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THE KACHARIS

MACMILLAN AND
LONDON

CO., LIMITED

BOMBAY CALCUTTA
MELBOURNE
.

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

NEW YORK
ATLANTA

BOSTON
CHICAGO
SAN FRANCISCO
.

THE MACMILLAN

CO. OF CANADA, LTD.

TORONTO

S.

ENDLE.

Front a Photograph by Messrs. Bourne

<&

Shepherd.

THE KACHARIS
BY THE LATE

REV.

SIDNEY ENDLE

For many years Chaplain of TTezpur and in charge of

the Kachdri Mission of the Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel at that place.

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY
J.

D.

ANDERSON,

LC.S. (RETIRED)

Published under the orders of the Government of Eastern

Bengal and Assam

MACMILLAN AND
ST.

CO.,

LIMITED

MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON

1911

RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LTD.,

ST., STAMFORD ST., S.E.

BRUNSWICK

AND BUNG AY, SUFFOLK.

N.B.

The

Editorial

Notes in

this

volume are from the pen

"

of Colonel P. R. T. Qurdon, LA., Director of Ethnology

the Government of Eastern Bengal and Assam.

KANSAS CITY

fiVIQ.)

PU6UC

to

CONTENTS
SECTION

I
PAGE

CHARACTERISTICS, PHYSICAL AND MORAL

AND HISTORIC SUMMARY, ETC

SECTION

ORIGIN, DISTRIBUTION
1

II

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE

11

SECTION

III

LAWS AND CUSTOMS

24

SECTION IT
33

RELIGION

SECTION

V
54

FOLK-LORE, TRADITIONS AND SUPERSTITIONS

SECTION VI
71

OUTLINE GRAMMAR, ETC.

APPENDIX

I.

APPENDIX

II.

TRIBES CLOSELY ALLIED TO KACHARIS

SPECIMENS OP THE BODO LANGUAGE

.....
.....

81
97

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
ENDLE. From a Photograph by Messrs. Bourne & Shepherd
GROUP OF MECHES (Goalpara District). From a Photograph
S.

by Mr.

T. E.

........
.....
..........
........

Emerson

WOMAN WEAVING
KACHARI CLOTHES

Frontispiece

To face

p.

20

(Kamrup)

KACH!BI WOMEN FISHING (Kamrup).

From

21

,,

a Photograph

by Mrs. H. A, Colquhoun

KACH!RI GIRLS PLAYING JEW'S HARP

Photograph by Mrs* H. A, Colquhoun
(Euphorbia spkndens).
Mrs. H. A. Colquhoun

From

GORGE OF THE RIVER MANAS.

H. A. Colquhoun

KAOH!RI MAN (Kamrup

Mrs. H. A. Colquhoun

From

36

, 9

From a

.....
..... ...
......

District).

Mrs. H. A. Colquhoun

30

55

a Photograph by

VILLAGE INTERIOR (Kamrup District).

Photograph by Mrs. H. A. Colquhoun

KACH!RI GIRL (Kamrup

22

From a

.....

(Gongina).

........

Sun TREE

56

,,

a Photograph by
67

From a Photograph by Mrs.

.

........

District).

From

a Photograph by

OF KACHIRI MEN (Kamrup District).

Photograph by Mrs. H. A. Colquhoun

From

.....

GROUP

96

,,

105

3 ,

113-

IN COLOUR
KACH^RI MAN

To face

KACH^RI GIRL FISHING

KACH!RI WOMAN

MECH GIRL

....

MAP SHOWING AREA OCCUPIED BY THE BODO RACES At

p.

10

35

16

55

60

,,

82

end of Volwne

INTRODUCTION
IT is with some diffidence that I comply with Colonel
Gurdon's request that I should add a few words of preface and
explanation to the last literary work of an old friend and pastor,
loss will long be lamented in the Assam Valley, where he
laboured as a missionary and planter's chaplain for upwards of

whose

Mr. Endle's interest in his Kachari flock was that

an
of
evangelist rather than that of a linguist or ethnologist,
and this preoccupation has coloured his style and affected the
matter of his book in a way that, however pleasant and natural
it may seem to those who had the
privilege of his acquaintance,
a
of
few
words
may perhaps require
explanation for the benefit
forty years.

of those

who

look for anthropology only, or linguistics, in his

pages.
duty, then, is to say a few words about the author's
character.
Sidney Endle was born about 1840 at

My first
life

and

Totnes in Devon, of sturdy yeoman parentage. His grandfather

was, it seems, proud of being an armiger, and it is a family
tradition that many Endles figured in the ranks of the Catholic
Mr. Endle was educated at Totnes
clergy of the West country.
Grammar School, under the Kev. James Powney, and early
conceived a wish to enter the ministry of the Church of England,
and serve abroad as a missionary. With this view he entered
St. Augustine's College at Canterbury.
Unfortunately the
of the dates
record
no
written
have
to
seems
kept
College
at which one of the most distinguished and devoted of its pupils
entered and left its roof.
that he was sent by the
Gospel to Tezpur, in
Mr. Hesselmyeiy then in
that place.

It

was in February, 1864, however,

Society for the Propagation of the

Assam, to be the assistant of
charge of the KacMri mission at
In 1865 he was ordained deacon by the Bishop of

INTRODUCTION

xii

in the following year he was admitted to priest's

after he was transferred to the independent
orders.
at
charge of the S.P.G. mission among the tea-garden coolies

and
Soon

Calcutta,

Dibrugarh in Upper Assam. In 1869, on Mr. Hesselmyer's

death; Mr. Endle was made chaplain of the important teaplanting district of Darrang, with the charge of the Kach4ri
mission in that district, having his head-quarters at Tezpur.

His pastoral duties were thus two-fold. On the one hand, he

became the pastor of an European community scattered over
an area some 100 miles in length by 30 or 40 in breadth. It
was his duty to gather his flock round him at some convenient
tea-garden, or at the pretty little rustic church at Tezpur itself,
where his congregation included the small band of officials. He
was everywhere welcome, and it was not long before he was as
popular as he was respected. One of the most unworldly and
simple of men, almost an ascetic in his personal tastes and
habits, he could sympathise with and understand men whose
He had a native
training and ideas were different from his.
shrewdness and quiet sense of humour which stood him in good
stead in his dealings with

men

probably as varied in their

origins and temperament as are to be found in any collection of

Englishmen beyond the seas. His sermons and he could
preach with equal ease and eloquence in English, Assamese,
and Kachdri were ever those of a man who to shrewd
observation of the various life about him, native and European,
added an unwavering devotion to the responsibilities of his
Authoritative, and even stern, he could be when he
calling.

thought it needful to assert his responsibility as a priest.

But, somehow, the occasion rarely occurred, since 'his was
not the disposition that demands impossible perfection of
ordinary human nature. There was no touch of intolerance in
his gentle and (there is no other word to describe him) saintly
I think he would have liked to have it said of him
nature.
like
Chaucer's Parson,
that,

He was

a shepherd and no mercenerie,

holy were and vertuous,
He was to simple men not dispitous,
Ne of his speech dangerous ne digne,
But in his teaching discrete and benigne.

And though he

INTRODUCTION
Innumerable

xiii

were

the marriages and christenings he

parts of Assam, and it was characteristic of
that he regarded it as a duty to keep himself informed

celebrated in

all

the man
of the welfare, spiritual and physical, of the children he held
at the font.
Daring his rare visits to England he endeavoured
when he was not busy preaching for his mission, to visit those
whom in their infancy he had admitted to his Church. Few
chaplains in India can have been so universally popular and
respected as he was, and this without in any way relaxing from
the dignity which, in his case, belonged rather to his sacred

than to any consideration for his own person.

But he made no secret of the fact that his heart was chiefly
in his missionary work among his beloved Kach&ris.
The
"
Bodos of the Kachari dwars (the dwars or " doors
of the

office

Kachari plains are the passes that lead into the rough mountains
of independent Bhutan) are, like most of the aboriginal races
of Assam, cheery, good-natured, semi-savage folk
candid,
simple, trustful, but incorrigibly disrespectful according to
Indian notions of good manners. To a casual observer, they
may well have seemed incapable of comprehending the gentle
reserve and unaffected unselfishness of their pastor's nature.
;

Among

them, however,

it

was

his delight to unbend,

and give

way to the almost boyish simplicity and sense of fun which to

the last were among his most engaging traits. When Mr.
Endle approached a Kachari village during one of the prolonged
preaching tours which were to him at once a duty and the
keenest of pleasures, he was always greeted with a joyous
and often noisy welcome. He travelled on foot, and the
the " old man
villagers would turn out to see the gami-rui-brai,
He was often
of the village," as they affectionately called him.
and it was
cordially invited to share in the village festivities,
an interesting sight to watch him seated in the midst of rough
semi-savage folk, listening to the tale of their simple joys and
sorrows, enjoying their primitive jokes, and, when occasion
served, talking to them, as probably no one else will ever be able
to talk to

them

again, of the matters nearest to the missionary's

heart.

In

many

Endle established
parts of the Kachari country, Mr.
But his chief
converts.
served
schools,
by
trusty
village

all

xiv

INTRODUCTION

to his
pride was in the church he built at Bengbari, which,
in
Milman
person.
great joy, was consecrated by Bishop
Under its thatched roof has now been placed a tablet to the

memory

of its founder.

account of Mr. Endle's life, however brief, would be

he married
complete without a mention of the fact that in 1875
Miss Sarah Ewbank Chambers, who for twenty years shared
Mrs. Endle was much respected by the
his pastoral anxieties.
European community throughout Assam, and her sudden death

No

How sorely
in Calcutta in 1895 was universally regretted.
her husband felt her loss, not even those who knew him best
were allowed to guess, but it was plain that, from this time
onwards, much of his old elasticity of mind and body deserted
him, and though he continued his work with unabated industry
the effects of age began for the first time to be apparent to
In 1884 Mr. Endle compiled his well-known
friends.
manual of the Kachdri language, published by the Assam
From time to time he contributed papers on
Secretariat Press.
the subject of the Bodo people to the Transactions of the Asiatic
Society of Bengal. In 1S91 he was elected an Honorary Fellow
his

of St. Augustine's College, in recognition of his linguistic

and of his eminence as a worker in the mission field.

studies

In 1906 he was offered a canonry by the Bishop of Calcutta, but

characteristically refused a dignity which might have involved
absences from his missionary duties.
Such, briefly told, are the few outstanding events in a life
wholly devoted to pastoral work, of which little was known
It was Mr. Endle's repeatedly
outside his native flock.
expressed wish that he might end his life and be laid to rest
among his KachAris. This wish was not fulfilled. Towards
the end of 1905 it was evident that his persistent disregard of
his personal comfort in an enervating climate had taxed a
He was induced with some
naturally robust constitution.
difficulty to pay a brief visit to England for rest and change.
He spent this holiday chiefly in preaching for his mission and
He was soon, perhaps too soon, back at
visiting old friends.
It could no longer be hidden from himself or others
his work.
that he had overtaxed his strength. This, however, caused
him no disquietude. He had done his day's work, and was

INTRODUCTION

xv

In July 1907, he
cheerfully ready to take his departure.
could struggle no longer against
growing weakness, and was
placed on one of the little mail steamers that ply up and down
the Brahmaputra, in the hope that river
breezes, rest, and
change of scene might bring about some restoration to health.
He himself, however, knew that his end was near, and he
passed away, painlessly and peacefully, on the river bank at
Dibrugarh, close to the scene of his first independent missionary
charge, entrusted to him more than forty years before.
So much by way of biographical introduction seemed
necessary, not only as an inadequate and too brief memorial of
a singularly unselfish and blameless career, but also as an
explanation of some features in Mr. Endle's book not usually
found in anthropological manuals. Of the
subject of the book
itself I may now be allowed to
say a few words, if only to show
that it has an interest and importance, from an
ethnological

point of view, which are perhaps disguised by the author's

characteristically modest estimate of his task and of his power
of dealing with it. The book is,
primarily, a monograph treating of that branch of the Kachari race which lives in
scattered hamlets along the foot-hills of the
Himalayas in

Northern Bengal and Assam, intermixed now with Hindu

people who have intruded into what was once their undisputed
home. In Assam proper the Hindus call them Kachdris in
;

Bengal they are known as Meches. 1 Their own name for their
race is Boro or Bodo (the o has the sound of the
English o in
"
hot "). Among this northern branch of the race is embedded
the tribe of the Koch, whose name is
pronounced locally as if
"
it were Koss, (to
with
our
rhyme
English boss "). (KachAri,
I may mention in passing, is also
pronounced as Koss-ari)
The Koch have gradually become a semi-Hindu caste, most
of whose members now talk the Indian
Bengali or Assamese.
It also contains the surviving remnants of the royal
family of
the great and powerful Koch empire, which, roughly, covered
the same area as the present province of Eastern
Bengal and
Assam. It can be proved that the aboriginal members of the
Koch caste within quite recent times spoke the Boro language.
1

Mech,

so.

Mleccha, barbarian, one

who

is

ignorant of civilised speech.

INTRODUCTION

xvi

In the East of the Assam Valley was another powerful kingdom,

that of the Chutiyas, whose language was another branch of the
whole
speech described in this book. The river names of the
and
it is demonstrable
Bodo
are
names,
Valley
Brahmaputra
In the
that the Bodos were the aborigines of the Valley.
of Upper
the
of
mountains
an
of
mass
hills,
spur
outlying
great
Burma, which divide the Brahmaputra Valley from that of
the river Surma which runs parallel to it from east to west
The most eastern of these comprises
are two more Bodo groups.
"

"

"

the Di-ma-sa, Great-River-Folk (di- means river or water/')

people who were driven out of the valley of the great river
Brahmaputra in historical times, and finally became rulers of

now the great tea-planting district of Cachar or Kachar.

either
gave its name to or perhaps derived their Hindu
They
Kachari from this district. Of this branch of the
of
soubriquet

what

is

race an interesting description will be found in the supplement

At the western extremity of the range of hills is
to this book.
another group, the Garos, of whom an excellent account has
lately

been published by Major A.

Playfair,

The Garos are of peculiar

LA. (London, David

members

interest as

Nutt, 1909).
of the Bodo family, because they were head-hunters within the

memory

of

men

still living.

Finally in the range of hills in the south of the Surma Valley,

there are the Tipperahs whose language is obviously a branch

Bodo speech quiet inoffensive people, ruled over

a
by semi-independent Raja who is also a great land-owner in
the British districts of Tipperah and Sylhet.
Now, the anthropologists rightly caution us against rashly
concluding that a common speech, where races are in contact,
implies a common origin, since everywhere, and especially among
people who use an unwritten language, nothing is more common
than the borrowing of a neighbouring tongue. But where, as
of the ancient

here,

we have

savage people,

five absolutely separate

who nowadays

are not so

communities of semias aware of one

much

and yet speak what is to all purposes the

plain that they must have been united at
no very distant date by some common social bond. The date
cannot have been very distant, because in the unwritten
speech
another's existence,

same language,

it is

of semi-savage people phonetic decay acts

very rapidly,

and a

INTRODUCTION

xvli

very few years may serve to disguise the relationships of

adjacent and cognate tongues. No one who has heard members
of the five branches of the Bodo race speak their respective
languages can fail to recognise that they belong to the same

Moreover, this common Bodo speech was,

within a few years ago, the language of the Koches, the
dominant and ruling tribe in the great Koch kingdom, which
survived, with something of its ancient prestige and power,
long enough to be visited by an Englishman,, Ralph Fitch, in
Queen Elizabeth's time. It would seem, then, that the language
spoken in the ancient Koch kingdom, which extended from the
Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, was the Koch or Bodo
language, and the mass of the people must have been of Bodo
In the Brahmaputra valley these Bodos have survived
origin.
in the midst of Hindu and Shan invaders and settlers, of whom
those who are interested in the subject may read in Mr.E. A. Gait's
admirable History of Assam, (Calcutta, Thacker, Spink and Co.,
1906). Here the anthropologist may come to the rescue of
the historian. The Bodo type of face and physical construction is, as Mr. Endle says, of an Indo-Chinese kind, easily
distinguishable from the Arya-Dravidian type common in
adjacent Bengal, and careful measurements in the Brahmaputra
and Surma Valleys ought to show how far the old Koch element
still persists, how far it has been obliterated by inter-marriage
with Indian immigrants.
It may, however, be assumed that the population of the
Koch kingdom, and therefore of its predecessor, the famous
classical empire of Kama-rupa, of which Sanskrit scholars may
read in the Mahabharata (perhaps in a late interpolation in the
epic) was chiefly Bodo, of the same type as the humble folk who
are the subject of Mr. Endle's book. Kama-rupa was visited in
the first half of the seventh century of our era by the famous
Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsiang, whose interesting account of the
land and people may be found at page 22 of Mr. Gait's History.
"
"
They adore and sacrifice/' says the Chinese explorer, to the
linguistic group.
till

Devas and have no faith in Buddha."

It was apparently in the kingdom of Kama-rupa that there
came into being that form of Hinduism whose scriptures are
the later Pura^as and the Tantras, the worship of Siva and his
I

INTRODUCTION

xvlii

Sakti, that form of the Hindu cult which, to this day and even
in the temple of Kali-ghat in Calcutta itself, is distinguished
In the earlier times of British
sacrifice
decapitation.

by

by

Mr. Gait's book may find for themselves, the

Hindus of Assam were much addicted to human sacrifice by
of probeheading, and, to this day, the appropriate method
"
"
is also
dark
one
the
terrible
the
Kali,
(who
goddess
pitiating
rule, as readers of

"
Dur-ga, hard of approach "), is by bloody sacrifices. The Saiva
or Sakta form of Hinduism would therefore seem to be due to
an engrafting of Koch superstitions on the purer and humaner
the Aryan settlers to
religious ideas imported into India by
whom we owe the Vedas and the religious literature based on

those early pastoral hymns. From this point of view, it is

important to bear in mind that the Garos were till lately
headhunters, and that the Chutiyas were conspicuous, even in

North-Eastern India,

for their addiction to

human

sacrifices,

How does happen then, may be asked, that the Bodos

described in this book are among the most innocent and kindly
The answer seems to be that the bulk
of semi-savage people ?
of the inhabitants of North-Eastern India were always simple
inoffensive folk, and that it was only the ruling tribes and
families that were addicted to war, rapine, torture, cruelty, and
the religious developments that go with these. If Assam is
undoubtedly still the home of the Tantrik beliefs which have their
centre at the famous shrine of Kamaksa at the old capital of
the Koch monarchs (now known as Gua-hati or Gauhati), Assam
is also the home of the Vis^u-ite reform, an attractive and
learned account of which will be found in a paper by Sir Charles
N. E. Eliot, published in the "Journal of the Royal Asiatic
Society" for October, 1910. The common people in Assam, the
rustic Hindus of the Brahmaputra Valley, are in temperament
and habits very like the cheerful and smiling Bodo folk among
whom Mr. Endle laboured, and of whom he writes with such
frank regard and appreciation. The climate of the valley is
enervating and soft, and any traveller in Assam can see for
himself how the once fierce and warlike Ahom invaders, who
gave its name to the country of Assam, have become as soft and
kindly in disposition as the Kach&ris themselves. No more
remarkable instance of the effect of environment on national
it

it

INTRODUCTION

xix

temperament could be found anywhere, and the anthropological

theories of Dr. Ridgeway could hardly have a more remarkable
support than he might find by contrasting the semi-savage
inhabitants of the Brahmaputra Valley with the bloodthirsty and
warlike tribes in the surrounding mountains, their neighbours

and

relatives.

I have only to say, finally, that I have added, as an Appendix

to my old friend's book, a literal interlinear translation of three

from

my little Collection of Kachari Folk-tales. In

these
I have followed the example set by Sir Charles
adding
his
in
Lyall
monograph on the Mikirs. By means of this interlinear and word-for-word translation, the comparative linguist

stories

may

see for himself

how

far

KacMri

is still

a monosyllabic

agglutinative language, and how far it has borrowed the

There has,
inflectional mechanism of Assamese and Bengali,
of course, been mutual borrowing, and I, for one, do not doubt
that the syntactical peculiarities of Assamese are largely due to
the fact that it is a speech with an Aryan vocabulary spoken by

a people

who

are largely non- Aryan.

Any

careful reader of the

book can see for himself that the Bodo spoken in

Their
dwars
is the language of a biglot people.
the Kachdri

stories in this

picturesque agglutinative verb is plainly a survival of days when

the language was as monosyllabic as Chinese. But the general
structure of the language is now governed by inflections
obviously borrowed from Bengali and Assamese.
J.

CAMBRIDGE,
December, 1910.

D. ANDERSON.

THE KACHARIS
SECTION

CHARACTERISTICS, PHYSICAL AND MORAL

ORIGIN,
DISTRIBUTION AND HISTORIC SUMMARY, ETC.
;

1.

1.

some

in

"

"
people generally known to us as KacMris differ Clmracmaterial ways from their Hindu and Musulman teristics

THE

neighbours alike in things material and moral.

They are
not
a
tall
or
handsome
and
in
race,
certainly
general appearance
bear some resemblance to the Nepali, being as a rule shorter
and stouter than the people of North-west India, though well
fitted to bear up against physical fatigue and
In
hardship.
face and figure they show a distinct approximation to what

known

Physical

as the Mongolian type,

i.e., they have square set faces,

with
cheek-bones,
projecting
almond-shaped eyes, and scanty
beard and moustache, the last-mentioned being often wanting

is

In this way they are well fitted for all forms of

and factory) labour that require strength rather
than skill, and may very reasonably be regarded as the
"navvies" of Assam.
2. In mental and intellectual power they are undoubtedly far Mental,
below their Hindu neighbours ; for they possess neither the
quickness of apprehension, nor the astonishing power of memory,
altogether.

outdoor

(field

&c., characteristic of the

higher castes among the Hindus.

the other hand, what they do succeed in mastering, often
with much toil and painful effort, they digest and retain with
much tenacity. Among other social and mental features

On

of character there are

two which are seldom wanting

B

to the

THE KACHARIS

"Kachari":

(1)

he

SECT.

an intensely clannish being.

is

fine

imposed on one member of a village community is sometimes

When employed
paid by the whole body of villagers together.
in any considerable numbers on a tea factory, the Kach^ri
labourers so employed, resenting some real or fancied wrong done
to one of their number, will often leave the garden in a body,

even though there may be a month's pay due to every one

of them. Again they have (2) no small share of that quality
so powerful for good or evil, according as it is guided into right
"
or wrong channels, i.e., a certain strength of will, what their

friends

might

call

firmness,

If they once

obstinacy."

and their enemies might term

their minds, and they are

make up

abundantly capable of doing this, to act in a certain way, it is

mere waste of time to attempt to reason them out of their
nothing short of absolute and overpowering
physical force is of any avail to turn them from the course they
have once for all resolved to adopt and act upon.
resolution,

Moral.

for

3. As
regards the moral character of the KacMri race, those
who know them best will be the first to speak favourably of

them. Like many of the Sub-Himalayan hill tribes, they

undoubtedly have a certain weakness for what may be looked
upon as their national beverage (Madh, #u), a form of ricebeer.

Of

taken

in

a comparatively harmless liquor when

at times consume very large
at weddings, funerals,
and at the

this, in itself

moderation, they

quantities,

especially

January and April Bihu

festivals; and more particularly at

"
what is known as the " first eating of the new rice (Nowdn bhdt
khoa Mikham g&dan zdnai), which usually takes place about
the middle of December or a little earlier. At this lastmentioned gathering the writer has sometimes seen well-nigh
the entire population of a Kachdri village liors de combat from
;

the effect of over-indulgence in the national beverage.

But
they are certainly not habitual drunkards, and in this matter
KacMris as a rule would compare not unfavourably with the

working man in more civilised lands; e.g., in England.

apart from this particular failing, one almost universal

But

among

hill tribes

on this

among them
price,

i.e.,

are

frontier, it is pleasing to

to be found

honesty,

simple virtues of great

straightforwardness and a

many

truthfulness,

be able to say that

CHARACTERISTICS, PHYSICAL AND MORAL

general trastworthiness deserving of all honour. In illustration

of their simple truthfulness, even when involving serious
consequences to themselves, the writer recalls a story told him
some years ago by an officer in charge of the subdivision

of Mangaldai, the late A. J. Primrose, I.C.S.

Kachdri of
Sekhar Mauza was brought before this magistrate on a charge

(manslaughter) involving a very heavy penalty, when he

without hesitation admitted his guilt, though the evidence
against him was of the slightest, or at least utterly insufficient
to secure a conviction.
The relations of the sexes too are on the
whole of a very sound and wholesome character, far more so
probably than in many countries boasting of a higher
civilisation.

and

Infant marriage

is

unknown among them,

been able to ascertain

as yet

so far as the present writer has

during the past forty years, the young people are as a rule chaste
before marriage and true to their marriage vows in after-life.
But it must be clearly understood that all this holds good of
the Kachdri in his simple, patriarchal, village life, and there
His innocence is the innocence of ignorance, not the
only.

innocence of experience: and he

forms of evil because in his village

a rule free from certain

he has never come under
When contaminated
any temptation to indulge in them.
when
into
contact
with our civil
civilization,
e.g.,
by
brought
is as
life

and criminal courts, much of this innocence must inevitably

disappear and of this sad deterioration of character any man
who has been long in the country, and learnt to know the
people well, must have experienced many melancholy and
;

painful illustrations.
II. The origin of the

Kachdri race is still very largely Origin,

a matter of conjecture and inference, in the absence of anything &c
entitled to be regarded as authentic history.
As remarked
*

above, in feature and general appearance they approximate very

closely to the Mongolian type ; and this would seem to point
to Tibet

and China as the

original

home

of the race.

The

Garos, a race obviously near of kin to the Kach&ris, have

a tradition that in the dim and distant past their forefathers,

nine headmen, the offspring of a Hindu fakir and a Tibetan

woman, came down from the northern mountains, and, after
a halt at Koch-Behar, made their way to Jogighopa, and thence

i.e.,

B 2

THE KACHARIS

4
across the

Brahmaputra

to

Dalgoma, and

SECT.

so finally into the

Garo

It is not easy to say what degree of value is to be

attached to this tradition, but it does at least suggest a line
Hills.

of inquiry that might well be followed up with advantage.

It is possible that there were at least two great immigrations

from the north and north-east into the rich valley of the
Brahmaputra, i.e., one entering North-east Bengal and Western

Assam through the

valley of the Tista, Dharla, Sankosh, &c.,

and founding there what was formerly the powerful kingdom

of Kamampa; and the other making its way through the
Subansiri, Dibong and Dihong valleys into Eastern Assam,
where a branch of the widespread Kachdri race, known as
Ghutiyds, undoubtedly held sway for a lengthened period.
The capital quarters of this last-mentioned people (the Chutiyds)

was at or near the modern Sadiya, not

ruins

of

much

interest,

ghar), are

(Tdmdr

still

to

far

from which certain

including a copper-roofed temple

be seen.
It is indeed not at all

unlikely that the people known to us as KacMris and to

themselves as Bada (Bara), were in earlier days the dominant
race in Assam; and as such they would seem to have left traces
of this domination in the nomenclature of
features of the country,

.#.,the

some

Kachari word

of the physical

for

water

(di;dffi)

apparently forms the first syllable of the names of many of the

chief rivers of the province, such as Diputa, Dihong,
Dibong,
Dibru, Dihing, Dimu, Desang,

may be added

to these

Sadiya, the earliest

and
Distribu-

Diku

(cf.

khu

Tista), &c.,

Dikrang, Diphu, Digatu, &c.,

known

all

and
near

centre of Chutiyd (Kachari) power

civilisation.

III.

But however

this

may

be, there

would seem to be good

is a much

reason for believing that the Kach&ri (Bada) race

more widely distributed one than it was at one time supposed

to be.
They are undoubtedly found well outside the
limits of modern (political) Assam, i.e., in North-east
Bengal
Koch-Behar, &c., and also in Hill Tippera, where the language
of the people gives decisive evidence that
they are of the Bada
But apart from these outlying members of the race,
there are within the limits of Assam itself at least 1,000,000
stock.

Some

interesting remarks

monograph.

[Ed. ]

on this subject will be found

in the

Garo

CHARACTERISTICS, PHYSICAL AND MORAL

souls,

probably

though many

many more, who belong

number have of late

of the

to the

Kaeh&ri race

years become more or

Hinduised, and have lost the use of their mother tongue.

These may perhaps be conveniently divided into a (1) Northern
less

and

(2)

a Southern group, the Brahmaputra

line, thus

roughly as the dividing

being taken

To these may be added one or two smaller communities, e.g.,

the Morans and the Chutiyas in Upper Assam, whose language,
not altogether extinct as yet though apparently dying out
akin to the
rapidly, would seem to prove them to be closely
Kachari (Bada)

race.

The only branch

of this widely spread race that may be Historic

Sketcl1
said to have anything like an authentic history is that settled
in what is known <*s the once powerful kingdom of Kamarupa

IV.

'

(Koch), the reigning family of which

is

now represented by the

THE KACHARIS

SECT.

Rajas of Koch-Behar, Bijni, Darrang (Mangaldai) and Beltola.

But on the history of this (the Western) section of the Kachari
race there is no need to dwell, as it was very effectively dealt
But the earliest historical notices
with some few years ago. 1
of the Eastern branch of the race show that under the name of
Chutiyas they had established a powerful kingdom in the
Eastern corner of the Province, the seat of Government being
How long this kingdom existed
at or near the modern Sadiya.
but what is known with some
it is now impossible to say
degree of certainty is, that they were engaged in a prolonged
struggle with the Ahoms, a section of the great Shan (Tai)
race, who crossed the Patkoi Hills from the South and East
about A.D. 1228, and at once subdued the Morans, Bordhis,
and other Kachari tribes living near the Northern slope of
these hills.
With the Chutiyas the strife would seem to have
been a long and bitter one, lasting for some 150 or 200 years.
But in the end the victory remained with the Ahoms, who
drove their opponents to take refuge in or about Dimapur on
the Dhansiri at the foot of the Naga Hills. There for a time
the fugitives were in comparative security and they appear to
have attained to a certain measure of material civilisation, a
state of things to which some interesting remains of
buildings
(never as yet properly explored) seem to bear direct and lasting
;

Eventually, however, their ancient foes followed them

new capital, and about the middle of the sixteenth
century the Ahoms succeeded in capturing and sacking
Dimdpur itself. The Kachari Raja thereupon removed his
court to Mdibong (" much paddy "), where the
dynasty would

witness.

up

to their

seem

to have maintained itself for some two centuries.

Finally,
however, under pressure of an attack by the Jaintia Raja the
Kachari sovereign withdrew from Maibong to Khdspur in

Kachar (circa 1750 A.D.). There they seem to have come

more and more under Hindu influence, until about 1790 the
Raja of that period, Krishna Chandra, and his brother Govinda
Chandra made a public profession of Brahminism.
They were
both placed for a time inside the body of a
large copper image
of a cow, and on
emerging thence were declared by the
1
See "Koch Kings of Kamrup," by E. A. Gait,
Esq., I.C.S., Assam
Secretariat Press P.O., 1895.

CHARACTERISTICS, PHYSICAL AND MORAL

Brahmins to be Hindus of the Kshatriya caste, Bhima of

Mahabharat fame being assigned to them as a
mythological
ancestor.
Hence to this day the Darrang Kacharis sometimes
"
Bhim-ni-fsa," i.e. children of Bhim,
speak of themselves as
though as a rule they seem to attach little or no value to this*
highly imaginative ancestry.
The reign of the last Kachari
little better than one continuous
through the constant attacks of
compelled the unhappy monarch to

king, Govind Chandra, was

flight from place to place

the Burmese, who finally

take refuge in the adjoining

British district of Sylhet.

He was, indeed, reinstated in power
aid
of
the
the
East
India
by
Company's troops in 1826, but

was murdered some four years

later,

when

his

kingdom became

part of the British dominions. His commander-In-chief, one

Tul& Ram, was allowed to remain In possession of a portion

now known as North Cachar, a region shown

Assam as " Tula Ram Senapati's country/' But

of the subdivision
in old

maps

of

on the death of this chieftain in 1854, this remaining portion

of the old Kach&ri Raj was formally annexed to the district
of

Nowgong.

As

regards this last-mentioned migration, i.e., from Maibongto Kh&spur about A.D. 1750, and the conversion to Hinduism
which soon followed it, it would seem that the movement was only
a very limited and restricted one, confined indeed very largely
The great majority
to the Raja and the members of his court.
of his people remained in the hill country, where to this day
they retain their language, religion, customs, &c., to a great
extent Intact. It is not improbable, indeed, that this statement
may hold good of the earlier migrations also, i.e. 9 those that
resulted from the prolonged struggle between the Ahoms and
the Chutiy&s. When as a result of that struggle the defeated
race withdrew first to Dim&pur and afterwards to Maibong, it isnot unlikely that the great body of the Chutiy&s (Kach&ris)

which remained

Assam came to terms with

Ahoms) and gradually became amal-

in the rich valley of

their conquerors (the

gamated with them, much as Saxons, Danes, Normans, &c. r

slowly but surely became fused into one nationality in the
centuries following the battle of Hastings. In this way it may
well be that the Kach&ri race were the original autochthones-

THE KACHARIS

SECT.

of Assam, and that even now, though largely Hinduised, they

form a large, perhaps the main, constituent element in the
permanent population of the Province. To this day one often

still

"

across villages bearing the name of

Kachdrigaon," the
inhabitants of which are completely Hinduised, though for some

comes

considerable time they would

seem to have retained their Kachari

customs, &c., unimpaired.

may be that, whilst the great body
of the Chutiya (Kachdri) race submitted to their Ahom conIt

querors, the stronger and more patriotic spirits among them, influenced perhaps by that intense clannishness which is so marked a

feature in the Kachari character, withdrew to less favoured parts

of the Province, where their conquerors did not care at once to

them up i.e., the Southern section of the race may have

made its way into the districts known as the Garo Hills and North

follow

Cachar

whilst the Northern section perhaps took

up

its

abode

in a broad belt of country at the foot of the Bhutan Hills, still

known as the " Kachari Duars," a region which, being virtually
"

Terai" land, had in earlier days a very unenviable reputation on

its recognised unhealthiness. And if this view of the

the score of

matter be at
in our
"

own

all

a sound one, what

island

may perhaps

historic parallel"

the

Romans

finally

is

known

furnish a

to have happened
somewhat interesting

When

about the middle of the fifth century

withdrew from Britain, we know that

swarms of invaders, Jutes, Danes, Saxons, Angles, &c,,

countries adjoining the North and Baltic seas,
gradually overran and occupied the richer lowland of what is
now England, driving all who remained alive of the aboriginal
successive

from

the

Britons to take refuge in the less favoured parts of the country,

the mountains of Wales and the highlands of Scotland, where

i.e.,

of the people of this day retain their ancient mother

speech very much as the Kacharis of Assam still cling to their

many

national customs, speech, religion, &a, in those outlying parts of

the Province known in modern times as the Garo Hills, North

Cachar and the Kach&ri Duars of North-west Assam.

V. It may perhaps be asked how a people so clannish and

Final
"

tioiTof

un^ e(J as

tih e

Kacharis are well

known

to be, should ever

become

Northern so widely separated as the Western (Bara) and Southern

(Dimasa)
sections now undoubtedly are.
The separation would seem to
Southern
be almost final and complete. The writer, e.g., has often tried

CHARACTERISTICS, PHYSICAL AND MORAL

to ascertain if the Kacharis of the Northern Duars retained

any

Sections

tradition of ever having been subject to the Raja of Dimdpur;

but up to the present time no trace of any such tradition has

'Come to light. Intermarriage between the two sections of the

race is apparently quite unknown ; indeed, the barrier of language

would of itself probably go far to prevent such intermarriage

for although the two languages have much in common, yet in
their modern form they differ from each other nearly as much
as Italian does from Spanish ; and members of the two sections
:

of the race meeting each other for the first time would almost
certainly fail to understand each other's speech.
Perhaps the
1
following tradition, which apparently describes one of the closing
scenes in the prolonged struggle between the Chutiy& Kacharis

and the Ahoms, may go some way to account for the wide separbetween the Northern and Southern sections of the race.
The story is as follows: Long, long ago the Dimas fought

.ation

against a very powerful tribe (the Ahoms), and being beaten

in a great pitched battle, the king with all his forces retreated.
But presently further retreat was barred by a wide and deep

which could in no way be crossed. The Raja, being thus

.stopped by a river in front and an enemy behind, resolved to fight
once more the next day, unless the problem of crossing the river
could be solved. With this determination he went to sleep and
had a dream in which a god appeared to him and promised to
river,

help him.
.all

The god said that early next morning the king with
must boldly enter the river at a spot where he

his people

would see a heron standing in the water, and walk straight

Next morning a
.across the river, but no one must look back.
in
the
sure
water near the
heron was found,
enough, standing
his
led
his people to
bank and the king, remembering
dream,
the
which
found
had shoaled
the spot and went into
water,
they
enough to form a ford and allow them to wade across. In
But still
this way he crossed with a great part of his people.
There were some on the other bank and
.all had not crossed.
;

in the middle of the river, when a man among the latter

wondering whether his son was following him, looked back, with
the result that the water at once got deep and every one had to

some

Extracted from a most interesting and valuable letter from Mr. Dundas,
kindly forwarded for perusal to the writer by B. C. Allen, Esq., I.C.S*
1

THE KACHARIS

IO

SECT. I

save himself as best he could while the men on the other

bank, having no chance of crossing, dispersed. They who were*
caught in the middle of the river had to swim for their lives,
and were washed down to different places. Some saved themselves by catching hold of Khdgris (rushes) growing on the bank,
and are to this day called Khdgrdbdria. Others caught hold
;

of nals (or reeds) and are thus called Nalbarias. The Dimasa arethe people who crossed in safety.
It is fairly obvious that the Oriental love for the grotesquely
marvellous has had no small share in the development of thistradition; but whilst making all due allowance for this, the
writer ventures to think that the tradition itself is notIt probably
altogether without a certain historic value.
for
in
the
scenes
the
struggle
protracted
closing
represents

supremacy between the Ahoms and the Chutiyds (Kacharis)<

latter, finally beaten, endeavoured to escape their foes
by crossing the Brahmaputra to the South bank, using for that
purpose whatever material was at hand, e.g., rude dug-out boats-

when the

(khel

ndu\ extemporised

rafts (Ihel), &c.

