Phake
Encyclopedia
Tai Phake, also known as Phakial or simply Phake belong to the Tai
-speaking tribal group living in Dibrugarh district
and Tinsukia district
of Assam
, principally along the areas of Dihing river
as well as adjacent parts of Lohit
and Changlang district
s in Arunachal Pradesh
. As of 1990, their population stood at 5,000, which consists of less than 250 families.
(Muang Mao), Myanmar in 18th century. The word Phake has been derived from the Tai words ‘Pha’ meaning wall and ‘Ke’ meaning ancient or old.
Prior to their immigration into Assam, they were residents on the banks of the Nam Turung or Turung Pani. Coming to Assam, they at first settled under their chief Chow Ta Meng Khuen Meng of the royal line of Mung Kong at a place called Moongkongtat, a little above Ningroo on the Buridihing.
In early 19th century the Tai Phake people were subjugated by the then Ahom officer Chandra Gohain who visited the eastern districts with a small force. Chandra Gohain brought them from their original habitat to Jorhat. When the Burmese invaded Assam, they and others of the Shan race were ordered by the Burmese authorities to return to Mogoung. The Tai Phake people went up to Buridihing and settled there. On their arrival in Assam, they settled in the rich south bank of the Buridihing River, which came to be known as Namphake.
) villages.
The Tai Phake language has ten vowel phonemes, fifteen consonant phonemes, two semi vowels, a few diphthongs, and three consonant clusters.
It is a tonal language and retains six prominent tones-rising, falling, high (mid), low high (falling) and low (mid). It is also monosyllabic. Suffixes are added to retains the monosyllabic quality of the words.
Being followers of Theravada Buddhism, some of the Tai Phake people are also able to read Pali
.
It is celebrated for three days. Basically it starts from 13th or 14 April every year. In this festival people throw water on each other which signifies washing away the sins of one another. They also cleanse Buddha images and statues from household shrines as well as from monasteries by gently pouring water over them.
Buddha Purnima
is also a major festival of the Tai Phakes. It marks the birthday of Lord Gautama Buddha
. On this day the people gather together in the Buddhist Monastery and offer prayers to the God. This is followed by a feast. Generally this festival falls in the month of May.
Naun-wa is a three-month period in which no marriages or construction work are done. This period is considered to be inauspicious. In each month during the day of "purnima" the people of the village gather together in the monastery and offer prayers. It is not festival but an important religious practice.
Poi Ok-wa is celebrated after the three-months period of "Naun-wa". It marks the end of "Naun-wa". People from different villages and a union of monks gather together in a single village and offer prayers and pray to God to forgive them for their faults.
Poi Mai-ko-chum-fai is a festival which is celebrated during the full moon day of February month. Small piles of wood and hay are set on fire by the people at late evening of this day. During this occasion they prepare traditional dishes like "khau-laam".
In addition to above the Tai Phake people also celebrate festivals like Poi Lu-fra, Poi Lu-kyong, Poi Kithing, etc.
Tai languages
The Tai or Zhuang–Tai languages are a branch of the Tai–Kadai language family. The Tai languages include the most widely spoken of the Tai–Kadai languages, including standard Thai or Siamese, the national language of Thailand; Lao or Laotian, the national language of Laos; Burma's Shan language;...
-speaking tribal group living in Dibrugarh district
Dibrugarh district
Dibrugarh is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters are located at Dibrugarh city. The district occupies an area of 3381 km².-Etymology:...
and Tinsukia district
Tinsukia district
Tinsukia district is one of the 27 administrative districts in the state of Assam, India. The district headquarters are located at Tinsukia. Tinsukia district occupies an area of , comparatively equivalent to South Georgia.- History :...
of Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, principally along the areas of Dihing river
Dihing River
Dihing or Burhi Dihing is a large tributary of the Brahmaputra in Upper Assam. The river originates in the Eastern Himalayas in Arunachal Pradesh and flows through Tinsukia and Dibrugarh Districts in Assam to its confluence with the Brahmaputra at Dihingmukh. The Dihing has created number of...
as well as adjacent parts of Lohit
Lohit district
Lohit is an administrative district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India. The district headquarters are located at Tezu. As of 2011 it is the third most populous district of Arunachal Pradesh , after Papum Pare and Changlang.-Etymology:...
and Changlang district
Changlang District
Changlang district is located in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, located south of Lohit district and north of Tirap district. As of 2011 it is the second most populous district of Arunachal Pradesh , after Papum Pare.-Post-independence:...
s in Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
. As of 1990, their population stood at 5,000, which consists of less than 250 families.
History
The Tai Phake people were believed to have migrated from the Shan kingdom Mong MaoMong Mao
Mong Mao or Mao kingdom was an ethnically Dai state that controlled several smaller Tai states or chieftainships along the frontier of what is now Myanmar and China in the Dehong region of Yunnan with a capital near the modern-day border town of Ruili...
(Muang Mao), Myanmar in 18th century. The word Phake has been derived from the Tai words ‘Pha’ meaning wall and ‘Ke’ meaning ancient or old.
Prior to their immigration into Assam, they were residents on the banks of the Nam Turung or Turung Pani. Coming to Assam, they at first settled under their chief Chow Ta Meng Khuen Meng of the royal line of Mung Kong at a place called Moongkongtat, a little above Ningroo on the Buridihing.
