Tribal Studies in India : Perspectives of History, Archaeology and Culture

This book provides comprehensive information on enlargement of methodological and empirical choices in a multidisciplinary perspective by breaking down the monopoly of possessing tribal studies in the confinement of conventional disciplinary boundaries. Focusing on anyone of the core themes of history, archaeology or anthropology, the chapters are suggestive of grand theories of tribal interaction over time and space within a frame of composite understanding of human civilization. With distinct cross-disciplinary analytical frames, the chapters maximize reader insights into the emerging trend of perspective shifts in tribal studies, thus mapping multi-dimensional growth of knowledge in the field and providing a road-map of empirical and theoretical understanding of tribal issues in contemporary academics. This book will be useful for researchers and scholars of anthropology, ethnohistory ethnoarchaeology and of allied subjects like sociology, social work, geography who are interested in tribal studies. Finally, the book can also prove useful to policy makers to better understand the historical context of tribal societies for whom new policies are being created and implemented. Acknowledgements......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Contributors......Page 9 About the Editor......Page 11 Abbreviations......Page 12 Chapter 1: Tribal Studies: Emerging Perspectives from History, Archaeology and Ethnography......Page 14 Tribes in History......Page 18 Ethno-Dimension of Archaeology......Page 31 Historicity in Cultural Understanding......Page 34 References......Page 41 Part I: Tribes in History......Page 45 Chapter 2: The Bhils in the Historic Setting of Western India......Page 46 Colonial Reports and Changing Perceptions of the Bhils: A Brief Survey......Page 47 The Bhils of Mewar and Dungarpur......Page 48 The Bhils of Medieval Gujarat......Page 52 Bhils or Kolis?......Page 56 Concluding Observations......Page 58 References......Page 59 Prologue......Page 62 Meaning and Early Trends of Ethnohistory......Page 64 Oral Traditions and Variations......Page 70 Overview of Myths Mothers......Page 74 References......Page 76 Chapter 4: Historical Reconstruction of the Past of Northeast India: An Assessment of Colonial Writings......Page 78 Beginning and Developmen of Ethnography in India......Page 80 Northeast India......Page 82 References......Page 87 Chapter 5: Schooling ‘Truant’ Tribes: British Colonial Compulsions and Educational Evolution in Chhotanagpur, 1870–1930......Page 91 Educational Initiation of the Tribals......Page 94 Hope and Despair of the Campbell Scheme......Page 97 Resurgent Christian Missionary Interests......Page 99 Mundane Calls and Missionary Dilemmas......Page 102 New Missionary Contingencies and the ‘School Campaign’......Page 105 The Government Mind and Measures......Page 107 The Tribal Attitude and Awareness......Page 110 Advancing Against Adversities......Page 113 Conclusion......Page 116 Secondary Sources......Page 118 Government and Missionary Reports and Correspondence/ Personal Diaries and Letters/Contemporary Writings......Page 120 Introduction......Page 122 Jharkhand: The Homeland of Thirty-Two Tribal Communities......Page 123 Traditions......Page 124 Migration......Page 125 Tribal World of Santal Parganas......Page 126 Paharia Versus Santals......Page 127 Paharias Lost Their Lands and Forests......Page 128 Population Trend of the Paharias......Page 129 Officials’ Welfare Measures Failed to Improve the Socio-economic Status of the Paharias......Page 130 Demands of Paharias......Page 131 References......Page 132 Introduction......Page 135 Kuki-Chin People......Page 138 Why Foreign Missionaries Came to the Kuki-Chin Territory?......Page 140 Killing of Seven British Officials......Page 141 Course of Bible Translation......Page 142 Impact of Bible Translation: Group Dynamics......Page 146 Differentiation......Page 147 Dialects, Gaps and Identity......Page 150 Conclusion......Page 152 References......Page 153 Part II: Ethno-Dimension of