Ahom religion: Difference between revisions
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{{Culture of Assam}} |
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The '''Ahom religion''' is the [[ethnic religion]] of the [[Ahom |
The '''Ahom religion''' is the [[ethnic religion]] of the [[Tai-Ahom]]. The [[Tai-Ahom]] people came into [[Assam]], [[India]] in 1228, led by [[Sukaphaa]] from [[Mong Mao]] who established the [[Ahom kingdom]]. They included three clans of priests who brought with them their own religion, rituals, practices and books. The religion is a ritual-based [[ancestor worship]],<ref>"The Tai Ahom religion is explained and interpreted by the scholars differently; yet the ancient religion of the Tai Ahoms, is in essence, the religion of ancestor worship. |
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It is a ritual oriented religion and the rituals are primarily based on the cult of ancestor worship." {{harvcol|Gogoi|2011|p=17}}</ref> that required animal sacrifice (''Ban-Phi''),<ref>{{harvcol|Gogoi|2011|p=47}}</ref> |
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== Types == |
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Ahom Religion has mainly two forms, BanPhi and Phuralung. Ban-Phi is the [[Ancestor Worship]] [[Animism]] which needs Sacrification and phuraloung is the worship of creator and great ancestors which was evolved by [[Buddhism]]. |
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* '''Ban Phi'''- It is the sacrificial process to offer oblations to the gods and ancestors." |
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* '''Phuralung'''- though there was at least one [[Buddhism]] influenced ritual in which sacrifice was forbidden (''Phuralung'').<ref>"Although blood sacrifice is a must in the [[Tai-Ahom]] rituals, yet the 'Phura Lung' ceremony needs no shed of blood of any bird and animal." {{harvcol|Gogoi|2011|p=48}}</ref> |
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There is no [[idolatry]] except for the titular god of the [[Ahom king]]<ref>"There is no image worship or Idolatry in the ''Tai Ahom'' religion except for ''Chumpha rung sheng mung'', commonly known as ''Chum Deo''." {{harvcol|Gogoi|2011|p=21}}</ref> and though there is a concept of [[heaven]] or a heavenly kingdom (''Mong Phi''), there is no concept of hell.<ref>"The concept of 'Heavenly Kingdom' or 'Moung Phi' is there in the Tai Ahom religion. But there is no concept of hell in this religion" {{harvcol|Gogoi|2011|p=21}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The Ahom kingdom expanded suddenly in the 16th-century and the Ahoms became a small minority in their own kingdom—though they continued to wield control. Subsequently, they slowly converted and by the early 19th-century, Ahom religion declined to be replaced by Hinduism. In the 1931 survey, all Ahoms returned Hinduism as their religion.<ref>"The 1931 Census report of Assam recorded 249,434 Ahoms in Assam |
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| ⚫ | The [[Ahom kingdom]] expanded suddenly in the 16th-century and the Ahoms became a small minority in their own kingdom—though they continued to wield control. Subsequently, they slowly converted and by the early 19th-century, Ahom religion declined to be replaced by Hinduism. In the 1931 survey, all Ahoms returned Hinduism as their religion.<ref>"The 1931 Census report of Assam recorded 249,434 Ahoms in Assam |
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spread over in various districts and they all were returned as Hindus." {{harvcol|Gogoi|2011|p=11}}</ref> Nevertheless, since the 1960s and 1970s due to an Ahom revivalism movement, as well as efforts from scholars, many of the older practices of the Ahom religion are being resurrected. |
spread over in various districts and they all were returned as Hindus." {{harvcol|Gogoi|2011|p=11}}</ref> Nevertheless, since the 1960s and 1970s due to an Ahom revivalism movement, as well as efforts from scholars, many of the older practices of the Ahom religion are being resurrected. |
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Revision as of 02:59, 17 February 2019
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The Ahom religion is the ethnic religion of the Tai-Ahom. The Tai-Ahom people came into Assam, India in 1228, led by Sukaphaa from Mong Mao who established the Ahom kingdom. They included three clans of priests who brought with them their own religion, rituals, practices and books. The religion is a ritual-based ancestor worship,[4] that required animal sacrifice (Ban-Phi),[5]
Types
Ahom Religion has mainly two forms, BanPhi and Phuralung. Ban-Phi is the Ancestor Worship Animism which needs Sacrification and phuraloung is the worship of creator and great ancestors which was evolved by Buddhism.
