Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s6.31.2

c48.s6.31.2

From this they were ejected about a century ago by the Singphō, and came into Assam for safety. It is said by the Tūrung, another tribe of the same origin, that the Nōrā, having settled in the valley, sent for them to join the colony, and as they were oppressed by Kacēn, they came. On the way, however, they were taken prisoners and enslaved by the Singphō, and were only released on the arrival of a British expedition in 1825. They intermarried with their captors and are accordingly looked down upon by the Nōrā, still more by the Khāmti, who stand at the head of the Ṣān community of Assam. Tūrung brides are taken by the others, but none are given in return. All the above tribes are Buddhist and have their own priests. The Aitōn, a small band of refugees from the Ṣān court of Mungkong, settled in two bodies, one near the others of their race, and the other in the Nāgā hills. Both, though professing Buddhism, are gradually becoming Brāhmanised, alike in creed and language. The Census figures for these small communities are anything but accurate, as many are set down simply as Ṣān, and others as Buddhist, without any tribal title. Finally, there are the Āhōm, the only tribe of long settlement and political importance. They have been mentioned more than once in connection with tribal religion and language, having abandoned their tradition and practice in regard to both. They have preserved, however, a very complete series of histories of their career.