Chutia people


The Chutia people are an ethnic group originating in the Indian state of Assam. They are part of the Kachari group. The Chutia people, through the Chutia dynasty, formed their kingdom in the present Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and reigned from 1187 to 1673.
They are an ethnic group of East Asian and South East Asian appearance and make one of the major and earliest section of the plain inhabitants of Assam to have migrated from present-day Southern China. The seat of the Chutias when they were in the ascendant, appears to have been about Lakhimpur and the back of the Subansiri River. They hold all the countries to the north of the Brahmaputra as far down as Sonitpur with the Dikarai and the Ghiladhari rivers as the western borders of their kingdom. On the south bank, they were spread till the Disang river. They spoke a language of Tibeto-Burman origin but over time, started speaking Assamese language and adopted Hinduism.
The Chutia community are recognized as an Other Backward Class by the Government of India and are an ethnic Assamese-speaking group.During colonial period, the Chutia community had the second largest population in Upper Assam. Today, most of them reside in this region of Upper Assam districts and a fair amount are found in Lower Assam and Barak valley.

Etymology

There are many views to the etymology of the word "Chutia".
There are numerous folklores among the community which points to ancestors Bhirmukka and Subahu-Chutan. The Deodhai Buranji mentions Birpal to be a descendant of Bhirmukka. It also reads "Sadiya Korjaku-Desha Chutika-Bansha Bhirmukka". As per the Buranji, due to some misfortune Birpal had to settle down with 60 Chutia families in a hill named Swarnagiri/Sonagiri in the year 1189 A.D. and later became lord over other Chutia states like Rangalgiri, Swetagiri, etc. As per another folklore of the Chutia priestly community Deoris, Bhirmukka was the descendant of a king named Subahu-Chutan. This ancestor can be identified to be the second last king of Bhauma dynasty Subahu.The Deoris called the Chutia kingdom as Chutam.
Another folklore prevalent among the community notes a hill by the name of Sotai-Parvat. The folklore states that at a very early time, the plains of Assam was a marshland devastated by frequent floods which made the people settle in the hills. The sky was said to be very close to the ground and this annoyed the people a lot. One day an old women who knew magic attempted to solve the issue, but instead ended up removing the sky completely. This made the place very cold and dark. So, the people migrated from the place and gathered together in a hill named Sotai-Parvat. They stayed there for sometime and then shifted to the plains due to some reason. One group crossed a mighty river and the other did not. This is how the Chutias scattered around the region. It is interesting to note that there still exists a hill named Sotai pahar in today's Sonitpur district.

Chutia rule (1187-1673)

The Chutia Kingdom was an early medieval state in eastern Assam on the northern bank of the river Brahmaputra. The kingdom absorbed the ancient Pal dynasty and reigned for over 400 years in northeastern Assam and areas of present-day Arunachal Pradesh, with the capital at Sadiya. The kingdom controlled the entire region of present Assam districts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia and parts of Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur.
It was the dominant kingdom in upper Assam till the 16th century in which it expanded from Parshuram Kund in the east to Vishwanath in the west. During the medieval times, the Chutia people were considered to be the most developed group in the northeastern region of India. Most illustrious of the Chutia kings was Gaurinarayan, son of Birpal. He brought many other Chutia groups into his kingdom. In 1224 Ratnadhwajpal defeated Bhadrasena, the king of Swetagiri. Then he went on to subjugate Nyayapal and marched toward Kamatapur, where he formed an alliance with the Kamata ruler by marrying a princess. Then he marched to Dhaka, and made friends with the Gauda ruler.
The hostilities with the Ahoms began when the Chutia Kingdom expanded to the south and during which Ahom king, Sutuphaa, was killed by the Chutia king during a friendly negotiation. This conflict triggered a number of battles between the two sides, which saw great lost of men and money. The simmering dispute often flared till 1523-24 when the Ahoms struck the Chutia Kingdom in its weakest state, they finally took Sadiya and killed the then king Nityapal. The Ahoms established their rule by instituting the position of Sadiyakhowa Gohain, the governor in charge of Sadiya. But the Chutia had dispersed to frontier regions, and continued raids against the Ahoms. It finally ended in 1673, when the Chutias fall under the domination of the Ahoms.

