Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Area: 84,000 sq. km
Capital/Main City: Itanagar
Population: 864,558 (1991 census) including 64% sheduled tribes, 13% urban
Government: Federal Parliamentary Democracy
Time: +5.5 GMT
Religion: Animist/tribal: 52%, Hindu: 29%, Buddhist: 29% , Christian: 4% , Muslim: 1%
Power: 220v AC, 50Hz. Plugs used are of the round two and three pin type.
In 1998 we were the first UK company to run a trek to Arunachal Pradesh, and in 2001 we were the first British tour operator to take a group to Nagaland. These regions of the eastern Himalaya are vast and remain largely unexplored. The area is slowly opening up to a small number of visitors, and we are proud to be at the forefront of this exploration. There are many different and amazing tribes living in the north east Himalaya, many of whom have linguistic and cultural similarities to their neighbours in Burma and Tibet.
Land
Arunachal Pradesh is situated on the north eastern tip of India, bordering Bhutan on the west, Tibet/China on the north, Burma (Myanmar) on the east and the Indian state of Assam to the south. It is shaped like a horse shoe , with the arms pointing west, the central area of the shoe being the wide Bramaputra valley (part of Assam) flowing out west. It covers 84,000 sq. km, its climate varying from sub tropical to alpine. Some 80% of the state is covered by natural forest, with numerous streams, rivers, deep gorges, mountains and hundreds of species of flora and fauna. A picturesque and hilly region, Arunachal Pradesh is criss-crossed by innumerable rivers and rivulets. The heights of the mountain peaks range from 11,000 ft (1,829 m) to 21,000 ft (6,400 m), with the highest peak at 23,255 ft (7,090 m) in Tawang District. There are five major rivers - Kameng, Subansiri, Siang, Lohit and Tirap which drain into the Brahmaputra river.
There is a great variety of vegetation, ranging from climbers to an abundance of cane, bamboo and orchids. Arunachal Pradesh is known for a rich occurrence of orchids at varying latitudinal zones - from the foothills to the peaks. There are about 450 species of orchids reported from this state and many more may yet be discovered.
Arunachal Pradesh is situated on the north eastern tip of India, bordering Bhutan on the west, Tibet/China on the north, Burma (Myanmar) on the east and the Indian state of Assam to the south. It is shaped like a horse shoe , with the arms pointing west, the central area of the shoe being the wide Bramaputra valley (part of Assam) flowing out west. It covers 84,000 sq. km, its climate varying from sub tropical to alpine. Some 80% of the state is covered by natural forest, with numerous streams, rivers, deep gorges, mountains and hundreds of species of flora and fauna. A picturesque and hilly region, Arunachal Pradesh is criss-crossed by innumerable rivers and rivulets. The heights of the mountain peaks range from 11,000 ft (1,829 m) to 21,000 ft (6,400 m), with the highest peak at 23,255 ft (7,090 m) in Tawang District. There are five major rivers - Kameng, Subansiri, Siang, Lohit and Tirap which drain into the Brahmaputra river.
There is a great variety of vegetation, ranging from climbers to an abundance of cane, bamboo and orchids. Arunachal Pradesh is known for a rich occurrence of orchids at varying latitudinal zones - from the foothills to the peaks. There are about 450 species of orchids reported from this state and many more may yet be discovered.
History
The first records of Arunachal are from the Ahom kings of Assam ruling in the 16th century. Previous to that, in the hindu epics, Arunachal was mentioned merely as the abode of the gods. There is archaelogical evidence pointing to a rich cultural history from the 10th century onwards when societies from the Bramaputra valley began to penetrate the area. There are many substantial ruins dating from this period between 1000 and 1600, the largest being the fort at Itanagar, tentatively ascribed to the period 1350-1450 and the local king Ramachandra. Other sites are at Malinithan and Bhismaknagar. Buddhist buildings abound in the western districts.
The British took possession of the area in 1838, but apart from the appointment of a assistant Political Officer in 1882 did nothing until 1873-75 when they ruled the territory off limits to travellers, and at the same time stopped any direct contact within the area. This absolved them of responsibility for administering the area (the inner line area), or for dealing with the inhabitants. In 1914 the area was designtated the North-East Frontier Tract, which became the North East Frontier Agency in 1954. In 1972 the area was inaugurated as a ‘Union Territory’ before becoming a full state in 1987.
