Ancient History of Adivasi community in Assam

In Assam, there are almost 885 tea estates and residing in Villages around 70 Lakhs of tea workers, which are not only important parts of Assamese society but also a formation of Assamese culture and socio-economic development of Assam. Before illustrating the social and political tribulations of the tea garden worker it is important to talk about their history and which will also make it clear for further understanding the way of life of the community. With the help of this article, it has been tried to inaugurate the various strange historical facts of the labour community. The tea garden people are known as Adivasi in their native land and some of the people insist that they belong to the Aryans. As the historians call them Adivasi so here, we also will call them Adivasi.

The term Adivasi can be defined as ‘Adi’ means the ‘foremost’ and ‘basi’ means ‘inhabitant’ which means the first inhabitants of the country are called Adivasi. According to Assamese literature ‘Hemkhu’ Adivasi word means first inhabitant and in every place comes first. According to ‘Aboriginal’ Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Population (ICITP) means the first inhabitant and the people who are formed from the ancient community.  The term ‘Adivasi’ means Adi-Aborigine, Vasi- Inhabitant. These groups of people are presumed to from the oldest ethnological sector of the population. The Historian M. Banerjee says that the citizens of Chotanagpur are Adivasi.

“Their taboos about food and intermarriage have hitherto presented them from being coalesced [coalesced] into one otherwise they may be said to be harmoniously amalgamated as one nation, under the generic name of ‘Kol’ better the aborigines or under the present nomenclature  the Adivasis of Chota Nagpur.”[i] (Mangobinda Banerjee, A Historical Outline of Pre-British Chotanagpur [from Earliest Times to 1765], Education Publication, Ranchi, 1993.p.72)

In the graduation syllabus of Indian History of Dibrugarh University Profullo Boruah had introduce Adivasi community.

Adivasi Community:

People of this community used to be short, black in colour and with flat nose. They were interested to live in hill and forest area. They do not have their literature and their language was totally different from the language of AJOs and DRAVIDs.  Kool, Bil and Munda people belongs to Adivasi community. Therefore Adivasis are the Kool, Bil, Munda, Sautal, Hue, Juang, Orang, Saura, Kharia, Ghor, Sobor, Bhumij. In Assam people living in the tea garden introduce themselves as Adivasi. But people named them as tea maker, kuli, tea tribe, Green Assamese.  If the people accept themselves with the above names then also they are Adivasi.

First inhabitants of India:

According to Col.Delton Adi and Risley Adivasi came from Cambodia and Vietnam, they cross Brahma and Assam then they reached to Chotanagpur.  For a proof there is similarity in the language and culture of Khasi of Meghalaya.

For an example we can take the below Santali Song.

Heheri Pipirire Bon Jonmolen
Haratare Bon Haralen
Kios Kamonare Bon Khojlen
Sason bedare Bon Jatlena

At first human travelled from Heheri to Kaman then they moved to Sasan Beda and then to Champa. According to Tuila Hasda, the name of Bharat came from the Santali word ‘Bharhasa.’ The word ‘Bhar’ means Blessing or virtue and Hasa means Land, in one word Bharat means ‘Land of Blessing.’ According to Karam Binoti, the first human in earth were Pilsu Bura and Pilsu Buri and they had five sons and five daughter. These people were known as Modeku-Turueku. Pilsu Bura and Pilsu Buri along with their son and daughter came to India through Singa hill Gate and Bohi hill Gate. Since 6000BC from Kandahar and Indus to Ganga Yamuna bank Modeku and Turueku people were living. During that period (2000BC) the the Hidhu Civilization formed. They were the first one in the world who reached the highest level in tradition and culture. In 2000 BC this tradition resulted into a fire fall due to massive lightening.

In Santali ‘Baha’ song, there is mentioned that-

‘More Sanyo more Siyanda sengel dak dai,
Jari leda hu, manav jari ledai,
Takarepe tahe kaha-hu manav-
Menak menak dhiri kapot,
Menak menak dhiri dandur,
Onde gele tahekana hu manuwa,
Onde gele horolena.

Therefore, in result of the fire fall, though the Adibasi tradition got destroyed yet some survived. While the Aryans came and spread their values, in result of which  Adibasis  failed to make it alive again. Again the Mundas believe that ‘in the time of creation of Babil, after the division of language, human scattered to different directions according to their language. Even the Mundas came across Babul(Mund means intoxicated) Kabul(sober) Mohenjo-Daro(Mayam-j-daru means tree of blood), Harappa(Har-Rappa, means burning the human) etc and enterd into India.

In the modern period, the earliest inhabitants of India depend on the data found during the period of mahenzodaro and Haraapa.  In the Archaeological Excavation work of Mohenjo-Daro, the skeletons which were found matched with that of the Pre-Dravidian Mundas of Chotanagpur.

