SINGPHO
Location:
Changlang and Namsai Districts.
General Information:
The Singphos are said to be a branch of Kachins of upper Myanmar
and made their first appearance at the end of eighteenth century.
They speak Jingphaw dialect which belongs to the Tibeto-Burman
linguistic family.
Agriculture is their mainstay of life and they practice permanent
cultivation. They use plough. They grow maize, millet, pulses,
mustard seeds and vegetables. They also grow opium plants on a large scale.
They used to keep slaves for cultivating their land.
They have adopted Theravada (Hinayana) Sect of Buddhism and
simultaneously believe in the existence of a host of spirits.
Their traditional festivals is Sipong Yong Poi celebrated in the month of April.
Singpho women are good at weaving and they weave most of their
requirement at home. In past they had a trade relation with the
Mishmis and traded ivory, elephants, Dao, rubber and opium through
transborder trade and village trade.