedly of great importance to the rural people, and is
observed during the harvest time when delicious preparations from newly
harvested food grains are made and friends and relatives are
entertained. Santals have their own language, culture and social
patterns, which are clearly distinct from those of other tribes. They
speak Bangla
fluently and have adopted many Bangla words for their own language.
Most Santals are Christians now but they still observe their old tribal
rites. Although the Santals used to lead a prosperous and peaceful life
in the past, their economic and social conditions are now very backward.
Agriculture is their main source of livelihood. Principal food items of
Santals are rice, fish and vegetables. They also eat crabs, pork,
chicken, beef and the meat of squirrels. Jute spinach
(nalita) is one of their favourite food items. Eggs of ducks, chickens,
birds and turtles are delicacies in their menu. Liquor distilled from
putrefied rice called hadia or (pachai) is their favourite drink. Santal
women are skilled in making different kinds of cakes. Most of the
Santals are animists. The main weapon used for hunting and self-protection is the bow and arrow
made of locally available materials. They are fond of flowers and
music. Hunting and collecting food from the forest were their primitive
economic activity. Santals are divided into twelve clans and all these
clans are fond of festivities. They are very proficient in music and
dance. Like Bengalis, they also have 'thirteen festivals in twelve
months' and many other festive occasions around the year. Their year
starts with the month of Falgun
(roughly, 15 February-15 March). Almost each month or season has a
festival celebrated with dances, songs and music. In the spring, Santals
celebrate holi
when they drench each other with colours. To express gratitude to the
god of crops is also a part of this festival. It turns into a carnival
with dances, songs, music and food and drinks. Probably its greatest
attraction is the choral dance of Santal girls. Another important
ceremony of Santals is called Baha or the festival of blossoms. The
purpose of this festival at the beginning of spring is to welcome and
offer greetings to the freshly blossoming flowers. It is also
characterized by dancing, singing and music. The Santals cremate their
dead bodies. But nowadays, many of them bury the dead. When an
inhabitant of a village dies, the village headman's duty is to present
himself at the place of the departed and arrange for the last rites with
due respect.
Garos
The Garos
are matrilineal ethnic community of Bangladesh, who inahbit
Mymenshingh, Tangail, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Sylhet and Gazipur. Like other
ethnic communities they used to worship super natural powers like sun,
moon, storms, fire, mountains, water or rain etc. Joom cultivation, a
way of agriculture, was a major activity for their living. However, in
modern time their livelihoods no longer depended on traditional Joom
cultivation; rather, they have adopted modern system of agricultural
work. Their economy depends on agriculture and private sector
employment, mostly NGOs.
Manipuri
The Manipuris are one of the major ethnic communities of Bangladesh.
They migrated to Bangladesh during the reign of Rajarshi Bhagyachandra
(1764-1789) and the process was accelerated by the Manipuri-Burma war.