The first records of Arunachal are from the Ahom kings of Assam ruling in the 16th century. Previous to that, in the hindu epics, Arunachal was mentioned merely as the abode of the gods. There is archaelogical evidence pointing to a rich cultural history from the 10th century onwards when societies from the Bramaputra valley began to penetrate the area. There are many substantial ruins dating from this period between 1000 and 1600, the largest being the fort at Itanagar, tentatively ascribed to the period 1350-1450 and the local king Ramachandra. Other sites are at Malinithan and Bhismaknagar. Buddhist buildings abound in the western districts.
The British took possession of the area in 1838, but apart from the appointment of a assistant Political Officer in 1882 did nothing until 1873-75 when they ruled the territory off limits to travellers, and at the same time stopped any direct contact within the area. This absolved them of responsibility for administering the area (the inner line area), or for dealing with the inhabitants. In 1914 the area was designtated the North-East Frontier Tract, which became the North East Frontier Agency in 1954. In 1972 the area was inaugurated as a ‘Union Territory’ before becoming a full state in 1987.
Religion
Hindu: 29%
Muslim: 1%
Christian: 4%
Buddhist: 29%
Animist/tribal: 52%
Of the indiginous Arunachalee today there are several religious groups. There are the animatist/naturistic religions, Buddhist tribes, Hindu tribes, some Christians and a tiny minority of muslims.
Buddhism of both the Mahayana and Hinayana sect is practiced among the tribes of Tawang and West Kameng, West Siang and Lohit. The centre of Mahayana Buddhism in Arunachal is Tawang monastery, founded 370 years ago and now one of the largest in asia. The Hinayana sect has its headquarters at Chowkam. These Buddhist tribes have a written history and set places of worship. They have an organised priesthood and sophisticated ritual and liturgy, temples, images, sacred texts and an organised priesthood.
Those tribes following an animistic tradition tend, within the different systems of belief, to involve one supreme high god or supernatural being plus a host of other spirits and deities. This can involve the dual existance of a high god in the sky and another high god on the earth. The high god is always believed to be benevolent, while the ground dwelling spirits are both malevolent and benevolent. The structure and function of the pantheon and the system of belief surrounding it reinforced the sense of order and continuity which is a characteristic of the tribal groups. An absolute belief in the qualities and powers of the gods have, like the unchallengable cultural and social rules of the tribe, been a strong factor in maintaining the cohesion, inward focus and therefore history of each group. Among the manifestations of these beliefs are the Adis and Abo-Tanis who follow Doni Poloism, or worship of the sun and moon. Often the tribes will not worship their supreme god, whose absolute indifference and power does not require it, rather they concentrate on the malevolent minor spirits who must be appeased with offerings. As in the case of social law and custom the system of belief is transmitted orally from generation to generation, the ritual complex being interwoven with everyday events such as agriculture, hunting and fishing as befits a religion based on the understanding and practical control of everyday events rather than the abstract consideration of spiritual matters.
Hindu: 29%
Muslim: 1%
Christian: 4%
Buddhist: 29%
Animist/tribal: 52%
Of the indiginous Arunachalee today there are several religious groups. There are the animatist/naturistic religions, Buddhist tribes, Hindu tribes, some Christians and a tiny minority of muslims.
Buddhism of both the Mahayana and Hinayana sect is practiced among the tribes of Tawang and West Kameng, West Siang and Lohit. The centre of Mahayana Buddhism in Arunachal is Tawang monastery, founded 370 years ago and now one of the largest in asia. The Hinayana sect has its headquarters at Chowkam. These Buddhist tribes have a written history and set places of worship. They have an organised priesthood and sophisticated ritual and liturgy, temples, images, sacred texts and an organised priesthood.
Those tribes following an animistic tradition tend, within the different systems of belief, to involve one supreme high god or supernatural being plus a host of other spirits and deities. This can involve the dual existance of a high god in the sky and another high god on the earth. The high god is always believed to be benevolent, while the ground dwelling spirits are both malevolent and benevolent. The structure and function of the pantheon and the system of belief surrounding it reinforced the sense of order and continuity which is a characteristic of the tribal groups. An absolute belief in the qualities and powers of the gods have, like the unchallengable cultural and social rules of the tribe, been a strong factor in maintaining the cohesion, inward focus and therefore history of each group. Among the manifestations of these beliefs are the Adis and Abo-Tanis who follow Doni Poloism, or worship of the sun and moon. Often the tribes will not worship their supreme god, whose absolute indifference and power does not require it, rather they concentrate on the malevolent minor spirits who must be appeased with offerings. As in the case of social law and custom the system of belief is transmitted orally from generation to generation, the ritual complex being interwoven with everyday events such as agriculture, hunting and fishing as befits a religion based on the understanding and practical control of everyday events rather than the abstract consideration of spiritual matters.
