The Kacháris

Adoption, 30

Agglutinative verb, 78

Ahom, domination over Chutiyás, etc., 6

Ahom, marriage rites among Moráns, 89

Altar, domestic, 42

Ancestors, worship of, 34

Animism, 33

Areca nut (name of a clan), 26

Bamboo groves (as totems), 26

Banhbároi (bamboo-grove clan), 26

Bårås (statistics of), 5

Bargaya clan, 93

Básumati-ároi clan (among Bårås), 25

Bathan brai (household god), 35

Bathan (euphorbia), as a god, 36

Beggars (as a clan), 25

Bhíma (traditional ancestor of Kacháris in Kachár), 7

Bibizia-ároi (the beggars’ clan), 25

Bihár (traditional ancestor of Chutiyás), 90

Bihu festival, 34, 49

Bing-bing-ároi (the musician clan), 26

Birth ceremonies, 41

Bodo place-names, 4

Brahmároi (the priestly clan), 26

Brahmins, satire on, 63

Bride price, 31, 44
among Chutiyás, 95
among Moráns, 89

Burial, 46
among Chutiyás, 96
among Meches, 87
among Moráns, 89
among Rábhás, 85

Burial mounds, 89

Burmese origin of Moráns, 88

Capture, marriage by, 43
among Moráns, 89

Castor-oil plant, 20

Cattle taking a share in festivals, 51

Ceremonies at birth, 41

Chaklang marriage, among Moráns, 89

Chastity, rules of, 30
among Hájongs, 86

Cholera, worship to avert, 39

Chutiyás, 5, 90
in Western Assam, 91
history of, 6
clans among, 93

Counting, system of among Bodos, 73

“Copper” temple at Sadiya, 93 Corvée among Kacháris, 13

Cremation, among Kacháris, 48
among Chutiyás, 96
among Hájongs, 87
among Moráns, 89
among Rábhás, 85

Crops, 14

Daha (or daśa) ceremony, 89

Datiyals (nickname for Rábhás), 83

Deceased husband’s brother (marriage with), 29

Deities (or modais), 33

Deodáni (female exorcist), 40

Deoris (as priests), 24, 39, 90, 91

Dhekia-bári-ároi (fern-clan), 26

Dhimáls (statistics of), 5

Dibongia clan, 93

Dimāpur, founding of, 6

Di-má-sá (how separated from Bårå-fisá), 8
statistics of, 5

Ding-ároi (clan of makers of bamboo water-vessels), 26

Disease, beliefs as to, 33

Distribution of Bodo races, 4

Divorce, among Kacháris, 31
among Chutiyás, 95
among Hájongs, 86
among Moráns, 89

Doi-má-ároi, river-clan, 25

Domestic festivities, 49

Dower, recovery of, on divorce, 31

Earth (as a totem), 25

Elopement, marriage by, 43

Emao, ferment used in making rice-beer, 18

Endogamous clans among Chutiyás, 91

Endogamy in Kachári clans, 29
in royal clan among Dimásá, 28 Eri or Eranda (castor-oil plant), 20 Eri-cloth, market value of, 21

Euphorbia plant held sacred, 30

Exogamy among Di-má-sá, 27
among Meches, 82
among Rábhás, 83

Exorcism, 40

Fadam-ároi (a tree clan), 27

Festivals (domestic), 49
(tribal), 49

Fishing, 16

Fish, dried, use of, 15

Fish, as physician, 58

Fish-traps, 16

Food, 14

Food offered to corpse, 46

Funeral ceremony, 46

Furniture, etc., 12

Gamári tree, 20

Gandhret-ároi (Kachári clan), 25

Gáros, 81
statistics of, 5

Gáro tradition as to Bodo origins, 3

Girási-girá (male and female deities of Chutiyás), 93

Gods, Household, 35–36
village, 35

Goi-bári-ároi (areca nut clan), 26

Govinda-Chandra, last Kachári King of Kachár, 7

Grammar, 71 et seq.

Háchum-sá (royal endogamous clan), 28

Ha(i)jongs (statistics of), 5

Hájong tribe, 85

Harvest festivities, 38, 49

Harvesting, method of, 13

Headhunting, 32

Heroes as deities, 38

Hidamba (reputed ancestor of Meches), 82

Hindu influence among Moráns, 88
among Rábhás, 85

Hojais, clans of, 27
statistics of, 5

Houses, nature of, 11

Household gods, 35

Human sacrifices, 93

Hunting, 15

Hypergamy, among Rábhás, 83
among Kacháris, 29

Idols, use of, 40

Infant marriage, absence of, 44

Inheritance, rules of, 32

Initiation (of children), 42
of Kacháris into Rábhá tribe, 84

Irrigation, system of, 12

Jungle-grass, as a totem, 25

Jute, as a totem, 25

Kachári dwárs, probable origin of, 8

Kacháris as labourers on tea estates, 14

Kapáhiyas (Morán sub-tribe), 87

Khágrábáriyá tribe, 10

Kháng Khlo-ároi, clan of among Kacháris, 25

Kháspur, founding of, 6

Kherkhát-ároi (squirrel-clan), 27

Koch, Kingdom of, 5

Koches, statistics of, 5

Kurungá tree, 20

Kuvera as a Kachári deity, 38
in Chutiyá legends, 90

Labour, forced, 13

Lálungs, statistics of, 5

Language (Kachári) account of, 71
(Chutiyá), account of, 92
(Rábhá), account of, 83

