| The
present analysis is based mainly on the Sayang dialect and partially
on the Moying dialect. These two dialects, for all practical purposes,
are one and the same. Moreover, the number of speakers of these two
dialects comprise more than 70 percent of the total Mising population.*
|
| 5.
The Missing are mainly found in North Lakhimpur, Sibsagar and Darrang
districts of Upper Assam; and in Siyang and Lohit districts of Arunachal
Pradesh. According to the census report of 1961, the total population
of the Missing language speakers is 136,698. |
| 6.
The Missing occupy an important place among the tribal population
of Assam. They belong to the Mongoloid race. It is difficult to say
how the name "Miri" was given to them. In fact, ".........
never a tribe known as Miri existed before", claims Dr. N.C.Pegu,
"but today, whether a curse or a blessing, the word Miri has
come to stay, representing constitutionally the Misings.....but the
history of the Miris is essentially the history of the Misings, the
Minyongs, the Pasi-Padams or any other hill tribe. ..." Most
probably the word Miri is derived from ami=man+iri=virtue=Miri=virtuous
man or a man possessing super powers. Actually the priests of the
Adi people (hillman) were called Miri and when a group of these people
came down to Assam valey, the plains people, at the first contact
came to know that the new comers follow the cult of Miri, i.e., worship
of natural forces. Thus, the term "Miri" came to stay to
refer to the whole tribe. |
|
There are striking similarities between the Dafla and the Adi groups
of languages and Mising language, as has been pointed out above. On
the basis of this, there is every possibility that the ancestors of
all these communities belonged to same stock and, in course of time,
owing to the increase of population or some other reason, some of
them came down to the Brahmaputra valley. Probably they came in different
batches and settled on the banks of the Brahmaputra and the Subansiri
rivers. "In spite of the differences that now exist among them",
says N.N. Basu "the Abors, the Daflas and the Miris must have
sprung from the same stock". |
| Most
probably the first group of Adis entered the plains of upper Assam
when the Sutiya kings were the rulers of Sadiya. But soon the Sutiya
kingdom gave way to the Ahoms, who were the descendants of the Shan
tribe, and who established themselves in upper Assam around 1228 A.D.*
The Miris of upper Assam prefer to call themselves the Missing. This
epiphet was adopted by themselves when they settled in the new land.
The word ‘Missing’, is a compound word, and may be derived from ami=man+asing=water=man
who lives near water (on the banks of rivers). From now onwards we
shall refer to the tribe by this name. |
| It
has already been pointed out that the Missing migrated to the Brahmaputra
valley in successive groups. Each group occupied a distinct territory
in order to differentiate itself from the other groups and adopted
a distinct title. Thus, they formed different clans numbering about
nine, i.e., Saying, Oyan, Moying, Delu, Pagro, Dambut, Mirang (Samuguria).
Tamar and Samuwa. The Samuwa Missing are in the Lohit district of
Arunachal Pradesh. Again, each clan is divided into different sub-clans,
ie., Kaman, Payang, Payeng, Medak, Padum, Pamegarro, Sintey, Pegu,
Padi, Doley etc. |
| 7.
Missing villages are mostly situated near river banks. The houses
are built of wood and bamboo. The floor of the house is raised above
the ground and is supported on wooden stumps. This is called "sanghar".
Below the floor-level of each house, dwellings are made for fowls,
pigs, etc. The Missing build their house on the principle of co-operation,
that is, no hired labor is employed. The houses are always built facing
the river. Each village consists of twenty-thirty houses, scat- |
|