People
Although a number of tribal groups constitute the total population, the density of the population is only 8 per sq. km. There are as many as 25 tribal groups that form the population in the state. There are six main towns and over 3250 villages in the state, divided, working west to east around the state, as follows:
Tawang and East and West Kameng Monpas, Shedupens, Akas, Khowas, Mijis, Nishing and Sulungs.
Upper and Lower Subansiri Nishing, Apatanis, Hill Miris, Tagins and Na.
East, West and Upper Siang Adi, Membas and Khembas.
Lohit and Dibang Districts Khamtis, Singphos, Meyors, Zankharings.
Changlang and Tirap Noctes, Wanchos, Tangsas and Lisus.
All the individual tribes have a rich cultural heritage and have been unspoiled due to the remoteness of this area which has been closed until now. During the 200 years of British rule in India the British Government controlled the area from the outside, and in 1947 there were only 105 miles of road in the state. Arunachal Pradesh is one of the few states in British India which Christian missionaries were not allowed to enter, unlike Nagaland and Mizoram.
Across the wide variety of traditions, history and religious belief among the tribes, there are some generalisations that can be made:
The society of Arunachal is patriarchal. They generally observe a rule of marrying within their own tribe. Polygamy is socially sanctioned and practised by most of them. The people are highly democratic and each tribe has its own organised institutions that maintain law and order, decide disputes and take up all activities of the welfare of the village, although the form of this institution varies, from a headman in the Nishi and Idu Mishmi tribes to an elected village council among most of the other groups.
Materially there are again three main groupings, roughly as follows:
Terrace cultivation, herding yak, sheep and ponies Monpas, Sherdukpens, Membas and Khambas
Wet rice cultivation, domestic buffalo and elephant Khamptis, Apatamis and Singphos
Shifting cultivation and hunting The remainder of the tribal groups
Generally the tribes have lived as integrated groups independant of each other. Overall they have lived uniform lives, with economic parity being the norm within tribes. Socities are castless, but are divided into groups according to status and position. Tribes are governed by groups of elders or individual chiefs, and age is also an important divider of tribes, with the young organized around dormitory institutions to act as implementers of the decisions and instructions of the older generation who again acted through village councils or chiefs.
Law and codes of practice were unwritten and handed down as a common and absolute authority administered by the elders/council/headman. Agricultural and other production was generally for consumption only within a family. Women were the main producers both in the home and field, and the men maintained law and order and governed inter-tribal affairs.
Head-hunting has long since ceased in the state (unlike Nagaland) and the Arunachalis are generally known to be a peace-loving people. However, one famous tribe in particular ( the Wanchos of the south eastern Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh, who saw action against the British in the mid 19th century), used to infiltrate and attack the ferocious Konyak tribes of north-eastern Nagaland until quite recently. The Konyak tribes of north-east Nagaland still occasionally head-hunt today.
Although a number of tribal groups constitute the total population, the density of the population is only 8 per sq. km. There are as many as 25 tribal groups that form the population in the state. There are six main towns and over 3250 villages in the state, divided, working west to east around the state, as follows:
Tawang and East and West Kameng Monpas, Shedupens, Akas, Khowas, Mijis, Nishing and Sulungs.
Upper and Lower Subansiri Nishing, Apatanis, Hill Miris, Tagins and Na.
East, West and Upper Siang Adi, Membas and Khembas.
Lohit and Dibang Districts Khamtis, Singphos, Meyors, Zankharings.
Changlang and Tirap Noctes, Wanchos, Tangsas and Lisus.
All the individual tribes have a rich cultural heritage and have been unspoiled due to the remoteness of this area which has been closed until now. During the 200 years of British rule in India the British Government controlled the area from the outside, and in 1947 there were only 105 miles of road in the state. Arunachal Pradesh is one of the few states in British India which Christian missionaries were not allowed to enter, unlike Nagaland and Mizoram.
Across the wide variety of traditions, history and religious belief among the tribes, there are some generalisations that can be made:
The society of Arunachal is patriarchal. They generally observe a rule of marrying within their own tribe. Polygamy is socially sanctioned and practised by most of them. The people are highly democratic and each tribe has its own organised institutions that maintain law and order, decide disputes and take up all activities of the welfare of the village, although the form of this institution varies, from a headman in the Nishi and Idu Mishmi tribes to an elected village council among most of the other groups.
