Jingpo
The jingpo (Chinese: 景颇族; pinyin: Jǐngpō zú) are an ethnic minority living in Burma, India, Thailand and the People's Republic of China. In this country they form one of the 56 minorities officially recognized by the government. Most of the jingpo live in Burma, with an estimated population of about 600,000. In China, the Jingpo population, numbering about 130,000, is concentrated in the Yunnan province.
Language
The Jingpo language belongs to the Tibeto-Burmese language branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. There are two dialects of this language that are:
- Jingpo or kachin: spoken by about 500 000 people in Burma and about 40 000 in China. Many speakers tsaiva they are also able to understand this dialect.
- Tsaiva or tsaiwa: some 30,000 people speak in China and another 30,000 people in Burma. After the establishment of the People's Republic, a writing system was developed using the Latin alphabet to write this dialect. The new system became official in 1957.
History
The ancestors of the Jingpo lived on the Tibetan plain and gradually migrated south. Upon their arrival in what is now Yunnan province they received the name xunchuanman. It seems that their origins are closely related to those of the qiang.
During the 15th and 16th centuries they continued to emigrate until they settled in their current domains. They have received various names over the centuries: echang, zhexie, and yeren, a name by which they have been known since the Yuan dynasty until the formation of the People's Republic, in 1949, when they received their current name. In India they are known as singpho.
Culture
Traditionally, the social system of this town was based on the family unit consisting of husband and wife. Some local chiefs might have more than one wife. Marriages were arranged according to a complex system of hierarchies. Local chiefs were called shanguan.
Jingpo houses are usually two-story and built of wood and bamboo. The houses are oval in shape; The first floor serves as a store and stable while the second is used as a family home. The construction and reconstruction of these houses, which is usually done every seven or eight years, is considered a community matter and the entire village collaborates in this task.
The women wear black jackets decorated with silver decorations. They are combined with skirts made of wool in bright colors. The men also wear black jackets and long, wide pants. They cover their heads with turbans: the young are white while the adults wear black turbans.
Religion
Although small groups of Christians and Buddhists exist, most jingpo are polytheistic. They worship different gods as well as the spirits of their ancestors.
They believe that spirits reside everywhere, from the sun to animals, and that they bring good or bad luck to men. For the jingpo, all living creatures are endowed with a soul. Rituals are performed to protect almost all daily activities, from harvests to wars.