Khamiyang in India


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* Data can be from various sources including official census, agencies, and local research. Data from these sources can sometimes differ even by orders of magnitude. Joshua Project attempts to present a conservative, balanced estimate.

Introduction / History

Few sources have ever mentioned the Khamiyang, although one described them as "a small Buddhist peasant community with a close affinity with the Khamtis of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aiton and Tai Phake of Assam. They are also called Khamjang and use Shyam as their surname." The name Khamiyang means "a place where gold is available." This name probably comes from their homeland. They probably originally lived in the Patkai mountains, but they left because of oppression from the Singpho (Kachin) and moved to Assam between 1807 and 1814.

Khamiyang people live in the north-east Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, inhabiting communities near the Khamtis in the Lohit and Tirap districts. They dwell in the plains drained by the Tengapani and Noa-Dihing rivers and within the vicinity of dense tropical moist and deciduous forests. A small number of Khamiyang live in the Rowai Mukh village within Assam State.

The Khamiyang originally spoke a Tai language, similar to Khamti. Over the centuries, however, the Khamiyang have gradually lost the use of their mother tongue, and most have adopted Assamese, which is spoken by more than 15 million people in north-east India. They also use the Assamese script for reading and writing. Their original Tai script is now used only for Buddhist rituals.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Despite losing their linguistic identity, the Khamiyang retain their cultural and ethnic distinctiveness, which qualifies them as a mission-significant people group.

Since they live in a place with abundant natural resources, the diet of the Khamiyang includes a large variety of wild and domestically grown vegetables, roots and tubers such as pumpkins, brinjals, ginger and onions; mustard leaves; chilies; flower of plantains; mushrooms; shoots of bamboo and cane and many types of leaves.... They eat a variety of fish ... fowls, pigs, goats, wild bears, deer and tigers, but abstain from taking beef.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Theravada Buddhism is the religious choice of an overwhelming number of Khamiyang people. The Khamiyang have been Buddhists since long before their migration from the Shan State area of northern Myanmar many centuries ago.


What Are Their Needs?

Buddhism forms a major part of their identity, and few seem open to change. Consequently, there are no known Christians among the Khamiyang people of India today. Each village has its own temple or monastery.


Prayer Points

Pray for a movement of Jesus to heal and strengthen Khamiyang communities.

Pray for the Khamiyang people to understand and embrace that Jesus wants to bless their families and neighborhoods.

Pray for Holy Spirit anointed believers from the Khamiyang people to change their society from within.

Pray for a movement in which the Holy Spirit leads and empowers disciples to make more disciples.


Scripture Prayers for the Khamiyang in India.


References

Peoples of the Buddhist World, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Khamiyang
People Name in Country Khamiyang
Alternate Names Khamiyan; Khamjang; Khamyang; Nara; Nora; Sham; Shyam; खामियांग
Population this Country 1,500
Population all Countries 1,500
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 17173
ROP3 Code 112525
Country India
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 11  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Approximately one thousand Khamiyang people live in the north-east Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, inhabitating communities near the Khamtis in the Lohit and Tirap districts.   Source:  Peoples of the Buddhist World, 2004
Total States on file 2
Largest States
Arunachal Pradesh
1,100
Assam
400
Districts Interactive map, listing and data download
Specialized Website South Asia Peoples
Country India
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 11  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Approximately one thousand Khamiyang people live in the north-east Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, inhabitating communities near the Khamtis in the Lohit and Tirap districts..   Source:  Peoples of the Buddhist World, 2004
Total States 2
  Arunachal Pradesh 1,100
  Assam 400
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Buddhism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
96.25 %
Christianity  (Evangelical Unknown)
1.27 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
1.87 %
Islam
0.07 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.45 %
Unknown
0.07 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Assamese (700 speakers)
Language Code asm   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 8
Secondary Languages
Khamyang
600
Digaro-Mishmi Anal
English Kurux Nepali
Naga, Tangshang: Tangsa
Primary Language Assamese (700 speakers)
Language Code asm   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 8
Secondary Languages
  Khamyang 600
  Digaro-Mishmi 10
  Anal 0
  English 0
  Kurux 0
  Nepali 0
  Naga, Tangshang: Tangsa 0
People Groups Speaking Assamese

Primary Language:  Assamese

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1822-1974)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1819-1993)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1833-2022)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Online Audio Scripture Talking Bibles
Film / Video Following Jesus video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Assamese Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Bible in text or audio or video South Asia Bibles
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Cru
General Gospel website in this language General / Other
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app direct APK download SIL
Mobile App Android Bible app: Assamese YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible App: Assamese Bible (অসমীয়া বাইবেল) Indian Revised Version (IRV) Operation Agape
Mobile App Android Bible Radio app: Assamese Bible Radio Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Assamese YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Assamese Bible Kalaam Media Ltd
Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Christ for the Nations General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Jesus Messiah comic book General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Assamese Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Online New Testament (Bibles India) Operation Agape
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Aiechengkingchowlu - Wikimedia  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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