Introduction
This article will explore the origin of the North Naga who are grouped into three main subgroups which are Konyak-Wancho-Chang, Khiamniungan-Lainong-Ponyo, Tangsa-Nocte-Heimi.The Northern Naga are the original Naga and not the Southern Naga (who are closely related to the Chin-Mizo people).
Unlike the Southern Naga, there is no written records on the Northern Naga's earliest history by the Chinese, Burmese and the Northern Naga themselves. Therefore, we can only rely on their folklore, language spoken and lifestyle before the British came.
Most of the North Naga folklores talked about a great flood that covered the low valleys which is Brahmaputra River basin in ancient past. In order to escape from the flood, the survivors followed the Dikhu River up into the Naga hills.
Thereafter, different North Naga tribes began to go up into higher elevation in different directions.
Some Konyak tribes spoke of a 'great mountain' before they reach the Brahmaputra River basin, the 'great mountain' here is the Tibetan plateau from where all Sino-Tibetan tribes descended from.
From the extremely high Tibetan plateau near the source of the Yangtze River, they crossed the Hengduan mountain at the border of Tibet and Myanmar and then probably followed a river down into the Brahmaputra River basin.
After living in the Brahmaputra River basin for a long time, they were forced to climb up to the Naga hills due to the great flood. The migration path is shown in the map below.
From the languages that the Northern Naga speak, we know they are Sino-Tibetan tribes and most probably from the Western Sino-Tibetan people who migrated to Brahmaputra River basin 7000-9000 years ago around the same time as the Bodo-Garo tribes who also migrated there.
In other words, they were the earliest natives living in the Brahmaputra River basin. The Indo-Aryan and the Tai people came much later.
The Khiamniugan-Lainong tribes even migrated eastwards into Myanmar up to HKampti in Sagaing region when their population grew (see map below).
The Tangsa aka Tangshang who moved to Myanmar are known as the Heimi.
When the British came, they found that the Konyak were head-hunters and would tattoo their faces after killing their enemies.
After fierce resistance from the Northern Naga, the British conquered the North Naga hills starting from Konyak region in 1910 AD until Khiamniungan region in 1938 AD.
From 1939 to 1945 AD, the Naga negotiated with British India for independence. In 1951 AD, the Northern and Southern Naga again demanded independence from Indo-Aryan India after the British gave independence to India in 1947 AD but their demand was rejected by the Indian prime minister. The documentary below gives detailed account of their struggle for independence.
The Northern Naga are ancient tribes who originally lived in the Brahmaputra River basin many thousand years ago before climbing up the Naga hills to escape the great flood. They were in Nagaland long before the Southern Naga migrated to southern Nagaland.
This is the most probable origin of the Northern Naga due to non-existent written records of their earliest history.
Origin of South Naga
http://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2018/03/ethnic-origin-of-naga.html
Unlike the Southern Naga, there is no written records on the Northern Naga's earliest history by the Chinese, Burmese and the Northern Naga themselves. Therefore, we can only rely on their folklore, language spoken and lifestyle before the British came.
Homeland
Their traditional homeland is in the Naga hills in northern Nagaland. However, they also live in Arunachal Pradesh (Tirap and Changlang districts) and western Myanmar. |
| Close-up of migration path |
Most of the North Naga folklores talked about a great flood that covered the low valleys which is Brahmaputra River basin in ancient past. In order to escape from the flood, the survivors followed the Dikhu River up into the Naga hills.
 |
| Wider view of migration path |
Thereafter, different North Naga tribes began to go up into higher elevation in different directions.
The Konyak-Wancho tribes didn't migrate far from the Brahmaputra River in Naga hills.
The Khiamniungan-Lainong tribes even struggled as far as the top of Yakkao aka Yakko peak (see map above). When the flood receded, they descended downhill and a place i.e. Khiam-ngan was found to have full of ponds and rivers. Therefore, the Khiamniungan call themselves the 'Water People'; Khiam (water), Niu (great), Ngan (source) means the source of great water.
The Khiamniungan-Lainong tribes even struggled as far as the top of Yakkao aka Yakko peak (see map above). When the flood receded, they descended downhill and a place i.e. Khiam-ngan was found to have full of ponds and rivers. Therefore, the Khiamniungan call themselves the 'Water People'; Khiam (water), Niu (great), Ngan (source) means the source of great water.