The student

of Assam

history will remember that a like mishap befell Mir Jumla'sexpedition for the conquest of Assam ; Kangpur, Ghergaon, &c. r

when a

violent storm or sudden rise in the river carried away

or sunk the boats containing his ammunition and other stores^

and he was compelled to come to terms with the Ahom rulers,

storm or rapid rise in the river may have prevented
many of the fugitives from crossing, and these would perforcehave fallen into the hands of the Ahoms. The latter, acting on
the principle "Divide et impera/' may have forced their
captives to take up their abode in the unhealthy (Terai)
"
country now known as the Kachari. Du&rs," and further may
have prohibited any communication between the two severed
fragments of the conquered race, which would thenceforth
naturally drift further asunder, until the separation became as-

A sudden

complete as

it

remains to this day.

KACHARI MAN

SECTION

II

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE

IN their domestic life, the Kachdris of this district (Darrang) pwell8

do not differ very materially from their Hindu neighbours, to
s es>
the subordinate castes of whom they are no doubt very closely &c.

'

The houses are of the usual type, one-storied only, the

walls being of ebrd reed or of split bamboo, and the roof of
thatch fastened by cane. Each hut commonly contains two

allied.

There is
rooms, one for eating, &c., and the other for sleeping.
no trace here of the practice which prevails among some tribes
of the Province

who

the Kacharis, i.e.,

chdngs), where all

are undoubtedly very nearly related to

the provision of bachelor-barracks (Dekdthe young unmarried men of the village

have to sleep apart from the dwellings of settled householders.

It is probable, indeed, that this custom formerly obtained here,
but all trace of it seems to have passed away long since.
Kach&ri village is as a rule much more compact than a
Hindu one, the houses being built more closely together.

Usually, too, there

is

comparatively

little foliage

in the

way

of

like a street
trees, &c.; and occasionally even something
which
houses
of
lines
more
or
two
compose a
separates the
village.

One prominent

feature in the typical Kach&ti village

cannot fail to strike the attention of any casual visitor at first

Each house, with its granary and other outbuildings, is
sight.

surrounded by a ditch and fence/the latter usually made of

The ditch,
eJcrd reeds, jungle grass or split bamboo, &c.
homewhole
the
surrounds
in
some three or four feet
depth,
inner
the
on
thrown
it
up
being
stead, the earth taken from
earththe
on
and
that nearest to the dwelling-house
side,

i.e.,

thrown up are firmly

works, some two or three feet in height, so

Villages.

THE KACHARIS

12
inserted the reeds

angle

split-bamboo work forming the fence

often inclining outwards at a very obtuse

so that the ditch and fence are not easily surmounted

this

itself,

or

SECT.

latter

A Kachari village
from the outside by would-be intruders.
of
live-stock
various
abounds
in
domestic
kinds, e.g..,
usually
ducks, fowls, goats, pigs, cattle, &c. and it can hardly be doubted
;

that the fence and ditch above spoken of are largely intended
to prevent the cattle, pigs, &c., from getting into the rice-fields
at night, and so doing serious

damage

With the abundance

paddy and other

to the

of

live-stock, especially hogs,

reared and kept by the Kach&ris, it need hardly be said that
the villages can scarcely be described as being cleanly ; though

crops.

as a rule they do not differ so much as might be supposed in

this respect from their Hindu neighbours, separate buildings-

being provided for the pigs, goats,

from the family dwelling-house.

&c., at

an appreciable distance

FURNITURE, IMPLEMENTS AND UTENSILS

Little need be said under this head, as the

Kachari householder

for dealing

equipment of the

with domestic or

field

work

is

almost identical with that of his Hindu neighbours. But it

may be stated that in a Kachdri house there will usually be

found an exceptionally large number of earthenware vessels

(pottery, &c.) which are used freely and frequently in the
preparation and distribution of the much-prized rice-beer (Zu).
Agriculture is still the great industry of the Kacharis of this

both the hot weather (dus) and

tion,

district,

crops, &c.

(sali) varieties of rice

the

cold

season

being largely cultivated, especially the

out this work the people show both

In carrying
application and skill, so much
latter.

so, that, failing

some very over-

whelming convulsion of Nature, it would seem to be hardly

possible that a famine could take place in the Kachdri Duars.
This part of the district is abundantly supplied with water by
the numerous streams issuing from the lower spurs of the
Bhutan Hills, streams which for the most part flow in very
shallow beds, and therefore admit of being easily used for
irrigation purposes,

scanty.

whenever the seasonal

rainfall

maybe

at all

Moreover, the people are especially skilful in the con-

II

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE

13

attraction of irrigation canals

and earthwork embankments for

diverting water from river-beds into their rice-fields and their
efforts in this direction are
very largely aided by their closely
clannish organisation. Whenever the rainfall threatens to be
below the average, the village headman with his associated
-elders fixes on the
spot whence water is to brought from the
nearest river to the rice-fields. At this
spot very rude and
primitive shelters of jungle grass, &c., are put up and here all
the manhood strength of the
village, each man armed with hoe,
dao, &c., are compelled to take up their abode until the
necessary work has been fully carried out. In this way it will
be obvious that the Kacharis have a
highly efficient and very
Public Works Department " of their own and
inexpensive
:

vigorous efforts of self-help of this character would seem to be

worthy of high commendation and hearty support.
But it is not only in constructing embankments and
irrigation canals, &c., that the people work
together in this way.
Very much the same plan is adopted in carrying out other
enterprises in the success of which all are alike interested, e.g.,
in harvesting the great cold weather
rice-crop in December and
January each year. When this important work is in full swing,
it is but
rarely that the owner of a rice-field is found cutting
his paddy alone and single-handed.
He summons his neighbours to come and help him in this work a summons which
usually meets with a ready and cheerful response. It is quite
common to see in December and January organised bodies
-of labourers,
varying in number from ten to fifty or more,
all in line and busy with the sickle in one man's field at the
same time. Every man as a rule works for the time being
at high pressure, his toil being lightened by much merry talk
and laughter, and many jests and jokes these last, it must be
admitted, not always of a highly refined character. There is
a pleasing absence of the mercenary element in the whole
transaction; for as a rule no money payments whatever are
made to the workers. On the other hand, the wife of the

proprietor of the rice-field is almost always present in person,

busies herself in keeping ever ready an abundant
supply
of wholesome and highly
appetising cooked food, to be eaten on
the spot, the nearest grove of plantain trees providing ready-

and

THE KACHARIS

Her

SECT.

no sinecure, as the hungry

on the good things she
frequent
reapers
all to be careful to see that the
above
has
she
and
provides
much prized rice-beer (Zu) shall be at all times forthcoming in
unstinted quantity. Her lord and master is usually content
to wield a sickle with the reapers, like Boaz of old and, of
course, he holds himself ready to lend a hand in the same

made

plates

and

dishes.

post

make very

is

raids

unpaid fashion in carrying out his neighbours' harvesting

his services in this direction may be called
operations, whenever
This whole system of mutual help in time of pressure
for.
is

marked

and domestic life, and

develop and strengthen that

feature of Kach&ri social

tends in no small

degree

to

clannish temperament of which

some sense the natural outcome.
Crops, &c.

it

may be

considered to be in

Rice, roughly classified as the larger and the smaller grains

(maimd and maisti), is here, as elsewhere, the chief object of the

other crops are not wanting^

peasant's skill and labour; but
in December, cotton, sugar-cane in limited
e.g., pulse, gathered
quantities, tobacco, &c.
are two distinct varieties

Of

this last-mentioned article there

commonly grown, i.e., country tobacco

latter commanding the higher

and Burmese l (Mdn) tobacco, the

All surplus produce finds a ready sale

the ever-growing numbers of imported labourers on

price in the market.

among

tea estates,

many

of

whom

are consumers of

KacMri

rice-beer

or less harmless liquors, and who in consequence fraternise

readily with their Kachdri neighbours. In this way the average
Bodo peasant is a very well-to-do person in worldly things, the
so because the Kach&ri labourer is in great

more

a factory worker.

Where

demand

as

there are three or four brothers in a

family in Western Assam, it is quite usual for one, perhaps two,

of the number to remain at home to cultivate the paternal
acres, whilst the other brothers

in

Upper Assam

make

their

way

to tea estates

for the

manufacturing season, often doing

day, and returning to the family fold in.

double tasks day after

the autumn with a large and liberal supply of lightly earned
rupees at each man's disposal.
Food, &c.

s regards his food, the Kachdri is as a rule by no means

limited and restricted, like his Hindu and Musulmdn neigh1

The Assamese habitually speak

of the

Burmese people as Mdn,

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE

II

bours.

On

this respect

15

the contrary, he enjoys and practises a freedom in

which no doubt goes far to account for his often

magnificent physique. With the exception of beef he denies

himself almost nothing. His great delicacy is pork; and a
Kachari village usually swarms with pigs in almost every
These animals are often exposed for
possible stage of growth.
sale at fairs

and markets in the Kachari country.

There

is,

however, one common article of food, which no orthodox oldfashioned Kachari will ever touch, i.e., milk. When questioned

ground of his objection to milk as an article of food,

he usually says that he is unwilling to deprive the calf of its
natural support, though the real reason is probably of another
This prejudice against the use of milk would now,
character. 1
however, seem to be passing away; and some of the Kachari
as to the

lads

now

attending the writer's Training Class at Tezpur

partake freely of this natural and sustaining food.

Among other delicacies of the Kachdri is what is

known

as

(na gran}? i.e., the very small fish left on the

surface of inundated land after the water has subsided. This
is collected in large quantities near the banks of the Brahmadried fish

and carried northwards to the Kachari Duars, where it is

exchanged for rice and silk (erf), &c. This small fish is not
cured or prepared in any way, but simply dried in the sun and
is very far from being attractive to the eye or the nose,
putra,

Nevertheless, it is greatly prized by

especially to the latter.
the Kachdri peasant as a welcome and savoury addition to his
somewhat monotonous daily fare ; nor does the free use of this

hardly inviting article of food seem to be attended by any very

injurious results to the physical well-being of those who
largely and liberally use it.

The Kachdri

often varies

his

diet

by adding

to

it

the Hunting,

proceeds of the chase and by fishing in the numerous shallow

Deer and wild pigs
hill-streams in which his country abounds.
are frequently caught, sometimes by the use of large nets,
land in which some
enclosing a considerable extent of grass
keen eye has detected the presence of the much-prized game.
1

This prejudice

Mongolian

race.

is

shared by the G-aros and by

many

other members of the

[Ed.]

2
Query, is the name a corruption of nd-ghrdn,
Of. the Burmese nga-pi.
in allusion to the powerful odour of fish thus dried? [Ed.]

THE KACHARIS

16

SECT.

the prey comes within

gradually contracted until
when blows from club
Kachari
stout
arm,
some
the reach of
In this, as in almost
a
close.
to
career
its
or dao speedily bring
and
clannish
is
all else, the Kachari
gregarious in what
are
he does; and regular hunting parties
duly organised
Much the same system is
to carry out the work in hand.
observed in conducting fishing operations, though here the

The net

is

women. On certain
leading part is commonly taken by the
sometimes
of a group
a
of
women
village,
prearranged dates, the
a
or
number
of
certain
a
of villages, will fish
stream,
streams,
The fishing
for a distance extending over several miles.
implements used are of a very simple character, and are
commonly prepared from materials found in almost every
Nets are but rarely employed, as the water in these
village.
hill-streams is in the cold weather, i.e., the fishing season, usually
very shallow, rarely exceeding two or three feet in depth. The
l
implements commonly used are mainly two, i.e., (1) the zakhdi
and (2) the palha the former being employed chiefly, but not
and the latter by men. Both impleexclusively, by women
ments are made of split bamboo work fastened together with
The zakhdi is a triangular basket, open at one
cane.
end, the three triangular sides closing to a point at the
The whole is attached to a bamboo handle some
other.
three or four feet in length.
Grasping this handle firmly,
the holder enters the river, usually only two or three feet
deep, and lowers the basket to the bottom, keeping the
open end in front of her person and then making a splashing
with her feet, she endeavours to drive her prey into the open
mouth of the basket, which is then quickly lifted and its
contents rapidly transferred to the fish- basket. The system
seems to be a very simple and even a clumsy one, but is far
from being wholly ineffective.
Armed with this zaklidi, a
number of women, sufficient to extend across the entire width
of the stream, enter the river together, whilst another
party
commence operations fifty or a hundred yards away. The two
y

parties work steadily towards each

as are not caught en route are

narrowing stretch of water

1

other, so that

such

fish

gradually driven into an everand as a rule not many fish would

Assamese, jakdi,

[Ed. ]

KACHARI GIRL FISHING

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE

II

seem

17

The whole scene is a very merry one, aclaughter and pleasing excitement and
more particularly, as the two parties of fish-catchers approach
to escape.

companied with

much

each other, and the fish make frantic efforts to escape their
A fish-catching
doom, the fun becomes fast and furious.
expedition of this kind is invariably looked upon as a village
holiday, the entire population not infrequently taking an active
part in it.
second popular method of catching fish is the use of
the palha, which is not very unlike an ordinary circular henIt is made of split bamboo fastened together by canecoop.

work, and is about 4 or 4J feet in height and about 3 feet in

diameter at the base. The upper portion is drawn somewhat
closely together, leaving an open space at the top sufficient to
allow the admission of a man's hand, the whole structure being
quite light and easily manipulated by one hand. Armed with

the fisherman quietly enters the shallow water at any

likely spot, and whenever his quick eye detects the presence of
this,

prey, the palha is at once placed over it, the lower surface of
the basket-work closely clutching the ground, and the fish so
enclosed are then withdrawn by the hand through the opening
in the upper part of the instrument. This too, like the zakhdi,

seems a very primitive, unsuitable contrivance, but in the hands

of men trained to its use from earliest childhood it is quite
capable of being made to bring about very useful results.
A third instrument used by Kacharis in fish-catching is a
small, pointed, metallic spearhead attached to a light bamboo.
This

is

thrust rapidly and firmly into soft mud or other like

eels, &a, are supposed to be concealed ; and the

places where

fisherman occasionally succeeds in transfixing and drawing out

one or more of these, which form a welcome addition to his
daily diet.

In common with
frontier,

e.g.,

many

other non-Aryan

tribes

on

this Rice-beer

the Nagas, &c., the Kacharis of Darrang habitually

consume large quantities of what is usually known as rice-beer

(Zu, Zdu). It can hardly be said to be a beverage in daily use,
for it is only prepared when specially wanted for immediate
consumption.
this

An

the preparation of
the condiment known

essential ingredient in

most popular form of refreshment

is

^^1

tion, &c.

THE KACHARIS

SECT.

emdo* which Is usually composed of at least three, and

sometimes four, distinct elements. To a definite proportion of
husked rice is added (1) the jack-tree leaf and (2) that of the

as

jungle plant
fern,

though

known

as

bhetai,

and in some cases the poisonseem to be really

this last-mentioned does not

All these ingredients are vigorously pounded

necessary.
into
a powder, which is then passed through a very
together

and sometimes twice. The powder so

then mixed with water so as to make a more or less

fine sieve, at least once

is

prepared

tenacious paste, and this again is divided into portions sufficient

to form solid discs, about three inches in diameter, and one
inch thick in the centre, with thin edges. These discs are
sprinkled freely with powder from similar discs of some weeks
standing, and are for a short time kept covered up in rice-straw.
They are then placed on a bamboo platform inside the house
days, and are afterwards exposed freely to the hot
another four or five days, so as to become thoroughly
dry.
Finally they find their way into an earthenware watervessel, which is kept suspended at a distance of several feet
over the fireplace though they would seem to need no direct
exposure to the action of fire-heat; and here they remain
until required for use.
As mentioned above, rice-beer is not used as a daily beverage,
but is prepared as required, especially for use at marriages?
funerals, harvest homes and other occasions that break the

some four

for

sun

for

monotony of

A common method

of preparation is
quantity of selected rice, about 3 or 4 seers, is
carefully boiled in an iron or brass cooking vessel, the contents
of which are then spread out on a bamboo mat and allowed to
become cold. Two cakes of the erm&o described above are
as follows

village

life.

then broken up into powder, which is carefully mixed with the

and the whole is then stored in a thoroughly dry
earthenware vessel (kalas). This vessel with its contents is
then placed upon a platform some five feet high over a slow fire,
in which position it is allowed to remain for some three or four
days, the mouth of the vessel remaining open for the first day
or two, though it is afterwards covered.
It only then remains to
boiled rice

This

is

them from

what Bengali
hill-7nen.

distillers call

[Ed.]

Mlhar.

It

is

usually purchased

by

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE

II

19

add water ad libitum, and

to pour out the beer, after well

the
a
rude
vessel, through
shaking
straining apparatus composed
of rice-straw. It is said that the direct action of fire is not

needed in the preparation of this beer and that exposure

sun is sufficient for the purpose, though the application
of fire undoubtedly quickens the process. Eice prepared in
this way may be kept in the earthenware vessel for six or
really
to the

twelve months, a fresh supply of boiled rice and condiment

(emdo*) being added to the old from time to time; but
the beer is rarely kept in this way for any very prolonged
period,

though

its

quality

is

said to be

improved by such

keeping.

perhaps be added that the beverage so prepared

to be a thoroughly wholesome or at least a
comparatively harmless one. Very large quantities are, to the
writer's knowledge, sometimes consumed at a sitting, the
consumer's brain apparently remaining wholly unaffected
thereby. There is, however, a far less innocent beverage,
commonly known as phatiJcd, prepared from this rice-beer by
a process of distillation. This is a raw fiery spirit, somewhat
It

may

would seem

resembling in taste the crudest possible whisky and its use

*
might very fittingly be put under severe restrictions by taxation
or otherwise, with results most beneficial to the physical, mental
;

and moral well-being of

this very interesting race.

of the chief industries, a very profitable one
Kacharis, is that of the culture of the silk-worm

One

among the
known as

and the manufacture of the eri cloth. The eri cocoons,

which are about 2J or 3 inches in length, may often be seen
eri,

suspended, a few feet from the ground, in long festoons, a thin

cord being passed through the base of the cocoons for this
the cocoons remain for some
end of which period the insects make their
appearance in the butterfly stage. Before they are able to fly
away, they are collected with care and placed in a suitable
and at the end of three or four days eggs
receptacle
purpose.

In

this

condition

fifteen days, at the

resembling sago-grains make their appearance in great

numbers. It is said that one insect can on an average produce
from eighty to one hundred such eggs, or even more. In a
1

Possession, manufacture,

and

sale of phatikd

is

prohibited

by

law.

C 2

[Ed.]

Eri

silk

culture

THE KACHARIS

20

SECT.

further period of fifteen days the eggs are duly hatched, the

new-born insect being at first almost black, from which colour it

passes to brown, and finally to white, at intervals of three or four
days and at each change of colour the worm is said to cast its
;

Some four days after the last stage

about fifteen days after being hatched, the insect
may be expected to set about the formation of its cocoon.
To assist it in this work, small bundles of plantain or
mango leaves are loosely tied together and placed within broad
baskets or on bamboo platforms, and the insects are then careand under favourable
folly placed within these bundles
conditions the cocoon should be fully formed in about
twentyfour hours. The actual formation of the cocoon is
preceded
by certain signs, very significant to the Kachdri, i.e., the insect
itself refuses food for a short time beforehand and becomes of a
light, brilliant colour; and on handling it gently, a soft,
rustling sound, proceeding from the insect itself, can be
After being carefully cleaned in water and
distinctly heard.
dried in the sun, the cocoons are stowed
away, usually in an
earthenware vessel, until a fitting time, generally in the
dry,
cold season, appears for reeling them off, a work carried out
by
women and girls. It is said that a Kachdri, working steadily
at this occupation, can on an
average reel off some 150 or 200
cocoons in a day.
During the fifteen days preceding the
formation of the cocoon, the insects' quarters must be
skin in snake-like fashion.

is

reached,

i.e.,

kept

scrupulously clean, and food carefully and regularly provided

1
Its favourite viand is the eri (castor
oil) plant, which gives its
name alike to the insect itself as well as to the silk

from

its

cocoons.

certain trees

But

known

Sangla, especially the

it

also feeds freely

prepared
on the leaves of

in Assamese as Kurungfa,
first named of the three.

Gdmdri and

The loom employed

for
weaving the eri silk is of very simple
and most, if not all, the material needed for the
purpose can be provided by the villagers themselves from local

construction,

resources.

The market value

about

five rupees.

dwelling-house,

or,
1

of a loom of this character is said to be

It is usually set up on a
shady side of the
where this is impracticable, a rude structure

HJranda-, Ricinus

commums.

[Ed.]

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE

II

21

of thatch and bamboo work Is

provided to shield the weaver
from the sun. The actual work is
always carried out either by
the lady of the house, or by one of her
grown-up daughters

and

in every way suitable to women

workers, as it requires
little
exertion of physical
very
strength, but only a certain
quickness and readiness of eye and hand.
The conditions
under which the industry is carried on are in all
respects
it is

pleasing and satisfactory. Indeed, a Kachdri woman working

placidly and contentedly at the eri loom, singing quietly to
herself in sheer
one of the
happiness of heart, offers

perhaps
the benevolent influence of
the Pax Britannica to be found in the wide realm of
India,
especially when it is borne in mind that less than seventy years
ago these Kachdri Duars were subject to the Bhutan Kajas,
who seem to have harried and plundered the
people in the most
cruel and lawless way.
Soon after the master of the house,
with one or more grown-up sons, has betaken himself to the
rice-fields, and this he does almost at sunrise, his goodwife seats
herself at the loom, and works
away steadily until about 8 or
9 a.m., when she may be seen
carrying a well-cooked and
shielded
from rain and sun by
appetising meal, carefully
plantain leaves, to her goodman, who from an early hour has
been toiling in the fields for the good of the
This duty
family.
discharged, she resumes her position at the loom for the greater
part of what may remain of daylight. Immediately in front
of the loom there are probably two or three small children
(the Kach&ri race is a wholesomely prolific one) gambolling and
tumbling over each other in high delight. To these the mother
now and then devotes a word or two of remonstrance, whenever
their gambols seem to threaten an infantile breach of the
peace;
and she may occasionally rise from her seat to administer some

most complete

illustrations

of

"

little

more in sorrow
corporal chastisement, though always
"
but otherwise she devotes herself steadily and
;
assiduously to the work in hand. It is said that a Kachdri
than in anger

woman, if not greatly or frequently interrupted

weave about half a yard each day and, as this
;

in her work, can

eri cloth,

woven

in long strips about two yards wide, can

always command a ready
sale at about Es. 2/- per yard, it will be at once evident that a
good worker can in this way, without neglecting other urgent

THE KACHARiS

22

SECT.

domestic duties, easily make a substantial addition to the family

income.
The fabric itself (en cloth), so produced, is one of great value,
the cold season, being at once soft and
especially for use in
as
warm as well
remarkably strong and durable. Of its very
last-mentioned respect (durability) the
great merit in this
Some
to hold a very high opinion.
reason
writer has good
a
with
was
he
twelve or fifteen years ago
piece of
presented
eri cloth

woman,

by one Leah Khdngkhudh, a good Kachdri churchliving not

far

from

Bengbari, whose payment

this very pleasing

St.

of her

Paul's Mission
"

Church dues

and highly practical form.

"

Church, at
(tithe) took

The quantity

money payment) was

two
sufficient to make
ample bed-sheets, and in this character
now for at least a dozen years past.
use
they have been in
During that period they have of course been subjected to many
and frequent barbarous washings; but even the rough treatment
they have so often received at the hands of the Assamese dhobi
has as yet failed to make any impression for injury on the warp
and woof of this sound material so substantial and conscientious
of cloth given (the donor declined

all

is

the work done by this good Kachdri churchwoman and

gentlewoman.
Position,

domestic,
of women.

Among the Kach&ris women do not perhaps occupy quite

the same influential position as seems to be enjoyed by their
s i s t ers j n the Khasi Hills, where something like a matriarchate
apparently holds the field of social and domestic life. Still,
with this interesting race the position of the wife and mother

from being a degraded one. The Kachdri husband and

householder has neither sympathy with, nor tolerance for, that
"
which says that woman
degrading and demoralising creed
is far

is

but dust, a soul-less toy

for tyrant's lust."

On

the contrary,

he usually treats his wife with distinct respect, and regards her
as an equal and a companion to an extent which can hardly
be said to be the rule among many of the Indian peoples.

Kachiri women, both in early life and as matrons, enjoy a large

measure of freedom, a freedom which is very rarely abused for
evil purposes. On being spoken to on the wayside, the Kachdri
woman will generally reply at once with absolute frankness,
looking the questioner straight in the face and yet with the

II

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE

23

most perfect modesty. It has often happened to the writer

during the last forty years to enter a Kachari village for
preaching purposes, or with a view to opening a school. On
asking for the village headman, that personage is usually not
slow in making his appearance and after a few friendly words
he will, quite as a matter of course, introduce his wife, and that
with no small pride and pleasure. In discharging this social
duty, he will very commonly use much the same language as
may be heard among the working classes in England. The
"
"
phrase most common is Be ang-ni burui," literally This (is)
my old woman." The words are not used jeeringly at all, but
with much real respect and affection and are obviously so
;

regarded by the speaker's life-partner, whose face and features,

somewhat homely in themselves, may often be seen to light up
at once with a very pleased and pleasing smile on hearing
herself thus referred to by the sharer of her life's joys and
There is, too, another consideration, not perhaps
sorrows.
altogether unknown in other parts of the world, which has
great weight with the Kachari paterfamilias, viz., that his goodwife for the most part does not a little to provide for the family
needs in the matter of food and raiment. Her prowess at the
loom has been mentioned before and besides this, the actual
planting out of the young rice-seedlings is for the most part
carried through by the women.
And all this is habitually done
without in any way neglecting or slurring over the usual duties
more strictly appropriate to the goodwife and mother.
On the whole it may perhaps be safely said that the social
and domestic life of the Kachari is not without its pleasing
and satisfactory features. It is probably for the most part far
sounder and more wholesome than the life of great cities,
whether in Asia or Europe and it is with no little dismay and
sorrow that the writer would see any hasty ill-considered
;

attempts made to supplant or override this simple, primitive,

patriarchal life through the introduction of a one-sided,
materialistic civilisation.

SECTION

III

LAWS AND CUSTOMS

Internal

Orgamsa-

FROM such information as is available at the present day it

seemg fajriy c i ear that the internal and tribal organisation of
the Kachari (Bara) race rested in early days, very largely at
and there
least, on a totemistic basis, although it is only here
that any real regard for the totems can still be said to survive.
In primitive days these subdivisions, all at one time strictly
1
endogamous, were probably very numerous. But in the case of
many

of these sub-tribes

all

trace of their distinct existence

would seem to have passed away; and no restrictions on the

intermarriage of members of such sub-tribes as still survive are

any longer
names still
following

Among septs or
recognised.
to some extent hold the field

sub-tribes

may

whose

be placed the

Swarya-droi (Swarga = heaven). The heaven-folk. This

sub-tribe is said to be the highest of all none of its members
ever worked as cultivators, for as a rule all deoris, ojhas,
1.

1
On this point Col. G-urdon, Hon. Director of Ethnography, Assam, writes
"I entertain grave doubts as to the correctness of the author's
as follows
remark that the Kachari totemistic clans were originally endogamous. If it
:

had not been for the most unfortunate death of the author before this work
went to press, we might have hoped to have had some light on this obscure
point. Amongst the Mech, who are the first cousins of the Kacharis, and
who live alongside of them, marriage is exogamous, vide page 124 of the
Monograph, so also amongst the Garos, who may be described as second
cousins of the Kacharis. Mr. Friel, Sub-Divisional Officer of Mangaldai,
which division of the Darrang district contains a large number of Kacharis,
met an old Kachari who stated quite positively that before the Dewangari
war, Kacharis were not allowed to marry within their own sub-tribe.* It is
true that Mr. Friel's informant afterwards contradicted himself, but I think
it is quite possible his first statement was the correct one.
On the other
hand, it should be stated in favour of Mr. Endle's theory that three men were
found in Sekhar mauza of Mangaldai who stated that in former days 'a
penance had to be performed if one married outside one's own "kurJ* My own
view, however, is that stated above, and I do not think the statement that
the Kachari totemistic clans were endogamous should be accepted without
*

further investigation."

LAWS AND CUSTOMS

SECT, in

25

and others who took a leading part in religious ceremonials,

were chosen from this subdivision and the offerings made by
;

worshippers were held to be sufficient for their maintenance.

The earth-folk. This
2. Basumati-droi (Basumati = earth).
clan has a certain privilege not possessed by any other, i.e., its
members can bury their dead without in any way purchasing
ground for the grave or for the erection of the funeral pyre.
3. Mosd-droi (Mosd = tiger), otherwise known in
Darrang as
Bagh-l-aroi (Bagk-l-aroi, the I is probably inserted for reasons of
euphony). The tiger-folk. The members of this sub-tribe
claim kindred with the tiger, and all the inhabitants of a
village peopled by them go into mourning on hearing that a
tiger has died in the neighbourhood.

Eh&ngJMo-Aroi. The JDiangkhlo-foIk. KhangTMo is apparname of a certain jungle grass, used freely both at
religious ceremonials and at festive gatherings and merrymakings, of which the Kachdris are very fond.
5. Sibing-droi (Sibing, sesamum, the Assamese
The
til.).
sesamum-folk. This sub-tribe is said to be the only one which
in olden time was allowed to cultivate sesamum plant, and its
4.

ently the

members

still hold this plant in special honour.

Gdndret-droi (Gdndret, a leech or slug, Assamese JTumzeThe leech-folk. This sub-tribe holds the leech in
luka).
high regard and cannot under ordinary circumstances kill it;

6.

on

occasions of certain religious ceremonials, e.g.,

after
a death in the family, its members were
purification
a
leech with vegetables for a certain limited
required to chew

though

period, though apparently only once in a life-time.

The jute-folk. This sub-tribe
7. JNdrze-droi (ndrzejute).
held jute in special honour, and on occasions of great religious

members were bound to chew a certain quantity

No. 6).
8. Doimd-roi (Doimd=B, large river) (cf. Dim&sd [doimd-sd],
the usual designation of the people of the North Oachar Hills).
The river-folk. These in olden time were the fisherman class,
ceremonials

its

of jute (see

its surviving members are now merged among the mass

of ordinary cultivators.
The begging-folk. Proio beg).
9. Hibiziyd-droi (BMna
fessional mendicants having no fixed home or regular occupation,

though

much

like the

modern

Fakirs, Vairagis, &c.

THE KACHARIS

26

SECT.

probably an onomatopoetic
Itinerant
less musical).
of those to
the
on
offerings
voluntary
musicians, subsisting
whom they ministered. The writer has occasionally seen one
or two members of this class in Kachari villages.
11. Ding-droi (dingd = a, bamboo water- vessel [Assamese
The members of this sub-tribe
CJiwn,g\y The dinga-folk.
are said to have formerly earned their livelihood by making,
these bamboo water- vessels.
2
The areca-folk
12. G-oi'ldri'droi (goi = the areca-palm ).
the
of
areca, of which they
formerly devoted to the cultivation
perhaps held the monopoly.
In addition to the above sub-tribes, all at one time strictly
be
endogamous, though now no longer so, the following may
are
these
that
noted
be
It
mentioned.
recognised, in
may
the
of
north
the
to
at
least, mostly
great earthwork
Kamrup
"
Kamla
Gossain
the
as
known
AH,"
embankment
though the
10. Sing-linff-droi

(Bing-ling,

word indicating a sound more or

writer has been unable to find any trace of their separate

existence in this (Darrang) district.
13. jRdmskdroi. JZdmshd folk. jRdmshd is said to be the name
3
It may be noted further that RAm-sd
of a Mauza in Kamrup.
name
is
the
Ram's
by which the Kach&ris living in the
(?
people)
in Jhe North Oachar Hills.
their
brethren
to
known
are
plains

Brahma folk. Said to be a quasi-priestly

found chiefly in Upper Assam. This name, like the

14. JBrahm-droi.
class,

preceding, is obviously of Hindu origin.

dnhtdrd-roi.* Bamboo-grove-folk.
15.
ese) is the sacred
villages,

bamboo

(JSanJibari

= Assam-

grove, found near many Kachari

is carried on at certain

where the worship of the gods

seasons.
16. X>heMdbdri-droi.

(Dhekia

fern),

the

totem of this sub-tribe was probably the fern,

used in the preparation of the fatikd spirit.

fern-folk.
still

The

sometimes

"
place called
Ding-dinga.'
[Ed.]
sept.
Perhaps
2
Cf. Assamese, gua, betel, to which G-ua-hati, the capital of Assam, is said
1

In.

the Dhubri subdivision

this takes its

to
3

owe its name.

Ramsha is one

there

is

name from the

of the old Maxizas of

Kamrup.

It is situated close to

Gauhati.

[Ed.]
4
Sanskrit, vamsct,
[Ed.]
grove.

bamboo

vams-vari

is

the Assamese word for a

bamb oo

LAWS AND CUSTOMS

in

17. Mddmard-roi.

The Mao-fish

dwellers near the Moamari

bil.

folk,

27

perhaps originally the

18. JDierlchathd-roi (Kerketud? squirrel). The squirrel-folk.

Said to be a low caste and more or less criminal. One of their
functions is to cut the horns of cattle.
19. Fadam-droi. The fadam folk.
Thefadam is said to be
identical with the tree known as sdchi in Assamese.
20. Mohild-roi. Mohila folk.
Mohila is a word of uncertain
and
It
is
said
be
to
the equivalent of Mahalddr,
meaning.
origin
and to be applied to fishery lessees, and petty traders in
areca-nut and betel-leaves and dried fish (na-gran}.
It may perhaps be added that among the Meches in Gowal-

para some sixteen of these subdivisions are recognised, all

3
In designating these subdivisions the
formerly exogamous.
same suffix (droi or rot) is used as that characteristic of
the Kamrup and Darrang Kacharis indeed, the names corre:

spond

closely in every respect,

e.g.

Swarg-droi,
Masd-roi,

Doimd-roi,
6foibdri-roi,

which seems to be practically identical with class-names Nos. 1,

3, 8 and 12, given above.
But it is among the Dimasa of the North Cachar Hills and
the Hojais of the Nowgong district that this minute subdivision of the clans would seem to attain its highest development. In this portion of the Bara race some eighty clans are
recognised, of whom forty are known as men's clans (sengfdng)
and forty as women's (zulu). All the members of these
different clans eat and drink together freely, and are, or were,
4
The only exception to this strict rule
all strictly exogamous.
1
The Moamari or M^omari bil is said to have given
Moamaria faction which gave so much trouble in the time

its

name

of the

to the

Assamese

king Graurinath Singha. [Ed.]

2 In
adopting a word from the language of their Hindu neighbours
(Assamese), the Kacharis often use an aspirated letter where none exists
in the original. S. E.
3 It is
certainly strange that amongst the Meches, who are kinsmen of the
KacMris, the sub-tribes are exogamous, whereas the Kachari sub-tribes are
said by the author to have been originally endogamous. [Ed.]
4

Of.

the case of the

Mech

sub-tribes.

