Singphow, one of powerful tribes living in plains and hills of Assam has the glorious story to tell about their deep rooted eco-social and cultural aspects in greater Assamese national life. This powerful tribe has the hearth bordering the Brahmaputra valley encircled by foot-hills of the Patkai-Michimi hills in the east, river Na-Dihing in the West and the mighty Brahmaputra in the north.

The Singphows are a hilly tribe of Mongoloid origin. Though their site of preoccupation is not known, but the story goes that their abode was in the hills naming Singra-Boom in Tibet and from there, they formed several groups. Out of these groups, one went to China, one Burma (now Myannmar), and the rest came over to India and settled in the hilly region. It is to be noted that the Singphows in China are known as ‘Jingphow’ and ‘Singphaw or 'Kachin’ in Burma (Myannmar)

The Singphows have no written-history of their own. As such their life history more or less depends on legends. As the saying goes, their settlement in Burma was in the Hookang vally extended up to Patkai Hills. Due to atrocites by the Burmese upon them or blooming of bamboo-flowers and subsequent famine, the Singphows entered into the eastern part of India presently known as Dehing Patkai region.

In 1904, it was the British Rulers who brought about 300 to 400 young people of this tribe to upper Assam and encamped them at Sadiya. These tribesmen were brought with a view to engage them in different sort of activities as these young folks were brave, honest and were accustomed with jungle life.Some of the youths were selected as gaurds, some of them were engaged as cooks and the rest were sent to Digboi for Jungle clearing works etc. Later some of them were employed in the newly established Assam Oil Company. Lastly, these hard working tribesmen were brought to Margherita, popularly known as Telpong in those for using their labour in the construction of the historic Stilwell road from Ledo to Pangsau Pass (Indo-Burma border). Some of these brave tribesmen died halfway through due to malaria etc. and the rest who survived never returned to their native land i.e. Nagaland and settled down under Margherita sub-division with due permission from the then British political officer G. D. Walker.

The main occupation of the Sema Naga tribe of Margherita sub division is cultivation and weaving and are presently residing in nine beautiful villages of which Longton and Lalpahar villages and assumed special significance by the kind visit of His Excellency the President of India Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam in January2003.

The Tai Phakes migrated to Assam from Houkong velley in the year 1775. From 1775 to 1850 the Tai Phake people were wandering from one place to another in search of a permanent settlement and at first day settled down in ‘Nong tao ‘(Nong-Pong, Tao-algae). After that they came to Sadiya and started living with the local Khamti population and Deshoi (near Jorhat), In 1817 after first invasion of ‘MAAN’ they returned to ‘Namchik’ in Arunachal Pradesh. After few years in 1826-27, they again came down and settled in ‘Ingthong’ (now Inthem near Margherita). Some of them had come down through Burhidehing River and established Namphake and Tipamphake village near Naharkatia in about 1850. From then they have been living permanently there and their literature, culture and society started flourishing in various aspects.

The Tai Phake population is spread over nine villages of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia Districts of Assam and some of them are in Changlang and Lohit Districts of Arunachal Pradesh. At present Tai Phake population is around 1500 only. Tai Phake people are strict followers of Buddhism and falls under the category of Hinayana sect. In each village they establish a Buddha Bihar where Buddha images made of brass are installed and regular prayers are offered by monks(known as Chow Moun) and the villagers.

The Tangsas in Dehing Patkai Region are of Mongoloid origin. They migrated from South-West China Province of Yunan through Burma and setteled in this region in the beginning of 13th century. In their native place in China and Burma they were known as ‘Muwa’ and ‘Hawa’ respectively. Presently they are residing at Lakla, Fulbary, Keniya, Wara, Mungkam Pathar, Honju, Kharang kong, Ningam, Long tikhak, Kamba, Mulong, Tinihuti, Malu Pahar Gaon. Lekhapani, Molong Gaon, Ledo and Rang Ring of Tinsukia district in Assam and Joirampur, Nampong, Man Mao, Miao, Kharsang, Rima, Namphai of Changlang district of Arunachal Predesh.

The term Tangsa is derived from ‘Tang’ (high land) and ‘Cha’ or ‘Sa’ (son) meaning sons of high land. There are about twenty sub-tribes like Youngkuk. Tikhak, Longchang, Muklom, Sanglin, Tonglim, Lungri, Ngaimong, Mongray, Hachang, Jugli, Kimsing, Mossang Ronrang, Motai etc having some similarities and differences in terms of customs and traditions.

The Tangsas are socially organised and hospitable. They live in 'Chang Ghar' made of wood, bamboo and jengpat(a kind of large leaf). They have joint family system. Every Tangsa village has a headman called 'Keang Walang' who commands tremendous respect from villagers in every aspect of their lives.

The Khamyangs, who are popularly known as Noras are a section of the Great Thai or Tai-stock.They had their independent principality in Mungkong upto the end of the 18th Century These people are also popularly known as the Shyams. It may be relevantly noted here that Khamyang is a Tai word. Kham means ‘Gold’ and Yang or Jang means ‘to have’. So etymologically, the term Khamyang stands for the people from the land of Gold.
Linguistically, the Khamyangs belong to a Tai-speaking group and they are Buddhist of Teravada School. At present, however, Tai language is not in use among the Khamyangs of Assam except in a small settlement named Powai Mukh near Margherita.The rest speak Assamese. But many Tai terms are still retained in their vocabulary. Thus in respect of language and some other cultural traits the Khamyangs are in the process of harmonious assimilation with the local Assamese culture.

The Tai Khamyangs, after crossing over the Patkai, got divided in to two groups namely the Mon Nam or Pani (Lao Land Nora). They are called Khamyangs in view of the fact that after their migration from Mungkong they settled at a place having that name. With regard to their migration to Assam, it may be noted that some Noras had accompanied Swargadeo Sukhapha and later on their separate identies were merged with the Ahoms. History bears testimony to the fact that in 1524 Swargadeo Chukungmong married the daughter of the Nora Raja and Nora Raja equally was honoured with an Ahom damsel. It is quite probable that some Noras might have accompanied the princess in 1576. Swargadeo Chukhamfa also married one Nora princess. The princess were accompanied by a Nora prince, a priest and 1000 Nora people. Again during the reign of Swargadeo Rajeswar Singha (1751-69), an Ahom officer named Kirti Chandra Barbaruaa brought many Nora people in order to prove his identity of being a real Ahom. At present, the Nora as a distinct tribe, are found in Disangpani and Cholapather villages of Sibsagar District and near Titabar in Jorhat district.