Hmar in India

The Hmar have only been reported in India
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.

Introduction / History

The sturdy, dark-haired, brown eyed people of Hmar are known for their bravery and live in the northeastern states of Manipur, Assam, Mizoram, Megalaya and Tripura. The beauty of the landscape of this region is supplemented by the pleasant climate that is the result of dense forests and rugged mountains. The word "Hmar" literally means "north". Hmar folk songs reveal that these people migrated from Sinlung, which is assumed to be in China. The Hmar were nomadic in nature and due to ecological factors such as famine, the whole Hmar community was compelled to move, eventually reaching north east India. These people are distinctive in their traditional bright clothes.

The community has close traditional and socio-economic interaction with outsiders and in some places they are engaged in territorial wars with other tribes. The Hmar live in large areas which are difficult to access by road. Even in this difficult terrain, a Welsh missionary brought the gospel message in 1910. Currently there are numerous churches in each of the Hmar villages. Christianity has influenced the Hmar in quite a number of ways, including their culture and education system. The habit of drinking is also fast disappearing because of their change in faith. Their language, which had never been written down, was written in Roman script by missionaries, and the New Testament was published 1941. The Jesus film dubbed in their language will soon be available for the Hmar.

In earlier days, each Hmar clan had a dialect of its own but because of the effort of Christian missionaries they have developed a common language. Hmar society has witnessed other changes with regard to their social institutions, economic activities, political structure, leadership, religious beliefs and rituals. The efforts of government and voluntary agencies have brought about these changes. However, there is a need for the Hmar to capture the vision of Christ's Great Commission and reach out to their neighbors.


Prayer Points

Scripture Prayers for the Hmar in India.


Profile Source:   Anonymous  

People Name General Hmar
People Name in Country Hmar
Alternate Names Kuki; ह्मार
Population this Country 116,000
Population all Countries 116,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 3
Unreached No
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 6  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed
People ID 16937
ROP3 Code 112239
ROP25 Code 303056
ROP25 Name Hmar
Country India
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 11  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States on file 6
Largest States
Manipur
59,000
Mizoram
35,000
Assam
20,000
Meghalaya
2,200
Arunachal Pradesh
200
Maharashtra
20
Districts Interactive map, listing and data download
Specialized Website South Asia Peoples
Country India
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 11  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States 6
  Manipur 59,000
  Mizoram 35,000
  Assam 20,000
  Meghalaya 2,200
  Arunachal Pradesh 200
  Maharashtra 20
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Christianity
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.21 %
Christianity  (Evangelical Unknown)
98.87 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.35 %
Islam
0.41 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.04 %
Unknown
0.11 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Hmar (90,000 speakers)
Language Code hmr   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 45
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Mizo
3,900
Chin, Paite
1,600
English
700
Chin, Thado
400
Khasi
400
Naga, Lotha
400
Hindi
200
Gangte
100
Bengali
100
Chin, Mara
70
Assamese
70
Naga, Inpui
50
Naga, Tangkhul
50
Anal
50
Nepali
40
Primary Language Hmar (90,000 speakers)
Language Code hmr   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 45
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Mizo 3,900
  Chin, Paite 1,600
  English 700
  Chin, Thado 400
  Khasi 400
  Naga, Lotha 400
  Hindi 200
  Gangte 100
  Bengali 100
  Chin, Mara 70
  Assamese 70
  Naga, Inpui 50
  Naga, Tangkhul 50
  Anal 50
  Nepali 40
People Groups Speaking Hmar

Primary Language:  Hmar

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1920-1953)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1946-1977)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1968-2016)
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Hmar Jesus Film Project
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Hmar YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Hmar YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Anonymous 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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