REANGS 45 ^ TABLE I TRIBAL POPULATION IN TRIPURA (1971 CENSUS} Name of the tribal Population figure Percentage of commu- Percentage of corn- community nitty to the total Tribal munitiy to total population population Lushai 3,672 0.81 0.23 Mog 13,271 2.94 0.85 Muki 7,775 1.72 0.49 Chakma 28,662 6.36 1.84 Garo 5,559 1.23 0.35 Chaimal — — — Halam 19,076 4.23 1.22 Khasia 491 — — Bhutia 3 — — Muada (including Kaur) 5,347 1.18 0.34 Orang 3,428 0.76 0.22 Lepcha 177 — — ^ Santal 2,222 0.49 0.14 Bhil 169 — — Tripura/Trippra 2,50.382 55.57 16.08 Jamatia 34,194 7.58 2.19 Noatia 10,297 2.28 0.66 Reang 64,722 14.36 4.75 Uchai 1,061 0.23 0.06 Unspecified 36 — — Total 4,50.544 — 28.95 as natural and the Reanga accept as their fate. "Their villages formerly were far away in the Kookce country, and they took part with the independent tribe? in the savage raids on British subjects, the perpetration of which led to the direct administration of the Hills Tracts by our (British) Government".2 Similar Reang participation in the recent Kuki-Lushai raids on Tripura villages and posts has been noticed. All these facts indicate a close racial and historical affiliation between these two tribes.3 As the Reang settlements spread over Tripura, there followed years of constant intercourse with the Tripuris as a result of which their language get synthesized with the Tibcto-Burmese which the latter spoke. Their culture and customs also got intermixed with that of the Tripuris. Their first known contact with the Tripura ruling classes was when they worked for them as palanquin-bearers. Gradually, over the years, they got absorbed in the armed forces of the state, a role to which their physical prowess and rugged build especially suited. By the time ofDhanya Manikya, they had established themselves in the army and two of his foremost generals, Rai Kachan and Rai Kachag, were Reangs, but their fiercely independent nature ^ never endeared them to the rulers; the gharchukti (family tax) they were required to pay to the state was always high. Time and