Hajong people

Hajong
Hajǒng

Hajong women fishing with 'Jakha' a traditional fishing implement
Total population
200,000 (approx.)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal
Languages
Hajong Bhasa
Religion
Dyaoism, Hinduism, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Kachari people, Bodo people, Garo people

The Hajong people are tribal people of North-eastern India and Bengal.[2] They are the fourth largest ethnicity in Meghalaya. Hajong people are spread out across North East India West Bengal and Bangladesh. Majority of the Hajongs are settled in India. At present their population is more than 150,000 in India and 50,000 in Bangladesh.[1] Hajongs are predominantly rice farmers.[3] Hajong have the status of a Scheduled Tribe in India.[4] [5]

Origin

There are different opinions on the origin of the tribe, its name and migration to India. Some authors like Rev. S. Endle and Mr. B. C. Allen opined that the Hajongs are an offshoot of the great Bodo race. According to a legend popularly prevalent among the Hajongs, they are Suryawanshi (Surjo bung-shi in Hajong) or the descendants of Surjo or Bila (sun)and they are Kshatriyas.[6] The Hajongs belong to the Indo-Tibetan group of the main mongoloid race. They had come from Tibet to the north-east India along the Brahmaputra and Tista and their tributaries and had spread over in the Sankush Valley. Some records state that the Hajongs were a section of the Indo-Burmese group of the Mongoloid Race. From the far Southeast Asia they had penetrated into Assam through Burma and had settled firstly in Kamrup, Assam. The Hajongs claim that their ancestral home was in Hajo area of present Nalbari district of Assam. The meaning of 'Hajong' can be comprehended as 'descendants of Hajo'.[7]

Clans of Hajong Tribes

The Hajongs have five different clans (Hajong Bhasa: Nikni). Marriage within the same clan is prohibited. Their culture slightly differs from clan to clan :

  • Korebari
  • Doskinâ
  • Su-Sungyâ
  • Barohazari
  • Mespâryâ

Marriage

Main article: Hajong marriage

Hajongs are endogamous people.[8] In Hajong society matriarchy declined with the influence of Hinduism, leading towards the growing dominance of patriarchy in Hajong society. Within Hajong culture, romantic love and widow remarriage was allowed, and monogamy was the norm for the Hajong people. Exorbitant dowry system was absent in the Hajong society. The Hajongs would give a tolerable bride price or groom price called pǒn. Widows are allowed to remarry and this type of marriage is called Hang'a or Sang'a in Hajong.

Religion

Main article: Dyaoism

The Hajongs are Hindus. They have been following Hindu rites and customs since a long time. It is not known when the process of Hinduisation began. The animistic beliefs are still prevalent among the Hajongs. Not much is known about the customs and beliefs of their pre-Hindu period.[6]

Geographical distribution

The Hajong people are spread out across northeast India and Bangladesh with the majority of the population on the India side of the border. In India, Hajongs are found in both the Garo and Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, largely along the South-West Garohills District of Meghalaya and Bangladesh border. They also live in the Dhubri and Goalpara districts of lower Assam, Dhemaji and other districts of upper Assam and into Arunachal Pradesh.[9] In Bangladesh, Hajongs are found in the northern Dhaka division, although there are unconfirmed reports of some Hajong living in Chittagong division. The narrow strip of borderland that stretches from Sherpur district in the west as far Sunamganj district in the east can be considered the southern outpost of the greater Hajong community.[3]

Language

Main article: Hajong language

Hajong people have their own language which was originally a Tibeto-Burman language,[10] but is now considered an Indo-Aryan language with Tibeto-Burman roots. It is spoken by more than 175,000 ethnic Hajong. It is written in the Assamese script and the Latin script. It has many Sanskrit loan words. Hajong phonology has an extra vowel /ɯ/ which is not present in other Indo-Aryan languages, but is typical for the Tibeto-Burman family.[11] The phonology of Hajong includes some vowel harmony and the devoicing of final consonants.

Clothing

Main article: Pathin

Traditionally womenfolk chiefly wear Pathin, a wrap-around skirt that covered the upper and lower part of the body from the bust till the calf of the leg. Women in the upper class wore a long pathin which falls down to the floor while women in the lower class wore a shorter pathin which length reaches to the ankle. The pathin is a horizontally striped, colourful, rectangular piece of cloth with alternate layers of different colours between red stripes called kan and thick horizontal borders called chapa. Pathins are woven by women at their family looms known as Bana or Tath. It is operated with hands and does not require the usage of feet. The upper part of the body of the women is covered by a Parsa or Argon. Modern Hajong women occasionally wear 'Patin' to cover the lower part of the body from waist to ankle similar to Garo and Mizo tribes.

The men folk cover their bodies with a hand wover piece of cloth called as Ningti, a loin cloth and Gamsa used to cover the lower part of the body and during winter use a scarf called kompes.

Traditional ornaments

Some of the Traditional ornaments are :

Hārsurah or Chondrohar - Silver necklace worn by women
Not- Nose ring

Musical instruments

The Hajongs have their own musical instruments namely Dhuluk, Khul, Rasamandali, Dotara etc.

  • Dhuluk - A broad drum with membranes at each end played from two ends.
  • Khul - Pair of small symbals made of brass.
  • Dotara - a two string musical instrument.

