Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) with answers on “The Mishing Tribe: A Historical Perspective”

1. The Mishing tribe primarily belongs to which Indian state?

• a) Meghalaya
• b) Assam
• c) Manipur
• d) Nagaland
  Answer: b) Assam

2. The Mishing people are believed to have descended from which ethnic group?

• a) Indo-Aryans
• b) Sino-Tibetan
• c) Austroasiatic
• d) Dravidian
  Answer: b) Sino-Tibetan

3. Which river basin is the traditional homeland of the Mishing tribe?

• a) Ganga
• b) Yamuna
• c) Brahmaputra
• d) Godavari
  Answer: c) Brahmaputra

4. What was the original habitat of the Mishing tribe before migrating to the plains of Assam?

• a) The Himalayas
• b) The hills of Arunachal Pradesh
• c) The forests of Nagaland
• d) The Meghalaya Plateau
  Answer: b) The hills of Arunachal Pradesh

5. Which language do the Mishing people primarily speak?

• a) Assamese
• b) Mishing (a Tibeto-Burman language)
• c) Bengali
• d) Hindi
  Answer: b) Mishing (a Tibeto-Burman language)

6. The Mishing people are known for their expertise in which type of farming?

• a) Shifting cultivation (Jhum)
• b) Terrace farming
• c) Wet rice cultivation
• d) Pastoral farming
  Answer: a) Shifting cultivation (Jhum)

7. What is the traditional house of the Mishing tribe called?

• a) Chang ghar
• b) Longhouse
• c) Igloo
• d) Yurt
  Answer: a) Chang ghar

8. The Mishing festival ‘Ali Ai Ligang’ is associated with which agricultural activity?

• a) Harvesting
• b) Plowing
• c) Sowing
• d) Fishing
  Answer: c) Sowing

9. Which crop is most closely associated with the Mishing festival ‘Ali Ai Ligang’?

• a) Maize
• b) Rice
• c) Barley
• d) Wheat
  Answer: b) Rice

10. In the Mishing tribe, which traditional musical instrument is commonly played during festivals?

• a) Dhol
• b) Flute
• c) Pepa
• d) Guitar
  Answer: c) Pepa

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11. The Mishing people have a rich tradition of weaving. What is the traditional attire worn by Mishing women?

• a) Mekhela Sador
• b) Phanek
• c) Gamosa
• d) Endi
  Answer: a) Mekhela Sador

12. Which river’s frequent flooding affects the Mishing tribe the most in Assam?

• a) Yamuna
• b) Brahmaputra
• c) Ganga
• d) Teesta
  Answer: b) Brahmaputra

13. The Mishing tribe practices a form of animism influenced by which religion?

• a) Buddhism
• b) Hinduism
• c) Christianity
• d) Donyi-Polo
  Answer: d) Donyi-Polo

14. The Mishing people migrated from which present-day Indian state?

• a) Nagaland
• b) Arunachal Pradesh
• c) Mizoram
• d) Tripura
  Answer: b) Arunachal Pradesh

15. Which clan system is followed by the Mishing tribe?

• a) Matrilineal
• b) Patrilineal
• c) Bilateral
• d) Polyandry
  Answer: b) Patrilineal

16. The Mishing tribe is part of which larger ethnic group in the region?

• a) Tai-Ahom
• b) Tani group
• c) Bodo-Kachari
• d) Naga
  Answer: b) Tani group

17. What is the traditional Mishing community council called?

• a) Kebang
• b) Panchayat
• c) Sabha
• d) Sangha
  Answer: a) Kebang

18. In which district of Assam is the Mishing population most concentrated?

• a) Dibrugarh
• b) Jorhat
• c) Majuli
• d) Sivasagar
  Answer: c) Majuli

19. Which form of government representation do the Mishing people have in Assam?

• a) Scheduled Caste
• b) Scheduled Tribe
• c) OBC
• d) General Category
  Answer: b) Scheduled Tribe

20. Which prominent Assamese personality, known for his contributions to literature, belonged to the Mishing tribe?

• a) Padmanath Gohain Barua
• b) Bharat Narah
• c) Homen Borgohain
• d) Bhogeswar Baruah
  Answer: b) Bharat Narah

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21. Which type of governance is followed in the traditional Mishing village society?

• a) Monarchical
• b) Tribal council
• c) Democracy
• d) Feudal system
  Answer: b) Tribal council

22. What is the significance of the festival ‘Porag’ in the Mishing community?

• a) A festival celebrating the harvest
• b) A festival for the dead
• c) A festival to honor the river
• d) A festival for marriage rituals
  Answer: a) A festival celebrating the harvest

23. The Mishing people have close cultural ties with which other group in Arunachal Pradesh?

• a) Nyishi
• b) Adi
• c) Apatani
• d) Monpa
  Answer: b) Adi

24. The Mishing language belongs to which language family?

• a) Indo-European
• b) Dravidian
• c) Sino-Tibetan
• d) Austroasiatic
  Answer: c) Sino-Tibetan

25. Which traditional practice is still prevalent among the Mishing tribe?

• a) Polygamy
• b) Dowry system
• c) Bride price
• d) Arranged marriages
  Answer: c) Bride price

26. Which of the following is a staple food of the Mishing tribe?

• a) Maize
• b) Fish
• c) Barley
• d) Millet
  Answer: b) Fish

27. In the Mishing tribe, what is the role of the ‘Murang’?

• a) Chief of the village
• b) Traditional dance leader
• c) Youth dormitory
• d) Priest
  Answer: c) Youth dormitory

28. Which form of art is the Mishing tribe known for?

• a) Painting
• b) Pottery
• c) Weaving
• d) Woodcarving
  Answer: c) Weaving

29. The Mishing tribe’s livelihood is primarily based on which of the following?

• a) Trading
• b) Agriculture and fishing
• c) Animal husbandry
• d) Craftsmanship
  Answer: b) Agriculture and fishing

30. What does the term ‘Mishing’ mean in their native language?

• a) The river people
• b) The mountain people
• c) The people of the plains
• d) The forest people
  Answer: a) The river people

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These MCQs provide a comprehensive overview of the history, culture, and societal structure of the Mishing tribe in Assam.