NAGA TRIBES
The Naga society is
matrilineal. A family is the
true social unit. The married son lives separately and establishers
his own house with his wife and unmarried children. The married daughters
are not sent to the house where they are married. Eldest member in the house
performs the religious rites to the domestic gods. They
observe exogamy within the tribal clans and endogamy in the Naga group. In every Tankhul village there are two village seniors,
Khullakpa and the Luplakpa. They maintain administration . The
authority is of religious origin. There are separate clubs for women and
girls. The unmarried women sleep in women's club and the unmarried boys
sleep in men's club. The women are not allowed to visit boy's clubs. The
patrileneal society has got male predominance in domestic affairs.
The unmarried girl is not allowed to eat flesh of male animals. The food taboo is also imposed on her while she attains puberty.
Men use nicotine but women are not allowed. The male element is
permanent and a woman after marriage is considered ex-hypothetic.
The society considers that each boy and girl has a social
responsibility on attaining certain age. For girls it is fourteen years.
Physical maturity is thus considered an important requirement to
make them socially responsible and at attaining the proper age they
are married. Naga society feels that marriage is a bond and it is an obligation
which has to be performed in the right way. They believe that marriage
confers one woman the right to enter the clan of her husband. The female club called Morung Ghar is visited by the young boys
at night are not common now but boys and girls get chance to meet one another on
occasions like festivals, ceremonies etc. Exogamy is observed by all groups.
Those who break the rule are punished .The bride price varies
according to the status of the husband, the girl's clan and the village.
There is no restriction on remarriage of widows may marry the deceased husband's
brother but it is not a rule. Divorce is not common. Polyandry is no custom. The eldest son inherit double the share of the father's immovable
property and equal share of movable property. Women do not share the immovable
property. Murder in a clan is rare, though a clan feud may some times result in
murder. Disputes are settled by the elders in the village. Self-ordeals
like plunging into the water pool and staying longest there, Oath
taking by touching tiger's teeth on Dao and some verbal oaths are common.
Chirus swear by the sun. In marings oath is taken near the
circle of stones collected in the village. Head-hunting was very distinctively
prevalent in Nagas. In many houses the collection of skulls of
the victims displayed as trophies of powers can be seen. Now this custom is not practiced
by any group of Naga tribes. They earn their living by hunting and fishing.
KUKIS
Kukis observe exogamy as regards the family and endogamy as
regard the clan. Marriage is permitted between the two exogamous clans namely
Chanang (Musum) and Kori (Mulchal) only and marriage of the same exogamous clan
is forbidden. The parents of the boy go to the parents of a girl and the
engagement is settled. The side which breaks the engagement is fined with one
mithun. In the Kuki society polygamy is not a system. It is only the
chief who used to have more than one wife. Widow remarriage solely depends upon
the will of the widow. The bride price is based upon the brides beauty, dowry
value and the clan she belongs to. The bride price of a chief's daughter used to
be ten mithuns. The brides parents kill two pigs or cows. The boy's parents
come with a mug of rice beer to settle the bride price. Divorce may not be
common but easy to settle if the couple is not in a position to continue their
married life together under certain circumstances. Adultery is punishable and rape is regarded as a crime. In
Manipuri Kukis, the eldest son inherits the property but this depends entirely
upon the final will of the father. It is rare that woman inherits property but
there are certain cases where women have inherited father's property. Kuki's are
very fond of songs and dances. Churachandpur is the centre of cultural
activities.
The bodies of wealthy men or the Rajas are dried over a slow
fire until the flesh gets smoked and hardened to the bone. They are then dressed
and laid out and kept in this way for a month or two before being finally
deposited in the earth. During the whole period the hospitality in the house
mourning is unbounded, mithuns, cows, buffaloes, horses, pigs, goats and dogs
are slain in number to feast the guests, portions of the flesh being likewise
sent to distant villages where any friend of the family may reside. The heads of
the slain animals together with those of enemies are placed under the body as
property of the deceased in the other world.
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