Origin of the word Naga
Most scholars stated that the term 'Naga' came from the Burmese word 'No-Ka' which means pierced ears. The British learned this word from the Burmese to refer to the Naga people. The Northern Naga's traditional culture is to pierce their ears as shown below.
A few people think that the term 'Naga' originally come from the Northern Naga word for people which is 'Nok'.
Migration to north-east India
Where did the Northern Naga come from before they reach the Brahmaputra River basin? When the British first found the Northern Naga in the early 20th century AD, they were called 'Naked Naga' because they wore small loincloth to cover their private parts and the women were bare-breasted. They have been living in isolation from the influences of Chinese and Indian civilizations before the British came.Some Konyak tribes spoke of a 'great mountain' before they reach the Brahmaputra River basin, the 'great mountain' here is the Tibetan plateau from where all Sino-Tibetan tribes descended from.
From the extremely high Tibetan plateau near the source of the Yangtze River, they crossed the Hengduan mountain at the border of Tibet and Myanmar and then probably followed a river down into the Brahmaputra River basin.
After living in the Brahmaputra River basin for a long time, they were forced to climb up to the Naga hills due to the great flood. The migration path is shown in the map below.
 |
| Migration path in red arrow |
From the languages that the Northern Naga speak, we know they are Sino-Tibetan tribes and most probably from the Western Sino-Tibetan people who migrated to Brahmaputra River basin 7000-9000 years ago around the same time as the Bodo-Garo tribes who also migrated there.
In other words, they were the earliest natives living in the Brahmaputra River basin. The Indo-Aryan and the Tai people came much later.
Migration to Myanmar
Unlike the Southern Naga who migrated from east to west (Chindwin River to Naga Hills), the Northern Naga migrated from west to east (Brahmaputra River to Naga Hills).The Khiamniugan-Lainong tribes even migrated eastwards into Myanmar up to HKampti in Sagaing region when their population grew (see map below).
The Tangsa aka Tangshang who moved to Myanmar are known as the Heimi.
Closest ethnic relatives
The Northern Naga tribes have been in Nagaland at least a few hundred years earlier than the Southern Naga who came from Chindwin River in Myanmar around the 15th century AD.The evidence is that the Northern Naga languages are closer to the languages of Boro-Garo tribes than to the Southern Naga languages. Most linguists classify both Northern Naga and Boro-Garo languages under the same branch named Sal.
Therefore, their closest ethnic relatives are the Boro-Garo tribes based on language classification and also a shared original homeland which is Brahmaputra River basin.
It is highly possible that some neighbouring North Naga tribes such as Khiamniungan and Heimi interacted with the Jingpho for trading purpose.
Therefore, some borrowed words are due to recent language contact and NOT due to close genetic relationship. The bird feather on the head-dress of some North Naga tribes might be culturally borrowed from the Jingpho.
Another evidence is that the Jingpho were fully clothed even before the British came unlike the Northern Naga who are still semi-naked when doing their cultural dance.
The Naga hills were under the nominal control of the Burmese Konbaung Dynasty (1752–1885 AD) in the first half of the 19th century. Under the Treaty of Yandabo, signed in 1826 AD after the First Anglo-Burmese war ended, the Naga hills were ceded to the British but the British still faced fierce resistance from the Naga people.
Therefore, their closest ethnic relatives are the Boro-Garo tribes based on language classification and also a shared original homeland which is Brahmaputra River basin.
 |
| Boro tribe in Assam |
Relationship with Jingpho
The Jingpho are very late comers to Myanmar and migrated to Kachin State from China only in 17th century AD.It is highly possible that some neighbouring North Naga tribes such as Khiamniungan and Heimi interacted with the Jingpho for trading purpose.
Therefore, some borrowed words are due to recent language contact and NOT due to close genetic relationship. The bird feather on the head-dress of some North Naga tribes might be culturally borrowed from the Jingpho.
Another evidence is that the Jingpho were fully clothed even before the British came unlike the Northern Naga who are still semi-naked when doing their cultural dance.
 |
| Chang Naga cultural dance |
British colonization
The Naga hills were under the nominal control of the Burmese Konbaung Dynasty (1752–1885 AD) in the first half of the 19th century. Under the Treaty of Yandabo, signed in 1826 AD after the First Anglo-Burmese war ended, the Naga hills were ceded to the British but the British still faced fierce resistance from the Naga people.
