Family Structure:

In Koch society, women play a central role as the family structure follows a matrilineal system, where children inherit their mother's clan. A basic Koch family typically consists of a husband, wife, and children. Family size expands when the youngest daughter, known as the Nokna, marries. She, along with her husband, referred to as the Nokrom (or Kilang), inherits the bulk of the family property. This property distribution contrasts with the Garo tribes system but reflects contemporary options for marriage and property arrangements. Other daughters receive smaller portions of the property but retain the right to use plots of land for cultivation and other needs. After marriage, these daughters leave to establish new independent families. This family structure remains consistent, even in urban settings.

Legacy:

Within Koch tradition, an heiress to family property can be designated from any of the daughters. In such cases, she typically marries a partner of her or her family choosing. Occasionally, an heiress may marry outside her father's clan.

Economy:

They are involved in a wide range of modern occupations, including teaching and official positions. Additionally, they sustain themselves through kitchen farming, poultry farming, and pig rearing, while also engaging in daily wage labor. Hunting has diminished significantly due to forest regulations and government intervention.

Current Population:

357,000

Culture & Traditions:

Religion:

The Koch people held beliefs in the creation of the Earth, all living beings, the sea, heavenly bodies, rain, wind, and lesser gods, which they believed were completed within seven days. This belief system forms the basis of their religion, various festivals, and ceremonies. Nowadays, the majority of Kochs'.

Marriage Customs:

In the matrilineal Koch society, females hold higher positions in both family and society. Newborns are named according to their maternal 'Housuk' or 'Gotras', which signifies ancestral lineage. Marriage among individuals with the same Housuk is prohibited due to their close kinship. Marriage customs include cross-cousin unions, love marriages (Nok-dhankay), socially arranged marriages (Buri tshinkay), ceremony-only marriages (Krantshi buri), negotiation-based marriages (Saja biya), and elopement marriages (Gharjai biya). Recently, there's a trend of increasing marriages outside the tribe, indicating growing acceptance of such unions.

In Koch tradition, marriage proposals are typically initiated by the family or girls. The marriage system adheres to the laws of Exogamy and A'kim, forbidding unions within the same clan. Under the Kocho niam law, individuals cannot remarry outside their clan even after their spouse's death. Instead, a substitute spouse from the same clan is provided in the event of a spouse's demise. If no substitute can be arranged, the individual is free to marry of their choosing.