Gunpowder and Cannons

The Chutias were the first people in Assam to use firearms. When the Ahoms annexed Sadiya, they recovered hand-cannons called Hiloi as well as large cannons called Bor-top, Mithahulang being one of them. Before that the Ahoms weapons included bows and arrows. As per History of Assam by Edward Gait, the first usage of gunpowder by Ahoms date back to their war against Turbak in 1532. Up to this time the Ahoms weapons consisted of swords, spears and bows and arrows. The Chutias were defeated in 1524 which shows that the Ahoms learned the use of gunpowder from the Chutias. This is further corroborated by the fact that all the Hiloidari and majority of Hiloi-Khanikars belonged to the Chutia community. It is believed that the gunpowder and firearms in this part of India was of a better quality than rest of India. It is known that when Mir Jumla went back from Assam he took with him 675 big guns and about 4750 maunds of gunpowder in boxes because they were in much better quality than what they used.

Language

The original language of the Chutias belong to the Tibeto-Burman Bodo-Garo languages group, also known by the same name i.e. Chutia. Although, the language is no longer spoken by majority of Chutias, it is well preserved by the Deori people or the priestly section of the group. According to W.B.Brown, the Chutia language was the original language of Upper Assam. According to PRT Gurdon, the Deori-Chutia language is very similar to the Moran dialect of Assamese and it can well be stated that the Moran language was nothing but a transitionary language between Chutia and Assamese language for the Chutias, Morans, and a section of Deoris.
After the advent of Prakrit in the Brahmaputra valley, the language of the Chutias evolved and assimilated with the Prakrit language. This was probably the time when the first form of Assamese originated in Upper Assam. The old Chutiya language was preserved by the Deori priestly section.
When the Ahoms arrived in the 13th century, they found the Chutiya language to be a version of localised Prakrit with a Prakrit script. According to Ahom buranjis, this form of Assamese along with the original Chutiya language were the only languages to have a writing script when they arrived. This form of Assamese was then adopted by the Ahom courts and spread throughout the kingdom. They used this to form the Gargaya Assamese used in later Buranjis. The modern written form of Assamese is mostly influenced by the Gargaya branch of Assamese.

Religion

In the early medieval period, the Chutias followed Folk religion similar to other Tibeto-Burman groups before adopting Hinduism. During the rule of the Chutia dynasty, they worshipped various forms of Kali with the help of their tribal priests, Deuris. Their favourite form of worshipping this deity was that of Kesai Khaiti. A crude form of Hinduism became the state religion at a very early time and influence of tantric form of Shaktism was felt in the royal court. Human sacrifices of criminals was offered to tutelary Goddess, Khesai Khati and pilgrims from region far more remote i.e. Tibet and China brought their offerings as a token of faith for Tantricism.
In modern times, the majority of Chutias are followers of Ekasarana Dharma, a pantheistic religion founded and propagated by Srimanta Sankardeva during the 15th century in Assam.

Subdivisions

Clans

Chutiyas are originally divided into different clans/bangshas which were based on descendants of a common ancestor. These Bangshas were divided into Khels which were professional classes like Now-Holiya, Jaapi-hojiya, Lahing, Bebejia, etc. Khels were further divided into Foids.
Some of the major clans/Bangshas among Chutiyas are:
1)Buruk, 2)Bihiya, 3)Borahi, 4)Lofai, 5)Lahual, 6)Lajum 7)Fesuwal, 8)Lalung, 9) Uta, 10)Har, 11)Chawrok, 12)Bosha, 13)Khas, 14)Lekang, 15)Changsa, 16)Melleng, 17)Laopiya, 18)Kantok, 19)Doisung, 20)Diha.
Some of the Khels are:
1)Rupawal, 2)Lahing, 3)Deori, 4)Kari, 5)Sonowal, 6)Tiruwal, 7)Luholiya, 8)Barisuwa, 9)Kohar, 10)Kumar, 11)Gospuriya, 12)Pangiriyal, 13)Dahotiya, 14)Moliya, 15)Rupsokoliya, 16)Khanikar, 17) Naoholiya, 18)Khatowal, 19)Jaapihojiya, 20)Bebejia, 21)Hiloidhari, 22)Dhekial, 23)Baruwati, 24)Dolakasharia.