THE KACHARIS

28

SECT.

so-called royal clan, known as

earth
black
folk/' all the members of which
Ha-chum-sa, i.e.>
within
to
their own sub-tribe, marriage
were compelled
marry
a
clan
with a member of
being of old absolutely
subject
forbidden.
(Cf. the analogous restrictions enforced by various
"
"
Royal Marriage Acts in other communities.)
In partial explanation of the terms used (their number might
probably be largely added to on further inquiry), it will be

of

is

exogamy

that of the
"

two are obviously of Hindu origin, the

folk) being attached to the
Sanskrit words Swarga and Vasumati respectively. Most of
observed that the

Kachari

affix

first

droi

(people,

the designations applied to the other sub-tribes merely indicate

the occupation, probably hereditary, by which the members of
these sub-tribes obtained their livelihood. But in almost every
case, in these modern days, any special reverence for the fcotein
has very largely become a thing of the past. There is, perhaps,
one exception to this rule, that of the tiger-folk (Mosdroi or
Baghl&roi}.

euphonic,
meaning).
still think

in this latter word is probably merely

the two words have exactly the same
Kach&ris of the old-fashioned conservative school

(The

so

that

a duty to show respect to their totem (the tiger)

by formally going into mourning whenever they learn that one
of these animals has died in the immediate vicinity of their
The period of mourning is indeed but a short one,
village.
it

seldom exceeding twenty-four hours but during this brief

period the sorrowing would seem to be very real, and not a
little material loss is sometimes involved.
No solid food
whatever must be taken, in itself no slight privation to the
Kachari, who is as a rule provided with an ample appetite. At
the end of the mourning the floor and walls of each house
must be carefully smeared with a freshly prepared compost of
mud and cow-dung, a work usually carried out by the women.
All articles of clothing, as well as all household utensils made of
brass, must be thoroughly cleansed in running water, whilst all
earthenware vessels except those which are quite new and have
never yet been used for cooking purposes, must be broken up
and thrown away. Then one of the elder members of the
1
chum (-ga-chiira), black (c/. Dimd, gd-chum, black-water)
Ha, earth
;

sa, folk,

people.

LAWS AND CUSTOMS

29

community, acting as Deori (minister), solemnly distributes the

"
water
(Sdnti-Jaiy to be drunk by all in turn and
^of^ peace
the buildings themselves and all articles of
clothing, &c., are
freely sprinkled with this preparation.
The service is

"

consummated by the
by all in common

finally

sacrifice of a fowl or
pig, to

after

which

intercourse with the neighbours

be partaken of

relations of ordinary social

may be

quietly resumed.

MABBIAGE, ENDOGAMY, EXOGAMY

It is said that each of the sub-tribes mentioned above was
in early times strictly
endogamous ; for though members of all
these subdivisions might freely eat and drink
intertogether,

marriage between them was absolutely forbidden. But all such

restrictions on marriage seem to have
passed away long since,
so that the whole subject has
nowadays little more than an
antiquarian interest.
No formal hypergamy is recognised, though Kachdris
occasionally take wives from the cognate tribes known as
R&bhas (Totlas), Koches (Maddhis), and
But
Saraniyas, &c.
such alliances are as a rule not looked
with
and
favour,
upon
the bridegroom in such cases has
to
make
his
generally
peace
with his fellow-villagers by providing them with a feast in
which rice-beer (Zu) and pork are certain to take a
prominent
Children born of such mixed marriages become in all
place.
cases members of the father's subdivision of the Bodo race.

There

is little

or nothing specially distinctive in the laws of

their bearing on the marriage

consanguinity or affinity in

A widower may marry his deceased wife's younger

but not the elder, whom he is taught to regard conventionally in the light of a mother. Much the same principle
holds good in the case of the re-marriage of widows, which is

relationship.
sister,

freely permitted, the one limitation being that a widow may

marry her deceased husband's younger brother, but not the
elder.
1

*'

S^nti-Jal," water of peace (reconciliation), usually prepared by

immersing in water leaves of the Tulsi plant, Dub grass, cow-dung, rice, &c.
Money is sometimes added in the form of small silver coins (four -anna bits)
or even rupees ; and rings, or other personal ornaments, are sometimes thrown
into this "
l'

THE KACHARIS

30

SECT.

POLYGAMY
Kachdris are a strictly monogamous race,
having two wives have occasionally come
though
These cases are, however, almost
under the writer's notice.
a somewhat high social position
of
men
to
limited
invariably
Where, too,
or great wealth, such as Mauzadd-rs, Mandals, &c.
a first wife proves childless, Kachdri custom sanctions the
taking of a second, mainly with a view to handing down the
On the other hand, polyandry
father's name to posterity.

As a

rule the

cases of

men

to be absolutely prohibited, though it is known to

the
in
adjoining regions of Bhutan, Tibet, &c.
prevail

would seem

ADOPTION
Children, more especially orphans, are occasionally adopted,
usually by near relatives, but sometimes by absolute strangers.
In such cases the children so adopted are treated as full

members of the family, and the foster-parents are considered

by the community to have done a highly meritorious act.
Several pleasing instances of adoption of this character have
come under the writer's notice, and in all such cases the
adopted children seem to have found a very happy home.

FEMALE CHASTITY
As stated above, the standard of chastity among the
As
Kacharis, both men and women, is by no means a low one.
a rule the young people, in the villages at least, lead pure lives
before marriage, and are faithful to their marriage vows in afterlife.
In cases where there are several unmarried girls in a family,
and one of them is suspected of having broken the law of
chastity, the following plan for detecting the offender is sometimes adopted. The whole family gathers in the evening around
the sacred siju tree (JEupkor'bw splendens), which is often to be

seen growing in the court-yard, surrounded by a fence of split

bamboo. At the foot of this revered tree a quantity of rice
(uncooked) is solemnly buried and allowed to remain there over
Early next morning this rice is carefully disinterred,
night.
and a certain quantity given to each grown-up girl (sikhld) to
be masticated. The offender, under the pressure of the fear of

KACHARI GIRLS PLAYING JEW'S HARP

From

ft

Photograph by

ftfrs.

ff.

(Gongina).
A. Colqwhonft^

LAWS AND CUSTOMS

in

31

imminent detection, is unable to masticate her portion of rice, the

faculty of secreting saliva failing her in her terror of discovery
and disgrace.
She is then made to disclose the name of her paramour*

whom

Kachari public opinion compels to marry his victim

forthwith, the bride-price (pan see below) being in this case
considerably enhanced as some slight compensation to the girl's
:

parents for the injury done to the honour of the family.

similar procedure is sometimes resorted to in cases of suspected
theft or other like misdemeanours in the family circle.

In some cases where the parents are unwilling to part with

daughter to a prospective son-in-law of somewhat
objectionable character, the matter is referred for decision to the
village elders, who impose a fine of Us. 20/- to Rs. 25/- on
the offender. But whenever pregnancy follows offences against
the law of chastity, marriage becomes absolutely compulsory,
and the seducer is made to feel that he has brought disgrace
upon the village, and is distinctly under a cloud. In this way
a wholesome respect for chastity is maintained, and Kach&ri
their

domestic

life is

kept comparatively pure.

DIVOKCE
Divorce sometimes takes place by mutual consent, but cannot
be effected without a certain formality. Man and wife appear
before the village elders and state their case, concluding by
tearing a pan-leaf into two pieces, fdthoi fesinai, (.ST.) pdn chird
(Assamese), a symbolic act indicating that, as the sundered leaf
can never reunite, so their own married life is severed for ever.
Should the husband divorce his wife for causes which seem to
the village elders inadequate or capricious, he forfeits all claim
to reimbursement of his marriage expenses, and even when the
divorce is approved of, he must pay a certain small sum (Rs. 5/~
to 10/~) for his freedom, the amount being divided between the
On the other
village panch&yat and the divorced woman.
hand, if the woman is divorced for just and sufficient reasons,
the injured
e.g., for unfaithfulness to her marriage obligations,
husband is entitled to recover whatever he may have expended
at his marriage, a sum amounting sometimes to Rs. 140/- or
upwards to Rs. 200/-. The man who may afterwards marry the

THE KACHARIS

32
divorced
this

woman

SECT.

held to be responsible for the payment of

this latter condition is duly fulfilled,
at
fully
liberty to live with a second husband.
is

money; and so long as

the divorcee

is

INHERITANCE OF PROPERTY

Among the Kach&ris the laws and customs relating to the

inheritance of property seem to be very vague, and it is not at
all easy to obtain any definite information on the subject.
Generally speaking, on the decease of the head of the household the eldest son takes charge of all property, making a
home for the time for his widowed mother and his brothers and
In this way the family may be kept together for some
sisters.
years but eventually it breaks up as the children grow up and
marry, in which case the father's property is broken up into
equal shares, the eldest son taking one share and a half, while
what remains is divided fairly among the other brothers. The
When a
daughters, especially if married, can claim nothing.
man dies without sons, the property usually passes to his eldest
surviving brother, who generally makes some provision for the
deceased man's widow and daughters.
Disputes, whether matrimonial or otherwise (&#., inheritance
of property, &c.), are almost invariably referred to the council
-of village elders, whose members are not necessarily limited to
five or other definite number; and the decision of this rural
;

council

very rarely questioned or opposed in any way. It

this simple and very
effective way of settling disputes, so that the villagers may be to
.a
great extent saved from the necessity of coming under the
contaminating, demoralising influence of our civil and criminal
-courts.
As all the Kachdris of this district (Darrang) are
ordinary cultivators, holding land directly under Government
like their Hindu and Musulman neighbours, no remarks are
needed under the head of "tenure of land, and laws regarding
land."
So too with the sections dealing with " war, and headhunting," it is only necessary to say that the latter practice
is

might be well to develop and enlarge

(head-hunting) is quite unknown here, though it would seem

to have been very common in earlier
days among the closely
race
known
to
us
as
Garos.
cognate

SECTION IV
KELIGION

THE

religion of the KacMri race is distinctly of the type General

"
as
animistic," and its underlying principle is of
poptfa
The statement " Timor beliefs.
characteristically one of fear or dread.

commonly known

fecit deos

"

certainly holds good of this people in its widest and

and their religion thus stands in
marked,

strictest sense

very
not to say violent, contrast 1 with the teaching of the Faith in
In the typical Kach^ri village as a rule neither
Christ.
idol nor place of
worship is to be found but to the Kach&ri
;

mind and imagination earth, air, and sky are alike peopled
with a vast number of invisible spiritual beings, known
"

Modai," all possessing powers and faculties far

greater than those of man, and almost invariably inclined to
use these powers for malignant and malevolent, rather than
usually as

benevolent, purposes. In a certain stage of moral and spiritual

development men are undoubtedly influenced far more by what
they fear than by what they love ; and this truth certainly

The
applies to the Kachari race in the most unqualified way.
Kachari Duars of this district (Darrang) were in earlier days
looked upon as being especially unhealthy, and to some extent
they retain that character still. It has repeatedly fallen to the
lot of the writer, when entering a Kaeh&ri village to find one
or more of its inhabitants prostrate with malarial fever of a

and on asking what was wrong the reply has very

"modai* hamdang" i.e., an (evil) spirit has got
been
commonly
1
See S. Matt. xxii. 37, or (what was written many centuries earlier)

virulent type;

" Thou shalt love

vi. 5,
Modai (Assamese deota,

Deut.
2

"

the Lord thy God with all thy heart.

Mam-no, (Hindustani
devta], a god, spirit, &e.

"
pakar or Assamese dharna) to catch, lay hold of, &c. Hence Modai ham"
dang, an (evil) spirit has seized (me),"
got hold (of me)."
:

33

THE KACHARIS

34

And

hold (of me).

this reply may be looked upon as typical

as accurately expressing the very spirit

and characteristic, and

and true inwardness
violation

conscious

SECT.

of

Kach^ri
moral

religion.

Law

of the

Of

of a

the Kachari has of course no idea whatever.

sin,

i.e. 9

the

righteous God,
But he does

believe in the existence and active interference in the affairs of

of certain invisible spiritual beings who are the authors
who are for the most
of sickness, famine, earthquakes, &c.
malevolent
motives, and whose ill-will
part influenced by

men

propitiated and bought off by

of
rice, plantains, pigs, goats, poultry, &c.,
frequent offerings
in ways regarding which some little information is given below.

towards mankind must be

Worship

Ancestor-worship would not seem to be in vogue to any

ex * en * among the KacMris of this district, though perhaps it
1.

not altogether unknown e.g., when the head of a family or

other man of note passes away, it is not unusual at certain
festivals to place on a platform a small quantity of the viands
of which the deceased was known to be fond during his lifetime

is

on earth, presumably

members

of the village

for

his

use

community

and behoof.

will ever

presume

No

adult

to touch

these viands, though the village children are apparently at

consume them at their pleasure.
2, The
Worship
worship of natural forces also would seem to be not
liberty to

Uia

forces.

a * a ^ common, though some traces of it may perhaps be noted

For instance, (A) in connection with the
here and there.

popular festival
place

what

is

known

as the April (Vaisdkh) Bihu, there takes

"
"
Parwa show or bhotheli, a festival

called the

apparently common to Hindu and KacMri alike. The parwa

a tall bamboo pole draped with rags, flags, &c., taken from
the village on the last day of the
ihu and put up in a field

is

alongside a tree, where the people

amuse themselves by dancing,

It is possible that
wrestling, and tom-toming, &c., around it.
this may be a relic or survival of phallic
worship, the parwa

taking the place of the lingam or phallus.

(B) Again, water
would seem to have about it something of a sacred character
in the mind of the average KachAri.
The dead are often buried
or cremated on or near the banks of running streams, which
are also favourite localities for the celebration of the
greater
pujas.

This reverence for water

is

perhaps specially marked

RELIGION

iv

35

among the Kacharis

of North-east Bengal
(Jalpaiguri, &c.), in
which part of the Province, Mr. Bryan Hodgson informs us, all
the smaller streams are regarded as a kind of lesser deities (dii

the Brahmaputra is looked upon as the mother

It may be noted also in this
(mater magnet).
connection that one of the principal branches of the widely

inferiores), whilst

of

them

all

spread Bara race, i.e., the people of the North Cachar Hills,
"
speak of themselves as Di-md-sd, i.e., sons of the big
"
or
children
of
the
even
river,"
great water,"
though none of
still

them would seem now

to dwell anywhere near a large river or

therefore
may
perhaps be safely inferred that the
element of water, though now apparently not often actually

lake, &c.

It

worshipped, has ever been held in special regard by the Kachari

race.

The Kachari Pantheon is a very extensive one, though it Worship

seems probable that only a comparatively small number are * (ieities
strictly of tribal or national origin, many having obviously
been borrowed from their Hindu neighbours. The popular
Kachari deities fall naturally into two classes, i.e., (1) household gods (n&-ni maddi); (2) village gods (gdmi-ni maddi). 1
The former are worshipped inside the house, or at least in the

homestead

the

(compound);

latter

by the whole

village

the house> and usually near the sacred

collectively,
or
of
trees
bamboos, often to be seen some fifteen or
grove
outside

twenty yards from the

long

list

village,

and known as the

thansali.

of these gods is given in an interesting paper by

Maulvi Mahibuddin Ahmed, some nineteen names of household

gods being therein enumerated, whilst the village gods number
sixty-five. Only a small proportion of these deities

no fewer than

would, however, seem to obtain recognition in this district

(Darrang), and

it

hardly seems necessary to mention by

name

more than a few of them.

A.

Among
1.

Household

the household deities

Bathau

brai, old
1

Deities.

may be

placed the following

Bathau.

Na, house

(ghar).

Garni, village (gdon).

THE KACHARIS

36

SECT,

Mainao, otherwise known as Bhulli Buri, and looked upon

as Bathau's wife.
3. Asu Mainao.
4. Sali Mainao.
2.

5.
6.
7.

Song KAj4
Song Brdi.
Bur& Bdgh BAjA,
1.

Bdthdu

&c., &c., &c.

(Siju,

i.e.,

Euphorbia

splendens).

Of these household gods by far the most important is the

first-mentioned, i.e., Bdth^u, who is pre-eminently the guardian

He is never repreof the family interests and family honour.

evidence
in
well
is
but
in
idol
sented
form,
through his living
tree
(JEupJiorbia splendens), which is
symbol^ the siju (hiju)
often to be seen in the Kachdri
circular

fence

of

split

homestead surrounded by a

bamboo.

Among
has

the

Meches

of

dthdw (syu),

Goalpara, almost every home,

B&thdu
though in Darrang it is less frequently met with.
in
but
conis said not to be worshipped separately,
always
a
slightly raised altar,
junction with Ai-Deo. Inside the house
called dhdm, is often erected in honour of Song R&j&, and at
this women especially pay their devotions and make offerings,
it is said,

its

All offerings,
particularly at the monthly periods (menses).
however, made to Song Eij^ are finally brought outside the
house, and laid at the foot of B^thdu and the writer has often
seen such offerings in the form of heads of goats, pigs, fowls, &c.,
;

as well as plantains, tdmul-imts, jpc%~leaves, gavi

of rice and pulse), &c., humbly laid down

In

(i.e.,

a mixture

for

B^ttuiu's

held that disease, famine, and

of all kinds may be kept at bay, through the
influence of this powerful guardian of the family interest and

acceptance.
misfortunes

this

way

it is

well-being.
It may be added

that it is apparently only among the

northern section of the KacMri race that the siju tree is
regarded with special reverence. The Garos are said to know
this tree and to use certain parts of it for medical
purposes
e.g., the preparation of poultices, &c. ; but to them it is never

an object of worship.

The Dimasd

of the

North Cachar

Hills,

TREE (Euphorbia sphndens}.

Photograph by Mrs. H. A. Colyithoitn.

Siju
Frotn

ft

iv

RELIGION

on the other hand, seem

or any other tree.

to

2.

have no special regard

Mainao

37
for

the siju

(Ceres).

Only second to BatMu is his good consort, Mainao, though,

unlike her husband, she has no special emblem visible to the
human eye. Her special function is that of " Guardian of the
" l
rice-fields
and among a purely agricultural community like
that of the KacMris, she of course is held in very high regard.
;

She
was

is, in short, to the Kachari peasant very much what Ceres

to the old heathen Eoman cultivator.
Eggs are the offer-

ing that finds most favour in her eyes, and these are presented
her in unstinted quantity. She is apparently especially
worshipped at the period of harvesting the dsu and dli crops
hence the twofold designation given above (Nos. 3 and 4, household gods), Asu Mainao, and Sali Mainao.
Of the other domestic deities above mentioned, it is not
necessary to say much. Nos. 5 and 6 (Song R&ja and Song
Brdi) seem to be the especial objects of devotion to women,
worshipped for the most part inside the house, whilst No. 7
(Burd, B&gh R&ja) is apparently merely the name of the tiger,
often spoken of with bated breath as the "monarch of the
to

woods

"

(banar-r&j<i\ especially by men travelling at night,

may well be apprehended.

when

danger from the tiger

B. Village Deities.

There would seem to be little need to dwell much on the

of them have evidently
village deities for no small proportion
been adopted from the Hindu Pantheon, as will be obvious
Some sixty-five such names
from the names given below.
are given in the valuable paper above mentioned of village
;

deities recognised in Kamrup, though the writer only knows

of some three or four of these gods as reverenced in this
the paddy
probable that her great function, i.e., guardianship of
indicated by her name ; for mai= paddy (Assamese dJidn) ; and na
hence mai~ndo = " the
(ndo) = to watch over, keep (Assamese rakha) ;
1

It

is

field, is

protector of the rice-fields."

THE KACHARIS

38
district (Darrang).

the following

Among

3.

4.

Jal Kub^r.

5.

Thai Kuber.
Ih Kuber.
Bih Kubr.

2.

6.
7.
8.
9.

may

perhaps be mentioned

Mero rdja.
Bur& Mah^deo.
Bur& gosain.

1.

these

SECT.

Kuber brai
Kuber brui

(masculine).

(feminine).
10. Sila Rai, &c., &c., &a, &c.
It is needless to continue the

for almost all the names

Hinduism e.g., Kuber is
almost certainly the Hindu god of wealth and of the lower
Others are in all likelihood merely names of
regions (Pluto).
deified mortals of some pre-eminence above their fellow men
list,

are obviously borrowed from popular

notable illustration of this principle

of deification is probably that given as No. 10 in the above list,
1
This is almost certainly the name of the welli.e., Sila Rai.
known Commander-in-Chief of the most famous of the Koch
Kings, Nar Narayan, in whose time the Koch kingdom reached
the zenith of its power. As a soldier and commander this
cf.

Earn, Krishna, &c.

man

(Sila Rai) seems to have been the foremost captain of his

time in North-east India and his striking
personality would
seem so to have impressed the minds and imaginations of his
;

contemporaries as to lead to his apotheosis after death.

As might be expected among a purely agricultural community, the great annual pujas, which are three in number,
are directly connected with the
ingathering of the three chief
rice crops of the year, i.e., the i.hu,
Pharma, and JdJi crops
The dates for these annual pujas do not seem to be at all
rigidly fixed, but are apparently settled by the village elders to
meet the public convenience. There is no
prescribed form of
religious worship ; indeed, the whole gathering is rather of the
a village merry-making than a
religious service; and
nature^of
there is invariably a very
of the national
large

consumption

beverage (rice-beer) at all these gatherings.

1
See "The Koch Kings of
Kamrup," by E. A. Gait,

Esq., I.C.S.

RELIGION

iv

39

There is said to be another puja known as morong-pujd,, of

which the special object is to propitiate the cholera demon, to
whom are made offerings of he-goats, pigeons, fowls and betelIn addition to these, flowers, eggs, pounded ricenuts, &c.
flour, &c., are sometimes placed on rafts and set afloat on a
river and occasionally animals (goats, &c.) are exposed in this
1
way on rafts as an oblation to the river god (doi-ni madai). It
may be taken for granted that, whenever these rafts are found
on streams in the Kachari country, cholera or other malignant
disease is or has been doing its deadly work among the people.
In addition to the pujas above mentioned, which are more or
less of a general character, offerings of goats, chickens, and a
mixture of pulse and rice known as gazi, are often placed at the
foot of certain trees, usually old trees, and finally left there.
;

As

a rule, only the heads of the goats, chicken, &c., so offered

be found at the foot of such trees, the bodies of the
These
slaughtered animals being consumed by the offerers.
as
a
the
not
are
oblations
whole,
made,
by
village community
will

but by the heads of individual families, some one member of

which is in severe trouble from sickness or other like cause.
The money value of such offerings is sometimes not inconsiderable.

PBIESTHOOD
There is no authorised priestly caste among the Kacharis,
nor are Brahmins ever employed in their religious ceremonies,
these latter indeed being generally of a social, and even festive,
rather than a religious character. In Kamrup, however, one of
"
Brahmaroi," a
the recognised sub-tribes is, or was, known as
name which seems to point to Brahmins as having a certain
All religious offices are now
standing in the Bada community,
who are usually men of a
discharged by Deoris or Deoddis,
certain age and recognised social position in the village
The office is not hereditary,
elders in fact.

community village
and any one versed in the usual forms of exorcism, &c. can
class of persons employed in religious
discharge it. Another
;

I have seen such a puja on the

was a duck.

to the river god

Manas

river.

The

principal offering

THE KACHARIS

40

SECT.

ceremonies is known as the Ojhd or Ojlid-Burd, who is generally

armed with shells, cowries, &c., by the manipulation of which
he professes to be able to foretell prosperity or the reverse to
those who consult him. These officials are supposed to be
competent to deal with the ordinary ailments of village life by
indicating the approximate method of propitiating the offended
deity (moda), whose anger is held to be the cause of all the ills
that flesh

is

heir

to.

But in times of special emergency, e.g., plague, pestilence,

1
famine, &c., the services of the "possessed" woman, the
Deoddni, are called into action for a special puja organised
on a somewhat large scale. These gatherings are not very
common, but when they do occur the order of the proceedings
something as follows, as occasionally witnessed by the writer.
A piece of ground about fifteen or twenty yards square, usually
on the bank of a running stream, is selected for the purpose.
The surface of the soil is carefully removed, and a rude screen
of cotton cloth some six or eight feet high erected on bamboos
At the eastern
at the western side of the cleared ground.
a
earthwork
some
three
or four inches
side
embankment,
slight
high and about a foot broad is thrown up and on this a
number of figures, usually seven or nine, but always an odd
number, bearing a rude resemblance to the outlines of the
human form, are placed in an upright position. These figures
is

made of jungle grass twisted together, and are

about one foot in height. Before each figure is placed a layer
of the plantain tree with its concave side upwards, and in this
are deposited the heads of slaughtered goats, pigeons, chickens,
with salt, sugar-cane, plantains, gazi (a mixture of rice and
pulse), &c., the whole being freely sprinkled with blood and
pounded rice flour (pitfiAgurf). The Deoddni, a somewhat weirdlooking figure, with dishevelled hair, and vermilion-stained
forehead, wearing a long petticoat, dances up and down, to and
fro before these figures, keeping time
roughly with the music
of cymbals and tom-toms played by four or five men, who act as
her assistants. The ceremony is a prolonged one, often extendand the Deoddni, whose faculties are
ing over many hours
apparently quite absorbed in what she is doing and who seems
are roughly

Of. St. Luke's account of the

"

Pythonissa," Acts xvi. 16-18

RELIGION

iv

41

time to be lifted above the world of time and sense,

gradually works herself up to a state of excitement bordering
on frenzy.
At this stage, which is only slowly attained, a
is
goat
brought forward and taken up before one of the figures
above mentioned, when the Deoddni, with one stroke of the
for the

long sacrificial sword, known as the imfi and reserved

exclusively for such purposes, severs the victim's head from the
body. Most of the blood is held to be offered in sacrifice to the

maddi, before whose emblem the animal has been slaughtered ;

but some part is said to be sprinkled on the persons of the
assembled worshippers. It is at this climax of the pwja, i.e., at
the sacrificial slaughtering of the goat, that the Deoddni is
supposed to become possessed of the knowledge she is in search
of, i.e., the name of the offended deity who has brought about
the plague, &c., and also the best method of propitiating his

anger which usually involves an offering of pigs, goats, fee., to

the angered god, and the giving of a feast to the whole village
community, the expense being defrayed by a general contribu;

tion.

1.

In a Kachari

Ceremonies Attending Birth.

community there would seem to be no

formally recognised midwives (dhdis), any respectable and competent matron being at liberty to give attendance and assistance
to the patient in such cases.
In severing the umbilical cord
no scissors, knife, or other implement of steel is ever used, nor
village

the severance effected at one stroke, but in a succession of

slight cuts, seven such cuts being made in the case of a girl, and
only Jive in that of a boy. The cutting instruments consist
of thin hard strips of bamboo, 1 shaped roughly into the form
of a knife and a separate bamboo knife must be used in making
each slight cut, seven such knives being thus made use of for a
It is not unusual for one of
female child and five for a male.
the bystanders to give a name to the newly-born child at the
is

severing of the umbilical cord. The good matron who officiates

as midwife receives no money payment for her services, but on
the mother becoming convalescent a feast is given at the
1

Of.

Khasi birth custom,

p. 124,

"The

Khasis."

[Ed.]

THE KACHARIS

42

SECT.

and other flesh meat is always

parent's expense, in which pork
this feast the officiating midwife
present in abundance; and at
of the
is accorded the place of honour, as some recognition
of
hour
ministrations in her neighbour's
value of her
kindly

and need.
For about a month or

trial

six weeks, (the period seems to vary

within these limits) after giving birth to a child, the mother

held to be technically "unclean," and is subjected to certain

the
social and religious limitations; e.g., she may not approach
KachdrFs
dhdm or domestic altar commonly found inside a
she is ordinarily in the habit
dwelling-house, and on which
of
chickens, &c., in times of trouble.
of

is

making

eggs,

offerings

This period of ceremonial uncleanness is usually terminated by

the use of the water of peace (gdnti-jal). The deori freely
as well as the house and its contents with
sprinkles the mother
which she is fully at liberty to resume
after
this holy water,
her neighbours. 1
with
social intercourse

Naming.
There does not seem to be any special principle underlying
the giving of names to children, nor do such names as a rule
resemble those of their fathers. Like some of the lower castes

Hindu neighbours, children often take the name

2
Hence we
of the day or the month in which they were born.
also
as
as
often find such names
Deobar, Mangal, Budhu,
M^ghua^
the Kachdris.
Phaguna (names of months), &c., in use among
Other names are obviously adopted from the Hindus, e.g., Gangd
Edm, Sati Earn, &c. Others, again, were probably given by the
mother in infancy expressive of some peculiarity in the new-born
child's mental or physical temperament. Of this type, probably, is

among

their

the " voracious one," the

*'
3
Another illustration is the name Gdb-gr^, i.e.,
great eater/'
In short, any unusually
the weeper, the crier, &c., &c.
a very common name,

"

KMngkhoa,"

i.e.,

Jewish ceremonial described in Leviticus, xii.

the
well-known instance of "man Friday" in Robinson Crusoe.
Gf.
3 It will be remembered that the Kacharis are sometimes spoken of as
" Children of Bhim " (Mahabharat), who is said on one occasion to have eaten
unaided the meal provided for himself and his four brothers.
1

up

Of. the

RELIGION

iv

43

prominent physical peculiarity is often seized upon to become

the name by which the child is known throughout his whole
after-life.

3.

From

Marriage.

certain scattered scraps of information on the

subject A. The
come to the writer's knowledge during the

that have incidentally

past forty years, it would seem that marriage, ly capture was

largely, if not universally, in vogue among the KacMris in earlier

Some

days.

traces of this practice

would seem

to survive in the

ordinary marriage ceremonial which still to a large extent holds

the field.
case somewhat of this character came to the writer's

A young
knowledge some twenty-five or thirty years ago.
Kach^ri, employed as a village pandit some thirty miles from
Tezpur, carried off a girl from the house of her parents some
No actual violence apparently occurred in the
matter, and very likely there had existed for some time previously
a private understanding between the two young people conten miles away.

cerned.

the

But what was done

had not the approval of

a complaint on the

clearly

for these latter laid

girl's parents;
subject before the writer, and claimed redress for the wrong
done to them.
When the offending pandit was called to

account for his conduct, he simply pleaded in defence that what

he had done was quite in accordance with the time-honoured

custom of his forefathers and on payment of the usual brideprice, at a somewhat enhanced rate, the parents raised no
further objection to their daughter's union with the pandit.
:

But in modern times "marriage by capture"

is

rapidly

passing out of vogue, if indeed it be not already absolutely a

thing of the past ; and the marriage contract is usually entered
into in one of the four following
(a)

their

The young people

own hands, as in the

ways

occasionally take the matter into

case above mentioned, ignoring the

wishes of their parents on either side.

This procedure

is

looked

upon by the community as blameworthy and irregular, but not

The bride's parents claim an immediate payment of
invalid.
Rs. 5/- from the bridegroom, and also exact the bride-price at a
But if these conditions are duly
higher rate than usual.

THE KACHARIS

44

SECT.

complied with, no further objections are as a rule

made

to the

union.

When the son of

(J) The more usual practice is as follows.
from fifteen to twenty
the house attains a marriageable age,
years, his parents at once set to work to find a suitable bride
for him.
Having made their choice, they pay a visit to the
prospective bride's parents, taking with them certain presents
in the form of rice, liquor, betel-nuts, &c., and formally ask the
daughter's hand for their son. If the presents are accepted by
the girl's parents, it is assumed that the proposal is favourably
received, and the respective parents at one proceed to settle the
amount of the bride-price (gddhan), 1 which is always paid by the
bridegroom's family to the parents of the bride. In Darrang
the amount so paid rarely exceeds Rs. 40/- to Rs. 60/-, though
.

.,

Kamrup and Goalpara it is said to be often double these

sums and even larger still among the Rabhas, Saraniyds, &c.
In paying this formal visit to the prospective bride's parents,
those of the bridegroom are always accompanied by some of
in

the elders or leading men of their own village, these latter

acting as witnesses of the marriage contract, and so constituting in their own persons a very effective, if irregular, system of
"
"
marriage registration. The stipulated bride-price need not
be paid at once, nor does the actual union take place for some
months after the marriage-contract has been entered into.
And in no case does the bride leave her parents' home until
puberty has been attained so that the manifold and obvious
;

from the system of infant betrothals, and the

of
the
marriage of child-widows among the higher
prohibition
castes of Hindus, happily find no place whatever in the more
wholesome domestic life of the Kachdris.
(c) In cases where the bridegroom or his parents are unable
to pay the bride-price demanded by the girl's parents, it is
usual for the young man to give the equivalent in personal
service in the house of the bride's parents, much as Jacob 2
evils inseparable

Assamese, gci-dhan, body-price. [Ed.]

See Genesis, xxix. 20. Very eloquent in their simplicity and straightforwardness are the words in which the sacred writer describes this "tale
of true love " in the days when the world was young. * And Jacob served
seven years for Rachel and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love
he had to her." " The labour we delight in physics pain."
2

RELIGION

iv

45

served in Laban's house seven years for Rachel. The period of

arrangement between the parents of the
and
seems to vary greatly, i.e., from three or
parties concerned,
four to upwards of twelve or fifteen years. Cohabitation, however, is allowed after about twelve or eighteen months' service,
and at the conclusion of the full period, the young people are
free to depart whithersoever they will, though they
usually
return to the house of the bridegroom's parents. This form of
service is known commonly as " Olad g7iar-jiy&."
modification of the above form of service is that
(d)
service is a matter of

which

is

known as " mdl ghar-jiya, " (Darrang) or

"

"

Khasrot-tJi&ka

In this case the prospective bridegroom

ghar-jiya (Kamrup).
severs all connection with his own family, and identifies himself completely with that of his bride, in whose house he serves
until the death of her parents, when with his wife he is
entitled to the whole or the usual share of their property.
On
that of his own parents or relatives he retains no claim whatever.

The actual ceremony of marriage among the Kacharis can

perhaps hardly be looked upon as of a religious character, but
must be regarded as more of the nature of a social and festive
gathering. The order of proceedings is somewhat as follows
On a fixed day a party of the bridegroom's friends, numbering
some four or five women and thirty or forty men, set out for the
house of the bride's parents or guardians. The bridegroom may
himself accompany the party but more frequently does not.
The immediate object of the journey is to bring the bride to the
bridegroom's house. The party take with them nine loads of
viands, i.e., two men carry a pig, other two a large jar containing
rice-liquor, four men carry loads of tdmcd-pan, whilst the last
man carries a quantity of eatables meant for the men and cow:

is supposed, might otherwise attempt to prevent

the marriage party from reaching the bride's house. Two
women called tairati are in charge of these materials for the
1
On reaching the bride's house her people pour
wedding feast.
freely on the whole party an irritating liquid known as kachu
pdni (water mixed with the juice of the kacfm plant) and to

herds, who, it

somewhat rough welcome the bridegroom's party are bound

this
1

This

may be a

survival of the old practice

(t

marriage by capture."

THE KACHARIS

46

SECT.

submit without complaining, although the liquid causes

irritation to, and even blisters, the skin.
Finally the
are taken
the
party
bridegroom's
good things brought by
feast is forththe
and
bride's
the
of
wedding
people,
by
charge
with duly prepared. The village elders sit in front of the
the younger people behind,
assembly, often a large one, and
each guest having in front of him either a brass'plate or (more
On each of these plates the bride
usually) a plantain leaf.
and
curry, serving the elders first and
places a quantity of rice

to

much

are duly provided for she makes obeisance to the

assembled company, and sometimes kneels in their midst for
their sanction and approval on entering upon the duties of
married life, her husband when present kneeling with her.
Then one of the village elders, acting as Deori, makes a short
address on the obligations of the married state, ending by
the newly wedded pair, the whole
wishing every blessing, &c., to
"
with one voice erdina, z&thang"
end
the
at
in
assembly joining
"
The rest of the day is spent in
so may it be," (Amen).
i,e.,
but towards evening the bride is
and

when

all

merry-making,
If on the journey
to the bridegroom's house.
taken
formally
she has to cross a river, road, or embankment (6,l), &c., she is
nine areca nuts and nine pan-leaves
given at each such crossing
as presents to overcome her assumed reluctance to proceed
"
"
further.
(Perhaps another relic of the marriage by capture
Before the bride enters the bridegroom's house,
practice.)
those who bring her are entitled to receive a jar of molasses
feasting

and are hospitably entertained for

custom sanctions a certain
the night.
sometimes
of
interval
amounting to five days, between
time,
the bride's entering her husband's house and the consummaas well as

one of

rice-liquor,

It is said that Kachari

tion of the marriage.

All expenses attending the marriage

are borne
festival, which may extend to Us. 200/- and upwards,
as a rule
bride's
the
the
of
the
people
bridegroom,
family
by

contributing nothing.
4.

Death.

washed
Immediately after death occurs, the corpse is carefully
and
arms
the
out,
nearest
the
relatives,
straightened
legs
by
the head anointed with oil, and the hair reverently combed. A
fowl or a pigeon is killed, and from its flesh a curry is prepared

RELIGION

iv

47

with vegetables and condiments. A portion of this food is then

placed close by the deceased's head, and the act of feeding him
with a little of it is carried out up to a certain point, though
no food is as a matter of fact actually placed within his lips.
This act is repeated some ten or twelve times, and what
remains of the curry, &c., is then thrown away, no one being
allowed to consume it. The dead man's body is then clothed
with the best garments he owned in his lifetime, and the whole
covered with a perfectly new cloth and in this condition it
is taken outside the homestead for final disposal.
There are two recognised way of disposing of the dead, i.e.,
The latter is looked upon as
(1) Burial and (2) Cremation.
the more correct and respectable, though from motives of
;

economy the former is by far the more common. When burial

decided upon the corpse is carried to its last resting place,
which is often but not always on the banks of a running stream,

is

relatives, no women being permitted

be necessary for the burial party to cross
a river or irrigation canal, a cord is usually stretched from
bank to bank at the crossing place, either above or below the
water, to serve a kind of bridge for the spirit (jiwa), should he
be at any time disposed to revisit the scenes amid which his
1
Arrived at a suitable place
earthly life has been passed.
(there are no recognised cemeteries for the interment), some
pice are thrown on the spot, to purchase the ground from the

by the nearest surviving

to attend.