In early 19th century the Tai Phake people were subjugated by the then Ahom officer Chandra Gohain who visited the eastern districts with a small force. Chandra Gohain brought them from their original habitat to Jorhat. When the Burmese invaded Assam, they and others of the Shan race were ordered by the Burmese authorities to return to Mogoung. The Tai Phake people went up to Buridihing and settled there. On their arrival in Assam, they settled in the rich south bank of the Buridihing River, which came to be known as Namphake.
Villages
Significant population of Tai Phake people are found in Dibrugarh, Tinsukia districts of Assam and Lohit and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh. The village with most population of the Tai Phake people is in Namphake village. Besides Namphake, they are also found in Tipamphake, Borphake, Manmau, Namchai, Manlong, Nanglai, Ninggum, Phaneng, Lalung (BordumsaBordumsa
Bordumsa is a town in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India. The main inhabitants living in this area belong mainly to the Singpho tribe. In Bordumsa circle one can also find people belonging to the Tai-Khampti and Tai-Khamyang tribe who live in harmony. Also few families belonging to the...
) villages.
Administrative structure
The Tai Phakes are essentially democratic and simple. Although the people do not possess any formal council, yet the meeting of the village elders headed by the "gaonbura" exercises the highest legal and judicial powers. Any dispute among the people are settled by the village monks known as "chou-mouns". The Tai Phakes possess a written code called "thamchat", which is referred to by the village elders while deciding of local nature. The penalties for breaches of law, the idea of right and wrong, appear to be genuinely indigenous to their culture. The rules of conduct that the "thamchat" enjoins on its members are mainly based on ethical principles.Marriage
The Tai Phakes usually marry within the community. The society is basically patriarchal -the son inherits his father's property. They are monogamous although polygamy is not forbidden provided the man has the requisite means to support such a family. The Tai Phakes do not keep any matrimonial relations with people of other caste or tribes. Widow and cross cousin marriage take place in the Tai Phake society. The marriage is celebrated with a detailed ceremony. Divorce is not a common affair in the Tai Phake society. The husband or a wife files a divorce case before the "gaonburha" who takes a decision in the meeting of the village elders which is final. Divorce can be made effective only by the verdict of the village elders meeting.Beliefs
The Tai Phakes believe in the existence of sprit and certain rituals are observed to appease to malevolent sprits. Sympathetic magic is practiced and efficacy of mantras is very much believed by them. For the ordinary personal ailments the Tai Phakes have their indigenous supernatural treatment. Traditional prescription in respect of sickness and cure are resorted to occasionally when the worship of Lord has no effect.Language
The Tai Phake people are bilingual. They speak Phake language among themselves and speak Assamese with an outsider. The Phake language is similar to those of Shan. They have their own separate scripts and also have preserved manuscripts. Most of them are religious scriptures.The Tai Phake language has ten vowel phonemes, fifteen consonant phonemes, two semi vowels, a few diphthongs, and three consonant clusters.
It is a tonal language and retains six prominent tones-rising, falling, high (mid), low high (falling) and low (mid). It is also monosyllabic. Suffixes are added to retains the monosyllabic quality of the words.
Being followers of Theravada Buddhism, some of the Tai Phake people are also able to read Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
.
Houses
The houses of the Tai Phakes are chang-ghars. Built on piles of wood above the ground locally known as "haun hang". Materials is like takau (toko paat) leaves, timber and bamboos are used in the construction of their houses. There are two hearths in each house and the inside one is considered as sacred. Every house has a drawing room called "kan nok", a prayer room called "khok tang-som" with a kitchen called "haun aom".Dress
The Tai Phake women wear colourful dresses woven by them. Their outfit consists of an ankle-long skirt ("chin"), a blouse open at the front ("nang-wat") and fastened around the armpits and a girdle ("chai-chin") to tighten the skirt around the waist. The female child wears a skirt ("chin") and a blouse. A white turban ("phahu") is worn by the women folk on individual preference. The colours of their dresses are expressive of their ages. The girls wear white sarongs; women stripped red, yellow and green sarongs and old women deep purple and blue sarongs with stripes. The men wear lungis known as "phanoot", a kurta, and a folded chadar.Fesivals and practices
Poi Sangken is the major festival of the Tai Phakes. It is similar to Songkran which is celebrated in Thailand. It marks the beginning of new year in the Tai calendar.It is celebrated for three days. Basically it starts from 13th or 14 April every year. In this festival people throw water on each other which signifies washing away the sins of one another. They also cleanse Buddha images and statues from household shrines as well as from monasteries by gently pouring water over them.
Buddha Purnima
Vesak
Vesākha is a holiday observed traditionally by Buddhists in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the South East Asian countries of Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, and Indonesia...
is also a major festival of the Tai Phakes. It marks the birthday of Lord Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
. On this day the people gather together in the Buddhist Monastery and offer prayers to the God. This is followed by a feast. Generally this festival falls in the month of May.
Naun-wa is a three-month period in which no marriages or construction work are done. This period is considered to be inauspicious. In each month during the day of "purnima" the people of the village gather together in the monastery and offer prayers. It is not festival but an important religious practice.
Poi Ok-wa is celebrated after the three-months period of "Naun-wa". It marks the end of "Naun-wa". People from different villages and a union of monks gather together in a single village and offer prayers and pray to God to forgive them for their faults.
Poi Mai-ko-chum-fai is a festival which is celebrated during the full moon day of February month. Small piles of wood and hay are set on fire by the people at late evening of this day. During this occasion they prepare traditional dishes like "khau-laam".
In addition to above the Tai Phake people also celebrate festivals like Poi Lu-fra, Poi Lu-kyong, Poi Kithing, etc.