Tibeto-Burman and Tai peoples of Assam
| Languages | |
|---|---|
| Assamese • English• others | |
| Religion | |
•  Hinduism • Christianity• Buddhism
|
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Tibeto-Burman languages, Tai languages |
The Tibeto-Burman and Tai people of Assam are the different groups of people who migrated from East Asia and Southeast Asia into the Brahmaputra Valley during the ancient and medieval period. Today, they represent almost 60% of the population of Assam and have made a strong impact on the social, cultural and political aspects of the state.
The first group of migrated from Tibet and South China who spoke Tibeto-Burman languages during the second century BCE. These people are today identified as Monpa and Sherdukpen people of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh and the Bodo-Kachari people scattered over Assam and the Karbis of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao. According to sir E.A Gait, Bodos are perhaps the first inhabitants of the Brahmaputra Valley.
The second wave of Indo-Mongoloid were Tibeto-Burman-speaking groups who migrated from what is modern Sichuan. They attribute some of their ancestry to the Shan people in Burma and Northern Thailand. They are today recognised as the Koch Rajbongshi and Sutiya people of the Brahmaputra Valley as well as the Tiprasa in the state of Tripura.
The third wave of Mongoloid group into Assam was led by a Shan group called Ahom when Sukaphaa lead his group into Assam via the Pangsau pass in the Patkai from South China. The Ahoms were followed by other Tai people who were Buddhists: Khamti, Khamyang, Aiton, Phake and Turung peoples who settled in Upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
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