Should

it

deity (maddf) to whom it is supposed to belong. The body is

laid on the ground and the grave duly dug, but before placing
the corpse therein, the friends and relatives make a solemn
procession around it, five times in the case of a man and seven
in that of a woman. The body is then placed in the grave,

a somewhat shallow one, and the nearest relatives proceed to

In carrying out this process a certain
earth.
fill it with
is taken, i.e., a hollow reed or a stalk of jungle grass
precaution
(kher) is placed perpendicularly in the grave extending from
the nose of the deceased to a point somewhat above the natural
level of the ground and in filling the grave with earth, great
care is taken not to injure or displace this reed, so that the
deceased's spirit may be able to breathe should he so desire.
;

Another instance of the prevalence of a belief that spirits cannot cross

running water without assistance. (Of. The Khasis, pp. 135, 141. Ed.)
1

Disposal

fj^
1.

Burial,

THE KACHARIS

48

SECT.

four posts are erected over it, one at

filling the grave
each corner; and threads passed around them, in order to
prevent the spirits of other men from interfering with the
repose of the deceased. In the case of well-to-do people a

After

number

certain

with the corpse,

of
offerings
pice, &c., for this
whilst brass and other utensils needed in everyof rupees are usually buried

and even the poorer

classes

make

pious purpose
day life are almost always left on the grave, it being supposed
that the deceased may require the use of these things in the
;

of existence on which he has recently entered.

a
Finally,
rough shed of thatch is put up close by the grave to
shelter the deceased's spirit from rain and sun.

new

2.

Crema-

tion.

state

Very much the same procedure is in vogue in the case of

cremation, which is looked upon as the more respectable
method of disposing of the dead among the wealthier members
of the community.
Cremation usually takes place on or near
the banks of running streams, and is prefaced by the formal
buying of the land from the deity (maddi) of the locality.
Here too a certain difference is made in disposing of the corpse
of a man and of a woman respectively for in the case of a
woman seven layers of wood are placed under the body and
seven above it, whilst in dealing with a man's corpse five such
;

and

layers under

five

above the body are held to be sufficient.

pile, the deceased's

After placing the body on the funeral

and

friends

relatives pass round it in procession, five times in

man and seven in that of a woman (see above).

the case of a

The

funeral pile

and the
body

is

is

then set on

fire on all four sides at once,

fed until every vestige of the deceased's
The ashes are not carried away, but four

fire carefully

consumed

posts are usually placed in the

ground enclosing the oblong

space on which the cremation has been carried out and on the
tops of these a cloth is spread, which is held to shelter the
;

spirit of
Indications of

after
death.
life

the deceased from sun and rain.

From what

has been written above, it would certainly seem

the Kachdri has some idea, however vague and unsatisfactory, of a life prolonged after the great change we commonly

t^

cajj
of the

<j

ea

"

nj

first

nothing in

though
(earthly)

his notion of the future life is

life

common with

renewed."
the hope of

merely that

It has obviously little or

life

eternal in Christ,

i.e.,

RELIGION

iv
life

in God,

New

life

Testament

with God,

49

God, given us in the

Phil iii. 20, 21; 1 John

like

life

(see I Cor. xv.

iii. 2).

From such

information as the writer

has

been

able toFeativi-

ascertain, there would seem to be few well-marked domestic

festivities among the Kachdris, though the race is a
very
sociable and hospitable one, and the people entertain each

ie
i

^ om

tic.

other freely and frequently.

The two following may perhaps be mentioned:

A. " MikJiam gaddn zdndi" i.e., the " eating of the new rice,"
This is a feast held about December 10th (there is apparently
no fixed date), in celebration of the commencement of the cutting
of the great rice crop of the year (Mi dhdri). It is on this
occasion that the proceeds of the newly harvested rice are first
partaken of as an actual article of food. There is perhaps

nothing of a religious character about it, its main feature being

a very free consumption of rice-beer, often resulting in much
drunkenness.
B.

away

"

Mahu

hana/i" (or th&mfoi Jiasa-nai K\ i.e., "the driving

This is a form of merry-making got up

of mosquitoes."

mainly by the young people of a village about the latter part of

November or early in December, to celebrate the departure of
the mosquito plague for the cold season. Some twenty-five
years ago the writer was passing the night in a school-shed,
and was aroused from sleep by much shouting, dancing, &c., just
outside the door. On looking out into the moonlight he saw a

group of fantastic figures, some of them clothed in dry plantain

leaves, and wearing a head-dress made of thatch of preposterous
proportions resembling an enormous conical-shaped "dunce
On inquiring the reason of the gathering, he was told
cap."
"
that the performers were driving away the mosquitoes." No
doubt this is an amusement got up by the younger members of
the community, who are sometimes rewarded for their efforts
by small gifts of money, food, &c., from their elders (cf. Guy
<f

Fawkes ,"

at home).

no distinctively tribal festivals

characteristic of the Kach4ris of this district (Darrang), unless
the January and April Sihus can be regarded as such. The
There would seem to be

origin of these two

festivals is

still

somewhat obscure and

2. Tribal,

THE KACHARIS

50

SECT.

and further

light on the subject is greatly to be

Certainly they are not exclusively Kachari festivals,
for they are observed by the Hindus in this
neighbourhood
as well as by the Kach&ris. 1
Among the latter the January

uncertain,
desired.

Bihu is usually celebrated about the 12th of that month. For

weeks previously the young people have been busy building
"
Bihu huts " of jungle thatch also in erecting tall bamboos,
sometimes surmounted by ragged flags, &c., while straw, thatch
and other combustibles are piled up around these bamboos to the
height of many feet. On the appointed Bihu night these sheds,
&c., are all set fire to amid much rejoicing, dancing, singing, &C.,
and of course there is, as on all like occasions, a liberal
consumption of the national rice-beer. For a month or two
previously to this festival, the village boys and young people
have had to guard the growing and ripening rice crops
night
and day; and in all likelihood this merry-making, which is
very
much of the nature of a " Harvest home/ is largely an expression
of their joy and gladness at
being relieved from this hard and
;

irksome duty.
The April Bihu, the origin of which
account for, seem to be a " Saturnalia " of

it

is

not so easy to

much more

objectionboth to
drunkenness and other forms of licentiousness, and cases of
serious assault and riot have been known to
accompany and
follow these gatherings.
Among the Darrang Kach&ris, this
festival lasts for seven
days, during which little or no work is
done, the whole period being
to

able character.

The people abandon themselves

given up

freely

merry-making,

dancing, feasting, &c. As is the practice among their Hindu

neighbours, on the opening day all cattle are taken to the
nearest river or tank, and there
formally bathed, and after-

wards sprinkled with a preparation

compounded of rice-beer
The horns are smeared with oil,
(zu), tomatoes, and turmeric.
and occasionally oil, ashes, and pounded rice-flour are
applied
in patches to the bodies of the cattle. This
duty discharged,
the people abandon themselves to sheer
merriment, the younger
folks especially
themselves
to
giving
up
dancing and singing, &c.
1

The

Bengal.

interesting thing

The matter

Vangiya Sahitya

is

Parisat.

is

that a Visu festival

one
[Ed.]

is

also in use in Eastern

which might be investigated,

say,

by the

RELIGION

iv

51

Tlie verses sung at these festivals seem for the most part to Tbe
better than mere meaningless jingle-jangle rhymes, made

little

up on the spur of the moment, though occasionally some of

them give an insight into the peculiar humour of the Kach4ri
character and temperament.
One or two samples of what is
sung at these gatherings are given below

Agoi, Boisagi, faidd nang.

batliar janai-khai rang zagan zang.

1.

Dana
2.

Ada Pud Ram,

Gainst hadang,

3.

laga laga thangdang

fall

hadang, mana brabdang ?

Ada Raguna, fariya, ai fariya,

Namoisa, gunoisa, fariya, ada fariya ;

Ama maseyakhosa zuriya, add zuriyd ;

Daos& mseya-khosa zuriyd ad zuriya^
&e.

&c.

"&e.

The above represents an exchange of playful banter between

two members (brother and sister) of a Kach&ri family who are
about to take part in a Bihu festival or some similar merrymaking. The brother, Pua Ram, with all a young man's
impatience and eagerness to enjoy the fan, calls to his sister,
Boisagi, to come out from the house and join him at once, while
she from within (couplet two) pleads womanlike for a few
minutes longer grace to complete her personal adornment.
Both brother and sister then join in calling on a near relative,
a mauzaddr, not to shirk his social responsibilities, but at once
The
to provide the ways and means for a plentiful Bihu feast.
somewhat
freely translated,
general sense of the three couplets,
is

given below
1.

2.

3.

come out and play ;

This is our Bihu holiday ;
Don't move inside the house all day.
Sister Boisagi,

Bear brother mine, I'll come anon

I'm putting my best sari on ;
Five minutes' grace ; don't harshly press
We ladies must have time to dress.
Uncle's a wealthy mauzaddr ;
Long has he served the great Sirkar

He'll gladly give a bounteous feast,

round half-dozen pigs at least.
&c.
c.
&c.

E 2

THE KACHARIS

52

SECT.

II

The

following couplet, which

is

not connected with the fore-

some explanation.

The words, of which

perhaps
a free translation is appended, are supposed to be uttered
by a
Kachari damsel, the village belle, to a fickle lover, who, after
pajdng court to her for a time, deserts her and marries another.
The faithless swain is a man of some little impoi'tance in the
village community as a dang daliya,, or drum-major, one of his
functions being to beat the big drum
(modal) at all festivals,
marriage processions, &c. He has the misfortune to' lose his
wife after a month or two of wedded life, and then would fain
going, calls

for

return to the " old love."

Armed therefore with his big drum of office and apparelled
in his gayest attire, he presents himself before the Kachari
belle and renews his suit for her hand.
Now the average
Kachari maiden has a wholesome sense of her own value
(in
married life she is not unfrequently the " better man " of the
"
than her sisters in
two), and no more relishes being "jilted
other and more civilised
She at once,
parts of the world.
therefore, repels his advances in the most positive and unqualified way ; and not only so, but in the presence of a large
bevy of scornful village maidens, all highly resentful of the
faithless lover's fickleness, she
proceeds to pour contempt on his
suit in the following
severely sarcastic couplet ("fecit indignatio
versus ")
:

D&Bg-dLiya, dangddliya.

Mozang mozang gan-bla-ba

Nng-kho ndng-li-yd
Handsome raiment

nang-li-ya

thought

you wear,

I'm not for you, I do declare.

(The original Kachari verse

Or

The above

is

singularly emphatic.)

" You come

to me in bright array :
I'm not for you ; be off, I say.
This dandy swain my mate would be ?
No * second-hand lover,' girls, for me."

couplets may perhaps be fairly looked upon as

typical illustrations of the Kachari temperament and character,

RELIGION

iv

and

it

may be

inferred from

53

them that human nature among

this interesting race does not greatly differ from human nature
in other and more civilised countries of the world.

perhaps be added that whilst the Garos living in the

observe
both the January and the April Bihus their
plains
brethren in the Hills ignore both, though they would seem to
have certain special harvest festivals of their own. The people
of the North Cachar Hills, on the other hand, seem to observe
It

may

only one annual Bihu, of the nature of a harvest home, at any

time between October and December. These Kachari festivals
are almost always attended by an immoderate consumption of
the national rice-beer, not to say by actual drunkenness in not
a few cases. On the other hand, they have their good side in
that they help to keep the people to some extent beyond the
influence of the destructive vortex of Hinduism, in which their

simple primitive virtues might otherwise be so readily engulfed,

and the adoption of which in whole or in part is invariably
accompanied by a grave and deep-seated deterioration
conduct and character.

SECTION V
FOLK-LOBE, TRADITIONS AND SUPERSTITIONS

ON
any

this section of the subject there is no need to dwell at

length ; indeed, materials for the purpose are to a great

extent wanting.

Of

properly so called, whether

Kachdris of this district would
seem to be almost absolutely destitute. Nor can they be
regarded as a superstitious race, for it is only when suffering
from a serious outbreak of cholera, Kdld-azdr, or other like
traditions,

or otherwise, the

historical

public calamity, that they make frequent, and sometimes

costly, offerings to their deities as shown in some detail in the

As a rule the people

preceding section.

are of a bright, cheerful

planter friend once remarked to the
the various races employed on his extensive tea

disposition; and

as a

writer, of all
estates the Kachdris

were the only people who might be

heard
frequently
whistling merrily as they went to and
from their daily toil. Moreover, the subject of Kachdri folklore has already been effectively dealt with
by a writer fully
competent to do it ample justice; and perhaps the

aimed at in

objects

be best attained by re-issuing

three or four of the more characteristic and
typical of the
interesting series of Kachdri folk-tales collected by this
writer, some fifteen years since, from an intelligent member of
the Kachari race still (1906) resident in this district
(Darrang).
1

See

this section will

Collection of

I.C.S. (retired).

Assam

Kachari

Folk-tales, &c., by J. D. Anderson,

Secretariat Press,
Shillong, 1895.
54

Esq.,

SECT,

FOLK-LORE AND TRADITIONS

55

In Section IV some reasons have been

given for the view
that the Kaehari race has a special
respect, if not reverence,
for the element of water,
especially perhaps for flowing water,
rivers, &c. And the latter part of the
following folk-tale
furnishes some sort of explanation of this
presumed respect

and reverence.

Sow the

Duima, d&isd ni Wiordng.

Sdniii
brai burui
man.
Ph&re unau bisur gothai brai-

burui zalangba, buruid, zingasinanai

brainu khithanaise
"
Brai,
zangfurh4 zi danai
fisdfur dang, bisur ma z&a&nai
"

Emi

th&nggan
bungb4
braia mai hu khamnu I&gi
Khuberni&u thangndnai, mai
sobai
lafa

dru

bisor

bigot-zului

Mmdibau

buruinu

"

khamnu 14gi sorai fith^-giindui

Mnanai h4 nainu Mgi th^ngPhdre gah&m h4 datse

naise.

nai-ui frabui f&tbrui-thing-bu

legs

they were quite

said to her
"
How
shall these our
husband,

old, the old

woman

children get food

gone?"

when we are
man

So the old

travelled afar to the

great
1
Kuvera, the god of riches,

god
and

journeyed for eight

days and so reached his home.
And after staying a couple of

Ang gdsenu
bigot-zului libobai," Phare nai-au sanne-su th^ndnai, khet

And when

binanai
nli-i-au
sansni
sanzat
hor thandnal., na

man-fai-naiiai

khinanai

fainaise.

Once upon a time there

an old woman.

lived a man and

taking from him. seedlings of

paddy, pulse, mustard, and

khith4naise

zurd,

made.

mani-ni

lai-megong,

bifur

megong,

Mbonanai

rivers were

Unau

dinndnai

na

sanse-ni-kh^li

gourds,

days he set forth to cultivate,

taking dry food with him.
And first he marked out a
piece of rich land by placing
boundaries on all four sides of

and so came home. And

again he set out another day
with hoe and axe, and cut and
burned the jungle, and cleaned
the soil, and after
worshipping

it,

The hideous Kuvera, god of wealth. He was a white man with three
and eight teeth. Apparently, the same as the Hindu Pluto and lord of

the shades as well as of wealth.

THE KACHARIS
khodal

sekhd

lan&nai

bifur

thdngndnai

mdni
hdgra

eonanal 4ru bi hagrafurkho

hakho mazing
saun^nai
sanza
khamnaise.
Binifrai,
fatbruisanap ru sa khla
khona
khttlumnanai
thing
bruithing

phongse

SECT.

on each side of his field on

the east and on the west, on
the north and on the south
he struck one blow with his
hoe on each side.

phongse

zdunaise.

Biaunu ha gasenu mannaise.

Phdrebaidi baidi mai &ru fifang

megong

thaigong

fun^nai hunaise.

boikhobu
Phare hdba

zapba braia ni~au thdngn^inai

zirai-n^nai th&naise.

OMsu

dzibu dang khalibu dang sanse

buruia mai nainu lagi braikho
lugu homnaise. Khintu braia
"
bungnaise Lamaiau dui guia.

Nangha
maunifrai

dui

Ang
gdngba
"
Theobu

hunu ?

bi brai-ni khorang khndsongaliba embrabri braikho homnaikhai Mngndng-naise. Phare

th&ngui th^ngui maini hd,

man-si man-si z&ba, burui-ha
dui gdngndnal brainu kbit"

Mbai, braid, bungnaise, ^jag

khithaduhui-nu
nangnu
?
Theobu
dangman, nongga
dngni khorang khnd-i-aMbd
fainanai angkho dukhu hiiiti."
Ereiii bungbd,, buruia bung"
naise, Dini 4ng diii manldngd,ba thoi-si-gan.
Nang ang-nu
Phdre
dui
hunu-n&nggo."
unau braia mungbu "upai mane
zaMnai, dui namai-ndngnaise.
Namaie namaie fukurimanse

And when all was ready, the

man planted his seedlings

old

various sorts, and finally

went home and rested. And
so, as time went by, the old
of

woman
see
on.

desired vehemently to

how the crops were getting

But the old man said,

"There is no water on the

road, and if you grow athirst
you will get no relief." But
she persisted and prevailed,
and made her husband take
her along. And as they went
and were now quite close to her
husband's

field,

behold, the old

woman began to be very thirsty.

And the old man, being
enraged, cried "What did I
you ? There is no water
and yet you would come."
But she, being a woman, said
"If you do not give me to
So water
drink I shall die.
as
best you
must
procure
you
can."
So the old man, seeing
no other way, went to seek for
tell

And after long search,

a
tank, he bound the
seeing
old woman's eyes with a cloth
water.

FOLK-LORE AND TRADITIONS

nubd

bi

bumlni megonkho hi

zang kMndnai be fukuri-ha-

Aru

braid,

Nang be

fukuri

langnaise.
"

lagi

bungnaise

57

and dragged her to the water's

"
edge and said to her, Drink
if you will, but look not
upon

Now the ducks

water-fowl were
playing in the water, and
were making a merry noise,
the tank."
other

dui
naialdba
kho
lang."
Khintu diii langb&-ra m4ba
maba dui nl dau &ru hangsufra

and

bikho khnan&nai,
bikho nainu lubuinanai naidaufurni
Beaunu
naise.
zlainai
dru
rong
gelenal
nun&nai bihabu brai zang rong

clacking and quacking.

birlai-ba,

And,

the old woman being curious,

like all her sex, peeped at them.

And, seeing them at their play,

she too desired to be happy

OMsu

in her husband's society, and,

braia.

khama, burui& agdra\

Phare braia buruini khorang
lanu gn^ng zanaise.
Obd.su

was very loth,

with
him. And so
prevailed
in due course there were born

bisurha aji-bu-thaiu kh4Ii-buthaiu g&tha gathal zdnaise.

ZAba bisurkho fisinu hdekhal

to

mon

zlainu

zdnaise.

braiiblsurkhoburuinikhordngzang Hem-ni hdzo-au langn^nai beaunu fukuri manse

khamn&aai baidi baidi nd,

khamnanai duiau hogarn^nai

though

he

them

sons

many

and

And

then, in order
daughters.
to provide for their food, he
journeyed to the Himalayas

and

digged a great tank,

stocked with many kinds of

fishes.

dinbunaise.

unau Sri braia suim4

fudrun mase Mndnai miai sess4
Phd/re

&rn khusung n^maibaie namaibaie dui gdngsu dangman.

Ereaunu Sri brai4 be fakuriau

Beaunu
thang fn4ng
dui nundnai l&ngnu namaiba,
nafra
bikho
raidaunaise,
- naise.

"Afa^ nang beni din. Iangb4,

zangfurkho
gaham khamndnggan." Beaunu bi sumai
lan&nai,

dMkho Mngba,
"

Da nang

bungnaise,
furkhu Loitho

ndfr&

zang-

haldgi Idng."

Now, one day the god Sri,

the god of good luck, came
that way with his white dog,
a-hunting for deer and hares
.

and tortoises. And when he

came to the margin of the tank,
behold he was very thirsty.
But when he stooped to drink,
the fishes said to him eagerly
that he must grant them a
boon in return for their water.
To which he assented; and
when he had satisfied his thirst,
"
the fishes said, Take us to the

THE KACHARIS
Beaunu

Sri

braid,

gaigainu
lauthi zang dru-dru bu-bu-bd>
khithu khithu did bu-hui
bunai, aru n4fra bu fainaise.
zdnaise.
didsa
Bibaidinu
Obdsu unau ndfra Sri brai-nu

Mo

thaise &ru

khumra

thaise

PMre

bikhonu
nakhurma-ni
sase
Idbon&nai
i-au Mpfaibi binu zo mikham
&ra omA m&se butMtndnai
Ph&re okhd naiba
hunaise.
khumrdrkho bini
be
Sri braia
hotnaise.

khurmdnu hunaise. HuM bi

khumrakho dankliaub^ thaka
gazd

mannanai

^ru

bati-se

kham zahunii Idgi om4 buth^t1

naise. Aru omi bikhau manse dinnaise. Zakhang-ui-fr4bui
fainu n4m^ib4 om& bikhaukho
Hubd
Sri brainu hunaise.

braiA laukhobu khurm^nu

hunaise. Bi lau-au darbi gaza

d,ru

dangman.

Khintu be kho-

Aru

r^Lngkho braid, mithia.

khurmaii - bu bi - nu
bini
khith^-i-a-khuise. Unau braia
n^i-au fainaise. Aru biha n>i -

au

bini fis^zu

kho

z^brd.

zananai thinai nunaise. Bi l&o

aru khumr4-kho khurina-kho
huldng-naikhai bibaidi zabra
zanai dru bini khurmaid-bu be
lao dru

khumrd-kho Idkhman-

aikhai zabrA gabrap zd-ndnai

ObZsu bini unau
thanAise.
ndfrd ozd, za-thl-ndnai bisur-ni

SECT.

great river, the Brahmaputra

So the god Sri
(or Lohit)."

them to his staff, and drew

them after him, making runnels

tied

And

that

how

the
the
fishes in return gave him a
pumpkin and a gourd. And,
taking these with him to a
of water.

rivers

is

And

were made.

his

friend's

house,

regaled

him with

friend
rice-beer

flesh; and in the

he
morning
gave his friend the
when his friend
But
pumpkin.
cut open the pumpkin, it contained nothing but pure silver.
So he bade the god Sri sfcay
another day, and brewed fresh
beer and killed another pig,
and when he was going away
gave him a flitch of bacon to
So the god
take with him.

and

pig's

Sri gave him also the gourd.

But when he cut open the
it contained nothing
but pure gold. And so the
god Sri journeyed to his home.
And when he got there, he
found that his little daughter
was very ill. And that was
because he had given away the
presents which the fishes had
made him. But the fishes
took pity on him, and came to
him in the guise of physicians,
and told him that if he would
worship and do sacrifice on
the banks of rivers, then his

gourd,

n&-i-au thdngn&nai gad^n nai1 = a

"side"

of pork.

FOLK-LORE AND TRADITIONS

59

hui-ndnai 1 khitMnaise
sur zusa mairong dru goe zordse
dru dau mase 14n4nai dnisa-i-

daughter would be healed;

which he did.
And that is
why we Kaehdris worship

au hundnai khulumM, nangBesur

sur-ha zabrd zdgan.
bibaidi-nu khdmnanai zabrd
Binikhai d& BrHdl
zanaise.
duisd duimd-furkho khulumu,

rivers.

And

that

is all.

Zapbai.

II

The moral
It

is

of the following story is a thoroughly sound one.

obviously a kind of sermon on such familiar texts as

the thief of time," " Never put off to

to-morrow what you should do to-day/' &c. Its teaching is
clearly the same as that which finds expression in the well-

*'

Procrastination

known words

is

" There is a tide in tlie affairs of men

Which taken at the flood leads on to

fortune
the voyage of their lives
"
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

Omitted,

Sds& olsia gdthd ni Jchordng.

Sdse olsid, g&tM dangman,

Bi m&lai hali oinanai mai gai
zap bd, obasu bi mamr
dubliau h41i oi - hid - dang.

PhAre

Buthur 2

brai4

olsid

g&thH-kho hali oinai nun&nai

bi th^ngnu haekhai, bungnaise,
"
d& md,

Helui gth&, nanglai

hdli oidang-iii,buthura

nu

moMb A-

thAngbai. Da mai gaibd

"
Theobu
z4 - bau - nu ?

bi bikho nai-fin^,

dhum

dhum
1

all

mosokno bua

dham

dham

The Story of the Zazy Soy.

There was once a very lazy

boy.

And when everybody else

had planted out his paddy, he

was only setting forth to
plough. But the old man of
the season, seeing him, said
"
The season has gone ; what
are you ploughing for

The paddy

is all

and it is late."
would not listen

to him,

and

ploughed sturdily ahead, beating his cattle soundly as he

Gaddn nai-Mi~nai means " observing omens."

I.e.,

now?

planted out,
But the boy

the season personified.

THE KACHARIS

6o

bundnai, natzret nat-flet hdli

Unau

braid,

oibai

thaiiL

khonle

khonle sungnaikhai
brap-ndnai nai-gedau"
Nanglai
bung-naise,

gthad
ndnai

mduni

brai

lui

kho

-Ajig

hall oinaiau be baidi sungbai

thdiu ? ijtigha ma zddang, ang
su mithidang." Beaunu braid

bungnaise "Nongga,

Itli

afa,

dug nangkho gaham khordngsu

khithdnu

ndmaidang."

Beanu gStMd bungnaise

Mdmdr

khordng dang ?

Angha

"

Md

kithd.

hali oinu san zoldngbai."

Obdsu braia bungnaise "Dd,

hali oin^nai ma z&nu ? Buthur
thingbad/' hanbd, g,thad bungnaise "Bi bobething thdng-

Mau thangkhu, nang

hu. Angmai
kithdndnai
Angnu
z^nanai
ma
manaba,
gainu
"
braid
Obasu
?
thang gan
khu?

"

Nang

agldnu

bungnaise
mdlai zang luguse hdli oindnai
mai gaibd hamgauman, ddlai
buthurkho sur nunii hdgo, dru

mdbrui

bikho

Beaunu

gath^d

"

laifin-nu

"

bungnaise

Nang khithindnai hunu hdba,

dng bikho zeruib&bu 14bonu

Hanbd* bikho braid
khithdnaise
haekhai
"
Nang bething thdngui thdbd
kh&r& phut - thru - thru brai
sdse thokon thundnai dubli
hdgan/'

bulu

nang bikhonu

bi zere khithd-i-u,

And when

went.

the old

man

again and again questioned

"
What sort of
him, he cried
Can he
old man is this ?
I
not see that I am busy ?

know very

well

But the

about."

what I

am

man

said

old

"

Nay, my son but it

your good that I would
:

gently,
is

for

speak to you."
"

said

And

the boy

Speak quickly then, and

it."
And the

have done with

old

man

season

is

said,

"My

gone ;

what

son, the
avails it

And then
to plough now?"
"
has it
Where
cried
the boy
And when has it gone ?
And why has it gone? And

gone

how

shall I

man

the old

"You
when
has

find

But-

should have ploughed

The season
others did.

gone, and
it back/'

bring

it?"

of the season said,

"

said,

no man

must bring

else,

how

shall

shall I eat,

live?

can

But the boy

Do

back ;
and how

it

tell

me

where it is gone." And as he

would not let the god go,
he said
finally, losing patience,
"You go over there, and you
will find an old man with a
snow-white head ploughing in
a

field.

and do
saying,

You

get hold of

him

So
as he tells you."
he made his escape.

horn,

Then the lad hastened home

to his mother and bade her

nang

cook supper quickly, and tie

gezer gezer thangnai nugan.

Obdnia

SECT.

KACHARI

WOMAN

FOLK-LORE AND TRADITIONS

bebaidinu khamdui

thdngnaisei.

him up some rice to take with

him on the morrow, for he was

hali hogarndnai

going to bring back the de-

faindnai birna buruikho

parted season for ploughing.

"
"
For/' said he, when I was

braid

buthur

Obdsu g&th,d

niau

"

hannanai,

kham songnu

rndmdr

hundnai,
zaui Idngui bimdnu. kithdnaise
"Ai, nang gdbun fungzani

dm
hit,
songndnai
bunndnai
khothdse
niairong
hxu Ang buthur braikho husukh&m

Mand-thu

ndnggo.

Idng-nu

oinaiau

hdli

diui

dng

sdse

faindnai

mai

brai

gainaini

Buthurd thdng-bai hanndnai

kithdndi,

dru

khdmnu

thinu,

blkho husulangbd mangan, dru bi zere

bebaldi

nu

kham, hanndnai kithaldngnai."

Obdsu burid
okhd naibd

kham

g,th,kho
mairong
hundnai
bunnanal

songndnai

zd-hu-ui
khotdse

lang-hii-ui

g&tha-kho hogdrnaise. G&thM

thdngui thdngui zaikhonu lugti
manii, bikhonu sungii, bisur
"

Buthur thdngbai
hannanai mithlgo. Bi mdbrui
dru
thdngkhu,
bobething
khithdnu
bikho
zangfur

bungu

haid."

Beaunu gSthiA gadau-

srau zdndnai bobething thdngan hanndnai zerenu manu

erenu dubli gezer gezer thdbai-

baibd gazknau brai sdse nuhotnaise. Nuhotbdbinu buthur

zdnii ndnggo nungndnai, bikho
"
Afd iMh& dase
bungnaise
;

r,th&.

61

Ang nang-ni-au manse"

khordng sungnu ndmaidang.

ploughing to-day, an old man

told me that the season was
gone, and that if I went after
him and pursued him I would
find him, and that I
as he would tell me."

must do
So she

rose very early in the morning,

and, giving him to eat and
drink, sent him on his way.

And

as he went, he asked all

he met "Can you tell me
where the old man of the
"

But they
that
knows
said,
Everyone
the season is gone, but where

season has gone

"

it

is

gone,

or

gone,

why

is

it

who can say ? " At

last,

when he was

nearly in despair,
he saw an old man ploughing

and shouted to him

a
moment, father, stay
Stay
I want to ask you a question."
afar

off,

<c

man was

But the

old

and went

his way.

busy,

Then the

lad pursued him and never

ceased calling after him till

the old
patience, turned
at

and

last

man

losing

upon him,

"What

pertinacious
noisy lad is this, who won't
"
But the
leave me alone ?
not
lad said, "Be
angry, my
said,

father; I

trouble,

am

and

fallen into great

it

behoves you to

THE KACHARIS

62

Theobu braid

khndsongldbd
Gathaa - bu
thdngui thaiu.
khithu khithu thdngui tMn~
gui khithdldngu. Gabauzang
braia nai fafinnanai bungnaise
"

Md

SECT.
"

help me."
Speak quickly,
then/' said the old man. And the
"
boy said, I take you to be
the old man of the season, and
I pray you not to slay me.

hekhong hekhong siir

"
g,thlui mauni ltd nanglai ?

All the others have planted

out their paddy, and I have

hanndnai sungba" g&thaa bung-

and have planted

nothing. Therefore, unless you
turn back, I cannot hope to
But the old
get any harvest.

"Afa brai, dd, braplui.

manse
dukhuau gaglainadng

naise

nai,

nangni khathiau faidang,"

hanbd braia

mimar

"

;khith^

Mamdr

khitha^ ;

dng thdngnu

ndnggo, angha
hor-tho-htd-gan
OMsu gathaa

nad,

gazan,
hannaise.

"
;

khithinaise,

fallen behind,

5'

man said, " It

me to return.

too late for

Go you

back,

and plant your paddy as best

And so the lad
you can."
hastened back and planted

"A&, ng nangkho buthur brai

baidi nui'ii.
Binikhai nang

less

dngkho da buthat.

And

MalaiA

is

out his seedlings in such heedhaste as became him.

that's all.

boibu mai gaithra-bai

ng
nn zindnai dase-bii gainu M-ekhuise.
Binikhai nang dase
;

mai
thang-Mfin-ba
dngha
"
braid
bungnaikhai,
binu khitha-naise, " Ang da

z^,gan

thdng

faibai,

nang

benifrai

zese

ndnai,

gabram

hali

fa-finnu

mdmar
liaiu

halia,

thd/ng-

gathdng-

oin&nai
mai
Obasu gathaa

gaihuithdng."
faindnai zerenu manu erenu
khothia 1 -khini - kho gaibropndnai dinnaise. Zapbai.

Ill

By

his

Hindu neighbours the Kachari

as a Boeotian,

a simpleton from
1

whom

Assamese.

is

often looked

little

in the

upon

way

of

FOLK-LORE AND TRADITIONS

63

And undoubtedly in the

intelligent action is to be expected.
matter of mere book-learning he is never likely to take a very
high place, nor

will he shine brightly in the examination-room

as an ordinary competitor.
On the other hand, he is often
endowed with certain practical qualities which are of great

value to him in the battle of life. He usually has no small share

of what is well called "the saving sense of humour" which prevents

him from taking himself too seriously, and does not a little to
lighten for him the cares and toils of life. Of his possession of
this invaluable endowment many illustrations will be found in
the collection of KacMri Folk-tales, &a, referred to above, a
volume which the curious in such matters will do well to
And in addition to his sense of humour, he has often
a goodly supply of sound homely mother wit, which stands him
in good stead when brought into relations with other men, who
from a merely intellectual point of view are undoubtedly his
These, and other like endowments of great price,
superiors.
often enable him to seize with unerring instinct on the weak
points of an opponent's position and to avail himself of them
with no little dexterity and success. In the following amusing
consult.

Kachari servant completely

outwits his astute Br4hmin master, turning the tables on the
latter to his no small dismay and discomfiture.
story, for instance, the simple (?)

Sdmun dru

l)ini sdJcor

ni

rdhmin and

The

his

Jhord,ng.

Servant.

B&mun dangman, aru

sdkor sdse dangman.
Sanse s&ne zang Bamun ni bihau-bikhunzu-ni niau thang-

There was once a Brahmin

who had a servant. And one
day when they were going to

gur gikhir sorai

l&ndnai sdkhor-kho ban httna"
nai, bikho khithanaise
Nang
be tMlit-furkho da zd. Zaba
dngh khithu fatse bu rnegon
dang." Era hannanai thangui

mother-in-law, the Br&hmin

gave his servant a bunch of

Sdse

bihd,

nu-lagi thdlit

thdnaise.

s&khorha

Phdre unau boi

mikhitm ukhuiba,

the house

of the

Brahmin's-

plantains and other things to"

Now,
carry, and said to him,

mind you

eat those
can see just as
*
well behind as I can in front.

don't

plantains, for I

And,

so

saying,

he marched

THE KACHARIS
tMlit

kho

thaise

landnai,

SECT.

And presently the ser-

ahead.

thaise binu unphat~si khithinanai bebaidinu boib6~kho-bii

za-thro-Iangnaise. Phare unau
bisur dapseau zirai-huiba, BAmun bibankho nueakhai,

vant, getting hungry plucked

one of the plantains from the
bunch, and, holding it out to
this

he did again and again

s&khor-ni sig&ng-au sungnaise

till

all

BibdrA

"

zdkhu

s&khord bungnaise,

Oba

&ng duk-

n^ngnu khithin&nai bi
Aru d&

hui-nii

th&lit-furkho zibai.

nang

"

mnu

baidinu

sung-dang

Be-

B^mun^ bolo 1 h^ekhai

sri sri thdnaise.

Phdre besur

his master's back, ate

And

it.

plantains were
the Brdhmin
asked what had be-

.the

And when

gone.
presently
come of the load, the servant

"You told me you could

as well as in front.
behind
see
I
showed you each planSo

said,

tain before I ate

it.

And you

beaunu kh^m song-z4-nu-Mgi

zothon kh^mnaise, 4ru beaunu

never said anything."

So the Brdhrnin went his

nd khawai m^i-ne-su mandangBini sdkhornu mise

man.
bud hundoiai, g^senu Bdmun4

way speechless.

PMre zebld kh^im

man-naise sane-bu z&nu Idgi
zodangman. Ereaunu sakhor^
Idnaise.

"

sungnaise

B4mun

goliain,

n4

khawaaid mase bua daugaiu,

"
nd dulii dulu daugaiii ?

Beaunu Bdmuna bungnaise

"Dulu dulu daugiaiu" Oba
bi bini n^, masekho bini khdmau khubuirhot-detnaise, "ManA-

Presently they

stopped to cook their midday

meal, and they had got with
them a few Jchawai fish. But
the Brahmin gave only one to
his servant, and kept the

And when he

rest himself.

was about

to eat, the servant

Oh Brdbasked innocently
min, do Jchawai fish swim about
(C

singly

or

which

the

"Why,

in

shoals

in

Br&hmin

"

To
said,

shoals, of course/'

thu be hatsing dauganu k&ia,

nang-ni zang duluse zathang."
Beaubu gaigai-ni khor&ngzang-nu zennanai bikbo mung-

So the servant said, "Then

my fish had better go with
And, so saying, he
yours."

bd

manz^naise.

min's mess, which was defiled.

So the Brdhmin got no dinner,
and the servant ate the whole.

Phd,re binifral th&ngui thangui simli bif&ng dulusen untoai,

across a

bung-nu

Unau khamklio sAkho

threw his

Assamese.

little

fish

on the Br&h-

later

number

they came

of simul trees.

