Khamyang people

Tai-Khamyang
Total population
c. 7000
Regions with significant populations
Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
Languages
Khamyang, Assamese
Religion
Theravada Buddhism
Related ethnic groups
Khamyang people
Thai name
Thaiไทคำยัง

The Khamyang (Tai-Khamyangs or Shyam), is a subgroup of the Tai peoples of Southeast Asia.[1] They are numerically a small indigenous group found in Tinsukia, Jorhat, Sivasagar and Golaghat districts of Assam, and adjacent parts of Arunachal Pradesh. Their population totals about 7,000, of which only a small minority speak the native Tai Khamyang language while the vast majority speak the Assamese language. The Khamyang are followers of Theravada Buddhism and are closely related to the Khamti. They maintain good relations with other Tai Buddhist tribes of Assam.

They ruled an independent principality in Mungkong until the end of the 18th century. Many Khamyang have historically used "Shyam", which is a cognate with "Siam", the old word for Thailand, as a surname. The modern trend is for mostly their family names: Thaomung, Chowlu, Chowlik, Tungkhang, Wailong, Pangyok, Chowsong and Chowhai.

  1. ^ Sonowal, Ripunjoy; Barua, Indira (2011-04-01). "Ethnomedical Practices among the Tai-Khamyangs of Assam, India". Studies on Ethno-Medicine. 5 (1): 41–50. doi:10.1080/09735070.2011.11886390. ISSN 0973-5070. S2CID 80422538.