30/10/2025
The Nyishi are the largest ethnic group in Arunachal Pradesh, India, with origins in the Tibetan plateau and Himalayan foothills. According to oral tradition, they migrated from the north around the 16th century, crossing the Supung River before settling in their current territories. Historically, they had an oral tradition, and a supposed ancient script on deer skin was lost when it was consumed during a famine. Their society is structured around clans and patrilineal descent, and their traditional religion is Donyi-Polo, which worships the sun and moon. Origin and migration Ancestral homeland: Tibetan plateau and Himalayan foothills.Migration: From the north, crossing the Supung River before the arrival of Buddhism in Tibet.Settlement: Around the 16th century, in present-day Arunachal Pradesh.Loss of script: Oral history suggests they once had a script written on deer skin, but it was lost when the tribe faced famine and had to eat the skin. Society and culture Social structure: Divided into five major phratries (Dopum, Dodum, Dolu, Hagung, and Anyia Hari) based on lineage, with a patrilineal descent system.Name: "Nyishi" means "a man" (\(Nyi\)) and "a being" (\(shi\)), together meaning "a civilized human being".Language: Belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family, but its exact origins are debated and their oral language has not been written down extensively.Traditional religion: Donyi-Polo, which reveres the sun (\(Donyi\)) and the moon (\(Polo\)).Modernization: Polygyny was once common but is now diminishing with modernization.Economy: Traditionally practiced agriculture (rice, maize), hunting, and fishing. They are also skilled in handicrafts like weaving, cane and bamboo work.
Daily HighlightNyishi Elite Society
