Tribal of Manipur

Kukis

Kukis practice exogamy amongst the relatives and endogamy amongst the clan. The marriage is allowed only between two exogamic tribes that are Kori (Mulchal) and Chanang (Musum). However, the marriage in between the same exogamic tribes is forbidden. The boy’s parents visit the girl’s parents to fix an engagement. If the engagement is broken by any of the side, it has to pay Mithun(a bison) as a fine. Polygamy is not the part of the Kuki society. Only the chief used to have wife more than one in number. Widow Remarriage exclusively depends upon the widow’s will. The bride price is valued by her beauty, her clan and the dowry value. For a chief’s daughter ten Mithuns used to be the bride price. The bride’s family would kill two pigs or cows and the boy’s family would come with rice beer in order to settle the bride price. Divorce is uncommon but under certain circumstances it can be settled. Adultery may be penalized but rape is considered to be an extreme crime. Amongst Kukis, the firstborn son receives the entire property, but this thing significantly depends upon the fathers will. It is usually not found that women inherit their father’s property but in some cases women have inherited their father’s property. The Kuki people are fond of dancing and singing, which can be witnessed in Chrachandpur, the cultural activities center.

Rajas or the wealthy men’s bodies are dried out over a dimly light fire that makes the flesh to stick to bones and hardened. Their bodies are then properly dressed and laid out for about one or two months before burying them at last. During the entire period the generosity at the home grieving is unrestrained, animals like horses, pigs, mithuns, cows, dogs and goats are killed in order to feed the guest. A good amount of the flesh is sent to friends and family residing in distant villages. Slain animals’ heads and that of the enemies are laid under the body of deceased as its property of the other world.

Naga Tribes

The Naga tribes have a matrilineal society. A family in itself is a social unit. The wedded son establishes his house separately along with his wife and single children. There is no tradition of sending daughters to the homes where they are wedded. The senior most member of the house carries out all the required customary rites to the local deities. They maintain exogamy amongst the tribal kins and endogamy in between the Naga groups. The Luplakpa and the Khullakpa are two of the seniors of every Tankhul village, which look after the village administration. The authority has the religious origin. Separate clubs for the girls and the boys are present in the villages. The unwedded girls sleep in the girl’s club and the unwedded boys in the boy’s club. Moreover, girls are disallowed to enter boy’s clubs. The unwedded girl is even prohibited to have flesh of a male animal. The prohibition is also imposed during the period when a girl attains puberty. The patrilineal culture has male prepotency in several domestic affairs. Men are free to use nicotine whereas the women are strictly disallowed. The male component is permanent but a woman after her marriage is considered to be ex-hypothetic.

The society strictly believes that every girl and boys has some social responsibilities once they attain a certain age. For the girls it is fourteen years, thus, physical maturity is considered as one of the important requirements in order to make them socially accountable. After attaining a proper age the girls are married. The Naga culture believes that marriage is like a bond and an obligation that has to be carried out in the most appropriate manner. They strictly believe that marriages bestow a woman with the right to enter her husband’s clan. Morung Ghar, the female club, getting a visit from the male counterparts at night is not common, but they get a chance to meet on various occasions like ceremonies, festivals etc.

Exogamy is practiced by all the groups, the one who break the rule or does not follow it gets to face strict punishment. The price of the brides varies as per their husbands’ status, the village and the girls’ clan. Widows don’t have to face any restrictions when it comes to their remarriage. They can marry their departed husband’s brother, which is not a die hard rule, but divorce is not a regular thing. Furthermore, polyandry is not a custom with them.

The firstborn son gets to inherit nearly double the division of father’s stabile property and an equal division of the moveable one. Women are not allowed to share the stabile property. It is rare to see a murder in the clan, but a clan conflict may some times lead to a murder. All the disputes that may occur in the clan are settled with the help of the elders. Self-ordeals such as dipping into water and remaining there for the longest, touching a tiger’s teeth in order to take an oath and some other verbal oaths are quite common. Besides, Chirus pledge by the sun. In Marings pledge is taken near a circle made of stones in the village. Headhunting too was once distinctly prevalent amongst the Nagas. In various houses the skulls showcased as the accolades of power can easily be witnessed. However, this custom is no more followed by any of the Naga tribes. They feed themselves by fishing and hunting.