Historical divisions

After the fall of the Chutia kingdom, the Chutia people were divided into different groups due to circumstances based on either religious inclinations or associations with other communities. Over time, Chutias divided into five important groups:
The Hindu Chutias represented a large section of the population. These are the Chutias who were initiated by Vaishnavite saints like Shankardev, Madhavdev into Vaishnavism sect of Hinduism. They are popularly termed as Kesa-ponthi as they have been imposed certain restrictions like use of animal meat and alcohols in their rites by the Vaishnavite community. The other group Poka-ponthi have retained their tribal customs in their original form.
Among the Pokaponthis, the Ahom Chutias formed the major sub-division. They were termed as such as they intermarried with the Ahoms. Most of them have been absorbed into the Ahom fold. They held different position in administration of the Ahom kingdom as seen with Momai Tamuli Borbarua, Langi Panisiya Borphukan, Rupchandra Borborua, Lachit Borphukan, Thumlung Borgohain and many more. Majority of Ahoms of the Chetia clan as well as the Lahon clan originated from the Chutia community.
It is believed that the Borahi Chutias were a sub-group of Chutias who had certain religious rites different from other Chutias. The Buranjis mention classes like the Naoboicha and Hiloidari as being originally Chutias and included in the Borahi fold. Moreover, the Tai word used for the Borahis was Kha-lang meaning "slaves that lived below the Chang" indicating that the term "Borahi" was a derogatory term originally used to refer to the subjugated Chutias during the early years of Ahom rule. Although most of them were absorbed into the Ahom group, some of the Chutias living in Dhemaji, Golaghat and Sibsagar districts still identify themselves as Borahi-Chutias.
Miri Chutias were the Chutias who lived in the bordering villages of the northern bank of Brahmapurtra and fled to the Miri hills during the Ahom invasions. They intermarried with the Mishing and were subsequently absorbed by the later. They chiefly belonged to the Bihiya, Buruk and Bebejia clans.In several villages, Mising families still offer annual homage of ‘Jal-Pinda’ to some Chutiya Mine or Chutiya grandmother which indicates these to be the descedants of Chutias. One of the two groups among the Mising tribe, the Barogram, were referred to as Chutia-Miri which indicates that these Mishings were earlier subjects of the Chutia kings. These people include clans like Pegu, Doley, Patir indicating the Chutia influence.There is a large area in Dhemaji district inhabitated by Barogram Mishings termed as Chutia-mirigaon.
Deori Chutias were originally the priests of the Chutiya people. They were retained in Sadiya by the Ahoms after the Ahom-Chutia wars. Thus, they separated from the others and later took the identity of a different tribe.

