Tai Man in India


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.

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Identity

Approximately 3,500 people belonging to the Man ethnic group live in north-east India According to the 1991 census, 2,582 Man people lived in Assam State, dispersed in the Karbi Arleng District and North Cachar District. A small number may live in Tinsuria. An additional 585 Man people live in the state of Meghalaya, primarily in the West Garo Hills.


History

The name Man literally means 'a Burmese immigrant '. K S Singh says, 'Legend has it that they came to this part along with an invading army, and were afterwards recruited as sepoys to fight the Garos in the second decade of the nineteenth century. Those who settled down in the Garo hills after relinquishing their duty as sepoys took women from other communities as their wives and formed a separate community. They married Koch, Hajong, Assamese and Bengali women, but they never encouraged marriage with the Muslims.'

Over time, as a consequence of their mixing with other communities, the Man emerged as a distinct people group, and all links to their origins in Myanmar have long been forgotten. Their Tai language has also been lost. They have 'completely forgotten their original language and have adopted Assamese as their mother tongue and use the Assamese script. They sometimes use Bengali and Hindi to communicate with others. The Man have been Assamised to a large extent into the greater Assamese culture. '


Customs

Although the majority of Man people say they are Buddhists, Hinduism has influenced their religious belief system and is gradually taking over. 'The life cycle rituals they perform demonstrate much similarity with those of the neighboring caste Hindus of Assam and Meghalaya. The marriage, however, is solemnized by a Buddhist monk or pathak reciting hymns from the Pali scripture. '


Religion

Despite growing Hindu influence, approximately half of the Man continue to profess Theravada Buddhism. In most of their families the goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati are venerated. The 1981 census returned 92.04 per cent of the Man in Meghalaya as followers of Buddhism, 3.45 per cent Hindus, 2.55 per cent Christians, 1.05 per cent 'other religions' (i.e., animism), 0.6 per cent Muslims and 0.31 per cent did not state their religion. The 1991 census revealed the inroads Hinduism has made, with the majority of Man in Assam at that time professing Hinduism.


Christianity

There are approximately 250 Man Christians today in India, a remnant that does not have the resources or motivation to reach the rest of their ethnic group. The 1991 census returned 133 Man Christians living in the Karbi Arleng District and 97 Christians in the North Cachar District, both in Assam State.

Because they do not appear on most missionary lists of ethnolinguistic peoples from India, few Christians have ever heard of the Man and fewer still have tried to reach them with the gospel. About 50 per cent of Man have never heard the gospel in a clear way such that they could intelligently either accept or reject the claims of Christ.


Prayer Points

Scripture Prayers for the Tai Man in India.


Profile Source:   Peoples of the Buddhist World, Asia Harvest  Copyrighted ©   Used with permission  

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Shan State

Source:  Asia Harvest      Download

People Name General Tai Man, Shan
People Name in Country Tai Man
Pronunciation tie MAHN
Alternate Names Burmese Shan; Cha Shan; Dai; Great Thai; Ngio; Nyaw; Red Shan; Sen; Sha; Sham; Shyam; Tai Jai; Tai Long; Tai Luang; Tai Neua; Tai Yai; Tai Yay; Tairong; Tairung; Thai Yai; Turung; Yunnanese Shan; टाई मान, शान
Population this Country 6,900
Population all Countries 4,647,000
Total Countries 4
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 2
Unreached No
Frontier People Group No
Pioneer Workers Needed
People ID 18205
ROP3 Code 113721
ROP25 Code 307858
ROP25 Name Tai Phake (Phake)
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 9
Largest States
Assam
3,500
Mizoram
1,500
Meghalaya
1,200
Delhi
400
Arunachal Pradesh
200
West Bengal
40
Maharashtra
30
Gujarat
10
Andaman and Nicobar
10
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 9
  Assam 3,500
  Mizoram 1,500
  Meghalaya 1,200
  Delhi 400
  Arunachal Pradesh 200
  West Bengal 40
  Maharashtra 30
  Gujarat 10
  Andaman and Nicobar 10
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Buddhism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
76.07 %
Christianity  (Evangelical Unknown)
21.90 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
1.60 %
Islam
0.21 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.07 %
Unknown
0.15 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Phake (4,000 speakers)
Language Code phk   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 19
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Assamese
1,000
Marathi
500
Mizo
200
Khamyang
60
Garo
30
Karbi
20
Rabha Punjabi, Eastern Nepali
Hindi Meitei Boro
Tiwa Khasi Pnar
Primary Language Phake (4,000 speakers)
Language Code phk   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 19
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Assamese 1,000
  Marathi 500
  Mizo 200
  Khamyang 60
  Garo 30
  Karbi 20
  Rabha 10
  Punjabi, Eastern 10
  Nepali 10
  Hindi 0
  Meitei 0
  Boro 0
  Tiwa 0
  Khasi 0
  Pnar 0
People Groups Speaking Phake

Primary Language:  Phake

Bible Translation Status:  Translation Started

Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Photo Source Copyrighted © 2023  Kerry Olson  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Video Source Asia Harvest
Profile Source Peoples of the Buddhist World, Asia Harvest  Copyrighted ©  Used with permission 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.