Society
Sherdukpen society is divided into two classes: The Thong and Chao, the former of which–the higher caste–are divided into eight clans. Marriage between castes are considered taboo within the tribal society and are strongly discouraged. Local legend mentioned that the upper caste are the descendants of a Tibetan king (a grandson of Songtsän Gampo) and Ahom princess, of which they bore two sons. The Chao are the descendants of the king's porters and servants. The Sherdukpens migrate to Doimara (a lowland hamlet close to the Assamese border) and stayed between December to March on an annual basis during the winter months, a tradition with which the tribe maintain the memory of their Assamese ancestry. In Doimara, the Sherdukpens mingled with the nearby Assamese natives and traded for rice.
The Sherdukpen generally practice monogamy and trace their descent patrilineally. Their houses are built on strong stone foundations with their wall and floor made from thick wooden planks.
Read more about this topic: Sherdukpen People
Famous quotes containing the word society:
“The gold-digger in the ravines of the mountains is as much a gambler as his fellow in the saloons of San Francisco. What difference does it make whether you shake dirt or shake dice? If you win, society is the loser.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“But, most of all, the Great Society is not a safe harbor, a resting place, a final objective, a finished work. It is a challenge constantly renewed, beckoning us toward a destiny where the meaning of our lives matches the marvelous products of our labor.”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)
“With society and its public, there is no longer any other language than that of bombs, barricades, and all that follows.”
—Antonin Artaud (1896–1948)