Traditional Attire

Male Attire

The traditional attire of the Chutia men includes the Chutia paguri, Chutia sula, Churia, Gamusa/Bisuwan, Cheleng sador and Tongali. The royals and the rich in the past wore clothes made out of Muga and Paat Silk, whereas the ordinary class wore Cotton and Eri Silk. The royals also used other clothing items like the Panikamoli cloth as well as the Aruwan.In the ancient times, royal men wore jewelry items like Longkeru, Mota Moni as well as golden footwear. The royals also used silk umbrellas with gold embroidery known as Gunakara..
Some components of the male attire include:
There were several types of Chutia headgears or paguris in the past as per the style of tying the knots. The three primary types are Xatphul/Sarpa Paag, Ronuwa/Junga Paag and the Enajori Paag. Out of this, the Xatphul and Enajori paguri are still worn. The Xatphul type is worn by the priests/Deoris and is snake-shaped; hence the name Sarpa. Today, the Chutias use this type as their traditional Chutia headgear. The Ronuwa type was worn in the battle field and can be seen in the terracota plates of Bhismaknagar as well as the Tamreswari temple.The word Enajori means strong family bond. The Enajori type was a commoners turban which is the one worn in Bihu dances today.
The Chutias often wear their Churia short. The Deori-Chutia word for cloth is Iñ/Isa. The word Churia is possibly derived from Churu-isa in Deori-Chutia meaning short cloth.The Churias used by Chutia men are very well depicted in the terracota plates of Bhismaknaagar as well as the Tamreswari temple. As per Buranjis, the Ahom royals didn't allow any common man to wear dhotis till their ankles which may be the reason why Chutias donot wear it that way.
  • Gamusa and Bisuwan
The Gamusa is an important part of the Chutia attire and is used as a scarf. The Bisuwan is a varient of the Gamusa used during the Bihu/Bisu festival. The difference between the Gamusa and the Bisuwan is mainly the design and use. Although both the scarfs consist of red side borders, the Bisuwan consists of floral patterns as cross border at one end, instead of the regular plain red cross borders of the Gamusa. Gamusa is a regular scarf for daily use by the household. On the other hand, the Bihuwan is a special gift presented during the Bihu festival. On such occasion, respect for elders, affection for the young, love between young men and women blossom into ceremonial expression. That expression takes the form of a presentation of the bihuwan with special floral patterns.
  • Tangali
The Tangali is a waist wrapper worn by males or used as belt to gird the waist. In the past, a white Tangali was worn by warriors in the battlefield which would turn red with blood on their return. This symbolism later made way for the red Tangali which is worn by young boys when they perform Bihu Huchori. The two ends of Tangali are trimmed with fringes and ornamented with floral motifs of coloured threads. The Tangali can be seen in the terracota plates of Bhismaknagar as well as the Tamreswari temple.
The Cheleng Chador is another important component of the Chutia attire. It is usually wraped around the shoulders similar to a shawl and is about 9 feet in length. The word Cheleng-chandor is possible derived from the word Deori-Chutia word Cheleng-Isa meaning long chest wrapper. The Deori Bishu songs have mentions of Cheleng cloth in many instances such as:
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Women Attire