Materially there are again three main groupings, roughly as follows:
Terrace cultivation, herding yak, sheep and ponies Monpas, Sherdukpens, Membas and Khambas
Wet rice cultivation, domestic buffalo and elephant Khamptis, Apatamis and Singphos
Shifting cultivation and hunting The remainder of the tribal groups
Generally the tribes have lived as integrated groups independant of each other. Overall they have lived uniform lives, with economic parity being the norm within tribes. Socities are castless, but are divided into groups according to status and position. Tribes are governed by groups of elders or individual chiefs, and age is also an important divider of tribes, with the young organized around dormitory institutions to act as implementers of the decisions and instructions of the older generation who again acted through village councils or chiefs.
Law and codes of practice were unwritten and handed down as a common and absolute authority administered by the elders/council/headman. Agricultural and other production was generally for consumption only within a family. Women were the main producers both in the home and field, and the men maintained law and order and governed inter-tribal affairs.
Head-hunting has long since ceased in the state (unlike Nagaland) and the Arunachalis are generally known to be a peace-loving people. However, one famous tribe in particular ( the Wanchos of the south eastern Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh, who saw action against the British in the mid 19th century), used to infiltrate and attack the ferocious Konyak tribes of north-eastern Nagaland until quite recently. The Konyak tribes of north-east Nagaland still occasionally head-hunt today.
Economy
The economy of Arunachal Pradesh is primarily agricultural/forest based. Slash and burn cultivation, known as ‘jhumming’ is the traditional method of farming, involving about three quarters of currently available land. Land is held on an individual, clan/tribe or common basis. Jhum farming is done on a 6-10 year cycle to allow for regeneration of land, and between the agricultural tribes there is a variety of crops and methods used.
There is also a close working connection with the forest, for collection of food, hunting, timber construction and medicine making from herbs and plants. On a larger scale there are now small and medium sized sawmills and plywood production units in the state, both privately owned and co-operative. There is a small amount of coal mining in the state, along with some intensive searching for oil by the state.
Horticulture is another industry, with production of pineapples, citrus fruit and apples, along with some small scale tea, black pepper, cardoman and coffee production.
As with many non industrial or tribal areas of India the state has spend a considerable amount of time and money to set up cottage industry schools and centres, producing in Arunachal Pradesh cane weaving and basketry, wood carving, textiles and carpets.
In the state there are still small areas where barter is the primary means of exchange, although the use of money is now widespread.
The economy of Arunachal Pradesh is primarily agricultural/forest based. Slash and burn cultivation, known as ‘jhumming’ is the traditional method of farming, involving about three quarters of currently available land. Land is held on an individual, clan/tribe or common basis. Jhum farming is done on a 6-10 year cycle to allow for regeneration of land, and between the agricultural tribes there is a variety of crops and methods used.
There is also a close working connection with the forest, for collection of food, hunting, timber construction and medicine making from herbs and plants. On a larger scale there are now small and medium sized sawmills and plywood production units in the state, both privately owned and co-operative. There is a small amount of coal mining in the state, along with some intensive searching for oil by the state.
Horticulture is another industry, with production of pineapples, citrus fruit and apples, along with some small scale tea, black pepper, cardoman and coffee production.
As with many non industrial or tribal areas of India the state has spend a considerable amount of time and money to set up cottage industry schools and centres, producing in Arunachal Pradesh cane weaving and basketry, wood carving, textiles and carpets.
In the state there are still small areas where barter is the primary means of exchange, although the use of money is now widespread.
Climate
The climate during the summer is hot and humid at the lower altitudes and in the valleys covered by dense tropical forests, particularly in the far eastern section, while it becomes exceedingly cold at higher altitudes. The rainfall is amongst the heaviest in India, with the annual average being more than 300cm! Therefore, as can be expected, the vegetation varies greatly in relation to the elevation, ranging from a wide belt of tropical rain forest along the foothills and the low lying areas, to tropical and sub-tropical at higher altitude.
More climate information
The climate during the summer is hot and humid at the lower altitudes and in the valleys covered by dense tropical forests, particularly in the far eastern section, while it becomes exceedingly cold at higher altitudes. The rainfall is amongst the heaviest in India, with the annual average being more than 300cm! Therefore, as can be expected, the vegetation varies greatly in relation to the elevation, ranging from a wide belt of tropical rain forest along the foothills and the low lying areas, to tropical and sub-tropical at higher altitude.
More climate information