FOLK-LORE AND TRADITIONS

B&mun-kho sungnaise " B&nmn
be nunai bongfdng"
Bamuna
frd ma bongfang ?
khith&naise " sirmolu." S4k"
hor4 bungnaise
Sirmohi
nungga. Bikho hirmolu hanu."
Phare obdsu phong-ba phongb4 sonu Mgi khoring khdlaigohain,

Pliare gurkhii duluse

lugu mann&nai, bisurkho sungbd "Jiimulu." hanndnai bisur
bungnaise. Obd,nu sunga-hoa-

naise.

B4munkho

Idbd

phongba

sonaise.

Seeing them, the servant asked

"And what do they
"
call
these trees, master ?
And the Brahmin (being an
educated man) said, "These
his master,

are sirmolu."
"

Not

said,

But the servant

not

so,

so.

These

are himulu," and offered to bet

five blows that it was so. And,

meeting some cowherd boys,

he asked them what the trees

And when they said

"himulu," he gave the Brdhmin
five
blows without further

were.

question.

Axn bebaidi thdngul thangni

burm^ duliise nun^nal sdkhora
"

Banmnklia sungnaise

B^nrun

goliain, boi

g^ngsu zabai thanai

"
zanthn-fur
ma
bungo ?

Edmund

"

khithanaise

Bifur

Sakhora
bungnaise
Nunggi, bifur sdgoli." Beaubu bibaidinu B4muna phongba

sdg."
"

^ru

binifrai

thdngndnai dd,u~ba
nunanai sungnaise.

"Bdmun

so

z4 - naise.

gohain,

Bamuna

befar

d^u ? "
"

bungnaise

bifurkho mithia ?
Bi
bog hanu."

"M4

duluse

bog hanu?

Bikho boguli hanu."

bebaidinu
soza naise.

Bamuni
Unau

slok hannaise

Nang

Bifurkiio

bungnaise

NunggA.
Beaubu
phongbd,
bi

manse

Next they met a drove of

"
And what may these
goats.
Brahmin, these
"
that are grazing ?
be,

animals
the

And

Brdhmin said, "These be called

chdg/' But the servant cried,
"
Not so, not so. These are
chdgali."

And

the result, as

was that the Brihmin

was worsted and got five blows.
And next they came across a
flock of paddy-birds, which the
Brahmin called "Bog," but
before,

And
the servant "Boguli."
and
was
he
worsted
got
again

On which

his five blows.

he

consoled himself

by reciting
an Assamese saying, to the
effect that it is

a fool

*c
S4g sirmolu bog ba-kran
Tini pdnch. panra kil suda akdran."

ill

arguing with

THE KACHARIS

66

Pha binifrai thdngndnai

bihaibikhunzu ni na khathi
manbd, sdkhorkho thin-hot"

gru-ndnai khithanaise
mamdr
thangndnai

Nang
kh&m

songnu thin; mandthu dngha

ukhui - su - dang."
mikham
Phare bibaidi-nu. bi thdngndnai, Bamun-ni bikhunzunu
sobai
buthatnanai
hdngsu
rnikham
khdre zang
songndnai
dinnu khithdnaise, aru bung"

Nangni ndngzd-maduid
megongau gab&p nunggba
zai^."
Obdsu bi songndnai
Phare unau biz^,dinnaise.
maduid so-fai-bdnu, mamdrui
naise,

khana khutn^nai hunaise. Biz4-

ukhui - su

madiiiA

nai

kham megong mungbo

14b^

khai,
b4si^-

And when

they were now

near the
Brahmin's
mother-in-law's house, and the

come

Brahmin

was become very

sent his servant on
he
hungry,
ahead to beg them to get
supper ready. So the servant
went on ahead and bade the
Brahmin's mother-in-law cook
a duck and put in lots of plantain ashes, which the Kach&ris
use for salt, well knowing that
his master disliked its acrid
taste. So the duck was cooked
with plenty of alkali.
And when the Brahmin
meal was set before
he
and
was so hungry
him,
that he had to eat it whether
he liked its savour or no.

arrived, his

znu

gn4ng z4naise.
Abdsu unau bebaidinu baidi
baidi lazi mannai zdnaikhai,
Bamund, bidanuldgi sitti gangse
sakhorni
na-i-au

liu-n&nai

hunanal

d,khai-au

hotnaise.

Lam&

sase th^ngbd, beaunu

litnu-grang sase m^nsui lugu

man-nanai, binu
naise.

nu

SECT.

"

khithi-

sitti

Beau m

khitha.

3'

litdang, ^ngObd-su, mansuid

sitti-kho naindnai,

"Nangkho

dannu Idge Bdmun ni bida-kho

3

thindang'

erui

bungbd,

bi

sitti-kho phisin&nai bungnaise

"
j^fa nang angnu gubun sitti

gdngse litnanai

hii."

Aru be

sittiau erehailit, "ada,

fisahingrzauzang

be

hangni
sdkhord

And so in various ways the

Brdhmin was put to shame by
his servant.
So he wrote a
long letter to his brother, and
putting it in his servant's
hand, bade him deliver it.
But he went a little way, until
he met a man who could read

and
tell

the

write, and he bade him

him what was written in
letter.

him the

And

the

man

read

which was to
that the brother was

letter,

the effect
to kill the servant.
On this,
the servant tore up the letter
and bade his friend write
another one, saying: "Dear
brother, on receipt of this letter

KACHARI
From

GIRT.

(Kamrnp

a Photngmph by Mrs.

//.

District).

A. Colqnhtnm.

FOLK-LORE AND TRADITIONS

man-hui-ba-nu h&bd, khamna-

marry

nai hu. Ang benifrai th&ngnanai bisur-ni Mbd nunu

nngga" Bebaidinu be sitti-

without delay.

kho
langnanai
bidanu hunaise.

monau
nundnai,
dukhu man-su-naise. Theobu

hai, fisdzu zang mam^r h&b&

khamndnai hunangnaise.
Phare sanse th&nnai bi
bid& - kho sungbd
fainanai

daughter.

And, when the master came

had been
and
heard
what
disposed of,
had happened, he set about to
kill him.
But his niece got to
know of the matter and told
to see if his servant

gasenu khorang khnanai, bi

sakhor kho d&nnulagi sri sri
upai khamnaise. Be upaikho
sdkhorni hingzaua mithinanai.

her husband,

bekho onnanai binu khithanaise.

Khithab&, hingzau zang
horau uduniau mosofisd, m^se

and, binding

Ph&re Bamuna fisdzu

udubai
thadang mon
zang
sri
sri
khamndnai,
thangndnai

her

mosofisdkho dannaise. S^*n-soba mos4fis4kho d4nfnang-nai

nunanai mdm^Lrui bizamadui
sdkhor-kho
Mgi
g^rhuinu

Unau Edmund mosa

buthatnai-ni

nungge sri sri

Mgi g&mini
m^insuifurkho lingn^Lnai phozu
hudangman. Phdre m^nsuifur
uddhar

zanu

tMngnanai

nioso

bunanai bungnaise

lanzai-kho

"B4nmn4

calf,

hand and

foot,

it

in the night the

dinnaise.

naise.

who got a

it

by her in her bed. And

Brahmin came,
and thinking the calf was his
niece's husband sleeping by

put

futhun^nai

Khintu biz&mdui

I shall not

cordingly, though reluctantly,

he married the servant to his

bigui-ni khorang gdrnu haek-

bisurni bariau langnanai, lanzai dihonn^nai, fopndnai din-

my niece

be
come to the wedding."
Taking this letter, the servant went to his master's
brother, who was much vexed,
but dared not disobey. Ac-

sittikho

thinnaise.

servant to

able to

B&mun-ni
Khintu bi

khd,-khrop-nanai

my

67

side, killed

it.

And when

he found out his mistake in

the morning, and learned that
he was guilty of cow-killing, he
bade his niece's husband go and
bury the calf in all haste. And
the servant dragged the calf
into the garden and buried it
with its tail sticking out of the

ground.
Br&hmin

Meanwhile, the

work to get
himself purged of the offence
of cow-killing, and summoned
the villagers to a feast without
set to

them why. And when

all seated, the servant
were
they
F 2
telling

THE KACHAE1S

68

SECT.

bu hua khui, hui-su." Bebaidi

ran out into the garden and

hauling at the calf s tail, called

bungbai-thdba, phozuni rn&n-

out,

mosobu buthdr&-khui

phoztt-

khnnnai, phozu

suifr&

Bebaidinii

zai&khiiise.

ud dhar manakhuise.

"

The Brdhmin

a cow, Oh, no.

didn't kill

And

that isn't

why he gives a feast, Oh, no."

So the feast broke up, and the
Brahmin was not absolved.

bisitr

Zapbai.

And

that's

all.

IV
KACHARI THEORY OF THUNDER AND LIGHTNING
Aglaiau sd.se rdza dangman,
dru bihi hoasa sse, hingzhausi sAse, dangman. Hoasani

There was once a king who

had one son and one daughter.
The son's name was Rdona and

nau Baoni, hingzhausdni n&u

Lase lase
R&oniy dangman.
bisur gaded zaaba R&onaid
h&b
binanaukhonu
gagai
Sanse
namainai.
Ikhamnu

the daughter's Rdoni.

runuiau

B.d;0nai

bini

Amphora

thd.hoinai.

bifaia ikhain

namaiba mandkhuise,
mdnathu bi runuiau th^ndkho

zdnu

bifaidmithi^khauman. Amph&
bandia runuiau
sase
bini

nunanoi

r^izani

khithdnaisui

sigdngau

abdnu

razaid,

thangndnoi sanghoinaisui,
balui " Afa, nangnu md n^nggo ? H&thi ndnggobdi, hithi
hiigan

hugan;

dukhu

together,

Rdona wished to marry his

One day Raon4 resister.
mained alone in an outhouse
unknown to his father and
when the latter wished his son
to come to dinner, the young
;

man

could not be found.

However, a servant saw the
youth in the outhouse and
told the king, who going to
the boy asked him what was

the matter. "If," said the king,

"you want an elephant, I will

gorai ndnggobd, gorai

give you an elephant if you

want a horse, I will give you a

theobo nang manau

kham," hannanoi

horse; but do not abandon

yourself to sorrow in this way."

dd,

khithdnaisui.
"
hannaisui,

Aba Konai&
Angnu mungbo

ndnga ; nang sumai Mbasu dng

khithigan."
Amphd; bifaik,
From the writer's Outline
pages 80-82. Shillong, 1884.
1

gradually grew up

As they

And then Rona replied, "I am

in no special

want of anything,

but if you give me a promise

on oath, I will tell you what is

Grammar of

the

Kachdri (Bard) Language,

FOLK-LORE AND TRADITIONS

mungbo uphai manikhai sumal
Idnanoi khithdnaisui, "Nangnu
zikhomi nanggo, bikhonu
Hanbd Eaonaia
hugan."
"
bungnaisui, Angnu Raonikho
habd khamndnoi hii; abasu
dng mikham dui Idnggan."
Aba bifaid bibaldi khordng
khndndnoi manau zabrd-sin
dukhu mannaisui. Amphdre
bifaid guninanoi sumai lanaikhai hdba khlamndnoi hunu
zathan

khlamnaisui
khintu
be khorangakha Edonini sigangau khithdnu bada hunai
;

binikhai

raubo

khithai-a-

khuise.

Ampha Eaonia
maixang snn-u thangbdi duigatlidnan sase buruia Ed,oniniau
cf

Nangsurhd
Eaonid
khithanaisul, "Zangifra adahd
haba zaagan." Aru buruia
"
Maunithu hingzhannaisui,
hausd zang haba zaanu ? "
"
Rdonia
Ang
bungnaistd,
sangnaistd,

balttl,

md zaadang?" Abd

khithanu haia." Abanu buruia

hannaisui.,

ec

Ai,

balui,

nang

zangsu habd zaaaunu." Aru

Raonid hannaistd " Ai, be
3y
hannanoi
khorang thik na ?
buruid
IdnaisuL
sumai
sangba,
Aba Edonid akhrdngsau
birldng-naisui, dru Edunikho
birlangnai nundnoi Eaonaidbo
3

guzarindnoi

Bikhonu

hasu-langnaisui.

mansuifra

khrumnidkhonu

akhd

"Eaond

"

guzaridang hanndnoi bungu

Raoni khatldngndnai thap

69

bhe matter."

Thereupon, the
was no
help for it, took an oath saying, "Whatever you want, I
will give it to you." And then

king, seeing that there

Edona said, "Give me permission to marry Edoni, and

then I will eat my food." On
hearing this the king was
sorely troubled in his mind
but remembering the terms of
his oath, he took steps to bring
about the marriage, at the
;

same time forbidding anyone

to

mention

matter

the

to

Rdoni, who, therefore, heard

nothing about the proposed
But
marriage with herself.
one day Edoni went to the
village stream to clean the
rice for the daily meals, when
an old woman met her and
inquired,

"What

is

going on

in the palace to-day?" And

Rdoni replied, " The son of the
house is to be married to-day."
And when the old lady asked
farther " But to whom is he to

be married?" Edoni

replied,

"

Mother, I cannot say." And

then said the old dame,
"
Edoni, it is you that he is

going to marry."

And when

Rdoni inquired, "Mother, can

" the old woman
this be true ?
took an oath to confirm what
And then
she had said.
Rdoni at once flew right away
up into the sky, and when
Rdond saw Rdoni thus flying

THE KACHARIS

70
naifmb&
baidi

foini

nuiti,

makh4ng&
bikhonu

mablibnai harm; Bx&fr

bhdbiti.

at

akhd
eroi

SECT,

away, he shouted after her,

doing his utmost to catch her.
It is these loud shouts and
threats of Raona that men
"
"
call
thunder
and when
;

Raoni occasionally looks back

to see if her pursuer is gaining
upon her, she in so doing

an instant the
brightness and beauty of her
reveals

face,

for

glowing like

fire

and

it

is this bright,

dazzling beauty
of her countenance that men
call

"

lightning."

Hence during a thunder storm may sometimes be heard the

words "Raonikho Rdonaia hasudang," i.e. " R&ond is chasm o*
*
B&oni."
It is not impossible that the
foregoing story may be a
Kachdri version, greatly altered, of a well-known
episode told
at length in the Ramdyana, i.e. the abduction of Sita
by

Rdvana the demon-king of Ceylon.

The name Ravana

in a

slightly altered form (Rdona) is not unknown among the

Kach&ris of this district (Darrang). About four or five miles

south-west of the Ud&lguri Thdna there are still

existing the
remains of a very fine earthwork road, known to this
day as
"
Rowana's embankment " (R&vanagarh), which
its
name
gives
to the Mauza in which it is situated.
The construction of this
earthwork must have involved a large outlay of labour, but the
tradition about it is that it was thrown
up in a single night
by R&vana and his followers, the Rakhshases, Asurs, &c.
N.B. Among the Kachiris of the North Kachar Hills, the
mode of accounting for thunder and lightning is very different
from that given above, though towards the end of the account
given by the late Mr. Soppitt x certain statements are made
which would serve to show that the two theories have something in common.
1

See Soppitt's Historical and Descriptive Account of Kachdri Tribes in the

Hills, pages 52 (foot) to 55.

North Kachar

SECTION

VI,

OUTLINE GRAMMAR ETC.

THE mother tongue of the BUrH race at least as spoken in

this (Darrang) district undoubtedly belongs to the " Aggluti"
native
as distinct from the Inflexional family of languages.
Here and there, perhaps, certain slight traces of inflexion may
be found, but even these are doubtful and in any case very rare,
indeed where they exist at all it may perhaps be assumed that
they have been adopted with some obvious modifications from
the speech of their Assamese and Bengali neighbours.
In the following pages only a very slight outline sketch of
Kachari Grammar is attempted, as the writer has already dealt
with the subject at some length over twenty years ago,1 and
most of the conclusions then arrived at still hold good, so far as
the Kacharis of Darrang are concerned. But it is hoped that
what little is given here may be of service to those who
may have occasion to learn and make use of this language in
after years.
No attempt is made to draw any clear or well
defined line between Accidence and Syntax, for these two closely
allied branches of the subject may be best studied together by
the use of certain illustrative sentences which to the attentive
reader will give an insight into the structure of the language,
whilst at the same time doing something to supply him with a
useful vocabulary of words and phrases.
1

He may

perhaps venture to refer the curious in these matters to his

Grammar of the Kachdri (Bdrd) Language. Shillong, 1884. An

admirable summary of the leading features of this form of Non-Aryan
Outline

speech is given in the Linguistic Survey of India, Vol. Ill, Part

Dr. Grierson, Calcutta, 1903, pages 1-17 and fL

II,

by

THE KACHARIS

72

SECT,

Nouns.

I.

Gender.

1.

A. Nouns denoting inanimate objects have no formal

distinction of gender as Od, a bamboo, mai rice (paddy).
B. In the case of animate objects, the gender of the noun is
indicated

by a separate qualifying word, placed usually

the noun,

e.g.

Hoa,

(a)

human
"

(5)

man

(male)

Hingzhau,

beings.
Z&la," zo used of birds,
3

e.g.

after

woman (female) used only of

Dau

zal, a cock

dau

zo,

hen.

Number.

2.

Plurality (there is no dual) is indicated

to the singular as

by adding

fur, frd, or

far,

mas,

a tiger.

mas4-fiir

(-frd-

or

-far), tigers.

Case.

3.

The

case endings, which hold good of nouns, pronouns,

adjective are given below

and

Plural.

Singular.

masd
Obj

kh(5

a
a

Instru

zang
no

by a

...

to a

...

Dat
Abl

masa-far, tigers, &c.

(case-endings identical with those
in singular number).

ni-frai

Poss

ni

LOG

ha
au

Voc

Heloimosa...

from a..
ofa...\

so

/
(iau)

in

...

(a) The possessive case has two signs, the

far the more commonly used.

former

(ni)

being

its

proper

by

(5)

The

ablative case ending

is

a compound one, as

sign
preceded by that of the genitive, ni.
remark holds good sometimes with the locative case,
(frai) is

II.

The same

jLdjectives.

adjectives begin with the letter g, to which a very

short vowel is attached, so short indeed that in
rapid
1.

Many

speaking

OUTLINE GRAMMAR,

vi

ETC.

73

the vowel of the first syllable may not be heard at all, whilst in
composition this first syllable is sometimes omitted altogether,
as
c<

mdnsoia gah^m
man
good

"

he

(is

H&m-go.
Good (he) is.

?).

In composition the adjective usually, though not invariably, follows the noun it qualifies, as
2.

Doima

ga-siim.

(The) water black = (kal& p&ni).

3.

This
(

Comparison.
by appending the syllable "sari" or "khii'*
to the word with which comparison is made, this

is effected

= than)

word being always in the dative case. The superlative degree

is denoted much in the same way, the noun
being preceded by
some word signifying " all," thus
(a)

Bi ang-no-khri g&-zau

he

parative).
(6) Bi boi-n&-sari ga-zau-sin

taller

(is)

he

is

the

than

(com-

tallest of all (super-

lative).

In making these comparisons the

adjective

is

often omitted

nang &ng-no~khri zau (ga-zau)

than tall (are).
you I
4.

first syllable (ga)

of the

as

Numeral

i.e.

zan = (ga) zau,

tall,

Adjectives.

The numerical system

in this District is very defective, only

seven digits, i.e. se, ne, tham, bre (brdi), b&, r& (da), sni (siniX
being generally used, though the remaining three, skh6, z&t, zi
There is also a useful
(zu), are occasionally recognised.

word za-khai=four, which when followed by two

numerals is to be multiplied by the former whilst the latter is
to be added to the product so obtained thus

collective

zakhai-tham sa tham,

Four x three + three = fifteen (men).

Burmd zakhai-bre md-ne,
Goats four x four + two = 18 goats.

THE KACHARIS

74

SECT.

Before the second numeral are always inserted certain monosyllables, which classify the noun referred to, e.g. as above, sa
This classifying
(irrational animals).
(human beings) and
which
the
the
at
indicates
multiplication
point
syllable always

ends and the addition begins.

III. Pronouns.

The

personal pronouns which undergo no change of form

to indicate gender are
(a)

1.
2.

3.

Ang ......
Nang

thou.

Bi

he, she,

. .

I.

The

it.

Z&ng-fur

we.

Nang-sur

you.

Bi-sur (fur)

they.

is

expressed simply
possessive pronoun
personal pronoun in the possessive case, as

B6 &ng

ni n5, this

(is)

To nouns expressing
prefixes of possession are

This

my house.

me

by putting the

of house

close family relationship,

commonly added,

(is).

pronominal

e.g.

A very similar construction in Assamese may be compared with this,

Father.

My

m6rb6pai

Tonr...

torbaper

His

tirbapek

-[Ed.]

Interrogative pronouns in

common
who ?

1.

Silr (sar)

2.

M4what?

3.

Ba-be

Plural mi-fBr.

which (of two or more)

The demonstrative pronouns are

1. Be
this (near).
2.

3.

use are

Boi that (far).

Bi that (of remote distance).

viz

OUTLINE GRAMMAR, ETC

vi

75

Properly speaking, there are no relative pronouns, though

The
zi, borrowed from Assamese, is sometimes heard.
place of the relative pronoun is usually supplied by a

a form

participle, e.g.

Mi-a nu-nai masa thoi-bai.

yesterday seen tiger died has.
IV.
1.

The verb

substantive

is

Verbs.

dang-a,

dang-man, was, za~gan,

from the root,

is,

will be; this last being apparently formed

z-no, to become. The negative forms are
(1) goi-a (emphatic goi-li-a)

A very useful word

Is

and

(2) ming-a, it is not,

ndng-go (Assamese M-ge), to express

necessity, the negative form

is

ndng-a, needless, in emphasis,

nng is often appended

n^ng-li-a, altogether needless. This root

to nouns to form adjectives, as

Be budhi-gnang

He
2.

is

(or n&ng).
possessed of sense.

Conjugation.

In Kachari the verb undergoes no change to express number

or person, which are indicated by the subject alone. But a
slight trace of inflexion (euphonic) is perhaps found in the fact
that when a verbal root ends in a vowel and the termination

begins with one, a disagreeable hiatus

the letter i between the two, thus :

avoided by inserting

I go.

-a

Nu-i-o

is

see.

Taking the verb, Bu-no, to beat, as an illustration, the various

tenses, moods, &c., of the Kachari verb maybe thus indicated:
Present indefinite, Angbu-i-u I beat,
Present definite, bii-dang I am beating.
Imperfect,

Ang bu-dang-man
I beat

Past, bii-bai
?
Pluperfect,
^

I was beating.

(did).

^dang-man_I

^bu-nai-se
Future, bii-gan I shall beat.

had beaten ^ gome time

THE KACHARIS

76
Future

( early
.

/bii-si-gan_I
\bu-nu-soi

paulo post),
Subjunctive moodf

Ang

bii-bd,

bu-bla
Potential,

Imperative,
Participial forms
Bii-ni

h4-g6 I
beat thou.

Ang bii-no
Bii

P ^\
had beaten

If I

1
1.

h ub

SECT.

(or can) beat.

may
2.

'

Bu-thdng

let

him

beat.

beating.

Bu-na-noi having beaten.

Bu-nai beaten.
Bu-oi while (on) beating.

Agent

Bu-gra.
Bu-nai-&

The

a beat-er.

Its
not very frequently used.
the
verb
za-no, to
tenses, &c., are expressed by conjugating
with
the past participle of the verb, e.g.
be,
3.

Passive voice

Ang

is

I beaten be-shall.

bii-nai z4-gan

4. The causal verb is formed in two ways.

The more
idiomatic method is to prefix the letter / (with any euphonic
vowel) to the principal verb, e.g.

*^

frang-dang
\fS-rang-dang
sl-gan
fi
si-gan

understand,
to understand, I teach.

ca^{,$e

become wet,
I shall

make

wet, soak,

immense.
In the above it will be observed that the causal force lies in
the letter/, its vowel (always a very short one) being drawn by
attraction (euphonic) from that of the principal verb.
second way of expressing causation is to combine the verb
ho-n&, to give, with the infinitive mood of the principal

verb,

e.g.

frang-S

\rang-n6 ho-i-5
5.

The

I learn,
I cause to learn, teach.

distinctive vowel of the negative verb is d,

which in

OUTLINE GRAMMAR, ETC

VI

77

some

cases gives place to i or e, probably for reasons of

euphony.
Its chief forms of tense and mood, &c., may be shown thus
:

am

not beating.
(I)
Imperfect, Bii--khoi-man.

Present, Bii-d

Past

Bii-4-khoi~n5

[Bii-a-khoi-se

Future, Bu-d.
Imperative.

2 Dd bii beat thou not.

3 Dd-bii-thang let him not beat.
4

Subjunctive

j^'^Vrx

Potential, Bii-no hai-4

Participial forms

not beating
not having beaten, without beating
Bii-d-14b
Past,
Bu-e not beaten.
Present, Bii-i

V. Indeclinable words (avyaya).

Very little need be said on this part of the subject, because

the work of qualifying words (adverbs, &c.,) is very commonly
done by means of infixes following the verbal stem which is in
many cases, though not in all, monosyllabic. Thus the root
ham (be) will, becomes (1) an adjective by prefixing g% g* ham,
a
good ; and (2) an adverb, by affixing oi g ham-8i in a good
Further the
manner. So, hkm-4 bad; ham-4-oi bad~ly.
a
verb
thus
be
as
formed
duly conjugated
by commay
adjective
of
the
different
substantive
the
it
with
&c.,
verb,
tenses,
bining
thus
;

Bi

rh&m-dang
hkm-4-dang

he

[bad

[(good-not-is)

he

h&m-gan
ham&-gan

fgood
is4

[good

will be!

[bad
&c.

&c.

In the same way the passive participle in nai can be (1)

declined as a noun, or (2) used as an adjective, or (3) take the
place of a relative pronoun e.g.
;

THE KACHARIS

78

Zang thoi-nai-kho

1.

we

f6p-bai

SECT,

(the) dead

(man) buried-

have.
Mi^, nu-nai gathai-a thoi-bai
died-has.
2.

3.

Tezpur-na thdng-nai-au

going-in I

him

(the)

yesterday-seen-girl,

ng bl-kho nu-bai

Tezpur to

see-did.

&c.

&c.

VI. Syntax.
of the Syntax of the
great and characteristic feature
in
which
verbal roots, mostly
remarkable
the
is
way
language
a very large and
form
to
combined
are
together
monosyllabic,
In this way the use of conuseful class of compound verbs.
junctions &c. is very largely avoided, and the language becomes

The

possessed of a vivid force and picturesqueness often wanting in

more cultivated tongues. These compound verbs may perhaps

be roughly classified under two groups, e.g.

Those in which each verbal root has a distinct meaning
I.
and may be used separately
Those in which one or more of the verbal roots is never
II.
used separately but in combination only. As illustrations of
class I. the following may be mentioned
;

1.

Lai-no

to bring.
Thdng-no to go

^nation).
Hi-no
~
'

Zap-no

to cut (paddy, &c.)

finish

ctSLhave}
3.

Tham-no

catch

Mbo-no

those horses catch bring.

&c.

The compound
frequent use.

may
the

(^ combination).

bring

gorai-kho ham~lab6

&c.

verbs of Class II. are very numerous and in

A few illustrations only can be given here, which

serve to show that the second and subsequent

agglutinative

verb, while

they have

no

members

of

independent

OUTLINE GRAMMAR, ETC.

vi

79

existence, yet serve to enrich and expand the meaning of the

primitive root In a very remarkable way.
1.

Bai, denotes continuous action.

bi-bai-no
1
Brap to be angry ; brap-bal-no >
Kama! to seek; namai~baI-n5J

B = to beg;

Ldng

2.

Thoi

(fly)

Za

(eat)

Su

/jump across

(sleep)
(die) L lang

Bir
3.

[seeking

Implies completion.

Bat (jump)

Udu

begging
= to continues being
angry

sleep heavily
die outright
fly

\eat

away
"
up

are Intensitives greatly strengthening the

first verbal root.

ThrJ of the
On (love)

"\

Clove

meaning

much

Ukhui (hunger) hsuj hunger

greatly
[laugh heartily
1
/"plant completely
VthrfUfall heavily
Ga-glai^(fall)
Thoi (die)
J
[die outright
In not a few cases several, sometimes as

Mini (laugh)
Gai (plant )

many as five or six,

of these infixes are combined with the original verbal stem, each
one materially contributing to enlarge and enrich its meaning.
few illustrations are here supplied.

Dao-frd bir-lang-thr,-bai
birds flown completely away-have.
Ang bi-kho bai-nai-thd-bai

1.

The
2.

him continue-watching-did.

3-

Nu-z~nai-sdi~14-th&ng.
See-become-watch-much-take-go, i& go and see and take
and observe carefully.
&c.
&c.

From what

little has been here stated It would seem to be

obvious that the language In its original form is strictly
an agglutinative one. But a gradual process of deglutinisation
has for some time been going on, no doubt originating through
Intercourse with neighbours speaking languages of quite another

fairly

type,

e.g.

district

Assamese, Bengali, &c. Most Kach&ris (B,r&) in this

are quite familiar with Assamese ; indeed, it is very

THE KACHARIS

8o

SECT.

met with men who did not know

form of Aryan speech. Now a Kachdri in the habit of
speaking Assamese will, even when using his own mother
tongue, to which he is strongly attached, not infrequently resort
to a partially inflected form of expression instead of restricting
himself to the use of infixes, &c. This gradual change in the

rarely that the writer has

this

language is especially brought out in the usage of the participial

forms of the verb* It has been shown above, e.g. that the past
Again, in
participle (passive) can be declined like a noun.
expressing a simple sentence like the following
>

I ran and caught and brought the horse

an Assamese speaking Kach&ri would probably make use of the

active participle in n4-noi whilst his more primitive brother,
less familiar with Assamese, would confine him;

who might be

the more idiomatic use of infixes. Thus the sentence

above
might be expressed in two ways
given
self to

Anggoi-klo

It

would seem

to be not improbable that the

language

may

gradually lose its agglutinative character, and approximate to

the inflected type, though the process most likely will be but

a slow one, owing to the very clannish temperament of the

people which makes them cling strongly to anything they
regard as their very own, e.g. their language (cf. a somewhat
similar state of things in Wales and the Scottish Highlands).
But in its present stage the language is one of no small interest
9

to the student of comparative philology, because it is an apt

illustration of a form of speech which, once strictly agglutinative,
is now in process of
learning inflexion through the pressure
of contact with the speakers of Aryan tongues. 1
1

The writer would again

refer the student to Dr. Grierson's work, part

where the whole subject of the agglutinative verb with its stem and
infixes, &e., is dealt with admirable force, clearness and knowledge of the

7-15,

subject,-

[S.E.]

APPENDIX
I.

TRIBES CLOSELY ALLIED TO KACHABIS.

IN a former section, something has been said in favour of the

idea that the Kach4ri race is a much more widely distributed one
than was supposed to be the case some years ago and members
of this race under different names still occupy large areas in
north-eastern India. It may be useful to add a few brief notes
on some of the principal of these closely cognate tribes, confining
our notice mainly to those points and details wherein they differ
more or less from the Kacharis of Darrang, whose language,
habits, religion, etc., as described above, may perhaps be
provisionally taken as a standard.
1. Garos.Qjie of the most important of these allied races is
undoubtedly that known to us as the Garos, dwelling in what is
This tribe, like the people of the
called the Garo Hills District.
North Cachar Hills, has until recent years been largely confined
to the part of Assam which bears it name, and has not come
into contact with Hinduism to any great extent, and hence it
has in all likelihood preserved its aboriginal manners and customs
almost intact. But it is not necessary here to do more than
merely mention the name of this interesting people, as their
whole manner of life has been sufficiently dealt with elsewhere
1
by a highly competent hand.
;

2. Mech (Mes). 70,000.

for the people known as

Nor is It necessary to do much more

Mech (Mes*) who are undoubtedly

merely a branch (the western one) of the Baras of Darrang.

is almost certainly a corruption of the Sanskrit word
mleccha, i.e., an outcast from the Brahmin point of view, a
non-observer of caste regulations such persons being in the

The name

was
light of modern Hinduism very much what the barbarian
to the Greek, or the "Gentile" to the Jew, some twenty
1

See The Garos, by Major A. Playfair, David Niitt.

s*

1909.

Ed.

APPENDIX

82

This term
centuries ago.
(Darrang) or in Kamrup.

mhch

(mecJi) is

not in

ase

here

C(

mlech padre" has sometimes

epithet
been hurled at the writer when preaching to Brahmins or
other high caste Hindus, though it would seem to be the
recognised name for the Bara race from the Manas river westwards to the neighbourhood of Jalpaiguri. They would seem
to be especially numerous in Goalpara district, where one of the

The uncomplimentary

"

v
Sub-

Mech-pdra zamindar."
principal landholders is known as the
Some sixteen exoganious septs are recognised among the
would seem to be the
Meches, of which the most important
*

division,

following

4.

Mesha-^roi the tiger folk

Bdnsbir-aroi bamboo folk
Doim-aroi water folk
Goib&r-droi betelnut folk

5.

Swarg-aroi

1.

2.

3.

heaven

folk.

these the last-mentioned, which is obviously of Hindu

upon as the highest, whilst the names of the
remaining four are apparently of totemistic origin. The first

Of

origin, is looked

on the list, Mashd-arSi (tiger folk Mashd, tiger), still retains

a certain hold on the regard of the members of its sept, all of
whom go into a kind of mourning (see above) when a tiger
is found lying dead near one of their villages.
Origin.
Nothing definite is known as to the origin of the Meches ;
by some they are said to be descended from Bhim and
Hidamba, whilst others maintain that they are the descendants
of Turbasu, son of Eaja Jaj&ti, who fell under his father's curse,
his children thus becoming outcasts (Mlecchas).
Their religion is distinctly of the Animistic type with a
Religion.
tendency towards Hinduism, Bathau being replaced by 5iva
in some cases.
The siju tree is regarded with much reverence,
and is to be seen in the courtyard of most Mech houses, much
more frequently than among the Kachdris of this district.
This sacred tree is sometimes used as a means of divination
or detecting crime or other misdoings in domestic life.
Marriage
i n a n ceremonies relating to
marriage and funerals, what has
keen al re ^dy said of the Kach&ris holds good almost word for
funeral
word of the Meches. But speaking generally it may be said
ceremonies,
that the marriage rites among the Meches are more
simple
than among the Kach&ris, the essential features
being the
exchange of betel-leaves and areca-nuts between bride and
bridegroom followed by ^ the offering of a cock and hen in
"See to Bathau or Siva.
The funeral ceremonies, on the
;

MECH GIRL

APPENDIX

83

other hand, among the Heches are perhaps somewhat more

elaborate than Is the case with the Kacharis (Bura), as an
informal Shradh has to be performed by them, by the son
or daughter of the deceased Mech, seven or nine or eleven
days
after death, and sometimes on the day of the funeral itself, an
indication that Hindu customs are creeping in among this
portion of the Bara race.
The name of this tribe (Rabhas) is of uncertain derivation 3. Rabhas
and in this district (Darrang) the people themselves are some- PMOO).
times called Totlas, which may perhaps be a nickname.

Another term used in designating them

is Datiy&l Kachari,
Borderer Kacharls (ddti border, edge, boundary) and it is
held by some that their original home and habitat was the
region bordering on the northern slopes of the Garo Hills.
This supposition is partly confirmed by the fact that the only
words in their language to express (1) north and (2) south,
i.e.

Habitat,

1
and (2) Tura ;
respectively, are (1) BJiota hi-chu, Bhotan Hills,
their physical horizon being apparently absolutely limited by the

localities thus designated ; moreover, Rabhas in somewhat

large numbers are still to be found at the base of the northern
Some 30,000 have their home in
slope of the Garo Hills.
Goalpara district, whilst others are located in Kamrup, northwest Darrang, and among the Garos in their hills. Their origin
is but imperfectly known, but they are said to be descended from
a Hindu father who lost caste by marrying a Kaehari woman.
Their language, which would seem to be rapidly dying out,
forms a very interesting link between Garo and Kachari, having
much in common with both, but with some special features
Like the tongue of other branches of the
peculiar to itself.

two

Origin
(fradi-

I0na

kanua& e

''

Bara race, the Rabha- language, at one time undoubtedly

agglutinative, seems to be in process of becoming inflexional,
through contact and intercourse with the speakers of more
or less broken-down Sanskritic
languages, e.g., Bengali,
Some seven sub- tribes are said to be still Sub-_
Assamese, etc.
dlvisions
recognised among the Rdbhds, i.e. Eangdaniya, Maitariya,
of
members
The
and
Pati-Koch, BitliyA, Ddhuriyi,
SanghA.
the three sub-tribes first in this list occupy a position of some
eminence above the others, and are at liberty to intermarry
t

"

"

themselves. They are, however, so far hypergamous

that if any one of their members should marry into any of the
last four sub-tribes, the person so marrying would have to pay
a fine of Rs. 100, or upwards, to the members of the lower
As regards caste-position and status,
sub-tribe concerned.
the Rabhas hold themselves to be slightly higher than the pure

among

Hi-chu,

i.e.)

hi earth, chi high

cf.

Kachari hd-jo,

i.e.,

Ad earth, gajo, high.

cas t e )
status.
(

APPENDIX

84.