After the war with Burma, Manipur was ruled by the Burmese invaders for
about seven years. During that period, King Chourajit Singh accompanied
by a large following of Manipuri subjects moved to areas - now in
Bangladesh. At present they live in different places of Sylhet Division,
like Kamalganj, Sreemongal, Kulaura and Baralekha thanas of Moulvi
Bazar district; Chunarughat thana of Habiganj district and Chhatak thana
of Sunamganj district. According to the 1991 population census, there
were about 25,000 Manipuris in Bangladesh. As a result of their changing
geographical locations and various kinds of religious and political
interaction, Manipuri society became the meeting point of different
ethnic groups and cultures. The mother-tongue of the Manipuris belongs
to the Kuki-chin group of the Tibeto-Burman sub-family of the Mongolian
family of languages. Manipuri literature is very old. It has a rich and
variegated history and traditions. Interestingly, a characteristic of
the old Manipuri script is that each and every letter of the alphabet
has been named after a part of the human body. The shape of a letter is
also based on the body part it is named after. Some books on Manipuri
subjects have been published in Bengali. Manipuri men and women work
together in the field. Men clear the jungles and till the soil, while
the women sow seeds and do the transplanting. They celebrate seed
planting and crop harvesting in their own colourful way. Manipuri
culture has a rich and colourful tradition where dance and music play a
vital role. The most vibrant branch of Manipuri culture is dance. Rasa
dance is the finest product of their culture. Manipuri dance is
characterized by gentleness, tenderness and devotion. The dress they
wear during a dance is really gorgeous and beautiful. Most of the
festivals of the Manipuris are accompanied by the consumption of
alcoholic beverages. A very popular festival of the Manipuris is a type
of Gopi dance celebrating the romantic liaison of Radha and Krishna. In
the spring, Manipuris celebrate Holi, when they drench each other with
colour. Most religious rites and festivals of the Manipuris are based on
the seasons of the year. They also celebrate the rice harvest through a
singing contest. Manipuris put up colourful wedding pandals, and the
bride and groom go round the pandal to be greeted with paddy and durva
grass. Manipuris cannot marry within their own clans. A Manipuri bride
comes to visit her parents for the first time on the fifth day after
marriage, providing an occasion for a lavish feast. According to tribal
custom, all members of the clan are invited to this ceremony and they
come with presents of rice, meat, fowls, pigs, money and alcohol.
Manipuris have their own rituals regarding disposal of the dead body.
They keep the dying person outside the house on a banana leaf, while
Kirtans are chanted. Dead bodies are washed with the head pointed
northward. They bury bodies of adolescents and cremate bodies of older
persons. After disposing of the body, the pallbearers take a bath and
dry their hands by holding them above a fire before entering their
house.
The Tripuri
The Tripuri
are one of the indigenous peoples living both in the plains and the
Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. During the partition of the Indian
subcontinent, the princely state of Tripura were merged neither into
India nor Pakistan. However, Tripura Kingdom were merged in 1949 with
India through a merger agreement. The peoples of Tripura, both in
Bangladesh and the Indian State of Tripura, shared common culture, history, tradition, and way of life. Their languages are called Kokborok, of which there are more than one million speakers.
The Tanchangya
Main article: Tanchangya people
The Tanchangya (তঞ্চংগ্যা) people are one of 13 indigenous ethnic communities living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).
Tanchangya peoples have been living in CHT since its prehistoric age.
Nowadays Tanchangya peoples live in Rangamati, Bandarban, Roisyabili
& Sadhikyabili (Chittagong district), Ukhia and Teknaf (Cox's Bazaar
district) areas of Bangladesh. Tanchangyas also live in North-east
Indian states (Assam, Tripura and Mizoram) and Rakhine State of the
Myanmar. Most of Tanchangyas live in reserve forest of CHT but on April
10, 2000 the government declared a new law entitled "The Forest
(Amendment) Act; 2000." According to this act, cultivation and
preparation of cultivation on reserve forest land are illegal, and as a
result the survival of these groups in the area becomes more difficult.
Due to lack of research, there is also confusion about the numbers of
Tanchangyas. According to census of 2001 there are 31,164 Tanchangya in
CHT (source: solidarity2002, Bangladesh Adivasi Forum).
The Mros (Mrus or Moorangs).
The Mros are considered the original inhabitants of the Chittagong
Hills. They lived on valleys and often fortified their villages. They
had no written language of their own, but some could read the Burmese
and Bangla scripts. Most of them claimed to be Buddhists, but their
religious practices were largely animistic.
Other tribes
There are some other tribal groups in other parts of the country.
Santals are inhabitants of Rajshahi and Dinajpur. Khasis, Garos, and
Khajons in Mymensingh and Sylhet regions.
Different tribal groups differed in their social organization,
marriage customs, foods, birth and death and other social customs from
the people of the rest of the country. They have somehow managed to
resist centuries of colonization and in the process have retained their
own customs, traditions and life.