Among the Chutia people, women of every age group have their own unique clothing style. Girls until puberty wear a Gamusa called Baiga as an upper garment and a Mekhela/Igu as a lower garment. In the olden times, it was either made of Muga/Paat or cotton. After puberty and until marriage, the girls wear a Riha/Risa instead of Baiga as the upper garment. This custom of changing the clothing style after puberty is a tradition of the tribe. During marriages, the brides wear a Paat/Muga Riha along with Mekhela and Chador. The Dukothia, Chador and the Kokal-mora are signs of marriage.
The brides also wore Harudai Jaapi as headgear in the past. A married women usually wears a mekhela, kokal-bandha as well as Gathigi and a Chador to cover their head. The Mekhela of married women is a longer cloth which is worn up to their bosom unlike that of girls worn from the waist and downwards. The Riha of women is worn only on special occasions like Bihu, marriage ceremonies, temple visits, rituals, etc. Chutia traditional ornaments include Madoli, Dugdugi, Junbiri,‌ Thuria, and Gam-kharu. It is interesting to note that the girls of the community seldom wore earrings and the Thuria earrings symbolised the marital status of a woman. For marriage, the ears of the bride were pierced and the diameter of the holes was increased so that the Thuria earrings would fit into it.
Some components of the female attire include:
The Mekhela is the most important component of the Chutia female attire. Until marriage, girls wear the mekhela from the waist downwards, which is later tied up to the bosom after marriage. The Deori-Chutia word for Mekhela is Igu. Another cloth called Kokal-bondha is also worn above the mekhela by married women. The Chutias consider the red-embroidered Dabua-Bosa Mekhela to be their symbolic attire. Apart from the primary Dabua-bosa design, the Mekhela also consists of Buta-bosa and Phul-bosa at the lower end, which generally uses white and black threads.
Riha refers to the chest wrapper worn by Chutia women. It is derived from the Deori-Chutia word Isa The Riha is a narrow cloth as indicated by its name. It can be divided into two types. One worn by girls and the other by married women. Unmarried girls wear the Riha from the chest to the waist, while married women wear it by wrapping around the shoulder similar to the Chador. After the introduction of the blouse, the Riha has become pointless as a component of a girl's attire and is being replaced by the Chador-Blouse ensemble. But, among married women, it is still being although in a different fashion. This discontinued use of the Riha/Risa among girls have made people believe that the Riha is only an attire of married women which isn't true. The style of wearing a Riha beneath the Chador among married women indicates that the Riha is much older. The Muga Riha/Risa forms a part of the symbolic attire of the Chutia people. Muga silk is an ancient heritage of the Chutia people. As per the Naoboicha Phukan Buranji, Muga was adopted in the Ahom courts at a later period by employing a thousand Muga producers and weavers from the Chutia community. It consists of patterns known as Kesh-bosa in both the ends. This is evident from the Chutia Bihu song, "Loskosi loskosi, Riha lobi Kesh basi". There are several types of folds involved in wearing a Chutia Riha. These include Japoni, Lahi-bhaj, Kakhori-bhaj, Khamusia-bhaj, Baiga and Kuwum.
Gathigi is the headgear of Chutia women which consists of a Gamusa tied around the hair. The word Gathigi is derived from Gathi which means "knot" in Assamese language. It is mostly worn to protect the hair from dirt and also acts as a hair-covering while cooking. It is mostly worn to protect the hair from dirt and also acts as a hair-covering while cooking. The Bihu songs well establish the historical link between the traditional red-white Gamusa with Sadiya. '
  • Dukothia, Chador and Kokalmora
The Chutia Dukothia is a cloth of 2 kathi or 6 feet in length and wrapped around the head and the upper body, while the Chador is about 8-9 feet in length and wrapped from the waist to the upper body and head. Wearing the Dukothia or Chador is compulsory for married women in front of elders or on religious occasions. These are mostly made of cotton or endi silk. The Kokal-mara, on the other hand, is a waist wrapper cloth. It is known as Joka-Chiba in the Deori-Chutia language and is worn above the mekhela and tied to the waist. The Dukothia, Chador along with the Kokal-mora symbolises the marital status of a woman. In spite of this, some girls wear the Dukothia as a scarf too.
  • Hasoti and Dabua Katari
The Hasoti and Dabua Katari are both age-old heritage of the Chutia tribe and form an important component of the Chutia female attire. Hasoti is a small red handkerchief which is tied to the Mekhela. On the other end of the Hasoti, a pocket clasp knife called Dabua Katari is tied. It is used by Chutia women to do daily chores like cutting areca nuts or betel nut leaves. The Dab/Dabua Katari is also found among Boros and Dimasas which they call as Daba knife. The Dab Katari finds mention in Deori Bishu songs as:
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The Jaapi has always been an integral part of Chutia heritage. The Chutia brides wore a Sorudoi Jaapi during marriage ceremonies which were continued up until recently.As per historical text, the last Chutia king Nitipal had given two gold and silver embroidered Japis to the Ahom king as gifts in his attempts for a treaty. Besides this, after annexing Sadiya, the Ahom king received much treasure and bounty among which included Jaapis. During the Ahom rule, Jaapi-hajiya Khel was monopolised by Chutias, which indicate that they were experts in weaving Japis.There is mention of Jaapi in Deori Bishu songs as:

Culture and Traditions

Rituals

The rituals of the Chutia community have a tribal-tantric folk religion base with an influence of Hinduism. The spread of neo-Vaishnavite religion brought some reforms among a section of Chutias like who are now known as Kesa-ponthi. They are named as such because they have been imposed certain restrictions like use of animal meat and alcohol in their rites. Others who have retained the age-old customs in its original form are termed as Poka-ponthis. Some of the rituals include Sabahs like Holita loguwa, Aai, Panitula Borsabah, Dangoria, Borsarakia, Lakhimi/Minuchi Adora, Gorokhia, Khuti, Jal Devota, Jal kuwari, Apeswari, Kalika; Hewa/Pujas like Deo-kuber, Suvasani, Moh jokh Raati Hewa, Haun puja, and other rituals like Bhekulir Biya, Na-khuwa, Nangol dhua, Bhoral pitha dia, Nangol pitha dia. A few of the rituals are discussed below.