Kachiris, e.g., the RAbh& will not eat rice cooked by a KacMri,
though the latter freely partakes of food prepared by a Bdbha.
On the other hand, the Mblid eats and drinks quite as
freely

does the Kach&ri, and intermarriage between the two

branches of the race is not very uncommon, a young Kach&ri
bridegroom selecting a Eabh4 bride having to make his peace
with her people by giving them a feast and paying a
bride-price
(gd-dkan) on a somewhat enhanced scale. The children born
of such a "mixed marriage" belong to the father's tribe.
Kach&ris sometimes formally enter the R4bh4 community,
though it is not necessary for them to do so, on their way to
as

Hinduism.

Kachari wishing to be received into the R&bha

somewhat elaborate
summarised as follows

sub-tribe has to pass through a

which
Admissionofa
co*ver?
into the

may be

"A

briefly

initiation,

deori (Priest) divides a

pig into seven pieces in front
convert's door, and disposes of them
by throwing
away oue su k P* ece Awards each of the four cardinal
points while of the remaining three pieces one is thrown skyof the

wards, a second earthwards, and the last Patdlwards. 1 At the

same place he then proceeds to cook a fowl and prepares therefrom a curry, which he divides into seven
equal parts; and
arranging these portions on the ground he leaves them there,
after sprinkling
is known as

2
This part of the ceremonial
pad-jal.
or Idodhar Jcatti, i.e., forms of
making

them with

Ml&dhar^

The deori then lays down a

(reconciliation).
plantain-leaf on the courtyard and places on it a lighted lamp,
a handful of rice, a betel-leaf, and an areca-nut,
with

pr&yag-ckitta

some

together

tulasi leaves

and a few copper

The convert is then

made to drink pad-jcd in public, and after this he must
pay at
least one rupee to the assembled
people, and treat them to two
vessels full of rice-beer (m&dh\
He is further required to
entertain liberally the members of his
newly-acquired brotherhood for three successive evenings,
pork and m&dh forming the
coins.

Beligion,

principal materials of the feast/'

Very little need be said under the head of religion; for in
this respect they are but little
separated from the closelyThe general type of the E4bha
cognated Kachiri (Bara) race,
religion 13 distinctly animistic ; but one or two of the higher
subdivisions, especially the P&tis, are said to show a

leaning

1
"Fatal," one of the seven regions which Hindus believe to exist under
the earth.
2
Pad-jal, i.e. } pad a foot, and jal water, " foot- water"; water in which
a Gosain has dipped his foot, or
(at least) his great toe, and which is therefore looked upou as sacred.
It is otherwise known as
cliarandmrita, i.e.,
charan foot, and dmrita, umtal ambrosia.

APPENDIX

85

towards Hinduism of the Sakta form, the deity chiefly worshipped being known as Bhalli(? Bhareli), to whom yuja is done
in Kartik, Magh and Baisakh.
There are no temples or fixed
places of worship, nor are Brahmins employed the deori (deosi)
doing all that is deemed necessary in public religious ceremonies.
Marriage is almost invariably adult, and is usually entered into
by payment to the bride's parents, or by servitude as among
the Kacharis. Cases of ante-nuptial unchastity would seem to
be rare but when an unmarried girl does become pregnant, she
is compelled to disclose the name of her lover, often
through
;

Relations
of the
8exes
*

and public opinion forces

the seducer to marry his victim, paying a somewhat higher
bride-price (gti-dhan) than he would otherwise have done.
Monogamy is the rule in marriage, but public opinion permits
the taking of a second wife when the first proves childless.
Divorce is permitted for adultery, but would seem to be com-

thes i?w-ordeal process (see above),

paratively rare

widows are at

liberty to

marry whomsoever

except the deceased husband's elder brother, a second

bride-price being sometimes paid to the bride's parents. The
marriage ceremony itself is very simple, the essential features
being (1) the exchange of betel-leaves and areca-nuts by bride
and bridegroom, and (2) the formal sacrifice of a cock and hen,
the latter being made into a curry of which bride and bridegroom partake together. The dead are disposed of generally
by cremation, though in cases of destructive epidemics, e.g.
cholera, kala-azar, etc., known as "sirkfari rog" the bodies of
deceased people are either hastily buried, or simply thrown into
the neighbouring jungle. 1
About the small tribe (8,000 souls) known as Hajongs or 4. Han s ~~"
Haijongs only very little definite information can at present be j?
S
a
obtained but it seems probable on the whole that they are
branch of the widely spread Bara race. The tribal name is of
uncertain derivation, but it is not unlikely that it is connected
with the Kachari word for mountain or hill (ha-jo) and this
supposition receives, perhaps, some little confirmation from their
present known habitat, i.e., the southern slope of the Garo Hills,
and the sub-montane tract immediately adjoining it It is
possible that these people may be the modern representatives
of the inhabitants of the old kingdom of Koch Hajo, which
corresponds roughly with the present district of Qoalpara. It
is known that during the period 1600-1700 this part of the
country was overrun by Musalmdn invaders, when many of
the inhabitants probably took refuge in the Garo Hills,

they

will,

For other information about Garos, see Ga,ro Monograph, pp.

Ed.

17,

19, 21.

APPENDIX

86

returning therefrom, and settling in the adjoining plains at the

foot of these hills, when the pax Eritannica gave them a

amount of security for life and property. In appearance

and dress the people are said to have a close resemblance to the
well-known Kachari type, but this resemblance hardly holds
good of their language as now spoken, for this is little more
than a medley of Assamese and Bengali.
There are said to be two recognised subdivisions among them,
The latter are largely
i.e., (1) Byabcharis and (2) Paramarthis.
Hinduized (Vaishnabs) and abstain from pork and liquor, etc.
certain

Religion.

whilst the former, who are Saktas to a large extent, follow the
In
practice of their Garo neighbours in matters of diet, etc.
spite, however, of this distinction of meats, it is said that

members

of the two sections of the tribe freely intermarry- with

No Brahmins seem to be employed among them,

each other.

any leading member (adhiMrf) of the village panchdyat doing

what is customary at all marriages, etc. It may be added that
the siju tree (euphorbia splendens) which occupies so important
a place in the social and religious life of the Bar, Meches, etc.,
on the north of the Brahmaputra does not seem to enjoy any
special regard or respect among the cognate tribes (Haijangs,
Dimasa^ etc.) who have their homes on the south and east of
Relations
6
sexes
marriage,
&c.

'

that great river.

As among other members of the Bar& race, the relations of
e sexes are on the whole sound and wholesome
ante-nuptial
unchastity is but of rare occurrence, but when it does take place
and pregnancy follows, the seducer is compelled to marry the
girl, and to pay a certain fine of no great amount to the village
elders.
This form of union is known as a ddi-mtird
marriage.
But generally, as among the Kacharis of Darrang, the parents
of bride and bridegroom
arrange for the marriage of the young
people, which always includes the payment of a bride-price
(pdti) of from 20 to 100 rupees to the bride's parents, or the

equivalent in personal service.

"
"

It is

said that

among the

subdivision, who are largely Hinduized, the

betrothal of children is coming into
vogue, but as a rule

Paramarthi

and

the most part monogamous.

first
proves to be childless, but
polyandry is quite unknown. Divorce is permitted for adultery
but is very rare, and under no circumstances can a woman be
in a state of
pregnancy. The divorce itself is
divorced^when
effected in the usual way
by the husband and wife tearing a
betel-leaf in the presence of the
village elders, and formally
addressing each other as father and mother, showing that the
relation of husband and wife has ceased.
Widows can

marriage is
second wife

still

is

adult,

allowed

for

when the

marry

APPENDIX

87

again, and do so freely, the one restriction being that no widow

can marry her deceased husband's brother, whether older or

younger than her

first partner.
Here again, too, it would seem
influence is making itself felt, for it is said that the
remarriage of widows is looked upon with growing disfavour.
Property, both movable and immovable, is usually divided
equally among the sons of a family (cf. the old Saxon law of

that

Hindu

"

gavelkind "), anything like primogeniture being unknown.

a formal marriage among well-to-do people a certain
ceremonial is observed.
square enclosure is formed by planting a plantain-tree at each corner, and within this enclosure are
placed sixteen lighted lamps, and sixteen earthenware pots full
of water, the bridegroom taking his stand in their midst.
The
bride then formally walks around him seven times, and then
finally takes a seat at his left side, her face being turned towards
the east. No mantras, etc., are recited, nor is any Brahmin
present but some village elder (adhik&rf) sprinkles water over
the couple from one of the water pots, and the ceremony is held

In

to

be complete.

The

bodies of the dead are occasionally buried or committed Disposal

of dead
to the jungle, but this is done but rarely, probably only under
of
an
of
Cremthe pressure
cholera, etc.
panic during
epidemic
-

ation is almost universal, the head of the deceased being placed

towards the north, the face looking upwards in the case of a
Sraddha usually
man, and downwards in that of a woman.

follows

either on the tenth, or the thirtieth,

day

after the

cremation.

Not much

known about

this small tribe, whose 5. Morons

but although they are said
to repudiate all connection with the B8,r& race, it may be tic, 100 j
it
for on this Hindusafely inferred that they do in reality belong to
2
1
is fairly conclusive.
of
evidence
the
They are
language
point
and
Kacharis
Moran
known
as
sometimes
(2) Kapahiyas
(1)
am
cotton), the latter name being due to the fact that in
(Jcaydh
to grow cotton for the
early days one of their chief duties was
is

definitely

numbers do not exceed 6,000 in

all

^j^

jL

'

'

use of jLhom princesses, at Kakatal, Moriani, Jhanzi, Hologapar,

Their present habitat may be roughly described as the Habitat,
etc.
country lying between the Buri Dining and the Brahmaputra
in the north-eastern part of the Province at least one-half of
their number being located in the district of Lakhimpur, and
the remainder in the adjoining portions of the Sibsagar district.
Their chief centre is said to be a place known as Kakatal, the
residence of the Tiphuk Gosain, the head of the Matak clan,
1

See paper by Major P.

LXXIIL, Part

I,

No.

1,

E-.

1904.

T. Gurdon, in Journal of A.

8.

B.

Vol.

APPENDIX

88

with the members of which the Morons are said to fraternize

and even to intermarry freely.
The original home of the Morans is said to have been at
Mongkong (Maingkhwang) in the Hukong Valley at the upper

Origin

^"iona
i

).

pgg^j^g

Of

fa e Chindwin river,

where some centuries ago

Of these,
resided three brothers Moylang, Mor&n, and Moyr&n.
Moylang, the eldest, remained in the Hukong Valley, whilst the
youngest, Moyran, migrated into Nipdl, and was there lost sight
of;

into

and Moran, the second brother, passed the Patkoi range

Assam and, settling on the Tiphuk river, became the

ancestor of or at least gave

But however

this

may

its

present

name

to the

Moran tribe.
when the

fairly certain that,

be, it is

Ahoms

passed into Assam about the middle of the thirteenth

came into conflict with the Morons, whom
By their
they seem to have subdued with but little difficulty.
Ahom conquerors the Morons were employed in various menial
capacities, as hewers of wood and drawers of water, and were
sometimes known as Habungiyas, 1 earth-folk, or true autoch"
sons of the soil," though they seem to have interthones,
married freely with their Ahom rulers. But in spite of their
subordinate position in political life the Morons, like other
branches of the B&r& race, have sturdily maintained some of
their national characteristics to this day, e.g., their language,
century, they at once

though apparently doomed to early extinction; is still to some

extent retained by members of the clan.
In the census of 1891 only 100 Morons are returned as

them being described as Hindus of

the Vaishnab type. Their Hinduism, however, would seem to
Vaishnab. foe O f a somewhat lax character for
though they do not eat
beef, pork, or monkeys, or drink madh and photik^, yet they
freely partake of all kinds of poultry and fish, with the tortoise,
grasshopper, etc. No social stigma, too, attaches to the catching
and selling of fish to others. No idols are to be seen in their
villages, nor are Brahmins ever employed in religious cereReligion,

animistic, the great bulk of

monials, certain officials known as Medhis and Bhakats doing all

that is deemed necessary on these occasions.
On certain great
social gatherings known as Sabh&
(Samdj), which are apparently
not held at any fixed periods, there is much singing, beating of

drums (Mridang) and cymbals

whom
made.
centres

(t&l) in

honour of Krishna, to

offerings of rice, salt, plantains, betel-nuts, are freely

In earlier times it is said that there were three chief
(satras)

of the

religious

life

of the

Morons

each

hence haHtibung-iyd, perhaps from ha earth, bung for su-lung men

lung-iycL, autochthones, adscripti ghbce, something like the serfs of the old
feudal system in Europe.
;

APPENDIX

89

presided over by an elder known as the bura or dangariya.

These were the (1) Dinja (Kachari bura), (2)
(Ahom

Garpara

bura), and (3) Puranimati (Khitwal bura). These dangariyas

are said still to retain a position of some spiritual influence
among the Horans, all religious teaching being in their
Each family may freely choose its own dangariyas,
hands.
but followers of one dangariya will not eat food cooked

by

even when the worshippers are closely

connected with each other by family ties, as father, son,

those

of another,

brother, etc.
Infant betrothals would

seem to be absolutely unknown, all

monogamous,

marriages being restricted to adults, as a rule

though a second wife may be taken when the first proves

childless.
Occasionally the bridegroom carries off his bride by
force, especially during the April Bihu, the union formed in this

way being afterwards recognised by the

parents.

girl's

Mar-

ges '

Some-

times the bride goes to her lover's house of her own free will,
without payment of the usual bride-price (pan). But as a rule
as among other portions of the Bara race, matrimonial
engagements are entered into after negotiations between the parents
of the persons concerned. The essential elements of a marriage
in this case are (1) the payment of a bride-price (pan) of some
Rs20-100 to the girl's parents, and (2) the giving of a feast at
the bridegroom's expense to the parents, relatives, and friends of
the bride. The marriage ceremony is always non-Shdstric, nor
are Brahmins present, a Bhakat or dangariy doing all that is
necessary. The ceremony itself may perhaps be
"
described as
semi-chacklang," some, though not all, of the
rites practised among the Ahoms at what is called a chaklang

deemed

marriage being frequently carried out.

Divorce is permitted occasionally, but only when the wife is
guilty of adultery with a man of lower caste-standing than her
own. In these cases the husband brings back the erring wife
to her father's house -with some betel- nuts and one rupee in an
earthenware sarM; the father receives her and gives back a
portion of the betel-nuts to the husband, and the woman is at
oxice free to

marry again.

Widows

"Divorce,

are at liberty to remarry,

but not with the deceased husband's brother but little or on

ceremonial is observed at such a remarriage, a widow taking a
substantially lower position than a virgin bride.
The dead are usually disposed of by burial, but the bodies of Disposal
of dead
old Bhakats are sometimes cremated, the ashes being afterwards
"
buried under a high earth mound known as a moidm." On
the third day after death takes place the ceremony known as
telani, when the near relatives are anointed with mustard seed
;

APPENDIX

90

This is followed ten days later by the dakd, when

of
rice, salt, betel-nuts, etc., are offered by the relatives,
offerings
and finally, after an interval of twenty days, the
Jcdj is
oil (tel).

daM

general feast takes place both day and night.

These observances have perhaps more in common with funeral
wakes than with what is known among Hindus as a shrdddha
celebrated,

when a

no Brahmins are present.

This once very powerful race, which still numbers almost
90,000 souls, has its chief home and habitat in the districts of
(87,691).
La] ]1i p ur an(j Sibsagar, though a not inconsiderable number
are f un(l * n tne Darrang district (Mangaldai subdivision).
C&utiyas
Their general appearance and physical and mental character4,000.
istics
Habitat,
prove clearly that they belong to the widely spread Bra
race, and this view is borne out by the language still spoken to
some extent by one of the subdivisions of the race (the Deoris),
which has very much in common with the Kachari of Darrang,
and still more with the speech of the people (Dinicts^) of the
north Kachar Hills.
Their origin is far from being clearly known. According to
Traditional
one tradition probably the outcome of Hindu imaginativeness
^ Qe 7 G
to be descendants of Khetrias who fled into Assam
for refuge from the destroying arm of Parasu-Ram (battle-axe
Ram). But according to a tradition embodied in an old Assamese
chronicle of uncertain date, the founder of the Chutiya
kingdom, for some 200 years a very powerful one, was one
6.

Chu-

tiyas

s:

'

^m

Bihar (? Virapala), who is said to have had his home on " Golden
Hill" (Suvarna-giri) in the mountains to the north of the
modern Sadiya, which place was for a lengthened period the
centre of Chutiya power, before the advent of the Ahoms in the
15th century. It is said that Kuvera (the Hindu Pluto)

appeared to this Bihar, who was simply an ordinary peasant,

and urged him to be reconciled to his wife (Rupavati), with
whom he had quarrelled, as she was about to present him with
a son who should make a name in history. Moreover, he was
directed to make search under a certain tree where he would
find a shield, a sword, and a
spear and underneath the shield
a golden cat, which latter he was to preserve with the utmost
care, as it was to be the talisman of his family's fortunes.
Kuvera's instructions were duly carried out by Bihar, to whom a
son was born, named Ratnadhwaj, who
through force of
character established his influence in the mountains
and then
descending to the plains established apowerful kingdom at Sadiya
which maintained itself there for over two centuries, when it fell
before the rapidly growing influence of the warlike Ahoms.
In
;

I.e.,

dasa, the tenth..

Ed.

APPENDIX

9i

order finally to break up the power of the Chutiyas their Ahom

conquerors are said to have distributed the subjugated race over
Assam and north-east Bengal. One not inconsiderable portion
of the Mangaldai subdivision is still known as Chutiya des
otherwise Kaupati. To this Machiavellian policy of the Ahom
rulers is perhaps due the present widely scattered condition of
the once powerful Kach&ri race.
There are four subdivisions of the Chutiya race still recog- Sub;

nised, viz.

divisions

(modern)
1.

Hindu Chutiya.

2.

Ahom

3.
4.

Each

Chutiya.

Deori Chutiya the Levite or priestly

Barihi Chutiya the pig-eating clan.

of these subdivisions

is

clan.

said to have been in early days

endogamous, though this is hardly so now, for members of the

two upper clans can intermarry, and the same statement holds
of the two lower (Deori and Bar^hi)
but outside these
food
mits marriage is said to be prohibited. The Hindu and Ahom
Chutiyas have very largely adopted Hinduism of the Vaishnava
they indulge in secluded
type but it is said that occasionally
"
midnight revels known as rdti so4 khod," at which almost all
kinds of food (beef alone excepted) are very freely consumed.
The Deoris and Bar^his, however, still follow largely certain
animistic rites so far as they have adopted Hinduism at all, it
would seem to be of a depraved type, Tantric rather than
;

Vedic.

the most interesting, because the most primitive, The

four subdivisions of the Chutiya race Deoris mentioned above, is that which holds the third place in the list ;
It has been stated before more than once that
i.e., the Deoris.
this term Deoris is thus used to designate the recognised
ministers of religion throughout the Bara race and this points
to the fact that they are essentially what indeed their tribal
name implies, a Levite or priestly body, and one in earlier days
possessed of large influence which even yet has not been wholly
In point of mere numbers they are certainly not a
lost.
powerful body, somewhat less than 4,000 all told. Their chief
habitat is on and near the Dikrang river some thirty miles west
of the subdivisional station of North Lakhimpur, while other
Land" of the
villages may be found in the Majuli, the "Holy
modern (Hindu) Assamese, where they would seem to lead a
Deori Chutiya village has been
very simple primitive life.

By

far

characteristic of the

well described as follows.

"
It consists of some thirty houses built on

bamboo platforms

APPENDIX

92

raised about five feet from the ground.

single house will
often contain a family of forty persons, living in one great room

without any compartments, though with separate fireplaces,

with a verandah in front where visitors are entertained. The
villagers are a tall, large, well-nourished folk, with features
bearing a strong resemblance to that of the Kach&ris. They
drink strong liquor (home-made) and eat all kinds of flesh
except beef."
Lan-

There are two things which give a certain interest and

importance to the Deoris in spite of the paucity of their
Like
numbers, i.e., (1) their language and (2) their religion
other members of the widely spread Bar& race, the Deoris are
bilingual, speaking both Assamese and their own tongue, but
giving a distinct preference to the latter, of which they are said
to be not a little proud. 1
The language itself is obviously very
closely allied to that of the Kacharis of Darrang and still more
so to the speech of the people of the North Kachar Hills
(Dim^ts4), who, being more isolated from the plains than are the
Kacharis, have no doubt preserved their mother tongue very
In all likelihood the language of
largely in its primitive form.
the Deori Chutiyds gives us the purest and most archaic form of
the B,r, speech, and there can be little doubt that in earlier
times it was the dominant language of Eastern Assam.
The religion of the Deori Chutiyas is still largely animistic.
There are a number of domestic gods, who hold a prominent
place in family worship, and puj a is often performed under big
trees and by the side of rivers, as
among the Darrang Kachdris.
The Brahmaputra is held in special reverence and is spoken of
as the mother of water (ji chim&, or chim&
jim&) much as the
"
Mater
Darrang Kacharis regard this huge volume of water as
"

magna

(Hodgson).
Unlike the western Kachdris, however, the Deori
Chutiy&s
pay no special regard to the 'siju tree (EupTiorlia splendens),
a peculiarity which they share with the Dim^sd,
L^lungs,
2
Garos, and other members of the Bara family who have their
home mostly on the south of the great river. They have four
great annual festivals, two of which correspond in some respects
to the Assamese
and Baisak Bihu, though not held
exactly on the same dates. They have a great reputation
3

M%h

1
See Outline Grammar of the Deori Chutiya Language,
by
B.A., I.C.S., Shillong, Assam Secretariat Press, a scholarly
writer gladly takes this opportunity of
the^

W.

B. Brown,
to which

work

acknowledging his manifold

obligations.
2

^But the Garos plant either a mandal tree or a Euphorbia cactus near
their Kosi or sacrificial stones, hence
recognising the sacred character of
the siju, tree (see Gdro Monograph, p. 97). -fid.

APPENDIX

93

etc., and are supposed to have the power of causing

enemies to die mysteriously of slow occult
wasting
diseases, and in this way they are often consulted by their
neighbours in cases of loss of cattle or undetected robberies.
There would seem to "be three principal gods
"
the old ones/' always spoken
(1) Girasi-gir (Bura-buri), i.e.,
"
of as a wedded pair (cf. the Bathau and the Hainan " of the
"
Darrang Kacharis and the Warang-Berang," the old one of
Hodgson's Dhimals)
they are specially worshipped by the
Dibongid khel, and their original temple was on the Kundil

as wizards,
their

'

'

river,

little

east of Sadiya.

"

(2) Pisha-dema (Bohza-hemata), "the elder son worshipped

by the Teng paniya khel. His temple stood on Teng&pAni
river.

(3) Pisha-si, "the daughter," known as (1) Tameshwari mai,

the " mother of the copper temple," and (2) Kecha-khati, the
"

raw-flesh eater," to whom human sacrifices were offered. She

was worshipped by the Bargaya (Borgoniya) khel and her
"
"
temple stood somewhere near Chunpura ( lime-kiln ') on the
Brahmaputra a few miles east of Sadiya.
In addition to these a fourth khel, Pdtorgiya, is said to have
once existed, but its status was inferior to those of the other
To each of
three, and it has consequently become extinct.
these khels and temples four priests (pujaris) were attached, i.e.,
(1) a Bor Deori (Deori Dima) and (2) a Saru Deori (Deori
1
It is
Sarb&) and (3) a Bor Bharali, and (4) a Saru Bharali.
the former two (the Deoris), who alone perform the sacrifice,
enter the temple and sing hymns, etc., which are hardly now
understood by the laity. The office of the Bharalis was an inferior
one it was their duty to collect all temple-offerings and to
c

provide animals for sacrifice.

the head of the victim, which

They
is

are also privileged to hold

nowadays usually a

As

goat.

a rule no images, etc., are to be seen in the temples, though

such images would seem to be provided from time to time as
needed for purposes of public worship.
Of the Deori temples mentioned above the oldest and most Human
cc

"

noteworthy is undoubtedly that known as the Tamar ghar or

copper temple, at Chunpura, the ruins of which are, it is said,
It is described as a
still to be seen some miles east of Sadiya.
small stone building nearly square, built without cement, the
stones joined by iron pins, not clamped. The roof, now fallen
was of copper hence the temple's name. The interior is eight
and the whole is enclosed by a brick wall 130 feet
feet square
by 200. Near the grand entrance in the western wall is a
in,

jBar=big, aaru= small.

Ed.

sacrifices
"

APPENDIX

94

Here from a period unknown down to a

small stone tripod.
recent
date human sacrifices were offered year by
comparatively
It is said that latterly the Ahom kings gave up for this
year.
purpose malefactors who had been sentenced to capital punishment but as suitable victims of this type were not always forthcoming, a certain special tribe (khel) of the king's subjects were
held bound to provide one and in return the members of this
;

were entitled to certain privileges, e.g., exemption from

It was necessary in
ferry dues and market tolls, etc.
"
without
all cases that the victims should be of high caste and
l
blemish/' the slightest mutilation, even the boring of an ear,
rendering them unfit to be offered.
All Brahmins and members of the royal family were exempted
tribe

payment of

Domes, Haris, Musalm^ns and women

For some time preceding the sacrifice
the victim to be immolated was detained at the temple and
sumptuously fed there, until he attained a sufficiently plump
condition to suit the assumed taste of the flesh-eating goddess.
On the appointed day he was led forth, magnificently attired
and decorated with gold and silver ornaments, to be shown to
the crowds assembled for the occasion. He was then led away
and taken, by a private path trodden only by the officiating
priests and their victims, to the brink of a deep pit, where he
was divested of his gay attire and decapitated so that the body
fell into the
The head was added to a heap of ghastly
pit.
skulls that were piled up before the shrine.
The exact date
when these fearful sacrifices ceased does not seem to be
Lieutenant (afterwards Colonel) Dalton,
definitely known.
from whose highly interesting paper most of the above details
are taken, states that they were in vogue down to the time
when the Ahom Government was superseded by that of the
Burmese, when the Deoris finally withdrew from the neighbourhood of the " copper temple." Mr. Brown, on the other hand,
tells us that these human sacrifices were abolished at a somewhat earlier date by Raja Gaurinath, who, also being unable to
protect the Deoris from the Mishmis and other tribes, removed
them to the Majuli, 2 where some of their villages are still to be
as a privilege; whilst
were excluded as unfit.

found.
Marriage,
etc -

As among

other branches of the B&rcL race, infant betrothal is

marriage being permitted until puberty is
attained.
Monogamy is the rule among Deoris and Bar&his
but a second wife is allowed where the first proves childless.

unknown, no

Of. the old Jewish law regarding animals for sacrifice being
blemish," Exodus, xii., 5 ; Leviticus, xxii. 19-21.
2
long island in the Brahmaputra. Ed.

" without

APPENDIX
is

95

common among Hindu and Ahom

Chutiyas, but
polyandry
quite unknown.
Marriages are generally planned
and arranged by the parents of the young people concerned, a
bride-price varying from Es. 10 to Es. 100 being paid to the
bride's parents by those of the bridegroom, or an
equivalent
given in service in the bride's household (cf. Genesis, xxix.
15-20 Jacob serving Laban seven years for Eachel).
The actual marriage ceremony seems to vary considerably in
the four different clans (khels) which compose the Chutiya
community. With the two lower sections, i.e., the Deoris and

Polygamy

is

Barahis,

it

consists in a feast given by the bridegroom's people

and fellow- villagers of the bride, accompanied by

to the friends

much singing of songs, etc., in honour of the clan gods and

goddesses, whilst with not a few even this simple ceremonial is
dispensed with, and the young man claims his bride by merely
placing bracelets on her wrists and a string of beads, etc., on
her neck (Kha~ru and mani pindhoa). 1 But among the Ahom
and Deori Chutiyas, who claim a somewhat higher position
than the other two sections, a more elaborate ceremonial is
observed. The Ahom Chutiyas to some extent still observe the
form of marriage characteristic of their race, i.e., that known as
the Chaklang. There is an exchange of temi and Jcatdri between
bride and bridegroom, who are made formally to inhale the
smell of turmeric together, and this is followed by the tying of
the nuptial knot (lagun gdthi), and the distribution of simple
refreshments (jal-pan) among the assembled friends and
relatives; and finally the bridegroom is said to carry off his
bride through a hole cut in the corner of the house, this last
proceeding being perhaps a survival of the time when marriage
by capture or stealth was not unknown. With the Hindu
Chutiyas there is a still more elaborate ceremonial in vogue,
one which approximates somewhat closely to the orthodox
Hindu ideal. The chaJclang form is superseded by that of the
horn, i.e., libations of clarified butter (ghi) are formally poured
in sacrifice on the sacred fire, and certain special mantras are
recited by the officiating priest in the presence of the bride
and bridegroom, who are formally seated by his side, and
formally united by the tying of the nuptial knot (lagun-g&thi).
It is said, further, that matrimonial etiquette requires postponement of consummation of the marriage for a week or so after
the completion of the wedding ceremonial.
Divorce, which would seem to be not very common, may and
the
usually does follow adultery on the part of the wife,
adulterer paying a fine of Es. 500 to the injured husband, and
3

'

I.e.,

the putting on of Hhdru (bracelets) and mani (necklace).

Ed.

Divorce,

^m^

riage, etc,

APPENDIX

96

compelled to provide a home for the erring

no respectable man of the tribe would consent to
marry. The form used in cases of divorce is the usual one of
tearing a betel-leaf (pan-chira) together by the husband and
the wife. The remarriage of widows is permitted with few, if
any, restrictions but as a rule the full marriage ceremonial,
whether 'horn' or chaklang, is not observed in such widow

further being

woman,

whom

'

Disposal
f

remarriages.
The bodies of the dead are usually disposed of by burning,
except in cases of epidemics, when, through panic or like cause,

they are thrown into the jungle, or left to perish where they
fall.
The cremation is generally followed by a funeral feast,
lasting for a period of from five to nine days, either at the
deceased's house or at the river-side where the body was burnt.
A shradh with feasting of the dead man's relatives takes place
This
usually at the end of a month after the cremation.
shradh marks the closing of the period of mourning, which in the
case of an adult extends over about thirty days, during which
period no flesh or fish may be eaten, though rice, ghi and
potatoes are allowed. In the case of those who die in childhood no shrddh is observed, though the bereaved family usually
go into mourning

for

some three days.

APPENDIX

II

To the stories taken by Mr. Endle from my little collection of

Kachari folk-tales, I have ventured to add the following three
tales, with an interlinear literal translation and some brief
This I have done In order to follow the
linguistic notes.
example set in Sir C. J. Lyall's edition of Mr. Edward Stack's
work on the Mikirs. A transcription followed by a loose
translation

is

not of

much

use to linguistic students unless they

have already some knowledge of the language. I ought to

explain that I have not followed Mr. Endle's system of transIn a language which has no written character,
literation.
In such languages dialect
it is best to trust to one's own ear.
springs up quickly and local differences of pronunciation abound.
I have merely tried, therefore, to record what I have myself
heard. With the aid of the literal versions I now give, and by
carefully reading Mr. Endle's Grammar, anyone who wishes to
compare Kachari with other Bodo languages, such as Garo and
Tippera, ought to be able to make out the remainder of the
stories in my little collection without much difficulty.

The vowels
a

is

a
e

are recorded as follows

pronounced like u in English

a
father
-mason
a

"'

ee
o
o

"I
.

o
6

fit

green
hot
lol alone

pull

ft

oo

school

ai

au

5J

ow

how.

1
This Appendix is written by Mr. J. D. Anderson, the compiler
work on lachdri folk- tales mentioned on p. 54. Ed.

of the little

APPENDIX

98

II

The sound represented by ii is rather difficult to describe^ to

it seems rather guttural, something
Europeans. To" my ear,
"
the vulgar pronunciation of girl as
or
like the u in
ugh
"
eu in
!

Or, again,

gurl."
peM, as

said to be like the

may be

it

French

Or perhaps a still nearer

pronounced by
when he pauses in
"er"
approximation is the Englishman's
is of some importance,
sound
The
after-dinner
an
speech.
making
as --til is the suffix by which the adverb in modern Kachafi is
formed from the adjective. Thus ga-ham, good; gaham-iii,
English people.

Also the continuative participle, as, thang-iii, thang-ui

went.
going, going as he
When a is added to a noun, it is, as in Assamese, the sign of
the nominative. If the word ends in a vowel, and especially in
two vowels.
the vowel a, an euphonic i is inserted between the
"
Thus hingzau-sa is " woman." Hingzau-sa-i-a is the woman,"
the
in a narrative.
Similarly -au is the inflexion marking
from
divided
is
letter
this
in
ends
the
word
If
case.
a,
locative
well.

au by an euphonic

i.

Words borrowed from Assamese or other Indian languages are

have escaped me.
printed in Roman letters. Some such may
If so, they have probably been so transmuted by Bodo habits of
naturalised.
pronunciation as to have become completely
inserted or "infixed" in the middle of a verb (between
stem and inflexion) is the sign of the negative. Sometimes the
before a guttural
euphonic i precedes it. Sometimes, especially
sound, it is converted into e.
No other supplementary explanations beyond those given in
Mr. Endle's note on grammar seem required here.

(I)

ABBA-NI KHORANG,
Simpleton-of Story.

Sd-se

brai
old man

burui

Bi-sur-ha, sd-se gotho

dangman.

Thern-to one boy

- wi - aib
lai-nti
moso
burui
dangman. B^ san^se
He day-one old-man old-woman-to bullock buy-to
was.
burui
brai
Khintu
gotho-JcTio
thaka U-naise.

One

old

woman

brai

lagi
for

azla
silly

money

But

beg-ged.

nu-naw&i thaka
see-ing

money
1

were.

old

man

old

hu-a-man.

Gotho-a

give-not-did.

Boy

San

literally,

the sun.

woman

boy-toj
etn-bra-bra

again and again

APPENDIX
thaka

"bl-nai-Tchai

II

99

zaTchai-br&i
four-fours

bind-ing

take-did.
Going
moso-Jcho Jid-grd*

PJiare

hti-naise.

Then
begging-because-of
money
give-did.
bai-nti lagi
man-thdm
gotho-d moso
tJiang-ui
thdng-tii
bullock buy-to
for
three
boy
go-ing
go-ing
ali-m khathi-aw ga-Jidm moso
md-se nu-ndnili, be
sM-aio
roads-of near-at
good bullock one
see-ing, that road-on
thaka din-ndnui, moso-kho Jchd-naniZi labo-naise. Thdng-tii

money

plac-ing,

thang-ui

bl-Jid

bullock-to
lzh%-nu

on-Tchdt-ndnui

he to ease himself depart-ing

Jcha-ndntii
din-ndnui

going

dai-se-au

bnllock

forest

Jch^-htii-bd 3

braneh-one-to
to ease himself go~ing
bind-ing
plac-ing
moso-d "be-tJiing Tchdt-ldng-naise.
Pkdre be JcM-nai-m-fra-i
bullock that-way
Then he easing-from
run-away-did.
nu-e-Tchai
fai-ndn&i, moso-Jeko
hd-grd hd-grd ndmaibullock see not-because forest
forest
seekcom-ing,
ArU In mni zonthrd nu-ndnui, b^Tcho-ni^ fa-Til
"bai-naise.^
wander-did. And he deer male
see-ing, it-indeed him-of
moso
han-ndnfai, hilsu-baie Jmsu-baie ^on-au hd-grd zethapbullock
say-ing,
hunt-ing hunt-ing after forest thicketau gongd ndng-ndnui b thdp-thd-ndnui thd-naise. Obdsii In
in horns
Then he
stick-ing
caught-stay-ing stay-ed.
mui-Jcho godo-i-au dldung-zang Tchd-ndnui no-hd-lagl dtdimg
neck-on
deer-to
cord-with
bind-ing house-up-to string
no
zorai
zorai
JSeau-nu lima
man-fai-naise.
blfd-i-d
Then mother father
ty-ing ty-ing" house reach-come-dicl.
" 6
moso
bai-nu
nang
s^ng-nais^
thdng-nai-d, hfaru ?
bullock
eh ?
ask-ed,
you
buy-to
go-did-not,
In
Obdsii
bung-naise, "be
dldung-Jcho bti-ba-nH, zang-fur

Then
moso

he

say-did,

man-gan."

this

string-to

you

tug-see,

Erui kan-ndnui, sd-thum

Thus say-ing,
they-three

zang
bullock
get-will.
together
bil-^
mui-a, no
dulimg-au hom-ndn&i b%-ba,-nai$e. Bfa-l
haul-ed.
seiz-ing
Hauling hauling deer house
string-on
Pha/re blmd bifd-i-d
boibtl,
gl-Jchrong-naise.
man-fai-bd ;
Then, mother-father
reach-corn e-did; they all fear-much-did.
Zakhai = a group of four, like the Hindi ganda.
Ha-gra ; h.a = earth, cf. ha-zo, high earth, mountain ; ha-brii, dirty earth,
mud. So also dui-bru, dirty water, wlience we get Dibrugarh.
3 The infix hm
conveys a sense of "at" or "from a distance." v. Mr.
Anderson's account of the * agglutinative verb ; vol. Ill, part II, pp. 7-15 of
the Linguistic Survey of India. ED.
1

The

infix bai signifies continuance.

like the Assamese lag

and the Bengali lag in the

double sense of
sticking" and necessity.
6 SilriL.
Kacharis, like Assamese, are very fond of such expletives, which
though they have little, if any, meaning, add to the liveliness of narration ^
Many others will be found later on.
5

Nang, gnang<e are very

APPENDIX

ioo

bu-thdt-ndnili

mui-JcJio

deer-to

s'lai-nfo^

beat-slay-ing exchange-to

bdngan

Tiu-naise.

loads

send-did.

