Lhoba people

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Lhoba
(Bokaer, Luoba, Lhopa, Loba, Yidu, Bengru)^{[citation needed]}

Regions with significant populations
China (Tibet)	3,682 (2010)[1]
Languages
Bokar, Idu Mishmi, Adi, Tibetic languages
Religion
Animism, Christianity [2]

Lhoba

In 1965 the Chinese government officially recognised Lhoba as one of the 56 ethnic groups in China.^[3] Lhobas are one of the smallest ethnic minority groups in China.^[9] Numbering 3,682 people, they make up about 0.1% of the population of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Etymology

Lhoba is the Tibetan

The area nowadays inhabited by the modern Lhoba people was known in medieval texts as Lhoyü (or Luoyu, lho-yul, ལྷོ༌ཡུལ་). Lhoyü is now the name of an area in Tibet, while Lower Lhoyü is part of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Luoyu came under the control of Tibet from the 7th century onwards.^[10]

It is not currently known whether modern-day Lhoba peoples in fact inhabited Luoyu at the time of Tibetan conquest, nor whether languages spoken by modern-day Lhoba peoples are indigenous to this region or not. While most Tani tribespeople living in modern-day Arunachal Pradesh point to a traditional homeland in or around this region,^[11] there is currently no independent means of verification.

Most people designated as "Lhoba" within the modern-day

Other groups identified by Chinese authorities as "Lhoba" include the Tagin people, who speak the Bangni-Tagin language.^[14]

Lhobas, with respect to the Chinese perception of Southern Tibet (administered by India as Arunachal Pradesh), have been part of Chinese documentary films and articles. This has been criticised as propaganda by India-based commentators such as Claude Arpi.^[15][16]

Customs and dress

Many customs, habits and dress of different clan members may vary. The Lhoba men in Luoyu wear knee-length black jackets without sleeves and buttons made out of sheep's wool. They wear helmet-like hats either made from bearskin or woven from bamboo stripes or rattan laced with bearskin. They also wear ornaments that include earrings, necklaces made of beads, and bamboo plugs inserted into the ear lobe. The Lhoba women wear narrow-sleeved blouses and skirts of sheep's wool. The weight of the ornaments the womenfolk wear is a symbol of their wealth, which includes shells, silver coins, iron chains bells, silver and brass earrings. Both sexes usually go barefooted. Their dress are quite similar to the Tibetan costume. The Idu men wear a sword and waterproof cane helmet, and a chignon on their hair and shields made of buffalo hide. Yidu weaponry includes straight Tibetan sword, dagger, bow and poisoned arrows.

Among the Yidu Lhoba (Idu Mishmi), one of the sub-tribes is the Bebejia Mishmi. Bebejia Mishmi women are expert weavers and make excellent coats and blouses.^[17]

The Idu houses are divided into a number of rooms for use of every married person. Unmarried girls and boys sleep in separate rooms. A fireplace occupies the centre of the room, round which the inmates sleep. The Idu are polygamous and each wife has their own rooms in the house. The family is organised in

The wooden pillow of the master of the house is considered taboo to the inmates of the house as it is considered improper to sit upon it. Guests are not allowed to enter the room of the master of the house. The animal skulls preserved in the house are considered to be sacred.

The slash and burn method of cultivation, known as

The Idu calendar was based upon the menstrual period of the women and dating is done by untying one each from a number of knots put on a piece of string. Traditional village panchayat (abbala) settle all internal disputes within the tribe.

Culture and religion

Few Lhoba speak the

The majority of Lhoba(Bokar)in India have now been converted to Christianity. Most are Pentecostal, although other denominations are also present.

The Lhoba engage in barter trade with the

There are four funeral variants among the Yidu Lhoba (Idu Mishmi), and people of different social status would choose to conduct any of the variants. In all variants, an Igu priest would recite mourning songs for the dead. Mithuns are sacrificed in the Yah variant of the funeral, which lasts for three to four days.

Lhoba boys are trained to hunt at an early age. Women have low status in society and have no inheritance rights from their husbands or fathers.

The Lhoba enjoy a subtropical/warm temperate climate.

Cuisine

Lhoba cuisine varies across regions. Staple foods are dumplings made of maize or millet flour, rice or buckwheat or sago palm starch. In places near Tibetan communities people eat tsampa, potatoes, buttered tea and spicy food. Heavy drinkers and smokers, at celebrations the Lhobas sing and drink wine to celebrate good harvests and good luck. Buttered tea is their favorite drink. However, due to lack of salt, they suffer endemic goiter. Many are either born deaf or mute. Their population declined until recently due to this disease, and due to their low population, many either intermarry with Tibetans or with the tribal groups of Arunachal Pradesh, notably the Monpa.

Dengba people

The Deng people (or Dengba,

References