The Biate tribe are one of the oldest tribes of Mizoram, Assam and Meghalaya. Their language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family. They are also one of the oldest living tribes in North East India especially among the Chin Kuki Mizo family. Biate is a small tribe as compare to their cognate tribes. Despite their small number they have been preserving their custom, dress, lifestyle and language. The term Biate comes from the word Bia-te. The word ‘Bia’ or ‘Biak’ means ‘speak’ or ‘worship’. ‘Te’ is a suffix denoting plurality.
The biggest festival of Biate tribe is Nûldung Kût which literally means festival of renewal of life.
According to legends, while they were in Saitual, a group of people known as the Koilam or Kawilam from Rulchawm village of Mizoram (India) used to sacrifice human to appease a large python called Rulpui, believing that the snake had supernatural power. Thus, some writers are of the opinion that the word Biate originates from the term Rul-Bia-Teor Rul-Biak-Te, which means snake-worshippers in other dialects. However, this hypothesis is questionable, because the Biates, as a tribe, never fed or worshipped a snake except one. The offering sacrifices by one village was also not as worshiping a God, but due to their fear and timidity and that too only for some time. Some other tribes call them in different names. The Thadous call them ‘Beite’ the Bengalis and other plain tribes call them ‘Baite,’ the Dimasa Kacharis call them ‘Bedesa’ and the Khasis call them Hadem, which includes all the old-Kuki tribes of Meghalaya. Soppitt C. A. a renowned English writer account as ‘Bêtê’^.  The Biate tribe is recognised as Schedule Tribe under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution of India in Serial No. (i) of the list.
The present population of the Biate tribe are dispersed in many parts of the North-Eastern states of India viz., Mizoram, Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur. However, the main concentrated area of the population is in Dima Hasao (N.C Hills) district of Assam and Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya.
According to legend, like other Chin-Kuki-Mizo tribes, the Biates descended from the Manmasi, whose progeny were Riama and Vaia. Riama (ancestor of the Biate tribe) descended by Kuangpuia and Vaia, who were descended by Khuangzang, Khuangsai, Chilzang, and Lamzang (Lamkang). Kuangpuia had a son named Ralkhana, whose wife Kolsingi gave birth to five children namely Beia, Thianga, Laia, Ngola and Thiaia.^[5]
They are believed to have originated from a place called Khurpui or great cave. The ancient home of the Biates is also known as Sinlung (Sinlung means the cave close with stone) supposedly believed to be the Qin dynasty ruled by Qin Shi Huang. The conjecture of Sinlung as the origin of the Biate tribe is strongly supported by a folk song about the glory of Sinlung:...