- Ban Phi- It is the sacrificial process to offer oblations to the gods and ancestors."
- Phuralung- though there was at least one Buddhism influenced ritual in which sacrifice was forbidden (Phuralung).[6]
There is no idolatry except for the titular god of the Ahom king[7] and though there is a concept of heaven or a heavenly kingdom (Mong Phi), there is no concept of hell.[8]
The Ahom kingdom expanded suddenly in the 16th-century and the Ahoms became a small minority in their own kingdom—though they continued to wield control. Subsequently, they slowly converted and by the early 19th-century, Ahom religion declined to be replaced by Hinduism. In the 1931 survey, all Ahoms returned Hinduism as their religion.[9] Nevertheless, since the 1960s and 1970s due to an Ahom revivalism movement, as well as efforts from scholars, many of the older practices of the Ahom religion are being resurrected.
The three priestly clans (Mo'sam, Mo'hung, Mo'Plong) of the Ahom people are the current custodians of the Ahom religion.[10]
Dam-Phi (ancestor worship)
Dam-Phi (Dam: dead; Phi: god) is the worship of ancestors as gods and it is performed either in individual households (Dam-Phi) or publicly (Me-Dam-Me-Phi). The dead in Ahom society becomes a Dam (literally, 'spirit of the dead').[11] They are held in awe (fear, wonder, and reverence); worshiped and propitiated for protection.[12] After the fourteenth generation a Dam becomes a god (Phi) and is worshiped by the whole community.[13] There are three grades of Dams graded according to the generation (with the highest living generation numbered one) and the circumstances of death, and they progress from one grade to the next.
Griha Dam
The head of the household and his wife or the parents are called the Na Dam ("new Dam", 2nd generation), the next higher generation the Ghai Dam ("main Dam", 3rd generation) and the next higher generation the Chi rwan Dam (4th generation). Each Dam is complete only when both the husband and wife are dead. These three Dams constitute the Griha Dam. Those who die unnaturally, without children or unmarried are called Jokorua Dam and are not included in the Griha Dam and treated and worshiped differently.[14]
The household Dams reside in the North-east pillar of the kitchen, Pho Kam (Assamese: Dam Khuta), which is usually raised first during the construction of the house and is considered most sacred place in the entire house.[15] The Dam Phi rituals are directed at the Pho Kam, [16] And are also parts of different ceremonies at different times of the year. The household deity, Sheng Ka Pha, is also worshiped at the Pho Kam.[17]
Chang Dam
The next nine generations of Dams (5th to 13th) constitute Chang Dam, the Dams who have been let out of the house into the threshold;[18] and are worshiped according to special rites, called na puruxor saul khua (feast for nine generations).
Chao Phi Dam
This is the final stage for Dams and in this stage, the Dams (14th and above) are considered to have become gods (Phi) and merged with original forefathers of the entire community collectively called Chao Phi Dam. In this class of Dams the two evil deities, Ra Khin and Ba Khin too belong, but they are worshiped with lower status and separately.[19] The Jokorua Dams in the fourteenth generation become Khin and join these two deities.[20]
Gods and Cosmogony
According to Ahom beliefs, the supreme, formless, omnipotent being is Pha Tu Ching, who is the creator, sustainer and destroyer of everything.[21][22] The other gods and the universe are his creation. The Ahom pantheon of gods that generally receive oblations are Lengdon, Khao Kham, Ai Leng Din, Jan Chai Hung, Jashing Pha, Chit Lam Cham, Mut-Kum Tai Kum, Ra-khin, Ba-khin and Chao Phi Dam.[23]
| God | Domain | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khao Kham | The presiding deity of water |
| 2 | Ai Leng Din | The presiding deity of earth |
| 3 | Jan Chai Hung | The master god of all natural powers |
| 4 | Lengdon | The ruler of the whole universe |
| 5 | Chit Lam Cham | The presiding deity of seven powers |
| 6 | Mut-Kum Tai-Kum | The master gods of light: the sun and the moon |
| 7 | Jashing Pha | The original wise forefathers, masters of language, culture, education, and knowledge. |
| 8 | Chao Phi Dam | The forefathers above the thirteenth generation. |
| 9 | Ra-Khin | The evil power that creates different diseases, pain, misery in the body. |
| 10 | Ba-Khin | The evil power who creates diseases, pain in mind. |
Creation of heaven
At first, there was nothing besides the water of the ocean. Pha Tu Chin opened his eyes to the void, and thus created from his breast the first deity—Khun Theu Kham. Freshly created, and finding nothing to lean on, Khun Theu Kham dove into the water and then laid on his back, and a lotus plant issued from his navel. This was followed by the creation of a crab, a tortoise and an eight-hooded snake that encircled the tortoise. The eight hoods spread in eight directions. Then a white elephant with long tusks and two mountains in the north and south were created, on which pillars were placed. Then a pair of gold-tinted spiders were created that floated in the air and dropped excrements, from which earth came about. The spiders then placed eight pillars in the eight corners of the wall and spun their web to create heaven.
