Jaapi or Japi (Assamese: জাপি) is a traditional conical hat from

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

similar to other

Asian conical hat The Asian conical hat is a simple style of conically shaped sun hat originating in East, South and Southeast Asia; and notable in modern-day nations and regions of China, Taiwan, parts of Outer Manchuria, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Ind ...

s is made from tightly woven

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...

and/or cane and ''tokou paat'' ( Trachycarpus martianus) a large,

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae ** List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (b ...

leaf. The word ''jaapi'' derives from ''jaap'' meaning a bundle of ''taku'' leaves. In the past, plain jaapi were used by ordinary people in Assam and by farmers for protection from the sun, while ornate jaapi were worn as a status symbol by royalty and nobility. Decorative ''sorudoi jaapi'' are made with intricate cloth designs (primarily red, white, green, blue, and black) that are integrated into the weaving.

History

The medieval

Chutia The Chutia people (Pron: or ''Sutia'') are an ethnic group that are native to Assam and historically associated with the Chutia kingdom. However, after the kingdom was absorbed into the Ahom kingdom in 1523–24, the Chutia population was ...

kings used the Jaapi as a cultural symbol. The last Chutia king Nitipal gifted gold and silver embroidered Jaapis to the Ahom king

Suhungmung Suhungmung (), or Dihingia Roja I was one of the most prominent Ahom Kings who ruled at the cusp of Assam's medieval history. His reign broke from the early Ahom rule and established a multi-ethnic polity in his kingdom. Under him the Ahom Ki ...

as presents in his attempts for a treaty in the year 1523. After annexing

Sadiya Sadiya is a town in Tinsukia district, Assam. It was the capital of the Chutia Kingdom and after the downfall of the kingdom it became the seat of the ''Sadiya-khowa-Gohain'' of the Ahom kingdom. Extensive remains of buildings and fortifica ...

in 1524, the Ahom king received a lot of treasure and bounty, which included Jaapis. In the year 1525, the Ahom king gifted some of the silver Jaapis obtained from the Chutia king and other items, to negotiate peace with the

Mongkawng Mogaung ( my, မိုးကောင်း) or Möngkawng ( tdd, ᥛᥫᥒᥰ ᥐᥩᥒᥰ; zh, 孟拱) was a Shan state in what is present-day Myanmar. It was an outlying territory, located away from the main Shan State area in present-day ...

chief Phukloimung, a Shan state in present

Upper Myanmar Upper Myanmar ( my, အထက်မြန်မာပြည်, also called Upper Burma) is a geographic region of Myanmar, traditionally encompassing Mandalay and its periphery (modern Mandalay, Sagaing, Magway Regions), or more broadly spea ...

(called Nora in

Buranji Buranjis (Ahom language: ''ancient writings'') are a class of historical chronicles and manuscripts associated with the Ahom kingdom written initially in Ahom Language and later in Assamese language as well. The Buranjis are an example of histo ...

s) who had attacked Sadiya. During the Ahom rule, ''Jaapi-hajiya Khel'' (guild for making Jaapis) was monopolised by Chutias, which indicate that they were experts in weaving Jaapis. Apart from this, the

Baro-Bhuyan The Baro-Bhuyans (or ''Baro-Bhuyan Raj''; also ''Baro-Bhuians'' and Baro-Bhuiyans) refers to the confederacies of soldier-landowners in Assam and Bengal in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. The confederacies consisted of loose ...

s of Central Assam are also said to have used Jaapis. As per the ''Satsari Buranji'', the Ahom kings adopted the ''Tongali'', ''Hasoti'' and ''Tokou-patia Japi'' from the Baro-Bhuyans.

Cultural symbol

Today the jaapi is a symbol of Assam. It is worn in a style of

Bihu dance The Bihu dance is an indigenous folk dance from the Indian state of Assam related to the Bihu festival and an important part of Assamese culture. Performed in a group, the Bihu dancers are usually young men and women, and the dancing style is ...

, used as protection against the elements, offered as a sign of respect in ceremonies, and placed as a decorative item around the house, especially in the walls as a welcome sign. Originally Japi was an agricultural headgear by farmers to protect themselves from rain or sun's heat. The Bodo-Kacharis having agricultural as the main profession often used them in the rice fields. Similar headgears are also seen to be used all throughout

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea ...

Bishnu Prasad Rabha Bishnu Prasad Rabha was an cultural figure from Assam, known for his contributions in the fields of music, dance, painting, literature as well as political activism. As an advocate of people's cultural movement, he drew heavily from different ...

added Japi dance to Assamese culture through Jaymati movie from

Bodo Bodo may refer to: Ethnicity * Boro people, an ethno-linguistic group mainly from Northwest Assam, India * Bodo-Kachari people, an umbrella group from Nepal, India and Bangladesh that includes the Bodo people Culture and language * Boro cu ...

community's Khofri Sibnai Mwsanai.

Types

* Sorudoi japi: Used by women, especially brides. * Bordoi japi: Used by royalty since ancient times (Kamrupa). * Panidoi/Haluwa japi:Used by farmers in fields. * Garakhiya japi: Used by cattle herders. * Pitha japi: Used as hoods, sometimes during cultivation. * Tupi/Varun japi: Used in rain as protective hats.

Notes

References

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External links