Tripuri people

The Tripura/Tipra (also known as Tipra, Twiprasa, Tripuri, Tiprasa, Twipra) are an ethnic group originating in the Indian state of Tripura. They are the original inhabitants of the Twipra/Tripura Kingdom in North-East India and Bangladesh. The Tripuri people through the Manikya dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Tripura for more than 2000 years until the kingdom joined the Indian Union on 15 October 1949. Under the presidency of Queen Kanchan Prava Devi, mother of Kirit Bikram Kishore Deb Barman.

Tipra/Tripura (Tripuri) people
Tipra children in traditional attire grouping up for song presentation
Regions with significant populations
3.5 million  India,  Bangladesh
Languages
Kokborok
Religion
Hinduism, Animism, Christianity
Related ethnic groups

History
Distribution of Tipra, as reported in the Language Survey of India 1903
A rigwnai pattern.

Tripuris/Tripuras entered their present country through its north-eastern corner, settled there and gradually expanded their settlement and suzerainty over the whole of Tripura. They were able to expand their influence as far south as Chittagong, as far west as Comilla and Noakhali (known during the British period as 'plains Tipperah')and as far north as Sylhet (all in present Bangladesh). In the year 1512 the Tipperas were at the height of their supremacy when they defeated the Mughals. The ruling dynasty passed through several periods of history and ruled Tripura for several centuries till 18th century, after which Plain Tippera became a colony of Britain and Hill Tippera remains Independent Princely State. On 14 October 1949, Hill Tippera was merged into the newly independent India as Tripura State.

Language

The Tripuri people mainly speak dialects of Kokborok, the language which comprises the standard dialects of Debbarma, Tripura, Murasing, Jamatia, Noatia, Reang(Bru), Koloi, Uchoi, and Rupini Halam spoken across the state and mostly in TTAADC areas, and it is the second official language of Tripura. There are estimated to be more than one million speakers of the dialects of Tripuri in Tripura, and additional speakers in Mizoram and Assam in India, and in Nepal, as well as Sylhet and the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh.

Religion

People follow Hinduism, Animism, Christianity,etc.According to the 2011 census, 92.50% of the Tripuri people are Hindus.[1]

Society
A rigwnai pattern.

The indigenous Tripuri people comprises hill communities viz., Tipra, Reang, Jamatia, Kaipeng, Noatia, Koloi, Halam, etc. who migrated to this land in successive waves. They grew in isolation and were sometimes subjugated by one another. Each community had its own elementary social and administrative organisation starting from the village level and up to the chieftainship of the whole tribe.

These indigenous communities enjoy their traditional freedom based on the concept of self-determination. The relation between the king and the subject communities was as Maharaja (king) of Tripura-Missip or liaison officer Roy or headman of the community – Sardar of chief of the village – the individual. Earlier, only the Debbarma or Tipra ethnic group was included in the Tripuri Kshatriya group. Later, the Raja included other groups like Reang, Jamatia and Noatia as well, in an attempt to foster a sense of kindness among the people under his region.[2]

The Tripuri people have a rich historical, social and cultural heritage which is totally distinct from that of the mainland Indians. Their distinctive culture – as reflected in their dance, music, festivals, management of community affairs, dress and food habits – has a strong base. Kokborok, the lingua franca of the 12 largest linguistic groups of the indigenous Tripuris and other dialects spoken in Tripura are of the Tibeto-Burman group and distinct from those spoken in India. There is no influence from those spoken by other peoples in the north-eastern region.

The main indigenous Tripuri communities are:

Tripuri games and sports
Main article: Tripuri games and sports

Like many parts of the world the Tripuri has traditional sports. It is common in almost all the clans of Tripuri. They are called thwngmung in Tripuri. Nowadays these traditional sports are being abandoned gradually, as Tripuris are attracted to modern games and sports. But some of the sports still played and preferred in rural Tripura.

Notable people

See also

References
  1. http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_st_tripura.pdf
  2. Asian Studies, Volume 4 by Netaji Institute for Asian Studies, p.4
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