INTRODUCTION
In the heading above, I provided a brief explanation of Tani Clans. The term "TANI" holds significant ancestral importance for certain ethnic tribes in the present time. If we look at it from the perspective of what the Tani people believe, "tani" means "human". According to the mythology of the Tani ethnic group, they believe they may have originated from Abo Tani, where "abo" means "father". Abo Tani is also considered their primal ancestor with immense supernatural abilities. Especially in matters of spiritual activities, cultivation, and harvest, Abo Tani plays a significant role in the folk stories of all the Tani Clans.
The ethnic tribes that fall under the category of Tani Clans include Adi, Galo, Apatani, Nyishi, Hillsmiri, Tagin, and many others.
ORIGIN:
There are no written records on this matter, but we can observe that the same old ethnic tribes still exist, though they are scattered here and there. They continue to follow the same ancient rituals, traditions, and stories of the past. This continuity is significant, as the saying goes, "The past is the key to the future." We have the same old people, the same old rituals, and the same ancient folk songs with deep stories, which help excavate our origins.
The Tani clans, various indigenous tribes, didn't just appear in the plains and hills of Arunachal Pradesh, India. There is a specific era and period to their emergence. Today, these same Tani clans are known as Lhobas in Loyu, Tibet, but their population there is smaller compared to the population in South Loyu (Arunachal Pradesh, India), which is a region claimed by China.
Some Tani groups are known as Lhobas in Tibet, China. A few Lhobas know the Tibetan language. In the past, when there was no writing, the Lhobas kept track of their history by passing it down through generations and using knot codes to represent their past. Their literature also has a significant influence on their Tibetan counterparts. They are known as Bokar in Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India, and are found in Pidi and Monigong circles of Arunachal Pradesh. They trace their origin from a common forefather, Abotani. They follow the genealogy counting from Abotani as Nijum-Jumsi-Siki-Kiyor-Yorkar-Kardung-Duram-Ramdung/Ramgu/Ramgo. All Bokar groups have originated from Ramdung, Ramgo, and Ramgu. Their immediate brothers are Galo, Ramo, Libo/Pailibo, and Tagin.
In the early 7th century, the area where the Lhoba (indigenous Tani clans) lived was under the Tibet kingdom. It is likely that their origin predates this period. As different civilizations emerged, the tribal groups, who were mostly nomads (hunters and gatherers) at that time, moved from one place to another - some along the river, some along the valleys, and others through different paths. The emerging civilization marked the upcoming days for these ethnic groups. Since most of the civilization was near rivers, migration followed suit.
It's certain that small groups from the clans must have migrated in search of a livelihood or food. People migrated to different areas, sometimes 1000 kilometers away, after 100-120 years, evolving into a new era. They might have reached new places, and settled, and the cycle continued.
This pattern also held true for their generations. With modified language, culture, and dialects, it's likely that these changes occurred after a gap of 100-120 years, or perhaps even within 60 years. As clans separated and started living in different environments - some in plains and others in hills - their thinking changed, leading to a chronological and dynamic paradigm shift in the clans.
This process has continued until today, even though the origin remains the same. Currently, it's not known whether modern-day "Lhoba" peoples actually inhabited Luoyu at the time of Tibetan conquest, nor whether the languages spoken by modern-day "Lhoba" peoples are indigenous to this region. While most Tani tribespeople living in modern-day Arunachal Pradesh believe in a traditional homeland in or around this region, there is currently no independent means of verification.
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| river Yarlung |
*The picture which you see is of river Yarlung (china) and now you can aslo see the country boundaries, just see:: and think about the civilization developed there along the river basin and later migration.
* One of the oldest civilizations, known as the Yangtze River Valley Civilization in China, reveals the origins and development of various Mongoloid groups. As its tributaries branched out, small settlements began to emerge. This led to a continuous migration along the river basins, ultimately reaching new environments where people had to adapt to different climates, temperatures, and seasonal variations. These differences resulted in cultural shifts and changes in the way ethnic festivals were celebrated in accordance with the seasons.
What I want to emphasize is that due to these adjustments and adaptations over time and space, the culture underwent modifications. Even though these ethnic groups share a common origin, their practices evolved and changed. This includes the way they celebrate, their fashion sense, their weaponry, and yes, even their language underwent specific modifications.
It's worth noting that the migrations we observe today likely began more than 2000 years ago.
The Tani branch predominantly speaks Tibeto-Burman dialects, which belong to the Sino-Tibetan language family. The various tribes under the Tani Clans share similarities in language and culture, to some extent, regardless of their specific locations.
For more detailed information, you can refer to the links provided on your right side. Feel free to explore and verify this information for yourself.
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| TANI CULTURE |
Culture" means all the stuff that a group of people learn and pass down over time. It includes things like knowledge, beliefs, values, and how they see the world. It's everything they think is important. This knowledge gets collected over many years through what each person learns and what the group learns together.
This includes ideas about how things should be done, what's right or wrong, and what's important in life. It also involves how they think about time, space, and their place in the world. All the physical things they own, like tools or possessions, are part of their culture too.
So, culture is like a big treasure chest of knowledge and beliefs that a group of people shares and adds to over time. This happens through what each person learns and what they learn together as a group. It's like a special way of life that's been passed down through the years. Understanding culture helps us analyze things in research and other studies.
