The mesmerizing North-Eastern state of Assam had been the settling perch for many civilizations and people who came through various routes. The state is inhabited by different tribes, which are mainly of Indo-Mongoloid. With the borders emaciated over a chaotic past, Assam is the meeting ground of diverse cultures. The inhabitants of this region form an assimilation of various racial groups namely, Indo-Tibetan, Mongoloid, Indo-Burmese, Aryan, Dravidian and Indo-Iranian and the culture, is formed by the blend of various traditions and customs of these groups, thus displaying a rich and interesting tapestry that has developed through a long course. The natives of the state of Assam are known as "Oxomiya" or Assamese. There are 17 different tribes of people residing together of which Bodo & kachari, Rabhas, Karbi, Mising, Dimasa, Mikir, Lalung, Dubla and Deoris are some of the prominent tribes that have been residing here since ages.
Bodo Tribe
Bodo tribe is one of the oldest inhabitants of the state and today they have a population accounting to around 5.3% of the total population of the state. This tribe speaks Bodo language which is derived Tibeto Burmese family of language and majority of the population belonging to this tribe are engaged in agricultural sector. Earlier, they used to worship their ancestors and followed no religion; however with the advent of modernization, most of them practice Hinduism, Bathouism and Christianity.
Kachari Tribe
Kachari is an ethnic group of the state that speaks Tibeto-Burman languages or avers a common lineage. They have apparently reached the Brahmaputra valley through southern part of China or Tibet and have settled in the foothills of the eastern Himalayan mountain range that comprises entire Assam, North Bengal, Tripura, and some parts of Bangladesh. Since Bodo-Kacharis were the earliest settlers of the Brahmaputra valley most of the tributaries of the River Brahmaputra the flows through this valley has Tibeto-Burmese names.
Karbi Tribe
Karbi tribe are the inhabitants of Karbi Anglong district of Assam and it is a hill tribe residing in the hilly areas of the state. Although, majority of the population belonging to this tribe places in North Cachar Hills, Nagaon and Sonitpur districts of Assam.
Mising Tribe
The Mishing Tribe belonging to Tibeto Burmese group is basically agrarian community and inhabits the districts of Tinsukia, Sibsagar, Sonitpur, Jorhat and Golaghat. Mishing, also known as Miri mainly reside in the fertile land on the banks of River Brahmaputra. The main festival of Mising tribe is Ali-Lye-Ligangin, which is a spring festival celebrated in the month of February and they speak Mising Language.
Deori Tribe
Deori Tribe is one of the four divisions of the Chutiya tribal member, and is also linked to the Eastern Bodo-Garo. The name ‘Deori’ has been derived from the word `Deva’, which means God and have three subdivisions, namely Tengapanias, Dibongias and Borgias. Only the Dibongias speak the original Deori dialect while other groups speak the general Assamese language mixed with some of their own words. This tribe is mainly settled on the banks of river Brahmaputra. The crumbling of this tribe began after the invasion of Burma, now Mynanmar during the 19th century and they started migrating and resettling in the districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivsagar and Lakhimpur.
Rabha Tribe
Rabha tribe is not only found in the state of Assam but also in other parts of India, such as West Bengal. However, the majority of the population belonging to the Rabha tribe is found in Assam, especially in Kamrup and Goalpara districts. This tribe is divided into two major groups namely, Rangdaniya and Maitoria.
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