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The Sherdukpen are an ethnic group of
Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (, ) is a state in Northeastern India. It was formed from the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and became a state on 20 February 1987. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares ...
state of India. Their population of 9,663 is centered in
West Kameng district West Kameng (pronounced ) is a district of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India. It accounts for 8.86% of the total area of the state. The name is derived from the Kameng river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, that flows through the distric ...
in the villages of Rupa, Jigaon, Thongri, Shergaon, to the south of
Bomdila Bomdila is the headquarters of West Kameng district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India. Bomdila is one of the 60 constituencies of the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Geography and Climate Bomdila is located at . It has an average elevati ...
. All of these are at elevations between 5000–6000 feet above sea level. Of late, some of them have settled in Kameng bari areas, a new settlement area under
Bhalukpong Bhalukpung is a small town located along the southern reaches of the Himalayas in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh in India. The town is located at 213m above sea level, 100 km from Bomdila, 52 km from Tezpur and 5 km ...
circle.


Society

Sherdukpen society is divided into two classes: The Thong and Chao, the former of which–the higher caste–are divided into eight clans. Marriage between castes are considered taboo within the tribal society and are strongly discouraged. Local legend mentioned that the upper caste are the descendants of a Tibetan king (a grandson of Songtsän Gampo) and Ahom princess, of which they bore two sons. The Chao are the descendants of the king's porters and servants. The Sherdukpens migrate to Doimara (a lowland hamlet close to the Assamese border) and stayed between December to March on an annual basis during the winter months, a tradition with which the tribe maintain the memory of their Assamese ancestry. In Doimara, the Sherdukpens mingled with the nearby Assamese natives and traded for rice. The Sherdukpen generally practice
monogamy Monogamy ( ) is a form of dyadic relationship in which an individual has only one partner during their lifetime. Alternately, only one partner at any one time ( serial monogamy) — as compared to the various forms of non-monogamy (e.g., pol ...
and trace their descent patrilineally. Their houses are built on strong stone foundations with their wall and floor made from thick wooden planks.


Economy

The Sherdukpen are
agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peopl ...
ists, although hunting and traditional fishing methods are practised as well. Using simple tools, both shifting and permanent farming methods are used, and livestock such as ponies, cows, goats, sheep, fowls and bullocks are kept.


Language

The Sherdukpen speak their own language,
Sherdukpen The Sherdukpen are an ethnic group of Arunachal Pradesh state of India. Their population of 9,663 is centered in West Kameng district in the villages of Rupa, Jigaon, Thongri, Shergaon, to the south of Bomdila. All of these are at elevations ...
, which isn't directly related with the neighboring
Bugun The Buguns (formerly Khowa) are one of the earliest recognized schedule tribe of India, majority of them, inhabiting the Singchung Sub-Division of West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh. Their total population is approximately 3000. The notab ...
and
Monpa language The Monpa or Mönpa () is a major tribe of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India. The Tawang Monpas have a migration history from Changrelung. The Monpa are believed to be the only nomadic tribe in Northeast India – they are totally dependen ...
. It is possibly of
Tibeto-Burman The Tibeto-Burman languages are the non- Sinitic members of the Sino-Tibetan language family, over 400 of which are spoken throughout the Southeast Asian Massif ("Zomia") as well as parts of East Asia and South Asia. Around 60 million people spea ...
derivation.


Dress

The Sherdukpen men wear a sleeveless cloth, which is made out of silk, with the two ends of the cloth which pins onto the shoulders that reach down to the knees. Made from
yak The domestic yak (''Bos grunniens''), also known as the Tartary ox, grunting ox or hairy cattle, is a species of long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region of the Indian subcontinent, the Tibetan Plateau, Kachin S ...
's hair with tassels jutting down over the face, the gurdam skull-cap is mainly worn by the men. It is decorated with a white cockade and colourful band around its brim. The warriors are often seen carrying their
Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
an sword, with the support of a waistband. A bogre, a cloth woven from natural fibres, is tied around the shoulders to form a fold at the back. The women wear a collarless and sleeveless cloth to cover them from the shoulders to the knees. A full-sleeved embroidered jacket and waist cloth, known as mushaiks, is worn over the cloak. The ladies tie their hair tied into a bun at the back, although most grown-up girls do not tie their tresses into a knot. Weaving is considered a feminine art, and most are able to weave clothings in a highly artistic manner.


Religion

The Sherdukpen adopted the
Gelugpa 240px, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Bodhgaya (India). The Gelug (, also Geluk; "virtuous")Kay, David N. (2007). ''Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantati ...
sect of
Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
as with their northern neighbours, the
Monpa The Monpa or Mönpa () is a major tribe of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India. The Tawang Monpas have a migration history from Changrelung. The Monpa are believed to be the only nomadic tribe in Northeast India – they are totally dependen ...
who were also subjected to the evangelical influence of Mera Lama. However, contrary to the Monpas, Sherdukpens are more inclined to their pre-Buddhist Animistic traditions, which is shown by the relative absence of any Buddhist Lamas within their tribe. Lamas from the Monpa and refugee Tibetan communities were invited to conduct Buddhist communal rituals whenever necessary. The profound Animist influence is attributed to the prevalence of their traditional Shamans with which they also employ for certain religious activities, known as "Jiji" in the local tongue. Rituals pertaining to indigenous spirits, human sacrifice and blood are prevalent within Sherdukpen mythology and legends, which is characteristically absent in Tibetan Buddhism.


References


External links


North East Zone Cultural Centre

Sherdukpen Image Gallery

Ethnologue profile



A Monpa/Sherdukpen woman in webshots

Sherdukpen conservation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sherdukpen People Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh West Kameng district