Sonowal Kacharis

The Sonowal Kacharis (Assamese language: সোনোৱাল কছাৰী ) are one of the indigenous assamese people of North East India. They belong to the Sino Tibetian language family and are closely associated with other ethnic groups of people of Assam which are commonly referred as Kirata, Kirati or Kacharis (first classified by S Endle).

They practised the task of procuring, washing and activities related to gold jewelry during the Ahom rule. Due to distinct customs and dress and hymns and chants of Bihu as well as religious cerimonies and folklores we can clearly see how they are a part of Kachari community in Assam. They are predominantly inhabitants of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur district, Tinisukia and Dibrugarh districts of Assam.[1]

Origins

The Sonowal Kacharis belong to the Mongoloid race of people. Although the origin of all Kacharis is the same, there are many clans of Kacharis, among them ‘Bodowsa’, ‘Dhyan or Dehan’, ‘Lathowsa’, ‘Thawthensa’, ‘Hafalongsa’ and ‘Hammusa’. The Sonowal Kacharis are descendants of the ‘Hammusa’ family.

A folklore of the Sonowal Kacharis relates that:

"Having being blessed by the ‘Khiring Raja’, the god worshipped by the Sonowal Kacharis, the wife of a Sonowal Kachari named Manik gave birth to a cat. The cat was kept in a ‘Hariyahar duli’ (mustard loaded bamboo basket), and the cat turned into a golden cat, surprisingly. On having this heavenly gift from ‘Khiring Raja’, Manik could become the king of Halali. Later he bequeathed his kingdom to his grandson Mukuta."

It may be that there were at least two migrations from north and northeast into the valley of the Brahmaputra. One entered into Bengal and Assam through the valley of Tista, Dharla and Sonkosh and the other taking its way through Suwansiri, Dibang and Dihong into upper Assam, and the Sonowal Kacharis are possibly from the second group.[2]

Famous People

References

  1. ↑ Allele Records site
  2. ↑ tribes of assam

https://books.google.co.in/books/about/3) The Kacharis by Sidney Endle . 4)https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assamese_people 5)https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachari 6)https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Tibetan_languages

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