“The earliest inhabitants of India are now to be judged with the ethnic type of people unearthed at Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa which “represent some culture yet unknown to us of Dravidian or Proto-Austroloid  origin.”

The human remains at Mohenjo-Daro show a close affinity with the Pre-Dravidian Munda of Chotanagpur. (Benerjee : 1975:73)

In the year of 1992 (September), in the book named ‘Pratyogita Darpan’, the head news ‘Hindu Ghati Sabhyata Ka Lipi Padhne Ka Dava’ had put into light that ‘the scripture used by the Adibasis for naming Gods & Goddesses match with that of the Hindu Culture. It is further mentioned the news that the Adibasis came across the areas of Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro  and settled in Chotanagpur.

According to Sir Kamleshwar the Adibasis of India were called Dravidian & Kolerain.

(Benerjee: 1975:65) Sir George Campbell, in his Indian Anthropology divides the ABORIGINAL races in two classes the DRAVIDIAN aborigines and the KOLERIAN or Northern aborigines[ii].

According to Professor Dr. Bhuwan Mohan Das, “the Negroes can’t be the ancient people of India. The Australian was the ancient people of India. In different parts of India since the pre-historic period, the end skeleton was discovered. This proves that the ancient Adibasis were Australian. “

In the present period almost all Anthropologists believe that the ancient people of India are Australian.

The Australians are divided into various classes below –

In the books of Assamese scripture, it is mentioned in Page 15, that the Mid-indians, Kola Munda, Adibasis of Nicobar Island and the Khasis of Meghalaya speak the Austro-Asiatic language.

These facts clearly show that the Adibasi people are the first inhabitants of India and the land son.

Adivasis The first inhabitants of Assam:

According to the scholars the khasis and Syntengs were the first inhabitants of Assam. In the graduation syllabus of Dibrugarh University, in ‘the history of Assam’ Dr. Lakhi Devi mentioned that the most ancient people of Assam were the Khasi and Synteng. They belonged to Austric tribe.. The language of the Munda community of Chotanagpur in India, is similar to that of the Khasi and Synteng. According to Sir Edward Gait, other than similarities in language, the rituals are found to be similar.

(A History of Assam: 24) ‘A peculiar feature of this country is furnished by the curious Monoliths which the Khasis and Syntengs use to erect in memory of their dead. Similar Monoliths are found amongst Hos-Mundas in Chotanagpur who speak dialects belonging to the same family of language.’[iii]

In his book named ‘History and Culture of Khasi people’ Hamlet Brach has uplifted the fact that about similarities in Hos, Munda and Khasi people in (page no 23-28). Dr. Dolteng thought that the Khasi and Adibasi Hos and Munda people belonged to the same tribe.

The above similarity in death uniform considering with regard to the view based on linguistic offerings that the Khasis and Hos-Mundas were originally descended from common-stock[iv] (Hamlet Brach: 28).

Dr. Grension, an eminent linguist, proclaimed that Mundas came through North East.

Dr. Grension, an eminent linguist, in a paper read before the society of Art in March, 1906 to say whether the Mundas or Dravidian or both were aboriginal of India

As for the Mundas, if they were immigrant they must certainly have entered India proper form the North East. (Benerjee: 63)

Similarly many scholars said that the Kolerian Mundas came to India from the North. In the Adibasi rituals and folk-songs, many figures of Assam can be found. According to Toila Hasda, the word ‘Kamrup’ took origin form ‘Kamrup Guru’. The name of the Kamrup Guru can be heard in the Santali Mantra verse, Jharni song etc. No worship song, mantra verse is complete until the pronunciation of the name of Kamrup Guru. In Kamrup city, Kamrup Guru firstly worships the Kamakhya Devi and disseminates the beliefs on matrimonial society. Historically these Gurus are the first who starts the worship on Siva in Kamrup.

 In the Santali song it is –

“Salai Sehu kamrup guru
Jhomor rekelai
Hari hari champa
Baha ranji lai.”[v]

Champa nadi, dibrugarh etc are Austric language. Dibrugarh means ‘Dav-lak-garh’ which means Bath room. The historical Kundil Nagrah was there.  Although there is not written historical evidence, according to the belief of the Adibasis, in North Bihar the king of Videha named Raja Janak was a Munda. During ploughing, the baby girl was found therefore he named him ‘Sita’ (Si-tan in Munda means during plough). The famous king of Jyotishpur, Narkasur was the son of Janak. Therefore once upon a time the Mundas were ruling over the Assam.

The word ‘Khasi’ or ‘Ka-si’ means no ploughing. The Austric Mundas did ploughing but the khasi people did no ploughing that’s why they were called ‘ka-si’ or ‘khasi’. The name of the Mairang hill is originated from ‘Marang Buru’. In Marang Buru, lived the ‘Marang Bonga’ (Marang Monster) and only the red colour hens were sacrificed there.

