Nomenclature of States in North East India

North East India is the north easternmost part of India. It comprises seven states; namely Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland. The states of Assam (Kamarupa & Davaka), Tripura, and Manipur are ancient in existence, while rest curbed out from Assam in late twentieth century, i.e., Nagaland in 1963, Meghalaya in 1972, Arunachal Pradesh in 1975 and the state of Mizoram come into existence as late as 1987.

Etymologies of state names

It is common in names of North Eastern Indian states like rest of country of usage of Sanskrit word referring to quality or feature of land.

Assam

The name of Assam state derived from the Sanskrit word 'Asama', which means unequal or uneven referring to its geology which is equal mix of river valleys and hills.[1]

Manipur

Manipur state known by said Sanskrit word which means land of jewels. It seems that naming the said name in account of the past prosperity of land.[2]

Tripura

Tripura by which said state is known is another Sanskrit word which means "lands of three cities".

Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh is a Sanskrit word which means land of rising sun as state is located in the easternmost part of the country and gets first sunrise in the country.[3]

Meghalaya

The state of Meghalaya has reputation of having highest rainfall as compared to other states of country. The wettest place in the world Mawsynram, is located in Meghalaya. Said feature of land is reflected in its name in Sanskrit which means Abode of clouds.[4]

Mizoram

The states of Nagaland and Mizoram are exceptions where Sanskrit words are not used in the state name. Mizoram was named after the Mizo tribal dialect and refers to their land.[5]

Nagaland

Tha name Nagaland consists of two words: the 'Naga', a native term for umbrella of tribes and English word 'land', collectively meaning land of Naga tribes. Until recent times term 'Naga' was foreign to Naga tribes themselves, there was no generic term for entire group of tribes, who rather identify themselves as Konyak, Tangkhul, Angami, Sema, Lotha, Ao, Pangmei, Zeliangrong, Mao and Khiumniungan etc.

The word 'Naga' is attributed to two origins. One theory states that in Myanmar, Naga tribes are called Na-Ka, which in Burmese language means 'people with pierced ear lobes'. The British explorers which comes into contact with Myanma in 1795 and with Nagas since 1832, heard about Na-Ka group and anglicised it as Naga, as found in British anthropological and official records.

Another theory points to the usage by people of Assam where Naga meaning 'naked', is used for 'primitive man living in natural surroundings in uncorrupted form'.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Assam Etymology". indiatravelogue.com. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
  2. ↑ Mee, Foley, Erin B.,Helene P. (2011), Antigone on the Contemporary World Stage, Oxford University Press, p. 111
  3. ↑ G. K. Ghosh, Shukla Ghosh (1995), Indian Textiles: Past and Present, p.229 Arunachal Pradesh may be termed as the land of rising sun since it in this part of the country that Sun ray first kisses Indian soil. In other words Sun rises first in Arunachal Pradesh before rest of our country.
  4. ↑ "Meghalaya Etymology". nenanews.com. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
  5. ↑ "Mizoram Etymology". en.nlup.mizoram.gov.in. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
  6. ↑ A. S. Atai Shimray (2005), Let Freedom Ring?: Story of Naga Nationalism, p.29
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