Culture and Language of the Moriya Community of Assam

Abstract

The Moriyas are one among the oldest communities who have been living in the Brahmaputra valley. The Moriyas have been associated with the traditional brass metal industry for their livelihood and they have their unique socio-cultural identity. They came as Turbak's soldiers to fight against the Ahom king and had to stay here as war prisoners. They got married to local girls and in due course of time became an integral part of the larger Assamese society. By virtue of being inheritors of a mixed culture they are quite distinct from the other Muslims of Assam. The customs and rituals followed by the people of this community bear the distinctive cultural identity of these people. Most of their customs and rituals are derived from their contact with the local cultures. The cultural influence of Assamese Hindus on their culture is more prominent in case of language also. They have accepted the standard Assamese language as their mother tongue. The language in which the people of this community interact can be considered as the social dialect of that community. Apart from the language which is used in their daily transaction the Moriyas also have secret language which is still very active among them. In this research paper an attempt has been made to analyse the culture and social dialect of the Moriyas.