All the languages that have been included under the head of Burmese belong to what is sometimes called the Tibeto-Burman family, are monosyllabic, and are spoken by races possessing the Mongolian type of countenance.
The Burmese women readily intermarry with the immigrants. The principal mixed races are as under :— On the NORTHERN AND NORTH-EASTERN FRONTIER OF INDIA the principal races may be enumerated as under : Chinese Frontier and Tibet. —Tibetan, rod, Gyami, Gyarung, Takpa, Manyak, Thochu, Sokpa, Horpa.
Nepal, W. to E. —Serpa, Sunwar, Murmi, Magar, Thaksya, Pakhya, Newer, Limbu. Nepal.—Kiranti, Rodong, Rungchenbung, Ching tangya, Nachhereng, Waling, Yakha, Chourasya, Kulungya, Thulungya, Bahingya, Lohorong, ambichhun, Balali, Sangpang, Domai or Dumi, Khaling, Dungmali.
Nepal Broken Tribes.—Darbi, Denwar or Dhenwara, Pahri, Chepang, Bbramu, Vayu or Hayu, Kuswar, Kusunda, Tharu, Bliramah, Bhotia, Brahman, Ekthariah, Gallia, Karni, Khas, Margi, Mungar, Murung, Nimbu, Parbattiah, Sarki, Yakha.
Sikkim.—Lepcha.
Bhutan.—Lhopa.
Bengal, N. E.—Bodo, Dhimal, Koch, Garo, Kachari. Bengal, E,, is Assam.
The valleys of the Himalaya are occupied by many tribes, who carry on traffic and intercourse over the mountain passes, amongst the highest of which (above the sea) are the Baralaelia, 16,500 feet ; Niti, 16,800 feet ; Baleh, 17,700 feet ; Umasi, 18,000 feet ; Lankpya, 18,000 feet ; Kui brang, 18,300 feet ; Lakhur, 18,400 feet ; Mane, 18,760 feet.
Mr. Hodgson, Dr. Campbell, and Mr. Aitcheson have all noticed the maze of languages spoken in the Himalaya ; and the ethnic phenomena in the Himalaya warrant the conclusion that they were peopled by successive swarms from the great Turanian hive ; that its tribes are yet traceably alike to the Altaic branch of the north and to the Dravidian of the south, and that the Kbas, the Kanet, the Dogra, and several other tribes of the Western Himalaya are of mixed breed, descended from Tartar mothers and Aryan fathers.
The Ninicha are a half-breed race on the southern slope of the Indian Caucasus, between the Afghans and the higher peaks. They speak a language related to the Indian tongues, with some curious affinities to Latin.
The northern region of the Himalaya is occupied exclusively by the Cis-Himalayan Bhotia (called Yalu Sen, Rongbo, Serpa, Kath Bhotia, etc.), who extend along the whole line of the ghats, and who, with the name, have retained unchanged the lin gual and physical characteristics, and even the manners, customs, and dress of their transnivean brethren.
To the central region of the Himalaya are con fined, each in their own province, from west to east, the Dunghar, west from Nepal ; the Dardu, Gakkar, Bamba, Kakka, Dog,ra, Kanet, Garhwali, Kohl', the Kus, Khas, or Khasia in Nepal ; the Magar, the Gurung, the Kusunda, Chepang, Sun war, Newar, Murmi or Tamar, Khombo or Kiranti, the Yaklia, the Limbu or Yakthumba, the Lepcha or Deunjong - maro in Sikkim ; the Lhopa in Bhutan.
In the lower region of the Himalaya, and in similarly malarious sites of the middle region, dwell the Bahoa, west of Kamaon to the Indus ; the Chibh, the Janjoh, the Awan, the Khatir, the Boksa in Kamaon ; the Bhotia in Nepal ; the Knswar, the Dahi or Dari, the Bhramu, the Kumha, the Dhenwar, the Tharu, the Hayu, the Pallas, the Kichak, the Dhimal of Sikkim and east of it ; the Bodo and the Koch'b. Of these, the Khas, Magar, Gurung, Newer, Murmi, Lepcha, and Bodpa, etc., are dominant unbroken tribes.
The broken tribes are the Awalia, Cbepang, Kusunda, and Hayu; and there are located amongst them from time immemorial tribes of helot craftsmen, blacksmiths, carpenters, curriers, potters, etc., who are regarded as unclean.
The unbroken tribes are the more recent immi grants from the north ; their languages are of the simpler Turanian type, whereas those of the broken tribes arc of the complex or pronominal type.
West of Nepal comes the Palpa, then the Thak sya, Sunwar, and Serpa ; the dialects of Kamaon and Garhwal, which carry us on to the Milchan of Kanawar ; the Ilundisi and Tibarskad north of it.
In Nepal, the Parbattiah or Paharia, a dialect of Hindi, is spoken all over the state, and forms the court language.