Rabha people
 | This article possibly contains original research. (April 2021) |
 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 357,000 (2011) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 India | |
| Assam | 296,189[1] |
| Meghalaya | 32,662[2] |
| West Bengal | 27,820[3] |
| Languages | |
| Assamese, Rabha, Bengali | |
| Religion | |
Majority Hinduism (94.36%)Minority  Christianity (5.17%) | |
The Rabha people are a
The Rabha community have a rich, multi-faceted and distinct culture of their own. The Rabha society is
The traditional economy of the Rabhas in general, is based on agriculture, forest based activities and weaving. In the past, the Rabhas used to practice shifting cultivation. They continued to cultivate the land with Gogo or bill-hook. Later they took up the job of settled cultivation and started cultivation with plough. Besides cultivation, hunting was also an old practice of Rabha people. Weaving was a traditional occupation of the Rabha women.
The Rabhas are mostly found in Lower Assam on the left bank of the Brahmaputra, in the districts of Goalpara and Kamrup. Some are found in the right bank districts of Baksa, Udalguri and Kokrajhar. In Meghalaya, the Rabhas mainly live in West Garo Hills, East Garo Hills, and Ribhoi districts. In West Bengal, the Rabha mainly inhabit the districts of Alipurduar, Cooch Behar and Uttar Dinajpur.
Language
The Rabha language is closely related to neighbouring Boro and Garo, as well as many other Sino-Tibetan languages of Assam. The language was formerly spoken by all 11 Rabha clans: Maithori, Rongdani, Pati, Dahori, Dotla, Halua, Betolia, Hanna, Sunga, Modahi, Kocha Rabhas. Only the Rongdani, Maithori and Kocha clans still speak Rabha, although its usage is declining among them as well.[6] The Rabha language is only spoken by a minority of the Rabhas, most of whom speak Assamese in Assam and Meghalaya and Bengali in West Bengal.
See also
- Rabha language
- Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council
- Bishnuprasad Rabha
- Assamese language
- Himalayan Languages Project
Notes
- ^ "Table ST-14 A: Scheduled tribe population by religious community". 2011 Census of India. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
- ^ "Table ST-14 A: Scheduled tribe population by religious community". 2011 Census of India. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
- ^ "Table ST-14 A: Scheduled tribe population by religious community". 2011 Census of India. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
- ^ "Rabha, Bodo and Garo, all of which belong to a close-knit group of Tibeto-Burman languages."(Joseph 2006:1)
- ^ "There stills exist another group of Rabhas called the Kocha or Koch"(Joseph 2006:2)
- ^ "There are eight sub-branches of the Rabhas. Among them Maitori, Rangdani and Koch or Kocha are the major sub-divisions of the Rabhas. They have been maintaining language and culture."(Basumatārī 2010:8)
References
- Mitra, A. (1953), West Bengal: District Handbooks: Jalpaiguri, Govt. of West Bengal
- Basumatārī, Phukana Candra (2010). The Rabha Tribe of North-East India, Bengal and Bangladesh. Mittal Publications.
- Joseph, Umbavu (2006). Languages of the Greater Himalayan Region, Volume 1 Rabha. Brill.
Further reading
- Saha, Rebatimohon (1987) "Jalpaiguri Jelar Koch-Rabha Samaj" (in Bengali) published in Ananda Gopal Ghosh edited Madhuparni, Special issue on Jalpaiguri District.
- Raha, M.K. (1974) "The Rabhas of Western Duars: Structural Analysis of a Changing Matrilineal Society", Bulletin of the Cultural Research Institute, Vol. 10 (1 & 2).
- Ghosh, Saumitra (1990) "Vanbasi Rabhara" (in Bengali) Desh, Vol 57 (12), January 20.
- Roy Choudhury, B. (1970) "Social Mobility Movement among the Rabhas of North Bengal", Man in India, Vol 50 (1).
- Gupta, Pabitra Kumar (1977) "Uttarbanger Rahba Samaj O Dharmasanskar Aandolon", (in Bengali) in Madhuparni: Special North Bengal Issue, 1977.
- Sarma, Dr. Nabin Ch (2006) "Oral Songs of Tribal Communities of Assam" a project of Assam Sahitya Sabha, Assam Institute of Research for Tribals and Scheduled Castes