The Tiwa kingdom of Assam: a 500-year-old monarchy finds a new generation

The Tiwa people of Assam’s plains and hills maintain one of India’s most unusual institutions: an elective kingship, with a new monarch crowned every few years amid rituals and a palace built of bamboo.

The coronation, a feast of music and dance, has drawn growing crowds as Tiwa youth reconnect with their heritage.

Elders see the revival as cultural defence: ‘Our kingdom is small,’ one said, ‘but our memory is long.’