Development of Vernacular Architecture in Assam

[Full title: Development of Vernacular Architecture in Assam: Scrutiny of Racial Contributions]

The Brahmaputra valley that epitomizes the essence of the Assam or the Assamese culture betrays immense historical, ethnological, as well as cultural significances. The valley witnessed the flow of different racial stock since the prehistoric period that gradually developed the rich cultural tradition of the land. The fertile soil of the valley primarily lured the people of different racial stocks through ages to migrate to the region. Simultaneously, the valley also served as a connection or commercial route connecting not only the region but also possibly, the entire South-East Asia with the different parts of the world. Such an assumption arises from the classical sources such as the Periplus of the Erythrean Sea (1^st C. AD) or the Geography of Ptolemy (c.150AD) that probably mentions about Assam and a trade link that is corroborated by the other sources such as Chang Kien or accounts of Yuan Chwang. Hence, the Brahmaputra valley witnessed waves of migration and accommodated numerous ethnic groups on its soil.

The region, which is situated in “one of the great migration routes of mankind”, become the habitat of men as early as the tertiary period as opined by geological researchers. Thus, number of racial groups migrated through different routes to the region as suggested by different classical, historic or literary sources.

Thus, scholars mention of four probable migration routes to the region:

first through the north or the mountain passes of Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan; second through valley of Ganges and the Brahmaputra from India and the west; third by sea or the Bay of Bengal, passing through Bengal or Burma, and fourthly the Assam-Burma routes, one over the Patkai passes in the north-east, leading from Lidu-Margherita road to China through the Hukawang Valley in Burma and the other through Manipur and Cachar in the south-east or south of Assam. (Choudhury:1987:75)

There were successive migrations of different racial groups from China, South East Asia and from the mainland of India through these routes. It is assumed that the Indian population consist of six main racial groups such as Negrito, Proto-Australoid, Mongoloid, Mediterranean, Western Brachycephals, and Nordic while there are Negrito, Proto-Australoid, Mongoloid, Mediterranean, and Nordic racial elements in the population of Assam (Bhattacharya:2000:30). Sarma (2003) mentioned of Mongoloid, Australoid, Mediterranean (Dravidian), and Nordic (Aryans) racial elements in Assam while Mills mentioned of the presence of the Negrito element among the Naga tribes, besides Australoid, Indo-Mongoloid, Mediterranean, and the Indo-Aryan racial elements.

Of the different racial stocks, the Austaloids, which is considered as a branch of Caucasoid, are regarded as the earliest people to settle in the region though presently no group of people betray such racial features (Das:2000). It is said that these people had their own culture when they entered Assam but later on intermingled with the IndoMongoloids and Mediterranean people through exchange of blood and culture. As indicated by different scholars, the Assamese culture inherited different elements from Australoid culture.

The Indo-Mongoloids, referred as the Kirata in different ancient literature, are the prominent and major racial element in the population of the Assam. The tribal populations of the state primarily belong to this stock that is linguistically broadly divided into two groups, namely Tibeto-Burman language group and the SiameseChinese group. The tribes belonging to the Tibeto-Burman language migrated to this land around 1000 BCE or before the compilation of the Yajurveda and Atharvaveda (Chatterjee:2017).

There is opinion that when the first wave Indo-Mongoloid people entered the region, they encountered the Australoids, who later on migrated to the Khasi and Jayantia Hills (Patgiri:2003). Then the Indo-Aryans people entered the land, before the beginning of the Christian era as suggested by the two epics (Das:2003) or after 500 BCE from North India and Gangetic Delta of Bengal (People of Assam). However, it is likely that the entry of other sub-groups of the Caucasoid stock predates the entry of the Indo-Aryans. Thus, it is argued that people belonging to the Alpine-Armenian group, who entered India from the north-western direction, reached Assam through the foothills of the Himalaya prior to the Indo-Aryans. As per opinion of Kanaklal Barua, the Assamese caste of the Kalita, Kayastha, and Brahmin belong to the Alpine stock. Similarly, Kaliram Medhi holds that the Kalitas are not Vedic Aryan but Pre-Vedic people who entered Assam before the Aryans. It is assumed that the Kalitas have migrated to Assam prior to the time of the compilation of the Vedas, which is thought to be started before 1500 BCE. Thus, it can be surmised that the Kalitas or the people of the Caucasoid stock entered Assam prior to 1500 BCE.