Creation of gods
Pha Tu Chin also created a consort for Khun Theu Kham, and four golden eggs were born to them. Pha Tu Chin then created a Thaolung to warm the eggs—but the eggs would not hatch for many years. So he sprinkled ambrosia (nya pulok) on them and four gods emerged: (1) Pha-shang-din-kham-neyeu, (2) Sheng-cha-pha-kham, (3) Sheng-kam-pha, and (4) Ngi-ngao-kham (also called Phu ra). The fourth son, Ngi-ngao-kham stayed back to help create the world. The third son revolted and turned into an evil spirit, though his son Sheng Ka Pha became a household deity.
Religious Scriptures
The religious aspects are inscribed in scriptures written in Ahom and Assamese languages. The three priestly clans (Mo'sam, Mo'hung, Mo'Plong) widely use these scripts. Some prayer scripts are known as Ban-Seng were found from Habung.[25] Some of them were brought from Yunnan, China.[citation needed]
- Lit Lai Pak Peyn Ka Ka: The Lit-Lai-Pat-Peyn-Ka-Ka is considered as the main scripture of Ahom religion.[26] Most of the cosmology and Gods of Ahom religion derived from this vast scripture. This scripture can be divided into three parts - 1.Aai Sing Lao 2.Creation of the universe 3.Formation of Ahom people.
- Khyek Phi Pha Nuru Lengdon and Lit Khamphi Lengdon Lanmung: These two texts enumerate the ritual worship of Lengdon
- Ming Mang Phura Lung: This text enumerates the Phuralung ritual worship.
- Doya Phura Puthi, Nemimang Phura Yao Ching Bong Phura, and Urak Pha Phra: These three books list the Jataka tales of the Buddha.
- Khyek Phi Umpha and Umpha Phi Kun An Lao: These books enumerate the ritual worship of Umpha.
- Dam-Phi-Chi-Phun-Kka-Rik Khwan, Khon Ming, and Bar Phai: These books list the Rik-khwan ritual worship for longevity.
- Lit Me-Dam Me-Phi: This book lists the ritual worship of ancestors.
- Lai lit Nang Hoon Pha: This lists the ritual Ahom marriage ceremony called Cho-klong.
Rituals
Communal Ceremonies
Me-Dam-Me-Phi
Me-Dam-Me-Phi (Me-worship; Dam-spirit of the dead; Phi-god) is one of the major ceremonies among the Ahom religious rituals that is performed publicly, propitiating the spirits of the dead. In the modern times, this is held annually on 31 January. The rituals begin with the creation of a temporary structure with bamboo and thatch octagonal in shape, called ho phi. In it six raised platters on the main platform are placed for the following divinities: Jashing Pha, Jan Chai Hung, Lengdon, Chit Lam Cham, Mut-Kum Tai-Kum, Chao Phi Dam. To the left of the main platform the raised platforms forKhao Kham and Ai Leng Din are placed; and to the right the raised platters of Ra Khin and Ba Khin.[27]
Non-communal rituals
Dam Phi
The Dam Phi rituals are specific to propitiating the Na Dam, Ghai Dam, Chi ren Dam and the Jokorua Dam at the Pho Kam pillar inside the house. These rituals are offered on all auspicious occasion in the household—the three Bihus, the Na Khua ceremony (feast following new harvest), new birth in the household, nuai tuloni biya (female puberty ceremony), Chak lang (marriage), and annual death ceremonies.[28]
Notes
- ^ "639 Identifier Documentation: aho – ISO 639-3". SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics). SIL International. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
Ahom [aho]
- ^ "Population by Religious Communities". Census India – 2001. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 2019-07-01.
