Tripura People
The indigenous Tripuri people are of Mongoloid stock. Originally they migrated from near the upper courses of the Yangtsekiang and the Hwangho rivers in Western China. They had left China long before the Sui dynasty came to power. At the time of migration they were animists. So it may be reasonably assumed that they migrated before 65 AD, the year Budhism was introduced in China. The common reference to the Mongoloid people as "Kiratas" and "Cinas" in the early Sanskrit texts of India unmistakably indicates that they came down to the Assam valley long before the dawn of Christian era.
Tripuris entered their present country through its north-eastern corner , settled there and gradually expanded their settlement and suzerainty over the whole of Tripura. They were able to expand their influence as far south as Chittagong, as far west as Comilla and Noakhali (known during the British period as 'plains Tipwrah') and as far north as Sylhet (all in present Bangladesh). Hardly their forefathers could imagine that their descendents were destined to build a strong monarchy and resist the advance of the Mughals. The ruling dynasty passed through several vicissitudes of history and ruled Tripura for several centuries till up to 14 October 1949, the day Trupura was annexed by India.
Tripura's ethnic mosaic is as colorful as the state's landscape : Kerala on the turbulent Arabian seashores may be 'God's own country' but Tripura is the veritale 'Daughter of Mother Nature'. The grace and grandeur of Tripura's lush green landscape is heightened by its rich human resource reflected in the ethnic , linguistic and cultural diversity of the population.
Traditional home to the indigenous tribals over the past millennium, Tripura had beckoned and welcomed the settlement of non-tribals down the annals of history. As attested by the enumeration of the first imperial census conducted in 1872 Tripura had a non-tribal population of 30% which grew substantially in the succeeding decadal censuses. In accordance with the returns of 2011 census indigenous tribals comprising altogether 19 communities constitute 31.05% of the state's population while 69.95% are non-tribals including a fair sprinkling of Manipuris. Among the tribals Tripuri or 'Debbarman' community form the vast majority of around fifty percent while the non-tribal population comprising by and large the Bengalis and a minuscule number of Meithei and Vishnupriya Manipuris belong to various castes and sub-castes.
The Tripuri people have a rich historical, social and cultural heritage which is totally distinct from that of the mainland Indians, their distinctive culture as reflected in their dance, music, festivals, management of community affairs, dress and food habit has a strong Mongoloid Base. Kok Borok, the linguafranca of the twelve largest linguistic groups of the indigenous Tripuris and other dialects spoken in Trpura are of the Tibeto-Burman group as distinct from those spoken in India. There is no influence whatsoever of from those spoken by other Mongoloid peoples in the North-eastern region.
While Hinduism continues to be the religious faith of majority population, Islam, Christianity and Buddhism thrive on the state's ethos of religious tolerance and cultural harmony. The visit of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in February this year evoked a keen and respectful interest not only in the traditionally Buddhist communities of Chakmas and Mogs but in the cross-section of the populace.
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