It can be said that the name of the river Dikhou, Dibang, Dikrung etc were named after the word ‘Da’ (Water). Through these facts we can guess that once the Adibasis were in Assam and the north-east in India.

Explaining the first human settlement in Ass Dr. Lila Gogoi explained that it was found some areas of in the hilly area during the protno prosto to Modern age, evidence with some stone made equipments.  But due to lack of the prostoribhut skeleton or jibasmar, the origin of human cannot be yet acknowledged. It can be forecasted that they were the forefathers of either Austric or Nissad people. Generally, it is known that the complexion of their body was dark, bones were uthonga, flat nose, reddish eyes, golden-brown hairs. The antique people of such kind could not be found now days. More or less these symptoms can be found in the Santali people of Kokrajhar area. Similarly some of the characters found with the communities engage in the Tea Garden area from last 100 years. Same characteristics with the   kol, Bhil, Munda, Shabar etc[vi] (Prantik: 16-31 ……… 91)

The Khasis in actual belong to Mongolia tribe but their language is Kolerian or Australian. The Kol-Mundas lived in Assam before the Khasis came to Assam. The khasis learned the Ausstralian language form them. According to the book (Asomiya Jatir Etebriti) published by the Assam Sahitya Sabha-

“The Australians lived in Assam before the Khasis came into Assam. Then the khasis came and acknowledged the language”

Recent study specially “50 Years After Daojali-Hading”(by Jamir Hazarika (Author), Manjil Hazarika (Author)

. Dr. Bani Kanta Kakati in his book “Mother Goddess Kamakya”  pointed that ancient name of Assam Pragjotishpur[i] is derived from Santali and Mundari Language. Only a Strong community can give the name of any place. The Kings of Pragjotishpur were Asuras. Only the Adivasis uses Asur Surname which is still prevails in the Adivasi community. Modern Assamese Intellectual Dr. Devabrata Sarma the Principal of jorhat College mention in a interview that  Mundas came to Assam in Ancient period in Assam many thousand  years before and not just200 hundred years with the beginning of Tea industry. Col. Dalton,believed that Adivasis Came India from North East.[ii]

[i]Dr.BaniKantaKakati (1998) Mother Goddess Kamaky P20ff

[ii] A  Historical Outline of Pre-British Chotanagpur [from Earliest Times to 1765], by-Mangobinda Banerjee,

 

Therefore the Adibasis are not only the inhabitants of India but of Assam too. But the Adibasis are the earliest inhabitants of Assam, the historical scholars do not want to converse according to this point of view and because of the influence such kind of study, the Adibasis are taken to be called , tea tribes, and outsiders, not of Assam and are treated the same. And because of this thinking of people there is seen barriers in result of which the people of the Adibasi community face problems in social, economic, and political upliftment.

These pre-historic Adibasis first travelled to west direction. Because of the extension of Mongolian, they(majority) went away from Assam. On the other hand, in the war of Hari-Har , the Ban king, Narkasur , Ravan etc. got defeated, in result of which the commencement of the Aryan culture took place. With the commencement of the Aryan ethnicity, the Austric people were bound to give up the ancient religion named “Charna”. The Austric men cut their hairs to bald and burned their hands with fire to make round spots. The Austric women were tattooed with needle on their forehead, chest, and hands. In a sense they were also treated as slaves and were bought & sold. According to the delegation of work, the Adibasis were divided into various social groups. The Kamar, Kumar, Tanti, Telis, Mayra, Sonar, Rajawar, Chundi etc. gave up their Austric individuality and turned to Aryans. But the standing Austric could not be turned to Aryans. Instead of accepting slavery they settled down in ‘Jharkhand’. Including Singhbhum, Manbhum, and Beerbhum a vast state ‘Jharkhand’ was influential under India. Due to dense forest the Aryans were not able to discover the veiled resources.

In the Aryan ethnicity, in the literary ved, Ramayana etc the identity of the Adibasis was covered by naming them as Asur, Ape or Bear. But in reality, this Asur, Ape and Bear like imaginary people in no way existed in India.

In (the Munda and their country: 43ff) Mr.S.C.Roy, by means of the various verses of Ved, Puran etc fortified the fact that the Mundas were called to be Asur .[vii]

Alike the past incident of Aryan ethnicity, today the Adibasi is to face the Jatiyabad. Hiding the actual identity of the Adibasis they were named as tea tribe, tea makers, tea worker, new assemese etc. Rests of the Adibasi people were correlated to an unannounced war and were to be murdered and finished. These self-centered people know that if somehow the Adibasis obtain the light of knowledge and get geared up, then they would demand for their rights and the exploiters would not be able to exploit the Adibasis anymore. Therefore, in the mean time the Adibasi people are to be geared up and be ready for the war against all kinds of Exploitations.

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