Nyishi people: Difference between revisions

{{shortShort description|Ethnic group in Arunachal Pradesh in north-eastern, India}}

| group = Nyishi|

| image_caption = ATwo Nyishigirls manof With a [[Great hornbill|hornbill]]Nyishi headdresstribe

| total = 249,824

| total_ref = <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/ST.html|title=A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix|publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India|website=www.censusindia.gov.in|access-date=2017-11-03}}</ref>

| total_year = 2011 census

| popplace = {{flag|India}} ([[Arunachal Pradesh]])

| languages = [[NyishiTani languagelanguages|NyishiTani]]

| religions = [[Donyi-Polo|Donyi-Polo]], (sun and moon)[[Christianity]], [[Hinduism]], [[ChristianityIslam]]

| footnotes =

Their'''Nyishi''' populationcommunity of around 300,000 makes themis the mostlargest populousethnic tribegroup ofin [[Arunachal Pradesh]], closely followed by the tribes of thein [[AdiNortheast peopleIndia|Adinorth-eastern]] according to 2001 census[[India]]. The [[Nyishi language]] belongs to the [[Sino-Tibetan languages|Sino-Tibetan]] family, however, the origin is disputed. Their population of around 300,000 makes them the most populous tribe of [[Arunachal Pradesh]], closely followed by the tribes of the [[Adi people|Adi]] according to 2001 census.

[[Polygyny]] is prevalent among the Nyishi. It signifies one's social status and economical stability and also proves handy during hard times like clan wars or social huntings and various other social activities. This practice, however is diminishing especially with the modernization and also with the spread of Christianity. They trace their descent [[Patrilineality|patrilineally]] and are divided into several clans.<ref>{{cite book|title=Arunachal Pradesh|author=India Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Published by Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India |title=Arunachal Pradesh |year=1979 |pages=15–6}}</ref>

In [[Nyishi language|Nyishi]], ''Nyi'' refers to "a human" and the word ''shi'' denotes "highlandhere, this or being", thereby Nyishi means human being or this human.<ref name="auto">{{citationCite web needed|title=The Nyishi Tribe - Arunchal Pradesh |url=https://www.thenyishitribe.com/ |access-date=March2024-03-07 2023|website=The Nyishi Tribe |language=en}}</ref> The Nyishis are mentioned as the '''Dafla''' people in the contemporary Ahom documents and consequently, the British documents, and historians of the post-independence period also used the same term. ThisThe terminologyNyishi isare geographically concentrated around the Dafla Hill range, howeverlocated in the northern part of the Papum Pare district. Previously, notthey usedwere nowadaysreferred to as Dafla, a term replaced by "Nyishi" through the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Act of 2008.{{citation<ref needed|datename=March 2023}}"auto"/>

==DemographicsDistributions==

They are spread across eight districts of [[Arunachal Pradesh]]: [[Kra Daadi district|Kra Daadi]], [[Kurung Kumey district|Kurung Kumey]], [[East Kameng district|East Kameng]], [[West Kameng district|West Kameng]], [[Papum Pare district|Papum Pare]], [[Keyi Panyor district|Keyi Panyor]], parts of [[Lower Subansiri district|Lower Subansiri]], [[Kamle district|kamleKamle]], and [[Pakke-Kessang district|Pakke Kessang]] district. The Kurung Kumey and Kra Daadi districts have the largest concentration of Nyishi population. The Nyishis also live in the [[Sonitpur district|Sonitpur]] and [[North Lakhimpur]] districts of [[Assam]].

The Nyishi are agriculturalists who practice [[Slash-and-burn|''jhum'']], known as ''rët rung-o'' in [[Nishi language|Nyishi]], which is a form of shifting cultivation. The principal crops raised include paddy (rice), ''toppu'' ([[maize]]), ''mekung'' ([[cucumber]]), ''tak-yi'' ([[ginger]]), ''aeng'' ([[Yam (vegetable)|yam]]s) and ''temi'' ([[millet]]), thumpe ''(pumkinpumpkin)'', perring (''bean'') and some leafy vegetables as their self-subsistence products . Rice is the staple food of the people, supplemented by fish, meat of various animals, edible tubers. Before a Western market economic system arrived, they used a barter system. They greatly valued the generalized reciprocity and also balance reciprocity in their economic system. A locally-made drink known as ''upo'' (the two types of ''upo'': ''pone'', made of rice, and ''polin'' which is made of millet) is served at every social gatherings and important events. The Nyishis are typically fond of it. Traditional ways of preparing them include fermentation, steaming, roasting and smoking. Recently they have been forced to move towards a market based exchange economy.

The clothing of the men consists of two types of sleeveless shirts (letum) and with black and white stripe (pomo) made from thick cotton cloth, striped gaily with blue and red together with a mantle of cotton or wool fastened around the throat and shoulders. Strings made of beads in varying sizes and colours are also worn, mainly for decoration purposes and to show the wearer's status. They also carry a machete or [[Dao (Naga sword)|dao]] (''uryu'') in Nyishi) ([[short sword]]) and a knife (''{{Not a typo|chighi}}'') in a [[bamboo]] sheath that are mostly covered with animal furs. Their armamentornaments consistsconsist of a spear with an iron head, a large [[Dao (Naga sword)|sword]] (''uryu''), and a [[bow (weapon)|bow]] and arrows which are tipped with poison (''um-yu''). During war both the chest and back are covered with shields made from [[gayal|sabbe]] buffalo hide, and over it they wear a black cloak made of indigenous fibre.

[[File:Nyokum festival Nyishi.JPG|thumb|A festival of the Nyishi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, India.]]''Nyokum, Boori-Boot, and Longte'' isare the festivalfestivals celebrated by the Nyishi people, which commemorates their ancestors.