Archaeology......Page 155 Introduction......Page 156 Putting Ethnography into Archaeological Context......Page 160 Ethnoarchaeology in Manipur......Page 162 Concluding Remarks......Page 170 References......Page 171 Introduction......Page 178 The Living Megalithic Practice......Page 179 Shifting Cultivation......Page 184 Procedure of Slash and Burn Cultivation......Page 185 Implements Used......Page 186 Road Cutting Section-I......Page 187 River Bed (Umci-rani) Collections......Page 188 Food Preservation and Processing Among the Garos of Ganapati in Assam-Khasi Hill Border......Page 189 Concluding Remark......Page 191 References......Page 192 Introduction......Page 193 The Archaeological Background......Page 194 The Chekhesang Megalithic Art......Page 196 The Kabui/Rongmei/Ruangmei Megalithic Art......Page 197 The Liangmai Megalithic Art......Page 198 The Maram Megalithic Art......Page 200 The Tangkhul Megalithic Art......Page 202 Result and Discussion......Page 203 References......Page 206 Introduction......Page 208 Rock Art and Rock Art Sites in Odisha......Page 210 Rajbahal Ushakuthi (Latitude: 22° 12′ 50′′ N and Longitude: 83° 39′ 30′′E)......Page 212 Debrigarh Ushakuthi (Latitude: 21° 33′ 82′′ N and Longitude: 83° 35′ 22′′E)......Page 213 Pakhanapathar/Lekhapathar (Latitude: 22° 16′ 57′′ N and Longitude: 86° 05′ 23′′E)......Page 214 Bhimamandali Shelter (Latitude: 21° 11′ 82′′ N and Longitude: 84° 30′ 77′′E)......Page 215 Khandataruali (Latitude: 21° 09′ 46′′ N and Longitude: 84° 40′ 69′′E)......Page 216 Pujadunguri (Latitude: 21° 03′ 04′′ N and Longitude: 83° 41′ 87′′E)......Page 217 Jogimath (Latitude: 20° 16′ 70′′ N and Longitude: 82° 48′ 99′′E)......Page 218 Pandava Bakhara (Latitude: 20° 25′ 45′′ N and Longitude: 85° 38′ 50′′E)......Page 219 Conclusion......Page 220 References......Page 221 Chapter 12: Ethnography: An Emerging Trend in Rock Art Research......Page 222 Rock Art: A Tool to Reconstruct the Past......Page 223 Methodological Shift......Page 224 The Case of Aborigines of Australia......Page 227 The Case of San People of Southern Africa......Page 229 Rock Art and Tribal Paintings of India......Page 230 References......Page 232 Part III: Historicity in Cultural Understanding......Page 234 Chapter 13: Envisaging Tribal Culture and Decoding Anthropological Museums......Page 235 Materials and Methods......Page 237 Visualizing the Culture in Totality......Page 238 Museum Collection......Page 239 Collection Retrieves Retrospection......Page 243 Ethnic Perception Through Museum Collections......Page 245 Relevancy of Anthropological Museum......Page 246 Conclusions......Page 248 References......Page 249 Introduction......Page 250 On Witchcraft and Representation......Page 253 Weltanschauung (Worldview) and Witchcraft......Page 255 Witchcraft as Belief System......Page 259 On Witchcraft and Theory of Magic......Page 261 Witchcraft and Social Change......Page 263 References......Page 265 Introduction......Page 268 Naga Morung in Literature......Page 269 Yangpi Morung......Page 271 Structure of Morung......Page 273 Meaning in Its Cultural Context......Page 274 Discussion and Conclusion......Page 278 References......Page 281 Introduction......Page 282 Lakshadweep......Page 283 Historical Background......Page 284 Minicoy in the Past......Page 285 Language......Page 286 The Strata......Page 287 Information Technology......Page 288 Marriage, Childbirth and Death Ritual......Page 289 Governance in the Island......Page 290 Islamic Identity......Page 291 Existence of Matrilineal System Along with Islam......Page 292 Conclusion......Page 293 References......Page 294 Other Internet Sources......Page 295 Introduction......Page 296 Andaman Islands......Page 297 The Great Andamanese......Page 299 The Onges......Page 301 The Sentinelese......Page 302 The Jarawa......Page 303 The Post-Independence Period......Page 304 Impact During the British Period (1858–1947)......Page 305 Refugee Rehabilitation......Page 307 Reduction of Territory......Page 308 Competition for Resources......Page 309 Conclusion......Page 310 References......Page 311 Glossary......Page 313