Approximately 3,000 members of the Dowaniya community live in the north-east Indian state of Assam. They inhabit a number of different locations on the Assam plain, but many live in the district of Sibsagar, a short distance from the Brahmaputra River.
In India the government has not recognized the Dowaniya as a Scheduled Tribe, so their unofficial designation has caused them to be largely forgotten by the outside world. Knowledge of the Dowaniya's existence comes from the work of eminent Indian anthropologist K S Singh, who included them in his massive project identifying nearly 5,000 distinct ethnic communities in India.
The Dowaniya have a history closely linked to that of the Singhpo, a tribe of similar size who live in the neighbouring state of Arunachal Pradesh. The Singhpo are cousins of the large Jingpo (Kachin) tribe of northern Myanmar and southern China, who number more than half a million people. The forefathers of the Singhpo migrated from northern Myanmar (then Burma) to northeast India in 1793 to flee persecution and terror caused by the Ahom king Gaurinath Singha. The Singhpos disposed the Khamtis from their land and settled in their present location.
The ancestors of the Dowaniya people were also among those early Singhpo settlers. Singh comments, 'It is said that the mingling of the Singhpo with the members belonging to several other communities, such as the Moran, Matak, Mishing, Kachari, Chutiya and Ahom, brought the Dowaniya into existence. In 1825 and 1826, Captain Neufville released several thousand Singhpo serfs. The descendants of these serfs constitute the Dowaniya community…. In the Singpho dialect dua means leader or head, and ni denotes its plural form, hence, the word dowani means headmen or leaders. '
The Dowaniya language is part of the Jingpo branch of the Tibeto-Burman family. Despite coming from the same roots as the Jingpo, more than 200 years of separation has now made Dowaniya very different from its original form. The Singhpo language in India today reportedly only has 50 per cent lexical similarity with Jingpo of Myanmar. The Dowaniya also speak Hindi and Assamese and use the Assamese script for writing.
The Dowaniya people retain their traditional customs to this day. They have managed to keep the all-pervading Hindu culture at arm's length, especially those Dowaniya living further away from the towns. One source notes that 'they are experts in woodcraft, basketry and weaving '.
When the Singhpo first entered India they brought their belief in Theravada Buddhism with them. Most Dowaniya have continued as Buddhists, although their faith is now mixed with Hinduistic and animistic infl uences. They have their own Buddhist monks, who preside over birth rituals, weddings and funerals, and are also entrusted with the preservation of the ancient Buddhist texts.
There are no known Christians among the Dowaniya people. Throughout their long and troubled history they have been waiting to hear the good news that Jesus loves them and has made a way for them to know the true God.
Scripture Prayers for the Dowaniya in India.
Profile Source: Peoples of the Buddhist World, Asia Harvest Copyrighted © Used with permission |
Global Prayer Digest: 2007-08-30 |
Global Prayer Digest: 2010-08-25 |
People Name General | Dowaniya |
People Name in Country | Dowaniya |
Population this Country | 3,400 |
Population all Countries | 3,400 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
Alternate Names | Diyang; Dumeha; Gunja; Lingkhi; Ringdo; Viza; डोवनिया |
People ID | 19194 |
ROP3 Code | 115491 |
Country | India | ||
Region | Asia, South | ||
Continent | Asia | ||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||
National Bible Society | Website | ||
Persecution Rank | 10 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||
Location in Country | Approximately 3,000 members of the Dowaniya community live in the north-east Indian state of Assam. They inhabit a number of different locations on the Assam plain, but many live in the district of Sibsagar, a short distance from the Brahmaputra River. Source: Peoples of the Buddhist World, 2004 | ||
Specialized Website | South Asia Peoples |
Country | India |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 10 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Location in Country | Approximately 3,000 members of the Dowaniya community live in the north-east Indian state of Assam. They inhabit a number of different locations on the Assam plain, but many live in the district of Sibsagar, a short distance from the Brahmaputra River.. Source: Peoples of the Buddhist World, 2004 |
Total States | 1 |
Assam 3,400 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Language | Assamese (1,300 speakers) | |||
Language Code | asm Ethnologue Listing | |||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||
Total Languages | 2 | |||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Assamese (1,300 speakers) |
Language Code | asm Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 2 |
Secondary Languages | |
Hindi 100 | |
People Groups | Speaking Assamese |
Primary Language: Assamese
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1822-1974) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1819-1993) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1833-1995) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Bible-NT Text | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name |
---|---|
Audio Recordings | Audio Bible teaching |
Audio Recordings | Online Audio Scripture |
Audio Recordings | Story of Jesus audio |
Film / Video | Following Jesus video |
Film / Video | God's Story video |
Film / Video | Indigitube.tv Video / Animation |
Film / Video | Jesus Film: view in Assamese |
Film / Video | Magdalena video |
Film / Video | Story of Jesus for Children |
Film / Video | The Path of Light |
General | Biblical answers to your questions |
General | Four Spiritual Laws |
General | Gospel resources links |
General | Gospel website in this language |
Mobile App | Download Bible from Google Play Store |
Text / Printed Matter | Bible: Assamese |
Text / Printed Matter | Children and youth resources |
Text / Printed Matter | Christ for the Nations |
Text / Printed Matter | Jesus Messiah comic book |
Text / Printed Matter | Literacy primer for Assamese |
Primary Religion: | Buddhism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
100.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Photo Source | Copyrighted © 2022 Peoples of the Buddhist World, Asia Harvest All rights reserved. Used with permission |
Map Source | People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project |
Profile Source | Peoples of the Buddhist World, Asia Harvest Copyrighted © Used with permission |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Read more |