Leeches (as a clan totem), 25

Loom, material and cost, 20

Maháliya, statistics of, 5

Mahalároi (trader-clan), 27

Maibong, founding of, 6

Mai-náo, (household goddess), 36
as goddess of harvest, 37

Máo-márároi, clan name taken from habitat of clan, 27

Marriage of Kacháris, 43
of Chutiyás, 94, 95
of Rábhás, 85

Marriage, Kachári ceremony of, 45
Mech ceremony of, 82
feasts, 46

Married life among Kacháris, 23

Mech tribe described, 81
statistics of, 5

Meches, totemistic clans of, 27

Midwives or dais, 41

Milk, dislike of, 15

Mleccha, probable origin of the word “Mech,” 81

Modais (or deities), 33

Moráns, statistics of, 5

Moráns, description of tribe, 87

“Morán Kacháris,” 87

Mosá-ároi, Kachári tiger clan, 26

Mosquito festival, 49

Musicians as a clan, 26

Nal-báriyá, tribe of Kacháris, 10

Naming of children, 42

Nárzi-ároi (Kachári clan), see ‘jute,’ 25

Natural forces, worship of, 34

Net, use of in the chase, 15

Number, mystic, 41, 47, 48

Ojhás or exorcisers, 24, 40

Ordeal by chewing rice, 31

Origin of Bodo Race, 3
Morán race, 88

Palhá (fish-trap), 16

Paramárthis (Hájong sub-tribe), 86

Paraśu Rám in Chutiyá legend, 90

Patorgiyá clan, 93

Penance on death of totem animal, 28

Phatika (distilled spirits), 19

Phulgariyás, (see Maháliyá), 5

Pishá-demá (Chutiyá deity), 93

Pishá-si (Chutiyá goddess), 93

Polyandry, non-existence of, 30

Polygamy, 30
among Chutiyás, 95

Presents, marriage, 45, 46

Price of grave paid to deity of spot, 47, 48

Priests, 24, 39
among Chutiyás, 93

Propitiation by sacrifice, 34

Rábhás, 83
statistics of, 5

Rám-sá-ároi (sons of Ráma, Kachári, clan), 26

Ráoná and Ráoni, story of, as explanation of lightning, 68

Rávana, as possible source of Kachári fable, 70

Religion of Kacháris, 33
of Moráns, 88
of Hájongs, 86
of Rábhás, 84

Rice-beer, preparation of, 17

Rice-crop, how grown, 12

Rivers as deities averting disease, 39
called by Bodo names in Assam, 4
creation of, 55
worship of, 36, 59
worshipped by Deori Chutiyás, 92

Sacred groves (or thánsális), 35

Sacrifice of animals, 29, 41

Sadiya, original seat of Chutiyá Kingdom, 90

Sangla tree, 20

Śanti-jal, water used for ceremonial purification, 29

Śaraniyas, (see Maháliyás), 5

Seasons, personified, 59

Sengfáng, name of male clan, 27

Service in lieu of brideprice, 44
among Chutiyás, 95

Sessamum as a totem, 25

Shares in inherited property, 32

Sibing-ároi, Kachári clan, 25

Siju plant, held sacred, 30

Silá-rai as a deity, 38

Silk (eri) culture, 19

Silkworms, 19

Śiva worshipped by Meches in place of Bathau, 82

Solanimiyas, statistics of, 5

Songs sung at festivals, 51

Spirits (distilled), 19

Spirits unable to cross water, 47

Squirrel, as a totem, 27

Śraddha (among Hájongs), 87
(observed by Meches), 83

Śrī, god of good luck, 57

Survival after death, 38

Swarga-ároi, clan of, 24

Telani ceremony, 89

Tengá-pániyá clan, 93

Thánsáli or sacred grove, 35

Thunder and Lightning, beliefs as to, 68

Tibetan origin of Bodos, tradition as to, 3

Tiger as a totem, 25
as a deity, 37

Tipperas, statistics of, 5

Totemistic clans, 24

Totems (1) Heaven, 24
(2) Earth, 25
(3) Tiger, 25, 82
(4) Junglegrass, 25
(5) Sessamum, 25
(6) Leech, 25
(7) Jute, 25
(8) Rivers, 25, 82
(9) Bamboo water vessels, 26
(10) Bamboos, 82
(11) Areca-nut, 26, 82
(12) Ferns, 26
(13) Squirrels, 27
(14) Fadam tree, 27

Totlas, nickname of Rábhás, 83

Umbilical cord, severing of, 41

Uncleanness (ceremonial), of a mother, 42

Villages, description of, 11

Village gods, 35

Vyavacáris (Hájong sub-tribe), 86

Water, reverence for, 34

Weaving, process of, 21

Widow-marriage (Kachári), 29
(among Hájongs), 87
(among Rábhás), 85

Wizards (among Chutiyás), 92

Women, employed in catching fish, 16

Women’s domestic duties, 37

Women, status of, 22

Zakhai (fish trap), 16

Zu or rice beer, 14
preparation of, 17

Zŭlu, name of female clan, 27