Naga is an umbrella term for several indigenous communities in Northeast India and Upper Burma. The word Naga originated as an exonym. Today, it covers a number of ethnic groups that reside in the Indian states of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and also in Myanmar.
Before the arrival of the British, the term "Naga" was used in Assam to refer to certain isolated ethnic groups. The British adopted this term for a number of ethnic groups in the surrounding area, based on loose linguistic and cultural associations. Nagaland became the 16th state on 1 December 1965.S. R. Tohring (2010) lists 66 Naga ethnic groups[1] whereas Kibangwar Jamir (2016) lists 67 ethnic groups.[2] The 1991 Census of India listed 35 Naga groups as Scheduled Tribes: 17 in Nagaland, 15 in Manipur and 3 in Arunachal Pradesh.[3]
Ethnic group | Country | Recognized as Scheduled Tribe by India in | Population [4] [5] [6] [7] | Reference for classification as Naga | Comments | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anāl | India, Myanmar | Manipur | 72,509 | S.R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Angami | India | Nagaland | 141,732 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Ao | India | Nagaland | 226,625 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Chakhesang | India | Nagaland | 154,874 | |||
Chang | India | Nagaland | 64,226 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Chirr | India | Nagaland | 138 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Chiru | India | Manipur | 8,599 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Chothe | India | Manipur | 3,585 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
India | Manipur | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||||
Kharam (also Purum) | India | Manipur | 1,145 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Khiamniungan | Myanmar, India | Nagaland | 61,647 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Also known as Nokow (Noko) in Myanmar. | |
Konyak | Myanmar, India | Nagaland | 205,458 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
India | Manipur | 7,770 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | |||
Lainong | Myanmar | Sagaing | 22,617 | Anui Sainyiu, 2002; S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Also known as Htangngan | |
Liangmai | India | Nagaland, Manipur | Part of Zeliangrong | |||
Lotha | India | Nagaland | 173,111 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Makury (sometimes spelt Makuri) | Myanmar, India | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Considered part of Yimkhiung in Nagaland, India | |||
Mao (also Ememei) | India | Manipur | 93,343 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Together with [Ekhramei|Khrasi ] | |
Maram | India | Manipur | 27,524 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
India | Manipur | 26,424 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | |||
India | Manipur | 2,427 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | |||
Moyon | Myanmar, India | Manipur | 2,516 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Moyon Naga.[8] [9] [10] | |
Nocte (or Nokte) | India | Arunachal Pradesh | 34,664 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Part of Tangshang Naga. | |
Para | Myanmar | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||||
Phom | India | Nagaland | 52,682 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Pochury | India | Nagaland | 21,948 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Poumai | India | Nagaland,Manipur | 127,381 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Rengma | India | Assam, Nagaland | 62,951 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
India | Assam, Manipur | 170,800 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Part of Zeliangrong | ||
Sangtam | India | Nagaland | 74,994 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Sümi (or Sema) | India | Nagaland | 236,313 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Tangkhul | India, Myanmar | Manipur | 178,568 | |||
Tangsa (or Tase in language coding name) | India, Myanmar | Arunachal Pradesh | 15,295 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Known as Tangshang in Myanmar | |
Tarao | India | Manipur | 1,066 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Thangal | India | Manipur | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | |||
Tikhir | India | Nagaland | 7,537 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Tutsa | India | Arunachal Pradesh | Robin Tribhuwan, 2005[11] | It is a sub-tribe of Tangshang Naga. | ||
Wancho | India | Arunachal Pradesh | 56,886 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | It is a sub-tribe of Tangshang Naga. | |
Yimkhiung | Myanmar, India | Nagaland | 66,972 | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | ||
Zeme | India | Nagaland, Assam & Manipur | 74,877 | S.R.Tohring | Part of Zeliangrong Community |
Ethnic group | Country | State | Reference for classification as Naga | Comments | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Khoibu | India | Manipur | Romesh Singh, 2006[12] | Also considered as a clan of Maring | |
Heimi Naga (also Haimi) | Myanmar | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Limited scope of former name of Tangshang | ||
Pangmi Naga | Myanmar | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Limited scope of former name of Tangshang | ||
Muklom Naga | India | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Clan of Tangsa/Tangshang Naga | ||
Rangpang Naga | India | Arunachal Pradesh | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Limited scope of former name of Tangshang | |
Ollo Naga (Lazu) | India | Arunachal Pradesh | Also considered as a clan of Nocte | ||
Koka Naga (Goga) | Myanmar | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | sometimes considered as a clan of Somra Tangkhul | ||
Longphuri Naga | Myanmar | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Also considered as a clan of Makury | ||
Makyam Naga (Paung Nyuan) | Myanmar | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Also considered as a clan of Khiamniungan Naga | ||
Tikhak Naga | India, Myanmar | Arunachal Pradesh | S. R. Tohring, 2010 | Also considered as a clan of Tangsa/Tangshang Naga |
Anāl, Maring, Lamkang, Moyon, Monsang, Khoibu
A combination term, Tang from Tangnyu Vang (Wang) and Shang from Shangnyu Vang (Wang) chieftains, which were formerly known as and includes Heimi (Haimi), Pangmi, Rangpang, Tangsa, Wancho, Nocte, and Tutsa now.
Angami, Chakhesang, Inpui, Mao, Maram, Pochury, Poumai, Rengma, Thangal, Zeliangrong and Northern villages of Jessami, Soraphung and Chingjaroi (Swemi) in Ukhrul district.[13]
Angami: Chakhro Angami, Northern Angami, Southern Angami, Western Angami
Chakhesang: Chokri, Khezha and formerly Pochury (Southern Sangtam) combined[14]
Shepfomei or Shepoumai (Mao–Poumai): Ememei, Lepaona, Chiliivai and Paomata together
Zeliangrong: Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei
Northern Ukhrul:Villages of Jessami, Soraphung (Krowemi), Chingjaroi (Asinei) In Northern Ukhrul District