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|
 Chutia women preparing pithas during Bihu/Bisu. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 2 – 2.5 million[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Predominantly in Upper Assam, Central Assam and in districts of Arunachal Pradesh; urban areas across Assam, India | |
| Languages | |
| Assamese | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism (specifically Ekasarana Dharma)[2][3] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Part of a series on the |
| Culture of Assam |
|---|
 |
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The Chutia people (Pron: /ˈsʊðiːjɑː/ or Sutia) are an ethnic group that are native to Assam and historically associated with the Chutia kingdom.[7] However, after the kingdom was absorbed into the Ahom kingdom in 1523–24, the Chutia population was widely displaced and dispersed in other parts of Upper Assam[8][9] as well as Central Assam.[10] They constitute one of the core groups that form the Assamese people.[11][12]
A 2004 genetic study has found that in the "tribal" and "caste" continuum, the Chutia people occupy an ambiguous position in the middle,[13] along with the Ahoms and the Rajbanshis.[14] The historic Chutias originally belonged to the Bodo–Kachari group[15] with some suspected Shan admixtures;[16] nevertheless, it is estimated that their ruling families were originally either matrilineal or not entirely patrilineal.[17] The Chutia people experienced Sanskritisation when the Chutia kingdom was extant,[18][19] and later from Ekasarana dharma.[20] They have also assimilated with other groups especially the Ahoms.[21]
The Chutia community is recognized as an Other Backward Class by the Government of India.[22] Currently there is a political movement to include the Chutia community in the scheduled tribes list of India.[23] During the colonial period, the Chutia community had the second largest population in Upper Assam (east of Kaliabor).[24] Today, most of them reside in this region of Upper Assam.
- ^ "Chutiyas to shun Cong". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ Comprehensive history of Assam, SL Baruah. p. 182.
- ^ Comprehensive history of Assam, SL Baruah. pp. 403, 406–7.
- ^ "639 Identifier Documentation: aho – ISO 639-3". SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics). SIL International. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
Ahom [aho]
- ^ "Population by Religious Communities". Census India – 2001. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
Census Data Finder/C Series/Population by Religious Communities
- ^ "Population by religion community – 2011". Census of India, 2011. The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Archived from the original on 25 August 2015.
2011census/C-01/DDW00C-01 MDDS.XLS
- ^ "In the chronicles of Assam, either in the Tai-Ahom or Assamese languages, two kingdoms were important in 15th and 16th century Upper Assam. These two “peoples” were called Kachari and Chutiya in the Assamese language, and respectively Tumisa (or Timisa) and Tiora in the Tai-Ahom language."(Jacquesson 2008:29)
- ^ "(After defeating the Chutiyas, a number) of blacksmiths and other artisans were taken from Sadiya to the Ahom capital. Having settled all these matters Suhunmung returned to Charaideo where he performed the 'Rikkhan' ceremony"(Baruah 2007:178)
- ^ (Sarma 1993:287) Dewanar Atla: "Suhungmung or Swarganarayan, after defeating Dhirnarayana and his minister Kasitora, received a number of Dola, Kali..Hiloi and gunpowder (Kalai-khar). Besides these, he also made a number of blacksmiths (Komar) prisoners and settled them either at Bosa (in present-day Jorhat district) or Ujjoni regions")
- ^ "(T)he outer limit of Darrang district, in the western-most extent of which Ahom conquerors settled the vanquished Chutiyas in the early part of the sixteenth century."(Shin 2020:53)
- ^ "They [Chutias] posed a formidable barrier to Ahom expansion and growth as such, their annihilation and absorption by the Ahoms was the natural outcome. In the Ahomisation process, some of them became Ahom-chutiyas who were admitted into the higher offices in the Ahom government. The conquest and absorption of the Chutiyas were a shot in the arm in the Ahom state building process."(Buragohain 1988:70)
- ^ "Many were the people throughout Assam who considered themselves “Chutiyas”, especially in Upper Assam, but they were considered to be an Assamese 'caste' since they were (and still are) quite indistinguishable from common Assamese people; actually, they were (and still are) one of those traditional groups of Assam that came to form the Assamese people." (Jacquesson 2008:29)
- ^ "The process of assimilation of some of the tribes in the caste hierarchy is probably reflected in the broad constellation of populations in the multidimensional plot (Fig. 3); on the one end it is the constellation of populations subscribing to the caste system, while the other end of the plot is the constellation of tribal groups. In between lie groups like the Rajbanshi, Chutiya, and Ahom, which were supposed to have undergone the process discussed above." (Kumar, Basu & Reddy 2004:339)
- ^ "The Chutia, Ahom, and Rajbanshis constitute a separate and compact cluster positioned in the center of MDS plot."(Kumar, Basu & Reddy 2004:341)
- ^ (M)embers of the Mataks like the Morans, Barahis, Kacharis and Chutiyas, being members of the great Bodo family, had allied religious beliefs and customs. All of them worshipped a Primodial male deity and a Primodial female deity, and all of them were animist.(Dutta 1985:48)
- ^ "From the physical appearance of the Chutiyas, Gait opinies "they have in their frames a considerable infusion of Shan blood...." This may be possible because the Chutiyas were the next neighbours of the Shans of southeast Asia"(Dutta 1985:28)
- ^ "The epigraphic record of Satyanārāyaṇa, whose lineage is named in reference to his maternal uncle, is therefore significant. It may constitute evidence of matrilineality of the Sadiya-based Chutiya ruling family, or that their system was not exclusively patrilineal."(Shin 2020:54)
- ^ "The frequent appearance of Vaiṣṇava brahmins in the Chutiya royal grants shows their enhanced presence in the court and rural society" (Shin 2020:55)
- ^ (Dutta 1985, p. 29)
- ^ "(A)fter the sixteenth century with the advent of the neo-Vaiṣṇava movement of Śankaradeva which brought about a profound change in the cultural and historical consciousness of the local population, including the Chutiyas."(Shin 2020:55)
- ^ " While the Ahom has a subdivision called "Chutia", the Chutia have a section known as "Ahom". (Kumar, Basu & Reddy 2004:337)
- ^ "Central List of OBCs". National Commission for Backward Classes. 9 January 2015. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ "Modern Chutiyas, who would be very pleased to be registered as a schedule tribe, have now and then used Brown's book (or at least its title) as a political weapon. The Deoris, on the contrary, are not happy with this unfortunate misunderstanding, because they hope their smaller tribe will not be merged into the much larger Chutiya group." (Jacquesson 2008:29)
- ^ "In the parts east from Kaliabor, the tribe next most numerous is called Chutiya."(Hamilton 1940, p. 53)