Nāga

Nāga, group of tribes inhabiting the Nāga Hills of Nāgāland (q.v.) state in northeastern India. They include more than 20 tribes of mixed origin, varying cultures, and very different physiques and appearances. The numerous Nāga languages (sometimes classified as dialects) belong to the Tibeto-Burman group of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Almost every village has its own dialect; different groups of Nāgas communicate in broken Assamese (Nāgamese), or sometimes in English and Hindi. The largest tribes are the Konyaks, Āos, Tangkhuls, Semās, and Angāmis.

Most Nāgas live in small villages strategically placed on hillsides and located near water. Shifting cultivation (jhūm) is commonly practiced, although some tribes practice terracing. Rice and millet are staples. Manufactures and arts include weaving (on simple tension looms) and wood carving. Nāga fishermen are noted for the use of intoxicants to kill or incapacitate fish.

Tribal organization has ranged from autocracy to democracy, and power may reside in a council of elders or tribal council. Descent is traced through the paternal line; clan and kindred are fundamental to social organization.

As a result of missionary efforts dating to the 19th-century British occupation of the area, a sizable majority of Nāgas are Christians.

In response to nationalist political sentiment among the Nāga tribes, the government of India created the state of Nāgāland in 1961.