Culture

Hajong women can be easily identified by their brightly striped red dress called a Pathin. Traditionally, and in many present day villages, women are accomplished weavers who make their own Pathin, Phula Agon, Phula Kompes, Gamsa and their household's clothing.[12]

Traditional Hajong houses consist of separate buildings centered on a courtyard. Floors are earthen and walls are made of split bamboo plastered with cow dung.[13] The buildings in a Hajong house are

  • Bhat ghor - dining hall and also bedroom
  • Akhli ghor - kitchen
  • Kasri ghor - dormitory with provision for guests
  • Khupra (Jura) ghor - bedroom for a married son or daughter
  • Chang ghor - granary
  • Dhiki ghor - husking house
  • Guli ghor - cattle shed
  • Diyao ghor - room for daily prayer and worship

In addition to the implements needed for rice farming, households have many bamboo fishing implements.[14] The staple food is rice eaten with lentils and vegetables. For special occasions, rice is ground to a powder and used to make steamed or deep fried rice cakes called pithâ. Tortoise is traditionally the favorite meat.[15] The traditional hajong dishes are

  • Dingpura - A type of sweet rice cooked in special type of Bamboo
  • Libahak - Made from ground rice
  • Bukni Bhat - Fermented Rice
  • Bisi Bhat - A type of sticky & sweet rice cooked on vapour
  • Bhâtuwahak - Curry cooked with rice flour & rotten fish
  • Putâmas - Small fish cooked by wrapping banana leave.
  • Chunsâhak - Small quantity of vegetable cooked for special guest
  • Tupla Bhat - Rice wrapped with banana leaves
  • Kharpani - Vegetable boiled with dryfish and Soda
  • Chungâhak - Curry cooked in bamboo with its mouth air tied
Birapat-Chhitâ

Traditional arts and crafts

Hajon Art includes Birapat-Chhitâ which are painted on a wall of the Airo Ghor by Airo(s) on the Occasion of Wedding Ceremonies. In Birapat-Chhita aldo called 'Chan Bila Akawa' the Sun, Moon, Stars, birds, boats and palanquins are painted with powdered rice called pithli, Sindoor and Kajal. Other works of art is done in the preparation of Merr for Maroi Pujâ of the serpent Goddess Kani Diyao. In Merr various Gods and Goddesses and other auspicious objects are painted, intended for the worship of Kani Diyao.

Festivals of Hajong Tribes

Hajong people celebrate Hindu festivals like Durga Puja and Kamakhya Puja. They also celebrate few traditional festivals of their own. A traditional festival is celebrated to honour the Bastu, Paabni and other group of deities. It is conducted by a Dyaoshi or Nungtang, a Hajong shaman. Bastu pujâ does not involve idol worship and is celebrated in a particular location outside the village premises. Another festival is called chormaga in Mymensingh and chorkhila in India. Chorkhila is celebrated during the month of October in South-West Garohills Districts of Meghalaya. During this festival, group of young people go around from house to house in the village, or from village to village, playing music and performing folklores, sometimes stories from the Ramayana. The parties receive some rice or money in return for their performance. Since every person, young and old, comes out to watch the play, this is considered a chance to check out prospective brides and grooms.[16] The Hajongs also celebrate their pre monsoon harvest festival known as 'Biswâ'. Kani pujâ, Kâtkâ pujâ, are also performed.

Hajong people also practise some of their traditional religious rituals. The Hajongs believe in some evil spirits like Machang Dyao, Jarang Dyao, Bhut, Muilâ Dyao, Jugni Dyao, Daini etc. They adore and worship different gods and goddess like Kali, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kamakhya, Manasa, Basanti and others. Kartik puja among the Hajongs are known as Kâtkâ pujâ and Manasa puja is known as Kani Dyao puja. The day of Lakshmi puja is referred to as 'Kujâi Ghor' .[17] In Bastu Pujâ tortoises and pigeons are sacrificed for Bastu.[18]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 The Joshua Project www.joshuaproject.net 2011
  2. ↑ "The Hajong". The Independent (Bangladesh newspaper). 27 March 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  3. 1 2 Ahmad, S., A. Kim, S. Kim, and M. Sangma. (2005). The Hajong of Bangladesh: A sociolinguistic survey. http://www.sil.org/resources/publications/entry/42943.
  4. ↑ List of notified Scheduled Tribes
  5. ↑ Research paper by Dr. Khema Sonowal (2014). Tribes of North-East India: A Study on ‘Hajongs’ http://theglobaljournals.com/gra/file.php?val=February_2014_1393595039_2cd81_83.pdf
  6. 1 2 Hajong, B. (2002). The Hajongs and their struggle. Assam, Janata Press. p. 1-2.
  7. ↑ Hajong, B. (2002). The Hajongs and their struggle. Assam, Janata Press. p. 2-3.
  8. ↑ Hajong, B. (2002). The Hajongs and their struggle. Assam, Janata Press. p. 29.
  9. ↑ Kinny, E. and I. Zeliang. (2005). A Sociolinguistic survey among the Hajong of India. Unpublished manuscript.
  10. ↑ Hajong, B. (2002). The Hajongs and their struggle. Assam, Janata Press. Foreword(2) by Satyendra Narayan Goswami 2001.
  11. ↑ Guts, Y. (2007). Phonological description of the Hajong language. Masters Thesis. Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit; p 59.
  12. ↑ Hajong, B. (2002). The Hajongs and their struggle. Assam, Janata Press. p. 20.
  13. ↑ Hajong, B. (2002). The Hajongs and their struggle. Assam, Janata Press. p. 11.
  14. ↑ Hajong, B. (2002). The Hajongs and their struggle. Assam, Janata Press. p. 14.
  15. ↑ Hajong, B. (2002). The Hajongs and their struggle. Assam, Janata Press. p. 16.
  16. ↑ Hajong, B. (2002). The Hajongs and their struggle. Assam, Janata Press. p. 44-45.
  17. ↑ Hajong, B. (2002). The Hajongs and their struggle. Assam, Janata Press. p. 41.
  18. ↑ Hajong, B. (2002). The Hajongs and their struggle. Assam, Janata Press. p. 42.
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