Census Data Finder/C Series/Population by Religious Communities
- ^ "Population by religion community – 2011". Census of India, 2011. The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Archived from the original on 25 August 2015.
2011census/C-01/DDW00C-01 MDDS.XLS
- ^ "The Tai Ahom religion is explained and interpreted by the scholars differently; yet the ancient religion of the Tai Ahoms, is in essence, the religion of ancestor worship. It is a ritual oriented religion and the rituals are primarily based on the cult of ancestor worship." (Gogoi 2011:17)
- ^ (Gogoi 2011:47)
- ^ "Although blood sacrifice is a must in the Tai-Ahom rituals, yet the 'Phura Lung' ceremony needs no shed of blood of any bird and animal." (Gogoi 2011:48)
- ^ "There is no image worship or Idolatry in the Tai Ahom religion except for Chumpha rung sheng mung, commonly known as Chum Deo." (Gogoi 2011:21)
- ^ "The concept of 'Heavenly Kingdom' or 'Moung Phi' is there in the Tai Ahom religion. But there is no concept of hell in this religion" (Gogoi 2011:21)
- ^ "The 1931 Census report of Assam recorded 249,434 Ahoms in Assam spread over in various districts and they all were returned as Hindus." (Gogoi 2011:11)
- ^ (Gogoi 2011:70)
- ^ (Gogoi 2011:26)
- ^ "When his descendants propitiate him with the offerings he comes down to earth and partakes the offerings and keeps an eye upon them as their guardian spirit." (Gogoi 2011:42)
- ^ "A person becomes a Dam after his death, and he gets oblation as a household Dam, when he becomes Phi after crossing the fourteenth generation counting from the living household then he remained no longer a Dam but he is considered to be a god and in no way concerned with the particular family and becomes a national spirit or ancestor god to the whole community." (Gogoi 2011:34–35)
- ^ (Gogoi 2011:27–28)
- ^ (Gogoi 2011:28)
- ^ (Gogoi 2011:160)
- ^ (Gogoi 1976:13)
- ^ "(Chi ren Dam) are upgraded to the threshold or jakhala to heaven and are then lifted to Chang Phi Dam." (Gogoi 2011:28)
- ^ "Along with the gods and the Chao Phi Dam, another two evil deities are worshipped namely, ‘Ra-Khiri and ‘Ba-Khiri. Yet they are not given the same status and veneration with the eight gods and Chao Phi Dam. They are worshipped by making a platform on earth far away from the main ground of ritual. A slightly thick wall is made to separate them from the main ritual ground." (Gogoi 2011:30)
- ^ (Gogoi 2011:30)
- ^ (Gogoi 1976:1)
- ^ (Gogoi 2011:19)
- ^ (Gogoi 2011:20)
- ^ (Gogoi 1976:29)
- ^ (Phukan 2017)
- ^ The Tai Ahoms have a number of sacred texts and Lit Lai Pak Peyn Kaka is the most important religious scripture which is called the Bible of the Tai Ahom religion." (Gogoi 2011:18–19)
- ^ (Gogoi 2011:71)
- ^ (Gogoi 2011:152–153)
References
- Gogoi, Padmeshwar (1976), Tai Ahom Religion and Customs (PDF), Publication Board, Gauhati, Assam
{{citation}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Gogoi, Shrutashwinee (2011). Tai ahom religion a philosophical study (PhD). Retrieved January 31, 2019.
Further reading
- Daoratanahong, Lakana; Edmondson, Jerold A.; Sinnott, Megan; Kanda, Yagi; Chonnabot, Mahāwitthayālai Mahidon Sathāban Wičhai Phāsā læ Watthanatham phư̄a Phatthanā; Thō̜ngdī, ʻĪam (1998). Introduction to Tai-Kadai people: the International Conference on Tai Studies, July 29-31, 1998, Royal River, Bangkok. Institute of Language and Culture for Rural Development, Mahidol University. p. 30. ISBN 9789746613491.
- Sud̈ostasien, -Gesellschaft (2001). Tai Culture: International Review on Tai Cultural Studies. SEACOM Sud̈ostasien-Gesellschaft. p. 144.