II

lagi gaml-m
for village-of

men-to

"
bu-tkat-ndntii
ai
Be-au-nu gotho dbrd-i-d
dfd-i-d moso
Then
boy-foolish mother father bullock beat-killed-did

zdbai" han-ndntii mdlai-nl

game game kJiithd-bai-naise.
ate
village say-con tinue-did.
village
say-ing strangers-of
Khintu bl-kho dbrd nu-ndnui mansiii-/ra bl-nl Jchordng-Jcho
his
word
men
him foolish see-ing
But
2
kali-5&
Bl-m
unau, aji-M tha-i-tit,
fathi-a-Jchti'ise.
There-of after, to-day staying to-morrow
believe-not-did.
det-bti-ndniii'3 gdgai-nl hingzau
thd-i-u, dbrd-i-d
bdngai
wife
somewhat big-grow-ing himself-of
fool
staying,

thaka T)l-naise.
brai-liurui-nl-au
dru
more old-man old- woman from money ask-did.
thaka zokhai-lrfti hr&i-nl-frai
hu-d
He-au-bu
gdr-a,
Thereupon give-not escape-not, money four-fours old-man-from
Id-ndnui hingzau ndmai-ndntii tJidng-naise.
Thdng-ui thdng-ui
wife
go-did.
seek-ing
Going
going
tak-ing
Phdre
gcdfidn-ai^ zombai Hid-nais&.
garni mansiii-^'i dui

namai-nu
seek-to

lagi
for

water ghaut-at hiding

men's
Then
stay-ed.
village
sdse mazdng hingzausd d&i
lang-ntii, fai-nai nu~nan%,i}
water draw-to com-ing see-ing,
after one pretty
girl

unaM
dtii

gathan-au

water

In

ghaut-at he

Icubo-naise.

Phdre

take-did.

Then
7

4'

dui-ldng-nai hingzausd-Jcho hom-ndnui

water-draw-ing
girl-to
seiz-ing
ndmd-i-au meng-ndntii
fai-ui
fai-tii
road-on
coming coming
tired-being
aru
moso-halwsj
zlx&i-naise,
sing-au
and bullock plough(er)
under rest-ed

bong-fdng-fdng-se-n i
tree-one-of
md-se Id-ndntii, mansiii

one

taking,
blt-sur
Bl-baidi

This-way
1

they

$d-se

bit,

one

also

man
zirai-bd

thd-bd,

resting-staying,

be-aii-nfa

zirai-dangman,

there
Jiom-nai

resting-was.
ldng-zd-nai

seiz-ed

abducted

implies mutual action, exchange.

2
good instance of the characteristic double negative of Kachari, or,
rather, of the fact that the inflexion khiiise is only iised with the negative
S'lai,

or

z'lai,

verb.
3
Det, which by a common idiom can be made adjectival by adding the
usual prefix, thus, ge-det=big.
4
= sign of the genitive. As to fangBongfang = tree, fang-se = one,
se, see many other instances of the Kachari generic way of counting ;
There are several
e.g., mansui sa-se, one man; mosa ma-se, one tiger; etc.
instances in these stories.
5
Lang-za-nai, the curious "passive" or "middle" participle.
Perhaps
the most characteristic instance of its use I have come across is in another
not
where
a
insults
the
Kachari
here,
given
story
giant
Jack-the-giant"
killer by calling him a
godo-i-au set-ba gakhir on-khat-nai gotho," literally a

APPENDIX

101

II

zingaswidntii gab-Hi gab-fai megong-dui-i-d ha-haeye-water earth-tolamenting cry-ing cry-ing

girl
1
Id-nai
Bl-Tcho nu-ndntii moso
btiM-lcwiff-naise.
lagi
This
as far as flow-down-did.
see-ing bullock leading
"
mansui-a abra-mt, Jchithd-naise, nang be hingzausd-kho mau^
where
man
fool-to
girl- to
you that
say-did,
man-nai? JLru nang bl-Jcho nai-nanfai Idbo-dang, na nai-i-aher observ-ing take-did, or see-notAnd you
get-did?
"
"
Obd dbrd-i-d bung-naise
ld-bd Idbo-dang ?
dng bl-lcho
I
hex
fool
Then
took?
say-did
doing
zoTchaithaka
fa-sftr-m
nu-ndnui
dui-gathdn-nv-frai
mazdng
them-of water-ghaut-from rupees foursee-ing
pretty
3
brui din-ndnui labo-dang" Oba-nu bl
Tzuddi-grdng-a
Then that wisdom-possessing-one
take-did.
fours plac-ing
i-Cb

bung-naise,
say-did,
&&,

Be Jiingzawsa mazang-baThat
pretty-beinggirl

"nang khana dang.

blt-ril

were.

blind

you
megong

thai-ne-a, bet-naL

two

burst-are.

though, her-of eyes

so-so
buhi-ldng-dang.
Ho, ntii, dtii-d
Nay, see, water rushing flow-down-is.

Mo nang md

you what

to

Be

khdm-nu
do-will

Jchordng

>J

nu-a-Miui-nti?.

Nang
You
^

see-not-didj

JB^-baidl hingzausd-

woman-

This-kind

dbrd-i-d

Jchnd-ndnUi

bl-m

moso

zang

bullock with
hear-in^
Khintu bl mansui-a misai-w& Jiu-nu
s'lai-nu namai-naise.
man
But that
wish-ed.
falsely give-to
change-to
embrd-brd
bl-nai-Jchai,
Theo-bil
namai-i-d.
Yet
wish-ed-not.
again and again begging-because of,
han-ndnui
m&nsfti-zanff
moso-zang
"la, le, Id"
u
with
mortalbullock-with
saying,
take, then, take,"
7
6 man-nantii
azang
s'lai-ndntii, gdgai gdgai mon-au ga-hdni
well
find-ing, one-person
exchang-ing, own own mind-in

That

word

his

fool

"on-throat-squeezing-milk-exuding-boy,"

i.e.,

a babe in whose mouth

is still

his mother's milk.

,
" earth," the second is the
1 Ha-ha-lacri.
is the word for
The first
is the common
affix
to,
lagi
as
datival
a
used
word
"up
same
Awhile
Assamese word repeating the idea of the second ha.
2 Mau of course =
what.
of
locative
the
ma-au,
3
an affix commonly used to indicate the possessor of a quality.

ma =

Grang

sign of nominative.
the adjective mazang is
is the sign of the conditional tense, and
turned into a verb by its use.
like the French use ot
5 Ma kham-nu
que
(in the infinitive) is curiously
4

Ba

f "aire ?

"

<2a-Mm = good ; Mm-a = not good, bad ham-dang = is good Mm-a...

bai = was not good, etc.
7
by repetition and
Azang is simply the Assamese e jan, used distributively
e.
Assamese
which means the same as
heightened by the indigenous sa-se>
e

.,

APPENDIX

102

II

Be-'baidi-nti
sd~se mdmdr tJicung-lai-naise.
azang
This-inanner-in
one quickly
one person
went-away.
x
dbrd-i-d bong-fang fdng-se sing-ait, "burma,
tkdng-tii tkdng-ui
under
one
tree
fool
goat
going
going
ld-nai
mdnsUi sa-se zo-bcd thd-nai*
nu-ndnUi, 'bl-'bU
he-too
one sitting stay-ing
man
seeing,
lead-ing
zo-'bai
moso-d
JE>e-baidi
zo~naise.
be-au-fiii
thd-bd,

sd-se

one

there-indeed

sit-did.

be

lung-naise,
that bullock's
said

thaba

be

stay-ing,

burma

VL

Idnai

bullock
widns^i-a

Then that
leading ^ man
goat
moso-nl itdu-i-a gob-long-'bai, aru sdn sa-se 3

defecated.
"

This-way sit-ting

PJidre

hd-su-dangman.

is

belly

more day

burst,

Be-a^(,-'bu

tJioi-$l-gan"

~bi

afira-i-a,

one

goma nung-

true thinkThen that fool

staying it die-perish-will.
Be-laidi thang-tii,
nanui, moso-klid ll-nl burma-zang s'lai-naise.
bullock his goat- with exchanged. This-way going,
ing,
mansui
la-nai
aru sa-se
thalit
man-namALi,
Ittgti
man
one banana bearing
also
meeting
getting,
abra-i-a Iti zo-dangman. Khintu lurma-i-a gangsu * uJchuiBut
fool
also
sit-did.
hungergoat
grass
%am/\Li

ba-bra/p
restless

ing

~b%

zo-wti

sit-to

"burma-Jcho

man-e-Jchai,

get-not-because
"

of.

goat

ese mengnai-i-ait,

Obann,

wandering-on he

lai-nai-aii,

ItuboL,

sukhu

'burma ha ba

pleasure
han-naise.

ba-baa say-did.
"
ma-firm
ba-gan ?
ang nang-kho
beat-ing, goat

Then thus tired-being I

what-way carry-shall?
you
6
be
tlialit
lubui-ba,
han-nanui,
gar-nfa
drap-nanui,
to
rid
that
banana
get
wishing,
saying,
angered-being
la-nai

mansfai-a, thalit-kho dbra-nti hti-nan'tii, In l}urma-lcho

man

carry-ing

bananas

Bl~"baidi-wiL

lang-naise.
take-did.

fool-to
giv-ing, he
goat
Tn-sur M-ni-frai tJiang-lai-naise. 7

This-way-indeed they there-from

go-a way-did.
mdnstii ftl-m sigdng -thing
dsl
Jchrepman
his front-direction finger
There-upon one
snapJEre-au-nH

is

Thang-iii

Gaham-ui

sa-se

the

well.

o-ba,i-tha,-nai

adverbial

participle,

like

something

"going-ly."

sit-continue-stay-ing.

= lit. " sun one." Sa is usually the distributive word used in

counting humans. I imagine its use here is not to indicate personification,
but for euphony, as a jingle to san.
an-se would be the normal construction.
4 I
have not marked gcLngsil as an Assamese word, but it is probably a
Kachari version of glias.
5
JZa-brap-lai-nai-au ; this is the locative case of the "passive" participle
3

San

sa-se

in nai of the "agglutinative"' verb, ba-brdp-bai.

and bai means wandering about.

restlessness,
7

Thdng =

exchange.

go;

lai

The

infix
6

brdp signifies anger,

Gar

to loose.

severally, the same root as occurs in

s'lai

APPENDIX
dam-nanui

II

103

Oba-$& khathi-a?$ liigd. man-ba,

Then
near
meeting getting
abrori-a bimg-naise, * cmg burma ma-se mam Jiu-nanui, be
said
I
fool
one up- to giv-ing, those
goat
thdlit-kJio
Theo-bu dng-nl-au
thdlit
Idbodang.
bananas carried-away.
Yet
from-nie banana (you)
"
"
jErtii han-nanui,
"bl-u
nang tlidlit zd-nu lubui-dang-bd?Jchrep

fed-clang.

come-did.

snap sound-ing

beg

So

you

say-ing,

banana

eat-to

wish-do-if

nang-nl bidya-Mo ang-nu hu" han-ndniii, bl bt-au-nft Jmrd-se

skill
rae-to give,
your
say-ing, he there hour-one
mani, sulunff-nanui, zenthen-zfo' ha-naw&i,
as best
till
teaching,
able-being
dsl

Tiu-nanui,

dam-nanui

thdlit-Jcho

bl-nti,

bananas him-to

Tkang-'&i
depart- ed.
Going
kht-nu
onkJiat-nan^i
dap-se-au
thang-tii, mai gezer
tall
rice
field-one-iii
defecate-to
going
going-out
bl-nl bidya-Mo bau-gdr-naise.
kM-nai-au
ArQ. be
And
that
leaving
(in the process) his
forgot.
2
mai-kJio
themd
gama-bai
7ian-nanui,
mai-gezer-au-nu
khrep-JcJirep

finger snap-snap

giving

lost-is

rice-tall-in

nai-nai-baidi

nai-naise.

rice
lice
saying,
JBe-au-nft mai~m girima-i-a 4 mai
Then
rice- of
owner
rice

seeking-like searched.
5
Jia-bai-tTia-dangman mtt-nantii,
was broken down
seeing
ma
be-au
gama-dang ?
have lost ?
what
there
zo-thro-bai"

Abra

namai-pha-ba,
seek-come-ing

me-with

In-bu

Jian-nai-khai,

bl-JcJio

"

him

Ang-m

nang-7id

sung-naise,

asked

you
hdm-d

mai-fur-ha

My rice plants
"
bung-naise,
say-did,

Fool
flattened-utterly-are
zdkhai-brui-ni bidya man-Be
skill
one
sixteen of

ang-zang

thang-naise.

sound-ing

be-cm-n&
there

dng
I

dng-Jtd

thaka

rupees

gama-bai.

Nang-bu
You-too

lost.

ga-ham man-yaw,,'"

nang-Tcho

well

you-to

namai-ui namai-ui

saying-because-of he-too seeking

ruined

meet-will,

man-e-Wiai 8

seeking get-not-because of

1
would
Z/ubui-dang-ba, a, rather rare case of a double inflection. Liibui-Tyd
"
"
have sufficed. Much the same difference as between "if you wish and if
are
wishing."
you
2
Ga-ma, adjectival form conjugated with the verbal inflexion. -baL

Cf.
3

4
5
6

Lakh-ma

hide.

Nai-nai, root repeated to signify continuous action.

Girima is plainly from Sanscrit grihasta.

Ha-bai-tha-dangman = fall-continue-stay-was.
Thro = a common infix commonly used to express completeness of action.

E.g., Thai-thro-lai
7
8

was utterly

Ga-ham man-gan =

Man =

get

slain.

will get advantage, good.

not ; khai
e (euphonic for a)

by reason

of.

APPENDIX

104
"

brdp-ndnui,

nang-m

Aru
And

khdt-ldng-naise.

ran-away.

misa," han-ndnui,
false,
saying,
"

Ickordng-a
tale

your
angry-being
*
dd
ddm-bd,
dfd,
sounding, father, now

any

II

man-bai

han-ndnui

dsl

fingers
dbrd-i-a

fool
I
saying
get-have
fukuTi
be-baidi-nu
thdng-ui tJtdng-m
that- way- exactly going
going pond
!

man-Be man-Jitii-bd 1 be-au-bti 1ft Jchl-ndnui, bl,-ni bidya-Mo

art
his
there-too he defecating,
one
meet-ing
l)i
PJidre
ndmai-e 2 namai-e man-d-Jchili.
baugdr-naise.
Then he
seeking seeking get-not-did.
forgot.
"
JEre-au-nu sa-se manstii liigii man-ncLw&i sting-naise, nang-kd
ask-ed
There-on one man meeting getting
you
ma gamd-dang ? " hanbd, " dfd, ang-ha "be-au
be-au
I
there
what
there
lost-have,
saying, father,
#&-Mmbasthu man-se gamd-bai', nang-bu namai-bd, dng
I
one
lost
you too
seeking,
thing
good
3
ln-~bu
bt-zang
namai-faigcuham man-go" bung-nai-aM
he-too him-with search-comewell meet-will,
saying
hd-bru
namai-fui
namai-tii
drfa
im-a/u>
naise,
zang
with
then
and
did,
seeking
seeking earth-mud
;

imisunlci-musunll

hugger-mugger
mdnstii-d

theo-bu

zd-ndnui,

In

yet
get-not-because "of that
ddm-naise. Obd
bl,
dfd,

becoming
dsi

brdp-ndntii

man-e-Jchai,

sounded.
Then he, O father,
dd-su
zd-ndnui,
dng be-kho man-bai" Jian-ndnui, rong
it
w-w-indeed I
got-have,
saying,
happy becoming,
no man-htid-naise.
no-hd-ldgi
Khrep-J&hrqp ddm-ndntii,
house
went and reached.
house-up-to
snap-snap
sounding
Bl-Tcho mit-ndntii brai burui-^
mini-su-naise.
Agla b'l-Jcho

man

angry-being fingers

Him

First him
seeing old man old woman laugh-much-did.
man-d-Jchtii-man, unau s&ng-ndnui mitM-naise.
after
knew.
recognition
get-not-did
ask-ing
Aru thakar/^r ma TcJidm-Jchti, ? " " han-bd, bung-naise, " dng
And rupees what
did ?
I
saying (he) said,
"bet-nai.
Tiingzau sd-se Idbo-dangman. JBe-Jid meg on tTiai-ne biZ
sinai 4

one
girl
JBl-m-lkJiai dru

take-did.

moso

Therefore also bullock

1

Hui

is

distance."

Her

eyes

two

s'lai-naise.

J3l-bu

exchanged.

It- too

were burst.
bd-nu
dng-kho
also

me

to carry

" went and

" did from a
infix, and implies
did," or
J\an-hui-bd = although he went and got; man = get.

an interesting

2Famai-e = euphonic for namai-tii.

Bung-nai-au, an interesting idiom ; bungnaiitii, the present participle,
apparently imitated from the Assamese, when the agglutinative verb began
to decay, would have done as well
bung-nai-au is the locative of the
" middle"
participle ; bung-nai = "on saying."
4
Sinai is evidently chini (Assamese).
2
3

KACHARI
From

MAN

(Kamrup

District).

a Photograph by Mrs. H. /L Colqulumn,

APPENDIX

II

105

thin-nai-kkai

thcLlit
s'lai-naise.
Thalit-kho
Irap-nclmd,
Bananas
being angry bananas exchanged.
ordering
be mansili-nl-frai
nu-nanui, scl-se mansui-a
fa-nai-khai,
one
man begging-because of that man from
seeing
le bidya-Mo sulung-nanui
thalit hti-nanui labo-dang.
Ar&
this
skill
bananas giving
took.
And
learning
"
ang ma, khcim-nu nang-go ?
Zap-lai !
I what
to do
was obliged?
Ended!

FKEE TRANSLATION.
The story of

the

simpleton.

There was once an old man and an old woman, and they had
an only son. One day he begged rupees of the old people to
buy a bullock, but they, seeing the lad was an innocent, refused
his request.
However, on his importuning them, they gave
him sixteen rupees. On which he marched off to purchase his
bullock, and finding a fine one where three roads met, he put
down his money on the road and led the beast away, but as he
was going, he tied his new acquisition to a branch, and, as he
was looking another way, it escaped. On which he started in
search of it, and seeing a stag, hunted that, until by chance its
horns stuck in a thicket. Thereon he tied a cord round its neck,
and joining other cords to the first, finally reached his home.
On which his father and mother asked, " Did not you set out
"
"
to buy a bullock ?
To be sure I did/' he replied, " and if
me
this
to
cord, you will see the bullock I have
you help
pull
bought." So they all three tugged, and presently the stag
appeared, kicking and struggling, to the great fear of the old
They killed it, nevertheless, and sent its flesh round to
people.
the adjacent villages for sale. After which the boy went about
saying that the villagers had eaten cow's flesh. But seeing him
be a fool, no one paid much attention to what he said.
Another day, some time after, when the silly boy was rather
And
bigger, he asked for money again to buy a wife with.
to

by his obstinacy, they gave him sixteen rupees,

taking which he set out in search of a maiden, and, after going
some distance, took up his station at a place where the villagers
draw water from the river. Presently a pretty girl came tripping
down to get water, on which, as before, he put down his money
and seized and carried off the girl. And since she was plump,
he soon grew tired and rested under a tree. Presently a
again, overcome

APPENDIX

io6

II

that way, and he too joined the

leading a plough ox came
and lamenting
the
But
down.
girl sat weeping
party and sat
and crying her eyes out. Seeing which, the man said to the
"
that girl ? And did you have a
simpleton, Where did you get
" "
?
her
took
Yes, I did," said the lad,
before
at
her
look
you
good
"
I saw that she was a pretty girl, so I put down sixteen rupees
On which
at the village watering place and carried her off."
"
the cunning fellow said, You must be blind, my friend she
Did you
are burst.
may be a pretty girl, but both her eyes The
is running
water
now.
at
them
look
?
not see that
Why,
from them in streams. What are you going to do with a girl
"
like that ?
On hearing that, the lad wanted to exchange the girl for the
to be unwilling,
plough ox, and the man cunningly pretended
the
but was finally persuaded by
simpleton's iniportunacy, and
So the exchange was
and
take
it,
begone/'
said, "There,
own
his
way, mightily pleased
effected, and each quickly went

man

with his bargain.

After going some way, the boy met a man jwith a goat.
This man too sat down. After a while the ox eased itself, and th e
man with the goat said, " That beast's belly is burst, and in a
word
day or two it will die/' The simpleton, believing every
his
went
and
the
ox
for
his
way.
he said, exchanged
goat,
sat
and
of
a
bunch
bananas,
man
a
met
he
carrying
Presently
and
for
was
kept
down beside him. But the goat
grass
hungry
"
Ba ba " so that his master got
wandering about and crying"
"
"
no peace. Now the word ba in Kach&ri means " Carry me
was
the
So
on your back/'
vexed, and crying How shall
boy
"
I carry you on my back when I am so tired ?
exchanged the
went his way.
each
And
of
bananas.
the
bunch
for
again
goat
a
that
man
came
there
chance
way snapping his fingers.
By
"
And he asked for the bananas. But the simpleton said, I got
for
them
me
ask
and
a
for
those bananas in exchange
you
goat,
art of
the
me
teach
the
eat
to
want
if
fruit,
However,
you really
After an
shall have them/'
and
the
you
fingers,
snapping
hour's teaching, he had learned the difficult art, more or less,
and, giving up the bananas, departed snapping his fingers.
!

his
Presently he came to a fine field of rice, and there forgot
it in the rice, he began searchlost
he
had
art.
Fancying
another's
ing for it in the crop as women search for lice in one
And then
hair, and the rice-field was all trodden down.
the owner of the field came up and asked, "What are

new

there?" The simpleton said, "I have lost

which I gave sixteen rupees. If you will join me
So the man searched
search, I shall be greatly obliged."

you looking

for

.something for

in

my

APPENDIX

II

107

and the crop suffered greatly. But finding nothing, the

man, in pure vexation, snapped his" fingers. On which the lad,
"
danced away gaily.
crying, That is just what I lost
Soon after he paused on the bank of a pond, and again forgot
his art, and began wading about in the mud looking for it.
And a man asked him, as before, what he had lost. So he
"
replied,
Something for which I gave sixteen rupees." And the
man joined him in the search, and both became covered with
mud from head to foot. And, since they found nothing, the
man grew angry, and snapped his fingers. On which the boy
cried in joy, "Good sir, that is what I lost!" and danced away
to his home.
And when his old parents saw him covered with
too,

mud, they burst out laughing, and, until they heard his voice,
did not know who he was. And when they asked what he had
done with his money, he explained that he had bought a girl,
whom he had exchanged for an ox, which he gave in exchange
for a goat, which angered him by ordering him to carry it on
his back, so that he exchanged it for a bunch of bananas, which
he gave in exchange for the art of snapping his fingers. " And
what else did you expect me to do ? " said the simpleton And
!

that's all

MUKHBl

II.

The

Ma-se

tale

sessa arti,

AEIJ SESSA-NI KHOKANG.

of the monkey and the hare*

mitkhra

One hare and monkey

2

sa-nui

two

ozai-w&
ever
together

1
man.
zang
fisiJcht
together friendship was.

liigii se

zang

together

se 3

tha-i-u,

stayed,
san-se

Bl-stir

They

ItLgtL se

za-i-ti,

arU

together

ate,

and

sa-se Darrang-arui
Olasu
tha-baa-fiai-i-u.
one Darrang-ite
Then
wandered
about.
day-one
together
mansui goe thalit la-nantii, alasl za-nH thang-nai nam-au
on road
man betel banana bringing, feast to eafc going
"be mansui-nl
rai-lai-naise^
man-nawfti, Tn-sur
liigii
ItLgtL

man's
meeting obtaining, they speaking-exchanged, this
kham-n-ft
man-se
buddi
za-nu
zang-f&r
lagi
goe thdlti-f&r-Tcho
we scheme one to make
to eat for
bananas
betel
1

2
3

also occurs in the

fi is the causal prefix which
a made person, " the being you cause to exist."
Ozai = the Assamese hadai, with the intensive w& added.
Luguse = evidently, the Assamese fagot.
Mai = converse ; lai = mutually ; naise is the inflection.

M-sikhl

sikhl

word fi-sa, a son

i.e.

friend

APPENDIX

io8

nang~go"
must,

namau tha-nti thin-nunui,

road to stay
on
hare
sending,
saying,
hd-gru-i-au hdJchmdnai thd-naise. Phdre mansui-o.
sessa-kho

han-nantii,

mM'kJwraL-i-a*

II

Then
man
hidden
forest in
stay-ed.
hu-su-naise
bl-ban
sessa-Wio
din-ndnui,
nu-ndnui,
man-fai-bd,
hunted.
load
hare-to
placing,
seeing,
reaching,
Hu~su~bd, mukhra-i-a hdgrd-nl-frai mdmdr on-Jchdt-ndnui,

monkey

forest-from
emerging,
quickly
monkey
Hunting,
1
Aril
thdlit-fur-kho Id-ndnui, bong-fdng-aio gd-Jchu-hui-naise.
clambered.
And
in
tree
bananas
taking,
"
zdthalit
"sessd fai-gan han-ndnili,
goe-f&r-Jcho mamar
"
"
bananas betel-nuts quickly eathare will come
saying,
Aru thalit bigwr bua sessa-nu din-naise*
grti-naise.

And banana

gobbled.

skins only for hare

JSmphdre

unau

sessa-kho

Then

after

hare-to

drU im-au no-i-au 2

and after to house

mansui-a
the

man

placed.
horn-mi, ha-i-d-Jchi&ise
to seize was-not-able

thang-pha-phin-naise?
go-away-back-did.

Obasu

sessa-i-a-

Then

hare

ffabzri-ifri gal>zri-ili thang-nantii, ftsiJcM-Jcko lugii wian-htii-ndn'&i,,

friend meeting obtaining,
going,
shouting shouting

thalit

gur

thalit

bl-ba,

bananas on begging, banana

"
be-Jsho
tt-nl-Jchai sessa-i-a
molasses

brap-nantii,

Therefore

hare

being angry, to
4
nimg-nantii, thdso-bare

bigur "bucu hu-naise

skins only
gave.

bangai dukhu hug an"

trouble will give
thd-hui-naise.
sing-au

him some

mon-au
mind
thinking, Kachhii, plants under went and stayed.
Un-au mukhra-i-a 'bong-fang -nl-frai on-lthat-nantii, " siJehl-lili,

in

from tree
oh, friend,
descending,
han-Hi han-ui,
gabzri
gabzrl thdng-bd, sessa-i-a,
oh friend,
hare
saying saying, shouting shouting going,
siJch^i
sikhl
ItiLi?* Ang
"md-thti 5
bra/p-nd-niti bung-naise,
"
what's this
friend friend," eh ?
I
said,
being angry
6
be-au-nfa
raza-m
khuser
Nang-n<ti>
ne-fai-dang.
here
am come to watch.
You
king's
sugar-cane
"
Obd-sio mtikhrd-i-d nu-zd-htiidng-kho md-nti ndng-go ?
After

monkey
"

silchl-lui !

of me
what
want ?
Then
monkey
going and
ndntii 7 bung-naise, " he sikh^ Jchuser-kho dng-nti tho-se
hu,
said,
oh, friend, sugar-cane to me one bit give,
looking

= climb ; gakhti-hUi = went and climbed.

house ; au = datival inflection ; the i is inserted for euphony.
"
3
Phd-phin ; an infix implying returning."
4
Thdso may perhaps be a corruption of Assamese kasu.
5
Thu and lui are examples of idiomatic expletives which are practically
untranslatable.
So also hera.
6
Khuser is of course Assamese Jchitsiydr.
1 NIL =
see ; za = be, become ; Titii
going.
1

GdJchti

JWo

APPENDIX

II

109

hera/

Bese gathau ang za-nai m," hams-la, sessa

lung-naise,
sweet
I eating see
do_!
saying, hare
said,
ha-i-a.
"Ang nang-nti M-?i<u,
Raza khna-ta ang-Wio
I
to you to give am not able.
King on hearing me
Theo-M,
ewibra~lra
lu-gan"

How

li-nai-Miai,

However he again and again because

will beat.

of begging,
za* ang nang-zang
ka-lia"
Jian-ncinui, za-nu
I
with you am not able,
eat, there, eat,
to eat
saying,
M-naise. Phare ll za-ncintii, sala-i-aio man-la, "
siJcM,
ang
Then he eating, on tongue catching, friend, I
gave.
thoi-naise" han-nanui,
sessa liwg-naise,
lalrap-lai-ba,
am killed,
saying, wandering distractedly, hare
said,

"m,

lui,

"nang gagai-nti dukhu man-dang. Ang da nang-Jcho ma

I
now to you what
you your own trouble procured.
kham-#<m?" kan-nanui, lere-jotha-ril baha sing-au tJia-htii^

shall

do

saying,

hornets of

Mtikhra-M
un
un
stayed. Monkey-too behind behind
naise.

aru

mo-zd-hui-nai-stii-la-i-'Tt. 2

nest

under

went and

galzrl-ncintii ihcmg-na<n/&i,

shouting
"

going,

nang 'ma
went and watched him with care.
Friend,
you what
"
"
Mam-dang ?
bung-la, sessa khitha-naise, ang raza-m zotha
are doing ?
on saying, hare
I
said,
king's drum
Sflch/i 9

also

"

ne-dang," han-la, SiWn, ting-ntt langai davi-nu hu, hera!"

guarding, saying, friend, to me a little to play give, do
Sessa-i-a limg-naise, "<&h! ang ha-i-a, Iiera ; raza
Jchna-ba
Hare
oh
I cannot, truly,
said,
on
king
hearing
embra-lrd
ang-kho
lu-that-gan"
lung-la bti,
"ang
me
I
beating will kill, saying even, again and again
lasui-s^
dam-gan, hera" han-nanui, here laha-'klio akhaimry lightly will play, really, saying, hornets' nest
hand-

am

Obanft, lere-fra muJchang, 3

phat-ne
zang
lu-zap-naise.
with
beat
and
broke.
Then hornets
palms-two
face,
3
mtikJira~i-a gap-Jchrau
megon, modom, gasenu
ot-phop-la,
all
eyes,
body,
monkey
stinging-hurting
howling

Za = eat (the imperative is always the bare root, as in so many other

The word reminds me of a little story which shows the
languages).
Kachari went to see his Assamese
perplexities of bilingual people.
mother-in-law, who provided food and hospitably said (in Assamese) <c Kha>
Jkfra."
On which her son-in-law, obeying her injunction in Kaehari, bound
her hand and foot. Seeing his mistake, she laughed and said, in Kachari,
"
Za, zd." On which he, much puzzled, went away !
2
good example of the agglutinative verb, for which in Hinduised
Kachari would be substituted a long succession of participles, such as
It is impossible, of course, to translate
TiM-nantii, za-nanfti, thang-nan&i, etc.
1

all
3

the infixes severally.

Perhaps mukhang is Assamese, as well as dtheng which occurs elsewhere,

and modem may be badan.

APPENDIX

no

II

Obdnia sessd-i-d bung-naise "any

gap-si ba-brap-bai-naise.
I
Then monkey
said,
yelling wandered about.
dti-hm-nti nimg-nu khithd-dangman, theobft, nang khordng
word
to you
said,
you
yet
repeatedly
t

"
Ang ma khdm-gan ?

Id-i-d.

what

accepted-not,

shall

do

hcm-nanui, dru

ddp-se-au

and field-one-in

say-ing,

Azang-hd mtikhrd
zi&o-gowal-m khathi-&% thd-Md-naise.
went and stayed. Accordingly monkey
a kind of snake near
bu khl-thu khl-thu thdng-ndnui bung-naise, "aril be-au lai
and there eh?
behind behind
too
said,
going

nang ma Jchdm-dang, hera?"

you what2 are doing, say ?
5^ma-lauthi

Iting-hd-m
people-of

ang-nn-lu
to

me

sceptre

M,

herd

too grve, do

ne-dang,

am

watching,
little

dng razaI

said,

hem ! "
sir

wield and

see.

"

B%

He

king-

Sikhl,
friend,

bung-bd,
saying,

dng 'banged ddng-nai~ni"

la

"

Sessd bung-naise,

Hare

"

'*

Jm-d
"not give"

embrd-brd

han-bd-bu

tfiboddng-nai-nanfai be-au-bfa bl
then-also he snakewielding
saying-even again and again
JBl-m-frai sessd thdng-ndntii photo -bare-aitzang ot-zd-naise?
marsh-in
go-ing
by bitten be-came. There-from hare
Mukhra, bu
thd-hui-naise.
gabzrl thdng-ndnui,,
gdbzrl

went and stayed.

Monkey also shouting shouting

go-ing,
Id-hui-ndntii
sessd-kho sting-ba^ bl bung-naise,
dru
Itigii
and meeting going and getting hare-to asking, he
said,
"
dola
han-ndnui "bung-u"
Mtikhrd
be-kho-n$L raza-w-3
call.
This
saying
Monkey
king's palanquin
"
"
n%, herd !
SiTchl, dng bdngai uthi-^^
bung-bd,
bung-naise,
I a little ascending see, please
said,
friend,
saying,
"
Hh ! dng hu-nu
hd-i-d.
Raza khnd-bd dng-Jcho md
I to give am not able.
oh
King hearing to me what
md-bd
dbrd manstii, hera !
bimg-gan ?
Nang
JThordng
You what sort fool
will say ?
eh
Word
man,
Jchithd-ba-bu khnd-song-a" bung-bd-bii,,
mtikhrd-i-d, "nong-d,
not heed,
no, no,
saying-even,
monkey,
saying-even
bud uthl-^m," han-ndntii, photo-bdre-au
herd sikhl,,
do-se
oh friend, one bit only will ascend,
on marsh
saying,
Obdsu sessd
bdt-drum-bd, godo-fia-I&gi thrup thdng-naise.
stuck.
Then hare
jumping,
neck-up too
flop
za-ndnui bigur
Jchitha-naise, "duJmii thdht
hft-nai-a,
"
now bananas eating
skin giving-(person),
said,
!

= wandered distractedly about.

The
and babrap being in pain or wrath.
= a literal translation of Assamese raja-hatar.

Ba-bra/p-bai-naise

signifies wandering,
2
Ri&zsL-inng-hci-ni

An instance

idiom-ot-za-nii,

of the rare passive, a manifest imitation of the

bit-become-to," to be bitten.

"

infix

"bai

Assamese

APPENDIX
be-nil,

herd sikhl,

bc-au-nu

nang

in

II
thd-dil !

oh friend, you, there-even,

stop
khuhwn-bai !
Ang thdnf/-n&ise"
I
am going,
pay you my reverence
mukhrd-kho be-au-nu gdr-lai-naise.
here,

Ang

nang-k7io

you

han-ndnui,

b%

saying,

he

there
left hehind.
the monkey
Obasd vt,nau
bathing
ganda

md-se fai-nai nu-bd,

one coming seeing,
bl-kho mukJird-i-d dikhdng-nu thing-dangman.
Grdndd~i~d
to extricate
to him
was ordering.
Rhinoceros
monkey
"
bung-naise, ang-hd ukhui-sui-dang arii
dMi-gang-sui-dang ;
I
said,
hungry-very-am and water-thirsty-very-am
ha-i-a"
han-nanili, In thtingang nang-kho diJchdng-nu
I
to extricate arn not able,
he went
you
saying,

Then

after

t hat-direction

rhinoceros

waise.

away.
Bl-vn un-au

There

moesu ma~se

arii

after

Ithithci-dangman.
said.

JB^-bii

He

khna,-song-a-ld-ba blot

klil-zap-ait,

tail-end-at

tJiiyig

thang-dangman.

direction

was going.

nang
you

Miukhra, nu-nanui bung-naise^ "

Monkey

man-gan ?
shall get

said,

seeing

lie

Oh

arii
dng-Jcho be dukhu-n^-frai
dikJiang-a-ba
to me this trouble-from if (you) extricate other
"

diTchang-Ua"

anyone extricate will not, "

Theo-bil bi,
hom-naise.
began.

thclng-naise.

not attending pop

went away.
mosa ma-se
itkhui-su-nan'Hi
"blone hungry-very-being thattiger

Than him

dfdy
father,
raiibo

on coming,

also

JBoi-nti-Jchri

bi-Jcko-bu
to him also

fai-nai-ait,,

one

buffalo

also

Still

"

he,

"

saying,

dfd,
father,

bung-naise,
said,

well

saying,

khulum-niZ
to worship

ang nang-kho diMidng-ndn^i ma

I
what
you
extricating

hang-bd, mukhra-i-a,

'khozo-ne-s'ti

Tian-ndnui,

han-ndnui, gahdm-ui

paces -two-about

nang
you

going

be
this

dnff-kfid

me

monkey

photo-bare-nt-frai

marsh-from

su-srd-ndnui, dng-kho
me
muddiness (lit. <c muds ") cleansing
extricating
be
uJchm-su-nai-khai
zd"
kfiordng-au
Iian-bd,
bl,
nang
that
word
you eat, saying he hungriness-because-of
"
zd-nti mon

dikhdng-ndnUi

Tic^ru-f^Lr-'kJio

khnd-song-ndnui, bl-kho biong-naise,

gtii-d,

have

not,

him

to

hearkening

mandthti,

however,

said
be-baidi
that sort

dng nang-kho
I
to eat mind
you

dukhu-m^;
trouble-in

gaglai-nai-Jcho
fallen (person) to

dikhdng-d~bd,

dng-Tid

gahdm

zd-gan.

