A Glimpse of Tai Khamti: Introduction. By:- Chow Uppa Mansai.

     

 Introduction

      The Immigration of different human races to the ancient land of Asom started two hundred years before the birth of Christ. The karbi's, descendents of Austric race, are like the Columbus of Assam. The khasis, Joyantias, Kukies, Lusais, (Mizo) are all from the Austric race. The Bodo, Garo, Rabha, Deories, Mising, Moran, Sutias, Dimasas and Kochest (Rajbonshi), Lalung, Hajong are from Mongoloid race, who had migrated from the western part of China and speak Sino - Tibetan language.

    The Assimilation started on both the races coexisted in the same geographical area of then pragjyotishpur. This is the background where the historic assimilation of Assamese nation building process took place. The Kaibartas and Banias from Drabirian race migrated from the coast of Mediterranean came into assimilation more or less. The Komg Mahiranga (Danaba) from the mongoloid race was the first-monarch of Pragjyotishpur in th 4th to 5th centuries. King Hatak (assur) Sambar (assur) Rambh (assur) Ghatak (assur) and King Narak (assur) reigned serially into the throne of Pragjyotishpur as the descendent of the King Mohiranga Danaba. On the other hand the Aryan from Cocasians race migrated through the Gangetic plain in the 1st century to the land of Pragjyotishpur. The local King amongst the Mongolian majority society rehabilitated themselves to Aryan, for being the carrier of comparatively advance religion and language - culture, etc. In the presence of these people, the process of assimilation started long before the birth of Christ that has achieved a new acceleration. Narak (assur), the first Monarch of Mongoliod, who was converted to hindu religion, constructed the first temple and city at Kamakhya and thus the caste divison also germinated in the Tribal society. The King and the Royal dynasty on one side formed a royal class with the Brahmin Priest rehabilitated by them and on the other hand general peoples comprising the Agri-slave, lower strata or the roal house formed the peasantry. After this stratification, the first King of Barman dynasty reigned at Pragjyotishpur from 350 A.D to 380 A.D and name of Pragjyotishpur became Kamrup. After the reign of the King Barman dynasty, the religious communalism took firm root in Assam i.e. Kamrup, which infiltrated, along with the migration of Brahmin priests to Assam.

     In 1228 A.D. the Ahum King, Su-Kapha of Mongolian, stepped on the land of Asom and during that time the Kamrup was divided into four distinct zones, such as Kam-peeth, Soumar-peeth, Ratna-peeth and Swarna-peeth. Every zone was further sub-divided into separate Independent states under the rule of more then one tribal king. Su-Kapha established a powerful united feudal state through his broad strategy of establishing one state by unifying seven * states within Kamrup. Since then, the Kamrup became to be Known as Asom. The presence of the Tai (Ahum) has an irregular process of social assimilation more forceful in between the migrant races such as, Austrics, Mongoloids, Drabiras and Cocasians etc. The relation and the synthesis amongst different tribes, where developed with the pace of the development in every spheres, under the patronage of modern administration and military structure of the Ahum Kings. The Ahum ruled was flourshing till the third Burmese invasion into Assam. Thus Assamese became the link language amongst the people of different tribes.

       The British took the initiative in driven out of the Burmese invaders from Assam, the Ahum king happily agreed to hand over the power of administration. Taking advantages of the weak Ahum reign, the British annexed the assam into their command after driven out of the Burmese. In reality, however the British entered in to pact with the Burmese Marauders. This unholy pact entered into by the Burmese king of Bhamo of North Burma and Governor General of the British East India Company in known as the treaty of yandaboo 1826. Assam was not a party to it. By this treaty the Burmese marauders handed over Assam to the British.

       On the other hand, the khamptees, who also migrated from Moung-Khamptee-Long i.e. Putao in Burma, to Assa, in 1751 to 1852, a Mongoloid race with a firmed determination to establish their own kingdom in Woisali, i.e. asom.

       The Khamptees belong to the great Shans or the Tai race. the words "khamptees" was known by the local people of Assam, whereas the Khamptees called themselves "Tai" (Tai Ai). The Tai is a generic name denoting a great branch of Mongoloid population of Asia. The Tai are now mainly concentrated in the Indo-Chinese peninsula. The present habitat of the Tai peoples extends fro the Assam in the west, to Kwangsi and Hainan in the East and from the interior of Yun-Nan in the north to the southern most extremity of Thailand (Siam) in the south.

    In a recent research conducted by some renowned scholars had brought to our notice, that the Tai ruling in central and eastern china with comparatively advance culture longbefore the formation of so called chinese race. In fact, the Chinese race in the product of a gradual process of amalgamated of many separate people belonging to different races, including the Tai.