This document provides information about the tribes found in Assam, India. It notes that there are 23 officially recognized tribes in Assam. It then describes some of the major tribes in more detail, including their locations, populations, origins, and customs. The tribes discussed include the Bodo, Mishing, Deori, Rabha, Tiwa, Khamti, Sonowal Kachari, Dimasa Kachari, Karbi, and others. More detailed information is provided about the Bodo tribe, including their status as the largest tribal group in Assam, their homeland of BTC, and their unique culture, language, and religion.

1. Dwimalu Basumatary
Research Scholar
dwima.basu92@gmail.com

2. Tribes in Assam
 Assam is a state in Northeastern India, south of the eastern
Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak Valley.
 Covers an area of 30,285 sq mi (78,440 km2).
 There are 33 districts in Assam.
 Assam is land of many Cultures, Tribes and Religions.
 There are total twenty three (23) govt. notified Tribes in
Assam

3. Some Major Tribes in Assam
 The Bodo Kachari Tribes.
 The Mishing Tribe.
 The Deori Tribes.
 The Rabha Tribes.
 The Tiwa or Lalung Tribes.
 The khamti Tribe.
 The Sonowal Kachari Tribes.
 Tai Phake or Phakial Tribes.
 The Dimasa Kachari Tribes.
 The Karbi Tribes.
 The Kuki Tribe.
 The Hajong Tribe.
 The Garo Tribe.
 The Khasi Tribe.
 The Jaintia Tribe.
 The Mech Tribe
 Etc.

4. Bodo Tribe
 The Bodos are the Largest Tribal Group in Assam.
 They are recognized as a plains tribe in the Sixth
Schedule of the Indian Constitution. And created
BTC as their homeland.

5. The Mishing Tribes
 Mishings, are the second largest schedule tribe of
Assam.
 Mostly found in District, Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh,
Sibsagar, Jorhat and Sonitpur of Assam.
 The Mishing family is generally a joint family.

6. The Deori Tribes
 The Deoris are nowadays settled mostly in Sivsagar
and Jorhat districts.
 Deoris are riverine tribes

7. The Rabha Tribes
 The Rabhas are widely scattered but mostly
concentrated on Goalpara, Kamrup, and Darrang.
 The Rabhas are like to live in compact blocks having
50-100 families.

8. Lalung Tribes
 Tibet region is considered to be the origin of Lalungs
who prefer to call themselves as Tiwa.
 Mainly they are found in the district of Nowgoan.

9. The Khamti Tribe
The Khamti is a branch of the Tai race.
Their total population is about five thousand.
They are found in Bihpuria and Narayanpur areas of North
Lakhimpur subdivision and Sadia region.

10. The Sonowal Kachari Tribes
 The Sonowal Kachari is an endogamous group of
Kachari tribe. (Same social race)
 They mainly live in Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji,
Tinsukia, Jorhut, and Golaghat districts.

11. The Dimasa Kachari Tribes
 The Kacharies are the most widely spread tribe in
northeast India, and are said to be the earliest inhabitants
of the Brahmaputra Valley.
 Mostly found in NC Hill, Hafflong, Silchar etc.

12. The Karbi Tribes
 Racially the Karbis belong to the Mongoloid group and
linguistically to the Tibeto-Burman group.
 The Karbis, along with others entered Assam from Central
Asia in one of the first waves of migration.
 Mostly found in Karbi Anglong District.

13. The Kuki Tribe
 The origin of Kuki tribe is full of myths and
mythologis. They are the mixed group of tribes who
entered India from Burma and Central Asia.

14. The Hajong Tribe
 The Hajong are a small community which originally
belonged to the Bodo tribe.
 They have great physical similarities with the Garos
and Bodo Kacharis.

15. The Garo Tribe
 The Garos are the earliest human group that migrated
into North East India from the Tibetan plateau
during the pre-historic period; the evidence of this
being the Garo villages found across the Brahmaputra
Valley

16. The Khasi Tribe
 The Khasis are
numerically very small
Scheduled tribe. Mainly
they are found in
Meghalaya. In Assam the
Khasi tribe is found
Karbi Anglong and
North Cachar Hills
bordering Meghalaya. It
is believed that the
origin of the Khasi and
the Jaintia is same.

17. The Jaintia Tribe
 In ancient times the Jaintia kingdom was a powerfull
kingdom of Assam.
 Capital was Jaintiapur. Treaty of Yandaboo was signed
between British Government

18. Bodo Tribes

19. Bodo Tribes
 The Bodos are an ethnic and linguistic aboriginal
group of the Brahmaputra Valley in the Northeast part
of India.
 Bodos are the single largest group in the Northeast
region of India.
 The Bodos living in West Bengal, Nepal are called
Mech.
 Bodos are found in Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and
Bangladesh etc.
 They have their own culture, language, religion which
is being since time immemorial.

20. Special Characteristics
 Bodo as Medium of Instructions since 1963.
 Bodo Medium with upto Master Degree.
 M.A in Bodo Leterature.
 Own Culture, Traditions & Custom
 Own Religion- Bathouism (Belief in Five Supreme power- Land, Water,
Air, Fire & Sky )
 Created BTC 10th February 2003. (Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri)
 EIGHT SCHEDULE LANGUAGE - 2003. (One of 22nd Indian
Language)
 UPSC as BODO LANGUAGE PAPER 2005.
 APSC as BODO LANGUAGE PAPER 2006
 As a MIL Guwahati University established in 1996.
 Script used = Devanagri

21. Books on Bodo
 “The Kacharies” (1911) by Rev. Sidney Endle.
 Sir Edward Gaid “ A History of Assam”
 “An outline of kachari Grammar” (1884) by Rev.
Sidney Endle,
 ‘A short Grammar of the kachari of Boro
language’ (1889) by L.O. Skrewsfor,
 “A collection of kachari Folk Tales and Rhymes”
(1895) by J.D Anderson,
 “Grammar and Dictionary of kachari language”
(1904) by A. Christensen.

22. Special Characteristics
 Food: Rice
 Curry: Onla, Narji, Napam,
 Dance: Bagurumba, Daosridelai, Kerai, Dahal
Tungri Sibnai, Na gurnai, etc.
 Dress: Dokona, Aronai, Fasra, Gamsa.
Dahal
Tungri
Sibnai

23. Special Characteristics
 Last King of Bodo Kochari = Eragdao/ Gobinda Chandra-
Queen – Indupraba.
 Monuments (evidence)
 Kashpur/Maibong/Dimapur/Siknajhar etc.
Kashpur

24. Special Characteristics
Dimapur
Monuments (evidence)

25. Bathou: A place of worship
Nepal India/Assam

26. BTC

27. Fishing

28. Culture

29. THANK YOU!