History Rengma Naga

a rengma naga man, c. 1868

like other naga tribes, there few written historical records of rengmas.

according local traditions, rengmas , lothas (or lhotas) once part of single tribe. there oral records of mighty struggle between combined rengma villages, , lotha village of phiro. there records of rengmas conflict angami nagas.

slavery used practice among rengmas, , slaves known names menugetenyu , itsakesa. time british arrived in naga region, slavery declining practice, , no rengma appears have been slave during time.

in assam, rengma tribals found in karbi-anglong, mikir hills. rengmas migrated mikir hills in part of 1800. migration of rengmas can traced in books written jp mills, ics on following:

rengma nagas written jp mills, ma, indian civil service, honorary director of ethnography assam in 1936 in introductory part in page 2 states, hundred years ago or more body of western rengmas migrated north-west mikir hills, still living. (isbn 978-0404158705)

the book lhota nagas written jp mills, ics in 1922 in page xiv of introduction states, indeed no longer quite clear whether chief lhota our rengma, , whether protected against pursuing angamis rearguard of lhotas crossing dayang northwards, or of rengmas migrating westwards mikir hills.....

in page xix of same book states, rengmas migrated kezami-angami country, throwing out naked rengmas eastwards melomi, , sending bigger portion of tribe westwards mikir hills. (isbn 978-8120617308)

the rengmas claim native or aborigines of karbi-anglong. karbi oral history claim immigrated yunnan region of china in ancient times. rengmas have come under pressure militant factions, hidden policy adopted people against tribals interest , unity, , have retaliated forming own counter-militancy groupings, leading ethnic killings , polarization in karbi-anglong, , plight of both karbis , rengmas relief camps. parallel rengmas, kukis, have anti-naga tendency in last few decades, have militant groups active in karbi-anglong fighting rights of tribe.