Deo-kuber

The Deo-kuber ritual is a tribal-tantrik form of ancestoral worship. It is also known as Deo-kuber Holita loguwa hokam as earthen lamps are lighted in the name of the god of wealth Kuber as well as Kundi. The other Bodo origin tribes like Boros, Koch and Rabhas also celebrate a similar festival which they call as Kuber Brai. During the rule of the Chutia kings, this ritual was often organised for the welfare of the state. In this ceremony the religious symbols of Kuber god, i.e. Golden cat and Golden sword-shield are placed at a pedestal and worshipped. During this ceremony, rice beer, Handoh guri, puffed rice, areca nut, betel leaves, several kinds of Pitha, duck meat and posola are prepared. A pair of a male and female duck are sacrificed in the name of Gira-Girasi and smoked meat is offered along with two servings of Chuje to the deities. After the Deori completes his prayers and rituals, the duck is prepared into a dish and distributed among the people as offerings from God.

Dangoria Sabah

The Dangoria is considered to be a village deity among the Chutias. According to the ancient beliefs, his spirit lives under the largest tree of the village and is supposed to protect the villagers from all troubles. Children are not allowed to go near the tree after the sunsets. The villagers believe that the spirit of the Dangoria roams around the village at night holding his Dang. His spirit warns the people who are likely to face trouble in the upcoming days by hitting the gate of the family with his stick. If the household hears the noise, they organise the Dangoria ritual. The ritual is known as "Rangason" in Deori-Chutia language.
The ritual is generally organised near the tree where the spirit is believed to reside. Nowadays, many people organise it in their homes instead. The ritual is performed in several ways. The Poka-panthi sect offers rice wine along with meat while the Kesa-panthi sect offers rice-powder, milk-pudding and bananas. The Poka-panthis have three types of Dangoria rituals according to the type of bird being sacrificed. The ritual is mostly performed during the evening time. In this ritual, first earthen lamps are lit under the tree. Then, an offering of Chuje or Payakh is offered along with four pairs of betel leaf andareca nuts, Banana Khar and vegetable curry. The Poka-panthis also sacrifice the birds and cook the meat along with Korai guri. Later, the priests prays to the spirit of the Dangoria deity and blesses the household. After that,‌ the food is eaten and the ritual ends.

Apeswari Sabah

The Apeshwari Sabha is organised to worship Apeshwari Ai. Whenever a child in a household grows weak or an infant can't speak his first words, it is believed that the goddess has cursed the family. Therefore, in order to ask forgiveness for their sins, the family conducts the ritual. This ritual is also found among the Deoris and call the deity as Apeswari or Yoi Midi.
In this ritual, the house is first clean thoroughly and all the used clothes are washed. Then, some girls as well as old women from the village are called to the household. They are named as Gopinis and are made to sit in a circle in the courtyard. After that, the family brings in the offerings which include rice-powder, unpasteurised milk and bananas. Then, at the front of the women, a sieve is placed on top of which the offerings are arranged on a banana leaf and a white cloth. Next, earthen lamps are lit and the area is decorated with flowers and betel nuts. The Gopinis then recite prayers to the goddess so as to bless the household especially the child. The family is asked to come and pray to the goddess and the Gopinis themselves bless the child/infant. After this is over, a set of offering is separated for the goddess and offered to her at the backyard of the house or in an open field. The rest is given to the Gopinis as offferings for their service.

Suvasani

The Suvasani ritual is mostly carried out at night in the months of April/May for the well-being of family/village members. Suvasani Ai is a household deity. During ancient times, the front room of the house was kept for the worship of this household deity. The members of the family generally treated the room as a protected room. In the ritual, first the Deori prays to the goddess Suvasani for the welfare of the family/village and then distributes prasad along with holy water to the people for purifying their souls. Then, ducks are sacrificed by the priest with the help of other people. After the sacrifice is over, the male members of the family/village get together and organise a feast. This ritual is also found among the Tengaponia clan of the Deoris and call the deity as Suvasani or Yanyo Midi. Due to the influence of Neo-Vaishnava faith, a large number of Chutias have either left performing the ritual or have replaced the duck with an ash gourd.