User:Ringreiril Ranglong/sandbox

Ranglong People
Ranglong is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura [ ] state of India. They are mainly dwelling in the Dharmanagar, Panisagar sub-division of North Tripura, Kamalpur and Ambassa Subdivision of Dhalai district. They also live in the Karimganj, Cachar and Hailakandi district, Assam. And in Mamit district of Mizoram. The Ranglongs are known in different ways in their respective states viz. Halam, Tripuri, Kuki, etc. However, they call themselves ‘Riam’ (literally meaning ‘people’) and as a tribe "Ranglong". They speak their own Ranglong dialect, also known as “Ranglong Chong & Riam Chong" which has close similarity with that of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo race group which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin. The Ranglong language has also been declared by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a critically endangered language among the 197 (one hundred ninety seven) languages in India recorded as Langrong and alternative name as Ranglong (Press Information Bureau, Government of India, MHRD, 6th Aug. 2014).

Background of Ranglong The word “Ranglong” is a combination of two words such as “Rang” (adjective) and “long” (adverb. Rang means “Courageous, Bold, Cruel;” and "long" means “very or too much". With this combination, it can be translated as “Very bold, courage". There is also a saying that the Ranglong were the people who were courageous than any other tribes. One of their sayings "Boktom ral salung le mong song no mani" meaning "With a courageous looks and warrior minded we will never give up". The term ‘Ranglong’ is also simultaneously used as ‘Langrong’ by different scholars and writers. GH Damant (1880) and GA Grierson (1904) used the term Ranglong. On the other hand, CA Soppitt (1887) and TC Hodson (1912) used the term Langrong. At present, the speakers identify themselves with the term ‘Ranglong,’ although some of their correlated ethnic tribes like Mizo, Thado etc., still called them ‘Langrong.’ GH Damant (1880) grouped the Ranglong with ‘Old Kukis’ of the greater Tibeto-Burman Family. Poetically they also called themselves as “Longvon” and as a larger group as ‘Riam”.

In term of race descendant, the Ranglong people claim that they belong to the Mongoloid descent. They are one of the racial groups of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo racial stocks. According to the oral tradition of the Ranglong, the existence of human beings (Riam or Riamrai) originated from a huge cave or a hole called “Khurpuitabum” which is believed to be located somewhere in China (as some historians asserted). The literal meaning of 'Khurpuitabum' Khur means Cave, ta means from and bum means coming together. Probably they came together in one place after coming out of the cave and continue their migration.