Paite people
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 150,000[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Churachandpur, Manipur, India, Burma, Karbi Anglong, Assam, Mizoram | |
| Languages | |
| Paite language | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Kuki · Chin · · Hmar · Mizo · Simte · Vaiphei · Zou · Paite |
The Paite are a tribal people of Burma, India, and Bangladesh. They are a scheduled tribe in Manipur and Mizoram.[2]
The word "Paite" means 'Walkers' (pai 'walk', te 'people').
The Paite nation constitutes the fifth largest scheduled tribe in Manipur, out of the 33 nations recognised as Scheduled Tribes by the Government of India. In 1956, the tribes who were recorded by the Government as 'Paite' petitioned to be known and recorded according to their own name, which was granted to them.
Most Paite follow Christianity, mostly Protestant denominations like Baptists, Lutherans, Pentecostal, and non-Protestant like the Church of Christ and there are a good percentage of Roman Catholics as well. They adopted Christianity in the 19th century[citation needed] with the intervention of British missionaries.
The main population of the Paite is concentrated in the district of Churachandpur in the Indian state of Manipur. The Paite are known to be peace loving and quiet by nature, and have lived side by side with many other tribes in the region.
References
- ↑ Distribution of the 100 non-scheduled languages, n° 73 Paite
- ↑ http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Language/partb.htm "List of notified Scheduled Tribes". Census India. pp. 7–8. Retrieved 15 December 2013
See also
List of Scheduled Tribes in India