Theo-bu

gaigai-nu

extricate-not-if,

good

will-be.

However

yourself

An

expressive phrase for

" last

of all."

APPENDIX

H2
zosi-narM

Titinai-i-au,

II

dng zd-nu hdgo"

han-ndntiiy bl-nl

his
I to eat am able,
on giving
saying,
beseeching
lanzai-M0 phol-cuu kot-bd,1 mukhrd~i-d bl-nl Idnzai-aio Ttom-ba,

marsh sending,

in

tail-

dikhdng-bu-naise*

his

monkey

MUkfird khithd-naise,

said
Monkey
dragged him out.
dd-nid modom-f&r-kho gahdm-tii su-srd,

tail

seizing

"

nang dng-kho
me
Father, you
rdn-bd
zd"
emphare
dfd,

after
well
now
dry,
drying eat,
body (plural)
do-se zo-bai tlid-danginan. ETe-au-n'ti,
han-ndnfai sdn-dung-aw
Then
sun-shine-in one bit sitting remained.
saying
bl
nai-ne,-au
mosd-i-d
bong-fd-ng-au
fdtphdt-se-thing
in tree
heltertiger one other direction on looking he
Mosd be~kho nu-ndntii, brap-ndnui,
drap gd~khM-naise.
him
clambered.
skelter
seeing,
Tiger
angry-being,
sdn-tTiain
ne-bai tlid-naise.
sdn-ne
bongfdng
guTd-aw-nti
root at
tree
days-two days-three watch-ing sta'y-ed.
lidthai
Jidz^z^
Be-baidi
sl-ndnui,
thd-ndn^i,
kJiugd
teeth
This- way
jaws
gap-ing
display
stay-ing,
aril
thoi-tM-ndntii
th&-naise,
thdmfai-frd
y

making

mouth

in

and
stay-ed,
dead-pretend-ing
hovn-naise.
tian-lai-nu
brung-brung
buzz buzz to continue to stay began.

JBe-au-nH

thoi-mdt-bai

bongfdng

ose

monkey

ose

lase

dead-yerily-is
thinking,
lase
onkhdt~bH-ndntii,
agla

slowly slowly
descending,
top-from
su-nai-gril~bd-bti
Jchugau
in jaw
tail
insert-examine-feel-ing-even

lanzai

Jcham~a-Miiiise.

did not do.

Aru un-au
And after

dtJieng

"

first

tree
l&se-i-hai
carefully

mosd

mung-bo

tiger anything
fhdng-se su-ndniti hu-nai.

one

leg

wiungbo khani-d-Mimse.
Thereon anything did not do.

Be-au-bft,

Thereon

nung-ndniZi,

by degrees

blw-ni-frai

flies

inserting

mukhrd
Then monkey
Obasti

gave.

bicng-iiaise,

said,

khrem-khrem

ot-ndnUi
crunch-crunch
biting
khrem-khrem
lanzai-Mo
ot-ndntii
za-gauman,
would have eaten,
tail
crunch-crunch
biting
dd-nid dng-m,
han-ndnui, rong zd-ndnui,
zd-gawman"
would have eaten,
saying,
happy becoming, Now
my
khoTo-kho-nu za>" Jia/)i-ndn^i l$vwg-au su-ndn^i
hu-bd

nang
you

ang-m

atheng-fur-tiho

my

legs

head-also
eat,
saying, in mouth inserting giving,
mosd-i-d Jchrem
ot-khrep-naise. Thoi-bai.
Zap-bai !
scrunch bite-crunch-did. Died
Finished
tiger
!

Lit.

"throwing."

then

GROUP OF KACHARI MEN (Kamrup

lfffnt a Photograph by Mrs.

H. A.

District).

Colquhoittt.

APPENDIX

II

113

FEEE TRANSLATION.
The Monkey and

the

Hare.

A monkey and

a hare were great friends. They ever lived

ate
One day
together,
together, and went about together.
meeting a man from Darrang going to a feast with a load of
bananas and other delicacies, they said to one another, "
must get what that man is carrying by some trick or other."
Whereupon the monkey bade the hare stay on the road, while
he himself hid in the forest. Presently the man, seeing the
hare, put down his load and ran after it. On which the monkey,
coming out from the jungle, carried off the bananas and other

We

And

for fear the hare should come and ask his share,
hastily gobbled up the bananas and betel-nuts and
kept the skins only for his friend.
The man, not being able to catch the hare, went home, and

things.

the

monkey

then the hare, shouting aloud, searched

when he found

for the

monkey, and,

demanded

his share of the spoil, and only

got the skins. So, being vexed, he determined to have his
revenge. And first he went and hid under some acrid kachit,
And when the monkey came and asked what he was
plants.
"
friend, I have the honour to be in charge
doing, he replied,
"
of the king's sugar-canes." So the monkey said, Ah, give me
just a bit, do." But the " hare replied, "And what do you
But the monkey was importunate.
suppose the king will say ?
So the hare gave him a stalk of kachu to chew, and when the
acrid juice stung his tongue, the monkey began dancing about
"
It's all your own fault
howling. But the hare coolly said,

him,

My

You would have

a stick of the king's sugar-cane, and what could

do?"
Then the hare went and took up his post under a hornet's
nest, and the monkey came along, shouting for his "friend, and,
"
there ?
And the
finding him asked, What may you be doing
I

hare replied, "I am guarding the king's drum, so there!"

"Ah," said the monkey, "do let me beat the king's drum!"
"Oh, but I cannot," said the hare, ""the king will be angry."
But the monkey insisted, and said, I will play on the drum
"
So the hare consenting, the monkey
very gently you see
hornet's nest and broke it, so that
the
on
two
his
palms
clapped
the hornets emerged, and stung him sore, so that he screamed
"
with pain. But the hare only said, You would have your way,
"
and what was I to do ?
!

APPENDIX

H4

II

Next the hare went and sat down near a gowal snake. And
"
monkey came shouting, and asked, What are you about
now, my friend?" The hare replied, "I am now in charge of
"
the king's sceptre
On which the monkey said, " Ah, let me
just wield the king's sceptre for a moment!" But the hare
"
answered, I cannot do that, for the king will be angry." But
the monkey being importunate, he consented. Whereupon, of
the

course, the snake bit him,

and he howled with pain.

Then the hare went and sat in a marshy place, and the
monkey came shouting in search of him, and asked what he was
doing. And the hare told him he was sitting on the king's
"
"
litter.
Ah/' prayed the monkey, let me too sit on the king's

But the hare said angrily, "And what do you suppose

the king will say ? It strikes me you are a fool, my friend, and
"
listen to no warning
But the monkey, insisting, leaped into
the marsh, sank up to his neck, and stuck there
miserably. On
which the hare leaped out and cried, " Now, my kind friend,
you who eat bananas and give me the skins, you can just stay
where you are My compliments I am off !" So
saying, he left

litter."

him
^

to his fate.

Presently a rhinoceros came that way, and the monkey begged

to extricate him.
But the rhinoceros remarked that he

him

was hungry and thirsty and on his way home to dinner, and
went his^ way. And a buffalo also passed by and refused to
Finally a tiger came, extremely ravenous. And the
monkey entreated him respectfully to pull him out; but the
tiger said he did not see how it would profit him to come to his
help.

rescue.
But when he had gone
called after him, " Look here, if

some two paces, the monkey

you will drag me out of the
marsh, you can clean me of the mud, and eat me P* And since
"
the tiger was extremely
It is
hungry, he consented and said,

not that I have any particular desire to eat

you, but if I do a
good deed, I shall get virtue. However, as you are good enough
to insist, I am willing to make a meal of
So saying, he
you."
put his tail into the marsh, and the monkey, catching hold of it,
"
was slowly dragged forth. On which the
monkey said, Now
let me dry myself in the sun, and when the mud is
dry you can
scrape it off and eat me." So he sat in the sun, and the tiger
waited hungrily. But the monkey seized the
opportunity when
the tiger chanced to look another
way, and clambered up a tree.
At that the tiger was very angry, and waited two or three
days
at the foot of the tree.
Finally he pretended to die of starvation
and lay there with his mouth
open and his great teeth showing.
So the monkey climbed down,
slowly and cautiously. And the
tiger lay quite still, so that the flies came and buzzed in his

APPENDIX
And

mouth.
tiger's

II

115

the monkey carefully put his tail in the

But he never stirred. Then the monkey thrust

first

mouth.

he did not move. " Ah,"

have gobbled up jtny
would
you
"
And so saying,
would
and
scrunched
limbs,
tail,
you ?
up my
the silly creature thrust his head in the tiger's mouth- And
the jaws closed with a scrunch, and the monkey died, and
his leg in the tiger's mouth, and
"
said the monkey, in great glee,

that's all

Sl-SE PHALANGI GOTHO-NI KHOBANG.

III.

The

story of the

udu-i-au-nu

Sd-se

One

father
khali

azi

azi

merchant

lad.

thoi-za-nai gotho

Ufa

womb-in-even

Phare

still

dangman.
was.
za-la

dead-becoming boy
khali

In

ge-det

he
Then to-day to-day to-morrow to-morrow
"

becoming
big
agla zang-ffcr-ha
mother, before us people-'s
ask-ed,
day-one
ma mau-nanui za-dangmanl" Jian-la, llma-i-a
afa-i-d, lai,
eat-did
what
saying mother
father, now,
labouring
desii
hamd su-namci kMtha-naise, "nam-fa-i-a, desii
father
country
country
breath sighing
said,
your
da,
Bl tha-Ua,
khdm-nan^Li
za-dangman.
falangl
remained-if
He
eat.
to
used
fama-m-ait,
mothers to

san-se

ai,

sting-naise,

doing
hawking
^now
"
han-ba U tung-iiaise, fth,
vang-fra ese-M dukhu za-i-a-man"
he
Eh,
said,
thus trouble should not eat, saying
we
thaka dang,
lese
na ?
M-i-a
oba ang U haba-'kho
then I that work for able-am-not eh ? as many rupees " are,
Mn-la, Umd-i-a lung-naise, a/a,
ang-nti dihon-nanui
}

M"

to

me

producing
ll-baidi

nang
you this-way

give, saying,

JcMm-nu

nang-nti

to do
za-M~gan.

you

to eat-give-will.

Nang
You
thai-la

father

mother

ang
nang-a,
I
must-not,

^said,
In-ui

beg-ging

malai-m

gap-fa

weeping
dekhu-a^
land-in
ma-lr<&^

foreign
let-la

ang

ma-brui-ta
thang-nanui
what way-ever dying perishing I what way
going
emlra-lra
Theolti gotho-a Jchnd-song-a-laba,
tha-gani"
not
Still
again and again
hearing
boy
stay-will ?
bcn-naise,
bastu
Umd-nl-au thaka li-nanui la~nantii
bought
mother-from rupees begging taking merchandise
"
^

"Father

3*

used affectionately for

child."

APPENDIX

ii6
arii

nau

and

boat

zo

namai-nanui,
seeking

gong-Be

one

zd-l)d

mansili

II

sd-nHi-sH

la-naise,

dru

and
took
Jiom-ndnui

gdsenti
all

'blmd

mother
about two
men
seizing
becoming,
khulum-ndntii mdlai-nt dekhu-tm nau
bnrui-AAo
sang
boat
with
old woman-to
country
foreign
worshipping

fit

thang-naise.

J3e-baidi~nu

went.

This-manner-in

dui-gathan-au nau-Mo
boat

water-ghaut-at
phdn-hti-naise,

hawking-send-did

JBi

He

tha-ui

thd'Hi

tlidng-til

thdng-tii

garni

dot-se

one
basthu
Jchd-ndnui, gaml
garni
village village merchandise
binding,
gdgai
himself

'be-au-ml

going

nau

going

ne-ti.

boat watched.

sur-M

brai
old man

village

jBe-baid^-nH

This-way-in
burui

old woman
certain
there
stay-ing
In-sur-nti
Bl-nu
ma-se
dangman.
hangsii gafut
was.
It
one
white
swan
"khey
two-people-of
Bl-kho-nu
dui la-ili miJchain song-Hi
hu-gra-man.
It-itself
rice
cooking gave and cherished.
water-giving

stay-ing

sa-nui-7ia

$cin-$e

dui-gathan~au gagai-wi h&ngsu-Mgur-Jcho

swan-skin
water-ghaut-at its own
Jchu-nanfyi din-nantii dru mazang siJchla-sd za-ndntii dugui-nai
1)1

gotho-cL

one day that

boy

and lovely
becoming bathing
girl
placing
boi
Bl-nl-frai-nu
hangsii-m girima
owners
saw.
From-that (time) even that
swan's
brai-burui-M^
on-su-ndnui thau arti Tn-ni nau-<w zi

shedding
nu-naise.

old

man

zi

what

old

woman

oil
and his ship-in what
loving
oz&i-nti bdngai Idngai
Mi-nti
dang,
to
some
some
was,
always
give
Bl-laidl~nu
basthu-/fcr-Mo
fdn-Hi
fan-Hi

basthu
merchandise

hom-naise.

merchandises vending vending

began.
This-way-in
n$-i-au fai-nai
tt
so-nai-Jchai
fdn-zap-td
salefinished-being to house come concluding-because of that
brai
'bwrui-wi
nff-i-au
zabra
thdng-ndntii, thaka
old man
old woman's house-to
much
going
money"
brai
burui
ere-nti
hundnui, hangsii-Mo
ll-'bd,
"
swan
as it is
giving
begging old man old woman,
In
khintu
Idng" han-ndn&i
lung-dangman,
f&fu-ndng
take"
said
but
he sin-smitten
saying,
za-w&
brai-m
basthu-Mai
ffz-ndnUij
gndng
to become fearing
old man's belonging property because of
embrd-l>rd
thaka hti-ndnfti, hangsti-fc^/o Idbo-naise.
swan
took away.
importunately rupees giving
nau
no
Bl-wl-fmi
Id-ndnui, fai-tii fai-tii,
man-faiThereafter boat taking, coming coming, house reach-corn-

APPENDIX

II

II7

azl-M

tM~i-ti
khali-&&
ika-i-ft
li
hangsu
swan
staying to-morrow-too staying he
mansui
z&4-e
nu-ndntii,
sdn-frim-bu hdm-ldng-naise.
man become-not seeing,
sick became.
day-each-on
Ei-khd-nti nu-nantii Uma
burui-c
malai-ni-au
sting-la,
To him seeing mother old woman
strangers-from on asking
lai-la
raii-by,
mung-M khitM-nti hd-i-d.
Khintu
to say
was unable.
frequenting anyone anything
But
H-au-wQ,
burui
sd-se dangman.
ft-m-au $<%ng-ld,
ll
there old woman one
was.
Her on asking, she
"
lung-naise,
na ?
ag&i, nang U-kho-nti mtihi-a-JcJim
El
that
understood-not eh? That
sister,
you
^said,
man-se
falangl kham-nai thang-nai-au ma-"ba
m-dang.
hawking doing
going-in something one thing happened.
Nang ll-Wio buddi kham-&a, mitM-n%
lid-gan"
han-la,
You to him trick doing, to understand will be able, saying,
"
limci
burui-a
ai
l%<ng-naise,
khitha-hor't-hai,

nan&i,

ing, ^to-day-too

'

old woman
mother
said,
speak-out-do,
dhorom man-gan" han-M
burui,
kMtha-naise, "nang
old woman, virtue
said,
get will,
saying, she
you
san-se
sd-se sikhla-sa labo-nanui nang-m
gotho-nl thema
one day one
lice
girl
your
taking
boy's
nai-nu
thin.
A.T& thema no/ibai
thd-nai-au-nfo gapto search order.
And lice searching in staying weeptkl-ndnai
ma-nu
sung-tliang,
"nang
sdn-frim-$u

mother^

let her ask,

you
why
day by day
'"
Obanti In
H-kho
ll-nl
Mm-lang-dang ?
on-kJiang-nantii
waste away ?
Then he to her feeling affection his
mon~cm
zi
Jchorang dang, lyl khiiha-gan" Tian-'ba, Inma
mind-in what word
he
is,
say-will,
saying, mother

pretend-ing

Tn-laidi-nu kham-naise. Hingzausd-i-a thema, nai-nai-au-nu

did.
Girl
lice while searching
that-way-in
"
dddgap-thl-nanui
gongrai surukhu suribkhil, sung-naise,
snuffle
snottle
snuffle
brotherask-ed,
weep-pretend-ing
Mi, nang-ha-lai ma
zadang?
Nang ~be-kho khitha-i-awhat has happened ? You that if do not
mine, to you
bd dng Iti khdm d&i
za,~i-d"
han-nai-khai
gotlw-ci,
I too rice water will not eat, because of saying boy,
say,
"
hdmd su-nanui, "bl-nti,
lase
lase
khithd-naise,
dng
breath sighing, to her slowly slowly
I
said,
zl
dng-ni n&m-i-au
fdldngl kham-%^ thdng-nai-i-ait, dd
indeed my
to do
on going
boat in which
trading
t

HOT

hot

"throw."

APPENDIX

n8

mansiii za-nai nu-dangman.

saw.
man becoming

blkho

hangsii gafut ma-se dang,

is,
swan white one
laidi-s<G,i-tii-n<il
Khintu Tn da
it now manner-same-in
But

it

ere-baidi

this

za-davg."

khordng
words

l-nt-Jcha^

tha-lai.
stays.

khithci-naise.
llma-nti
fa-nl
said.
mother-to
his
khitha-Jiui-na/ise
burui-mt
loi

hingzausa-i-a
girl

Id-i-ti.

Burtii-^

fa-Md

ltlina,-na,nui

exactly.

Old woman

to her

listening

dim

Be-kho tlmd-i-d 'khna-nantii

To her mother listening that old woman-to

"

ang

Because of that

be
TJiema
nai~kMng-M
Lice seeking-finished-bemg those

manner am become.

gasenti,
all

II

sent and

said^
Jiu-naise la-wt,,

buddi

wisdom

gave ^verily,

loi hinffzausu-Jcho laJbo-nantii JchitJid-nanui

nang
you to-day that

bti,

give
bringing
_ saying
HOT
Tior-au
udu-lang-thl-nanui tha-thang*
In dim
he to-day night-in sleep-deep-pretend-ing remain-let. Night
zcl-nantii
mansiii
gagai-nl
hangsii-^
girl

gezer-ba

much-being

man

swan

becoming

U_

own

Be-au-nu
modai-fur-Jchd Jchulum-bai-thd-i-u.
Thereon that
is wont to worship.
gods
su-nantii
hti-la,
zuzai-mti-au
T-lM

hangsti

swan
obania,

thereon
placing,
thrusting
Se buddi M<,-nai-'baidi-n'&
tha-si~gan"
man-indeed stay-altogether-will. That wisdom giving-like-even
foma-i-a hingzausa-nll khithd-naise, aril Mngzausd-i-a
also
and
said
girl
mother
girl-to
khurui
sdn-se
hti-nai-Jchai,
gotho-a,
gotho-nti khitlia-naii'&i
because of giving, one day boy vessel
sajring
boy-to
aril
tfiau-zang golai-nantii din-nai
gong-se-au Jchare-zang
and
with
oilashes-with
one in
placed
mixing
"bl
ad-la
HOT
din-naise.
man-Be
skin

hearth-on

mansiii-m

songor

one
yak's tail
udm-thl-ldng-nantii

placed.
tha-Ja,

nung-nanUi,

Jiangsu

becoming

Night

he

hangsii-^ si-khdng-nanUi
swan
emergingsleep-pretend-slumber-ing staying,
Theobu hi
akha-i-au attieng-au modom-aii-t'ti kheptlm-l>ai-dang.
Still he
felt
also
on
on leg
on hand,
(with beak)
body
M-nl-khai ll
khet-khut khdmd-kJiuise,
udu-lang-mat~bai
Therefore he asleep-deep-truly-is
made not.
stirring
thinking,

din-nan^i

gagai-w/l

her

own

gagai-m

swan

Itigur-kho lase-Aai

skin

rnodai-fur-kho
gods-to

her own
placing
khulum-bai-tlia-dangman.
worshipping-stay ing- was.

khu-nanui

slowly unfastening

mon
mind

JSre-au-nti

srl-srl

So

still-still

Jiu-nan&i,

giving,
lase-Aax

slowly

APPENDIX
boi

si-Jckang-nd-nui

emerging
zuzai-mu-au
in hearth
scorching,

Ilp

bigur-Jcko

swan

e-fop-nanui
thrusting

thdpne~hai

skin

din-naise.

Uhccu

suddenly
Ugur-d

Then
skin
placed
ll-Jcho
mandm-khdng-ba,
mandm-ndntii

kham-ndntii.

man-nanui,

hangsti

that

II

that

" _ smell-emerging,

ang-kko

To

ma

kham-AM,

smelling
ma,

kham-Ml?"

me_ what have done, what have done"?

fdt-drap-do
gaglai-naniii,
khdng-grdng-nantii,
hither-thither falling about,
rolling about,
tha-naise.
Obdsu gotho-d mdmdr fai-ndntii
thoi-hdp-ndnui
half dead becoming stayed.
Then boy quickly coming

obtaining,
han-ndntii,
saying,

Wi%ribi-nl
vessel-of

songor^
yak's tail

thcMb-kho

khoro-modom-dtJie7ig-&khai-a,u hu-nantii,
head - body - leg - arm - on
giving,
ar% 'b^'baicLl-nu
svp-bai-tM-naise,
sip-Hi
continued to fan, and that-way-in

'

oil

zang
with

$ip-tii

tha-lla,

fanning

on staying,

thdng-khang-naise.
alive-became.
sd-ntii-zang

gabau-mng

hdmd

with delay

breath

Hz-baidi-nti

fanning

suhJiang-naise,

dru

and
sighed-forth
manslii
za-ndnui,

man
That-way-in
becoming,
hdbd
kham-Zai-naTi^i zdbrd dm-hd-ldgi

they-two-together marriage do-ex chang-ing many days-up-to

fi-sa fisti zang rozo~ru-man-za~lai-bai-thd~naise /
Zapbai !
"
lived happily ever after."
boys girls with
Finished
!

FREE TRANSLATION.
The story of the merchant

lad.

There was a certain lad whose father died before he was born.
And, one day, when he had grown a big boy, he asked his
mother, "What did my father do for his living?" And his
"
mother, drawing a long breath, said, Your father used to travel
about selling things. Ah, if he were alive we should have
no trouble to endure!" But the boy replied, "Do not you
think that I too could earn money in that way? Bring out
what money there is, and let me see what I can do." But his
mother said, " Ah, my son, you must not talk like that
If you
into
lands
and
die
what
will
become
of
there,
go away
foreign
me ? " But her son would not listen to her, and by importunity
induced her to give him money, with which he bought goods,
and procured a boat, and hiring two or three men, took leave of
!

APPENDIX

120

II

his mother, and went into a far country to trade.

Finally he
came to a certain place where he moored his boat, at the place
where men draw water, and sent his men to hawk his wares
from village to village while he himself stayed in the boat. It
happened that there lived hard by an old couple who possessed
a white swan, which they fed and tended as though it were their
own child. One day, the lad saw this swan strip itself of its

swan plumage and become a beautiful maiden, and bathe. From

that time forth he paid great attention to the owners of the
swan, and gave them presents of the oil and other things he had
in his boat. And when the merchandise had been sold and the
time was come to go home, he went to the old people's house
and offering much money begged them to sell him their swan.
But they were for giving him their swan for nothing. He,
however, feared to commit a sin if he took it as a gift, and,
because it was the old man's property, compelled him to take
much money in exchange for it, and went away.
But when he came home with his boat, behold, the swan
remained a swan, and, for disappointment, the lad pined and
wasted away. Seeing which, his old mother consulted various
Finally, she went to a certain wise
people, but got no help.
"
woman, who said, Sister, do not you understand ? Something
has happened to him while he was away trading. You must
use a device to find out what it is." To which the mother
"
Tell me plainly what it is, and you will do a good
replied,
So the wise woman gave this advice. " Some day do
deed."
you direct a maiden to search for lice in his hair. And while
she is doing this, let her pretend to be mightily grieved, and let
her ask him what is the matter. And he will feel flattered and
will open out his heart to her."
And the mother did as the
wise woman directed her. The girl she sent wept and snuffled
"
as she tended the lad and said,
Tell me why you pine and
thin
else
I
will
too
grow
give up" food and drink." And so he,
While I was away trading, I
heaving a sigh, explained thus
saw the white swan which is in my boat turn into a maiden.
But now she remains a swan, and for her love I am pining."
When her task was done, she told the lad's mother, who sent
word to the wise woman. The wise woman said, " Let the girl
tell him that the swan maiden
worships her own gods in the
dead of night. Let him pretend to lie asleep, and when she
divests herself of her swan plumage, let him seize it and thrust
it into the hearth, and then she will
always remain a girl" The
old mother directed the girl accordingly, and the
girl told the
lad.
One day he mixed ashes and oil in a vessel, and procured
;

APPENDIX

II

121

when night was come, he

lay down and

Presently the swan crept out, and
feeling his hands, feet, and body with her beak, was satisfied
that he slept. Then slowly taking off her swan skin, she
became absorbed in the worship of her country's gods. And
the lad seeing his opportunity, grasped the swan plumage and
thrust it into the hearth, so that it was singed, and the smell of
the feathers filled the place. And the maiden, smelling the

a yak's

tail,

and,

pretended to be

fast asleep.

"
burning feathers, cried," What have you done to me ? What
have you done to me ?
So saying, she fell down in a faint and
seemed as one dead. But the lad, taking his vessel of oil,
anointed her with it, and fanned her gently with the yak's tail,
till she came to.
And so they married, and begat many sons
and daughters, and lived happily ever after. And that's all
!

MAP SHOWING AREA OCCUPIED BY THE BODO RACES

EruiWth.

MO&f

The Bo do Races coloured thus

INDEX

INDEX
C
Adoption, 30
Agglutinative verb, 78
A horn, domination over

Capture, marriage by, 43

among Morans, 89
Castor-oil plant, 20

Chutiyas,

Cattle taking a share in festivals, 51

Ceremonies at birth, 41
Chaklang marriage, among Morans,
89
Chastity, rules of, 30
among Hajongs, 86
Cholera, worship to avert, 39
Chutiyas, 5, 90
in Western Assam, 91
history of, 6
clans among, 93

etc., 6

Ahom, marriage

rites

89
Altar, domestic, 42
Ancestors, worship
Animism, 33

Areca nut (name

among Morans,

of,

34

of a clan), 26

B
Bamboo

Clans (exogamous), among Meches, 82

(female), among Dimasa, 27
27
(male)
(totemistic) among Kacharis, 24,
27
(totemistic) among Meches, 27
Counting,
system of among Bodos, 73
e
Copper" temple at Sadiya, 93
Corwte among Kacharis, 13
Cremation, among Kacharis, 48
among Chutiyds, 96
among Hajongs, 87
among Morans, 89
among Rabhas, 85
Crops, 14

groves (as totems), 26

Banhbaroi (bamboo-grove clan), 26

Baras (statistics of), 5
Bargaya clan, 93
Basumati-aroi clan (among B&ras), 25

Bathan
Bathan

brai (household god), 35

(euphorbia), as a god, 36
Beggars (as a clan), 25
Bhima (traditional ancestor of Kacharis in Kachar), 7
Bibizia-aroi (the beggars' clan), 25
Bihar (traditional ancestor of Chutiyas), 90

Bihu festival, 34, 49

Bing-bing-aroi (the musician clan), 26
Birth ceremonies, 41
Bodo place-names, 4
Brahmaroi (the priestly
Brahmins, satire on, 63
Bride price, 31, 44

clan),

26

Daha (or dasa) ceremony, 89

Datiyals (nickname for Rabhas), 83
Deceased husband's brother (marriage
with), 29
Deities (or modais), 33
Deod&ni (female exorcist), 40
Deoris (as priests), 24, 39, 90, 91
Dhekia-bari-aroi (fern-clan), 26
Dhimals (statistics of), 5
Dibongia clan, 93
Dimapur, founding of, 6

among Chutiyas, 95
among Morans, 89
Burial, 46

among Chutiyas, 96
among Meches, 87
among Morans, 89
among R^bhas, 85
Burial mounds, 89

Burmese

origin of Monins, 88
125

INDEX

126

Di-ma-sa (how separated from Barafisa),

statistics of,

Ding-aroi (clan of makers of bamboo

water-vessels), 26
Disease, beliefs as to, 33
Distribution of Bodo races, 4
Divorce, among Kacharis, 31
among Chutiyas, 95
among Hajongs, 86
among Morans, 89
Doi-ma-aroi, river-clan, 25
Domestic festivities, 49
Dower, recovery of, on divorce, 31

Girasi-gira (male and female deities

of Chutiyas), 93

Gods, Household, 35-36

village, 35
Goi-bari-aroi (areca nut clan), 26
Govinda-Chandra, last Kachari King
of Kachar, 7

Grammar,

71

et

seq

H
Hachum-sa

endogamous

(royal

28
Ha(i) jongs (statistics
Hajong tribe, 85

of),

clan),

festivities, 38, 49
Harvesting, method of, 13
Headhunting, 32
Heroes as deities, 38
ancestor
Hidamba
(reputed
Meches/, 82

Harvest

Earth (as a totem), 25

Elopement, marriage by, 43
Emao, ferment used in making
^

rice-

beer, 18

Endogamous

clans

among Chutiyas,

91

Endogamy in Kachari clans, 29

in royal clan among Dhnasa, 28
J3ri or Eranda (castor-oil plant), 20
JW-cloth, market value of, 21
Euphorbia plant held sacred, 30
Exogamy among Di-ma-sa, 27
among Meches, 82
among Rabhas, 83

of

Hindu influence among Morans 88

among Rabhas, 85
,

Hojais, clans of, 27

statistics of, 5

Houses, nature

of,

11

Household gods, 35

Human sacrifices,

93

Hunting, 15

Hypergamy, among Rabhas, 83

among

Kacharis, 29

Exorcism, 40

F
Idols, use of, 40

Fadam-aroi

(a tree clan),

Infant marriage, absence of, 44

Inheritance, rules of, 32
Initiation (of children), 42
of Kacharis into Rabh& tribe, 84
Irrigation, system of, 12

27

Festivals (domestic), 49
(tribal),

49

Fishing, 16
Fish, dried, use of, 15
Fish, as physician, 58
Fish-traps, 16
Folk-tales, 54-70

Appendix
Food,

Food

II.

Jungle-grass, as a totem, 25
Jute, as a totem, 25

14.

offered to corpse, 46

Funeral ceremony, 46
Furniture, etc., 12

G
Gamari

Kachari dwdrs, probable origin of, 8

Kacharis as labourers on. tea estates,
14

Garos, 81

Kapahiyas (Morin sub-tribe), 87

Khagrabariy& tribe, 10

tree, 20
Gandhret-aroi (Kachari clan), 25

statistics of, 5

Garo tradition as to Bodo

Khang
origins,

Khlo-aroi,
Kaoharis, 25

clan

of

among

INDEX
Khaspur, founding of, 6
Kherkhat-aroi (squirrel-clan), 27

Koch, Kingdom

of,

of,

O
Ojhas or exercisers, 24, 40
Ordeal by chewing rice, 31
Origin of Bodo Race, 3
Moran race, 88

Language (Kachari) account

71

of,

(Chutiya), account of, 92

(Rabha), account of, 83

(as a clan totem), 25
Loom, material and cost, 20

Leeches

M
Mahaliya, statistics of, 5
Mahalaroi (trader-clan), 27
Maibong, founding of, 6
Mai-nao, (household goddess), 36
as goddess of harvest, 37
Mao-mararoi, clan name taken from
habitat of clan, 27
Marriage of Kacharis, 43
of Ohutiyas, 94, 95
of Rabhas, 85
Marriage, Kachari ceremony of, 45
Mech ceremony of, 82
feasts, 46
Married life among Kacharis, 23

Mech

tribe described, 81

statistics of, 5

Meches, totemistic clans

Midwives or

Net, use of in the chase, 15

41, 47, 48

Number, mystic,

Koches, statistics of, 5

Kurunga tree, 20
Kuvera as a Kachari deity, 38
in Chutiya legends, 90

Labour, forced, 13
Lalungs, statistics

127

of,

27

dais, 41

Milk, dislike of, 15

MZeccha, probable origin of the word
"Mech," 81
Modais (or deities), 33
Morans, statistics of, 5
of tribe, 87
Morans,
" Moran description 87
Kacharis,"
Mosa-aroi, Kachari tiger clan, 26
Mosquito festival, 49
Musicians as a clan, 26

Palhd

(fish-trap),

among Chutiyas, 95
Presents, marriage, 45, 46
Price of grave paid to deity of spot,
47, 48
Priests, 24, 39

among Chutiy&s, 93
Propitiation by sacrifice, 34

R
Rabhis, 83.
statistics of, 5
Ram-sa-aroi (sons of Rama, Kaehari,
clan), 26
Raon and Raoni, story of, as explanation of lightning, 68
Ravana, as possible source of Kachari
fable, 70
Religion of Kacharis, 33
of Morans, 88
of Hajongs, 86
of Rabhas, 84
Rice-beer, preparation of, 17
Rice-crop, how grown, 12
Rivers as deities averting disease, 39

called by Bodo
creation of, 55

names

in

Assam, 4

worship of, 36, 59

worshipped by Deori Chutiyas, 92

N
Nal-bariya, tribe of Kacharis, 10

Naming of children, 42
Narzi-aroi (Kachari clan), see
25
Natural forces, worship

16

ParamaVthis (Hajong sub-tribe), 86

Paras"u Ram in Chutiya legend, 90
Patorgiya clan, 93
Penance on death of totem animal, 28
Phatika (distilled spirits), 19
Phulgariyas, (see Mahaliya), 5
Pisha-dema (Chutiya deity), 93
Pisha-si (Chutiya goddess), 93
Polyandry, non-existence of, 30
Polygamy, 30

of,

34

'

jute,'

(or thansalis), 35
Sacrifice of animals, 29, 41

Sacred groves

INDEX

128

Sadiya, original seat of Chutiya King-

Totems

dom, 90

(4)

Junglegrass, 25
Sessamum, 25
Leech, 25

20
Santi-jal, water used for ceremonial
purification, 29

(5)

Saraniyas, (see Mahaliyas), 5

Seasons, personified, 59
Sengfang, name of male clan, 27
Service in lieu of brideprice, 44
among Chutiyas, 95
Sessamum as a totem, 25
Shares in inherited property, 32

(8)

Jute, 25
Rivers, 25, 82

(9)

Bamboo water

Sangla

tree,

Silkworms, 19
Siva worshipped by Meches in place
of Bathau, 82
Solammiyas, statistics of, 5
Songs sung at festivals, 51
Spirits (distilled), 19
Spirits unable to cross water, 47
Squirrel, as a totem, 27

(observed

Umbilical cord, severing of, 41

Uncleanness (ceremonial), of a mother,
42

Villages, description
Village gods, 35

Sraddha (among Hajongs), 87

_

of,

11

Vyavacaris (Hajong sub-tribe), 86

by Meches), 83

god of good luck, 57

Survival after death, 38

Swarga-aroi, clan of, 24

W
Water, reverence
Weaving, process

Widow -marriage

Thunder and Lightning,

to, 3
Tiger as a toteni, 25
as a deity, 37
Tipperas, statistics of, 5
Totemistic clans, 24
Totems (1) Heaven, 24
(2) Earth, 25
(3) Tiger, 25, 82

LTD.,

(Kachari), 29

fish,

16

beliefs as to,

68
Tibetan origin of Bodos, tradition as

CLAY AND SONS,

for, 34
of, 21

(among H&jongs), 87
(among Rabhas), 85
Wizards (among Chutiyas), 92
Women, employed in catching

Telani ceremony, 89
Tenga-paniy& clan, 93
Thansali or sacred grove, 35

B.

vessels, 26

(10) Bamboos, 82
(11) Areca-nut, 26, 82
(12) Ferns, 26
(13) Squirrels, 27
(14) Fadam tree, 27
Totlas, nickname of Rabhas, 83

Sibing-aroi, Kachari clan, 25

Siju plant, held sacred, 30
Sila-rai as a deity, 38
Silk (eri) culture, 19

Sri,

(6)

(7)

Women's domestic duties, 37

Women, status of, 22

Z
Zakhai

(fish trap), 16
or rice beer, 14
preparation of, 17
Zulu, name of female clan, 27

Zu

BRWSWIC'K

ST.,

STAMFORD

ST., S.K.,

AKD BVNGAY, SUFFOLK.

128 870

gs
If