From 1939 to 1945 AD, the Naga negotiated with British India for independence. In 1951 AD, the Northern and Southern Naga again demanded independence from Indo-Aryan India after the British gave independence to India in 1947 AD but their demand was rejected by the Indian prime minister. The documentary below gives detailed account of their struggle for independence.
Video
For more information about the Konyak, Chang, Phom, Khiamniungan, please watch the video below.
Conclusion
The origin of Northern Naga is different from the Southern Naga whose origin was published in this blog in March 2018 even though outsiders call these two groups by the same name i.e. Naga.The Northern Naga are ancient tribes who originally lived in the Brahmaputra River basin many thousand years ago before climbing up the Naga hills to escape the great flood. They were in Nagaland long before the Southern Naga migrated to southern Nagaland.
 |
| Khiamniungan tribe |
This is the most probable origin of the Northern Naga due to non-existent written records of their earliest history.
Related links
Origin of North Naga part 2
http://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2018/03/ethnic-origin-of-naga.html
Origin of Sino-Tibetan tribes
Sources
- The Naked Nagas. By Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf.
- The Water People: a Khiamniungan landscape. India International Centre Quarterly Vol. 27/28, Vol. 27, no. 4/Vol. 28, no. 1: The Human Landscape (Winter 2000/Spring 2001), pp. By S.K. Pillai
- A new theory on the origin of Chinese. Author: George van Driem.
- https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/nagaland-making-peace-in-a-divided-homeland/
- https://easternroutes.com/northeast-india/nagaland/tribes/
- https://tuensang.nic.in/khiamniungan/
- https://kknews.cc/world/l2px369.html
- https://kknews.cc/travel/46neav2.html
- https://kknews.cc/world/8zm4bxe.html
- https://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/nagaland/rivers/
Last updated: 22 August 2022
Copyright © eastasiaorigin.blogspot 2017-2022. All rights reserved.
Copyright © eastasiaorigin.blogspot 2017-2022. All rights reserved.
On behalf konyak we want say thank you it really help us a lot
ReplyDeleteThis article answers some questions asked by viewers in the past because many people were confused after they read the 'Origin of South Naga' article. The confusion arose because both groups are named 'Naga' by outsiders. Please share this article with all your friends.
DeleteI find your reasearch interesting. Do you have any research on Tani group from Arunachal, Assam and Tibet?
ReplyDeleteIt must indeed be a laborious task to try to do these indept studies. But let me tell you, your efforts are not going waste. They are definitely appreciated and well recieved. Looking through your blog posts I can easily see so many of your readers are from Northeast part of India, you already have fan base there !
DeleteKeep up your hardwork.
Great news! Ethnic origin of Tani will be published in January 2020.
DeleteShare our sincere gratitude for sharing a migration linage of Northern Nagas. Looking forward for more such voluntary historicalcontribution specially isolated ethnics of southeast Asian region. Once again a big thankyou 🙏🌎 Khiamniungan Naga🌎
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Please share this article with your tribes.
DeleteCan you please make an article about the similar traits between austronesian like Dayaks of Berneo or perhaps Igorots
ReplyDeleteNagas and these austronesian tribes are pretty much very similar to one another,
Or if we had a common history in the past.
'Ethnic origin of North Naga Part 2' will provide detailed arguments on why North Naga are not Dayak; similar to the format of 'Ethnic origin of Chin Part 2'.
DeleteGood news! It will be published on 1 November 2020.
thanks for the valuable information you shared.. iam a Tangsa and sadly don't know our tribe's migration course.. perhaps your information is right..
ReplyDeleteCan you write on the Bodo people? Unlike their closest kins who are Northern Naga tribes, Bodo people were always fully clothed and had developed art and culture. It is believed that they were the ones who introduced silk rearing and wet cultivation in Brahmaputra basin. They were never called primitive even by British.
ReplyDeleteAlso Scott DeLancey has suggested that Bodo could have been an imperial language because of its geographical extent from Eastern Nepal to the borders of Myanmar.
The origin of Bodo/Boro is already published on this blog in Jan 2021 that will answer some of your questions.
Delete