Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s6.24

c48.s6.24

§ 93. (b) **The Himālayan tribes** (48,000). Though few of these, and those not the more important, have descended into British territory, they may be briefly mentioned here owing to some alleged connection between them and the Bōdo race, a tie, however, which has long been severed. The Miri is the only tribe which has settled in British territory to any considerable extent. It is found in the Sibsāgar and Lakhimpur districts, and seems to be receiving recruits from the hills to the north of the latter and from Darrang. The Miri say that they were invited down by the Āhōm Chief at the end of the 18th century, in order to help him against the invading Khāmtī, and settled on the outskirts of the Nagā hills, by the Disang. They have preserved their original type in spite of considerable defections from the tribal religion. Brāhmanism, however, affects them but superficially, and those who have nominally accepted the guidance of the Gōsāī, are now, it is said reverting, because the change of faith has not induced the settled population of the valley to intermarry with them or to accord them any better position than before they paid toll to their spiritual adviser and renounced beef. In any case they do not entrust their principal sacrifices to other than their own tribal priests. They are good cultivators, and their women folk work with them in the field. The Hill Miri, who only visit the plains for the purpose of trading, are much less advanced, and have a somewhat different worship and belief from the others. All the Miri are connected with the Ābor, a stronger race, and it is conjectured that it was the pressure of these northern kinsfolk which drove the Miri to the lowlands. It is advisable to note that the name of Miri which means Middlemen in Assamese, is not known to the tribe itself, any more than that of Ābor is recognised except in the valley. The latter means Independent, and is thus appropriate enough. Both tribes speak of themselves by their clan, without any more general designation. The Ābor have not yet settled to any great extent within British territory, but have more than once made raids therein, which resulted in punitive expeditions. Their clans are very numerous, but are remarkable for the unanimity with which they combine into a tribal whole for purposes of resistance or plunder. They used to be keen on the capture of girls and boys, whom they kept as household slaves themselves, and sold for the same purpose to their kinsmen, the Daphlā, who live the other side of the Miri, on the west. The Daphlā, who call themselves Nyising — the meaning of both terms being unknown — regard the Ābor as the leading tribe of their race and the Miri as poor relations, and all three speak much the same tongue, and to some extent, have the same titles for their sub-tribes. The religions present the same general features, and the Ābor and Daphlā have not been reached even by the light touch of the Miri form of Brāhmanism. The Āka, a tribe adjacent to the Daphlā on the west, though mainly of the old faith, has a few members who are reported to have been converted by one of their Chiefs, who chanced to be compelled to serve a certain time in a British jail, where his convictions were modified by a persuasive Gōsāī. The Āka, though generally thought to belong to the Ābor-Miri race, differ considerably from both of these in appearance, and show but little tendency to settle in the lower ranges. On the contrary, they are in close relations with the Tibet authorities on the other side. They are a warlike community, and in addition to their general title which is not used by them, and the meaning of which is unknown, they have two subdivisions, each of which is known to the Assamese by a title implying plunder.