Monpa People

The Monpa or Mönpa[a] (Tibetan: མོན་པ་, Wylie: mon pa, THL: mön pa) is a major tribe of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India. The Tawang Monpas have a migration history from Changrelung. The Monpa are believed to be the only nomadic tribe in Northeast India – they are totally dependent on animals like sheep, cow, yak, goats and horses. The Monpa have a very close affinity with the Sharchops of Bhutan. Their languages are Tibeto-Burman languages written with the Tibetan alphabet.

Distribution
Most Monpas live in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, with a population of around 60,000, centered in the districts of Tawang and West Kameng. About 20,000 live in the Tawang district, where they constitute about 97% of the district’s population, and almost all of the remainder can be found in West Kameng district, where they form about 77% of the district’s population. A small number live in East Kameng district.[5][failed verification]

Around 9,000 Monpas live in Tibet, in Tsona County, Pêlung in Bayi District, and Mêdog County. These places have a low altitude, especially Mêdog County, which has a tropical climate unlike the rest of Tibet.

The Monpa are sub-divided into six sub-groups because of variations in their language. They are namely:

Tawang Monpa
Dirang Monpa
Lish Monpa
Bhut Monpa
Kalaktang Monpa
Panchen Monpa