Rengma

Infobox Ethnic group
group = Rengma
population = 50,966 (Nagaland [http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_st_nagaland.pdf 2001 Census of India] ] )
region1 = flag|India
pop1 =
ref1 =
region2 =
pop2 =
ref2 =
languages = Northern Rengma Naga and Southern Rengma Naga
religions = Christianity, Animism
related = Other Naga tribes
footnotes =

Rengma is a Naga tribe found in Nagaland and Assam states of India. According to the 2001 census of India, the Rengma population in Nagaland was 50,966 i.e. 2.9% of the total Naga population.

History

Like other Naga tribes, there are few written historical records of Rengmas.

According to the local traditions, the Rengmas and the Lothas (or Lhotas) were once part of a single tribe. [cite book
title = Journal of Anthropological Research
publisher = University of New Mexico
year = 1973
oclc = 60616192
pages = 168] There are also oral records of a mighty struggle between the combined Rengma villages, and the Lotha village of Phiro. [cite book
last = Hutton
first = J H
title = The Angami Nagas with Some Notes on Neighbouring Tribes
publisher = Macmillan and co.
location = London
origyear = 1921
oclc = 44920051
pages = 7] There are records of the Rengmas' conflict with the Angami Nagas. [cite book
last = Singh
first = Kumar Suresh
title = Economies of the Tribes and Their Transformation
publisher = Concept
year = 1982
oclc = 9592718
pages = 55]

Slavery used to be a practice among the Rengmas, and the slaves were known by the names "menugetenyu" and "itsakesa". By the time the British arrived in the Naga region, the slavery was a declining practice, and no Rengma appears to have been a slave during this time. [cite book
last = Raghavaiah
first = V.
title = Tribal Revolts
publisher = Andhra Rashtra Adimajati Sevak Sangh
location = Nellore
year = 1971
oclc = 588863
pages = 77]

In Assam, the Rengma tribals are found in the Mikir Hills subdivision. [cite book
last = Bordoloi
first = B N
title = District Handbook: United Mikir and North Cachar Hills
publisher = Tribal Research Institute
location = Shillong
year = 1972
oclc = 814921
pages = 19-20] Compared to the Mikirs, they are relatively recent immigrants from the eastern side of the Dhansiri. [cite book
last = Stack
first = Edward
coauthors = Charles James Lyall
title = The Mikirs: From the Papers of the Late Edward Stack
publisher = D. Nutt
location = London
origyear = 1908
oclc = 4124475
pages = 3]

ubgroups

The Rengma Nagas are divided into two groups: the Eastern Rengmas, and the Western Rengmas. [cite book
last = Subba
first = Tanka Bahadur
coauthors = G C Ghosh
title = The Anthropology of North-East India: A Textbook
publisher = Orient Longman
location = New Delhi
year = 2003
oclc = 76822515
isbn = 978-8125023357
pages = 237]

Economy

The Rengmas are experts in terrace cultivation. [cite book
last = Mohammad Abbas
first = Khan
title = Social Change in 21st Century
publisher = Anmol Publications
location =
origyear =
oclc =
isbn = 8126121033
pages = 7]

Culture

Traditional clothing

The traditional Rengma clothing consists of various types of clothes, which are indicative of the status and position of the weavers. A man who has not been able to offer a great feast, or has never killed an enemy, may wear an ordinary type of cloth called "rhikho". "Rhikho" is a white cloth with four narrow black bands. The number of black bands varies with the age of the wearer. "Moyet tsu" is another ordinary type of cloth, worn by the young men. It is a dark blue cloth with a very broad median band, and embroidered with a thin zigzag pattern in red at the edges. "Alungtsu" is a cloth for well-to-do men, who have not yet offered a great feast. "Teri Phiketsu" is a shawl, which requires the wearer to perform the head hunting ceremony. [cite web
url = http://ignca.nic.in/craft256.htm
title = Textiles of Nagaland
publisher = Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
accessdate = 2007-10-25]

Rengmas make yellow dye from the flowers of a tree, and also practise painting on cloth.

Ngada festival

The harvest festival of the Rengmas is called Ngada (or Ngadah). It is an eight-day Ngadah festival that marks the end of the agricultural season. [cite web
url = http://nagaland.nic.in/profile/festivals/rengma.htm
title = "Ngadah" (The Festival of Rengma Tribe)
publisher = Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Nagaland State Centre
accessdate = 2007-10-25] Ngadah is celebrated just after the harvest, towards the end of November. The village high priest ("Phesengu") announces the date of commencement of the festival.

The schedule of the festival is as follows:

During Ngadah, the Rengmas also perform a folk dance, with traditional warrior attire. [cite web
url = http://mha.nic.in/nenl0204.htm
title = Republic Day Folk Dance Festival – 2004
work = N E Newsletter Vol. 6 No. 2
month = February
year = 2004
publisher = Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Nagaland State Centre
accessdate = 2007-10-25]

Other tribal customs

The Rengma tribals bury their dead, and place the spear and the shield of the deceased in the grave. [cite book
editor = Edward Balfour
title = Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia
publisher = Scottish and Adelphi Pr
location = Madras
origyear = 1873
oclc = 162602290] The funeral ceremonies end with lamentations and feasting. [cite book
last = Mills
first = A. J. Moffatt
title = Report on Assam
publisher = Gian Publications
origyear = 1854
year = 1980
oclc = 8346539
pages = cxxix]

References

Further reading

* cite book
last = Mills
first = James Philip
title = The Rengma Nagas
publisher = Macmillan and Co./United Publishers
origyear = 1937
year = 1980
oclc = 826343
* cite book
last = Kath
first = Kenilo
title = Traditional religious systems of the Rengma Nagas
publisher = Anshah Publishing House
location = Delhi
year = 2005
isbn = 978-8183640039
oclc = 62534151