Traditional social system of the Zeliangrong
- Part 2 -

Budha Kamei *

Scene from 'The Zeliangrongs' :: Provided by Director - Ronel Haobam

Raymond Firth regards a lineage, meaning primarily a line of descent, is now taken also to mean a unilineal descent group, all members of which trace their genealogical relationship back to a founding ancestor.

There is no class and caste system in traditional Zeliangrong society all are treated equally, no consideration for poor or rich, high or low. The society is arranged into clan system. A clan is a group of people organized into families who are descended from one ancestor. Each clan follows exogamous (marrying outside) system and marriage within the same clan or lineage is prohibited. It is said that a clan is an exogamous division of a tribe, the members of which are tied together by a belief in common descent, common possession of totem or habitation in a common territory.42

Every clan has a totem which is a symbol or emblem of a clan or family and it is a food taboos either an animal or bird, or tree or plants. The clan in its earliest stage is the combination of the families of the sons of a household joined by the families of male cousin's from father's side. In order to meet an external aggression raids several family combined on the basis of paternal line, and thus, formed a clan. Clans were also formed when migrated from one place to another due to certain impending factors, such as to meet marriage necessities, and to hide one's identity from the enemy clans. They are divided into four totemistic clans namely; Kamei, Gonmei, Gangmei and Rongmei.43

The totems of these clans are Ahuina (green pigeon) of Kamei, Loingao bird of Gonmei, Tiger of Gangmei and white pumpkin/dog of Rongmei.44 Each major clan is subdivided into a number of lineages. The lineage is a socially binding and an intermediary unit in between family and clan.

Kamei clan is subdivided into lineages like
(1) Pamei/Kamei
(2) Phaomei,
(3) Siangongmei,
(4) Ngaomei,
(5) Khandangmei
(6) Malangmei,
(7) Kamson, and
(8) Daimei.45

Gonmei clan has
(1) Gonthangmei
(2) Gondaimei
(3) Remmei,
(4) Maringmei,
(5) Dahangmei,
(6) Panmei, and
(7) Thaimei.46

Gangmei clan also has lineages such as
(1) Kamhang Gangmei,
(2) Pheiga Gangmei,
(3) Sidou Gangmei,
(4) Jukhao Gangmei,
(5) Goijaichang Gangmei,
(6)Taokhondai Gangmei and
(7) Pongring Gangmei.

But in the case of the Rongmei clan there is no lineage.

The most important element which keeps different clans of the Zeliangrong tribe closely connected is the system of marriage which does not allow that husband and wife to belong to the same clan. In all respects, these clans are socially equal and intimate since there is not any sort of discrimination in dealing with each other in their day to day life. There is no restriction on inter-dining or inter drinking among them. Nowadays, many clan associations grow up in the Zeliangrong society. Clanism is a danger but it provides the base for unity.

"Man is a social animal, formed to please and enjoy in society."48 Social life is the essence of human life. It grows out of constant patterning of social interactions among human being as such. Man does not live alone and at the same time he has to meet his basic needs like food, shelter and social needs like companionship, recreation, religious activities, play, etc. He thus forms a group or with the help of that group he satisfies his needs. In its simplest form, it provides its members with a great variety of their needs.49

Thus, a society is a group of persons who live more or less together in certain place or region in an organized form to continue through succeeding generations, and its members must be dependent on one another and exist independently of other groups. The people in the society develop their own culture, or ways of acting, thinking and feeling.

In Zeliangrong society, marriage is considered as sacrament. Without socio-religious sanction a marriage is invalid in the society. They follow clan exogamy and marriage within the same clan is a taboo. For such a taboo marriage, no ritual ceremony (Mailakmei) is performed and the couple is out caste or derecognized in the society. The couple is not allowed to participate in socio-religious functions of the society. Scholars have maintained the idea that marriage is a rule to produce legitimate production.50

Marriage is performed by ways of elopement, engagement etc. Marriage with the daughter of the mother's brother is preferred but nowadays it is not encouraged. Monogamy is the rule and polygamy is not prohibited but it is not encouraged. No child marriage is practiced. Divorced is permitted but is very rare. The matter is brought to the knowledge of Pei, village court. Bride price is compulsory. In Zeliangrong society, a girl on her marriage leaves her parental house and lives in the house of her husband (patrilocal) by changing her clan to that of the husband. Thereafter, she becomes the essential member of her husband's family. This establishes firmly the right of the husband and the paternal authority, and hence, Zeliangrong society is patriarchally organized.

Kinship terminology forms an important part in the whole kinship system as it serves as an index to understanding of the kinship relation and patterns of behavior among various kin groups. The kinship terms of the Zeliangrong include both descriptive and classificatory type. Some of the kinship terminologies of the Zeliangrong with reference to consanguineal, collateral and affinal relatives are given below:

Kinship usage:

This includes the study of behaviour patterns of different kin. In all societies some sort of avoidance is found in kinship relations. In this relationship the behaviour of the members and their actions are determined by various regularly practices. These include observance and avoidance of acts and conducts by the members. Avoidance refers to the practice where a number of kin is to avoid a type of relationship towards a particular kin. It is indicative of a particular type of respect or a particular type of relationship.

Avoidance:

In the avoidance relationship the two kins should avoid each other. Avoidance is observed to prevent any error on behalf of the subject in adult life in the observance of the norms of sexual conduct.53 According to Radcliffe Brown,54 whenever people come in contact with each other, the possibilities of corporation as well as conflict are always equally present. But there are certain kinds of kinship where hostility is regard as manifest if to put restrictions on the growth of intimacy; and hence the kinship usage of avoidance. In Zeliangrong society, daughter in-law and parent in-law avoidance, son-in-law and parent-in-law avoidance and brother-sister avoidance are maintained.