The Rabha Tribe (Set of 3 Books)

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Rabha Tribe of North East India, Bengal and Bangladesh About The Book

The book is a short monograph of the Rabhas. It incorporates chiefly two major genres i.e cultural and linguistic features. Here analysis has been done based on the field- data collected from primary and secondary sources. Materials gathered in this work are divided into two parts: one is cultural elements and the other is linguistic features. The linguistic features have been shown at different levels: phonology, morphology and lexis. Analysis of cultural features has also been made from folkloristic point of view.

This study will help the interested readers and field-workers to have more information of culture and language of the Rabhas. This principal objective has been taken into account in this volume. It is an empirical study where cultural and linguistic items have been described and analyzed from a synchronic point of view. This study demands high academic value and sociological importance in the present day context of the northeastern region of India. This study will carry on the multi- dimensional aspects of the language and culture of the society.

About the Author

PHUKAN BASUMATARY (b. 1967) by profession a teacher in Boro language and literature, is a scholar of Tibeto-Burman language and linguistics. He has an immense interest and enthusiasm in the field of TB languages and Tribal folklore of the North eastern regions of India. An Introduction to the Boro Language (2005) is an evidence of Phukan's earlier contribution to the TB scholarship. He has been awarded PhD Degree by Gauhati University in 2006 for his research work. A Study in Cultural and Linguistic Affinities of the Boros and Rabhas of Assam. A few books on Boro language and literature have recently been published by different publishers of Assam. He has contributed a lot of articles and research papers in different journals, magazines, anthologies, periodicals and news papers in Boro, English, Hindi, Bangla and Assamese language. A lot of articles on Boro language and folklore have also been translated into Bangla and Hindi.

Preface

This is the primary attempt to design a concise framework of the monograph of the Rabha culture and language. Till date no further extensive analytical work has been made by the scholars of Tibeto-Burman scholarship. Here analysis has been done based on the field-data collected from primary and secondary sources. Materials gathered in this work are divided into two parts: one is cultural elements and the other is linguistic features. The linguistic features have been shown at different levels phonology, morphology and lexis. Thus analysis of cultural features has also been made from a purely folkloristic point of view.

This study will help the interested readers and investigators to have more information of culture and language of the Rabhas. This principal objective has been taken into account in this volume. It is worth to mention here that the author is sincerely indebted to all the Rabha speakers, known and little known Rabha scholars who helped me immensely in collecting data and finally to proceed to the proposed aim. The author has never been felt trustee oneself for approximately successful completion of the project. Acknowledgements will always remain to the native speakers, informants and active and passive bearers of language and culture of this community.

This is a descriptive study where cultural and linguistic items have been described and analyzed from a synchronic point of view. The study demands high academic value and sociological importance in the present day context of the northeastern region of India.

I am really grateful to Mr. Krishan Mittal, because he has taken up a bold step to publish this volume only for the greater interest of the Rabha society. I deeply feel that Mr. Mittal's endeavour is, no doubt, a great contribution towards the Rabhas.

The Rabhas of North Bengal (An Old and Rare Book) Preface The Rabhas of Eastern India, have a fairly large concentration in West Bengal where from the present data were collected. Although the fieldwork dates back to 1963-64, this ethnographic profile of the Rabhas could not be completed early due to my involvement in other national and regional projects sponsored by the Anthropological Survey of India. However, inspite of a number of preoccupations, this report, was made ready in 1966. In March, 1985, before my retirement, this report was resubmitted by incorporating a few of tables with quantitative data.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages

Tribes of Sub-Himalayan Region Meches, Rabhas, Totos And Garos About the book

This book deals with the tribes of Mech, Rabha, Toto and Garo of Sub- Himalayan North Bengal region from the days of antiquity to the first decade of the twenty-first century, in order to understand their origin, religion, culture, diseases and medicine, tradition, different social institutions like family, clan and marriage, social and economic structure and social stratification.

This book focuses on traditional folklore, art and crafts, customs, rituals etc. It also discusses at length the socio- economic and political changes and its impact on the said tribes. This work is to explore their changing livelihoods and the real problems they face. It is a new interpretation as a whole. The positive role of Central, State Government, Social organization plays for the development of the underdeveloped tribes of this region. This study will convey the multidimensional aspects of the religion, culture, folk medicine of the society. This book will help the teachers, the interested readers, research scholars and field workers to have more information about the Mech, Rabha, Toto and Garo tribes.

About the Author

ANIL KUMAR SARKAR (b. 1973) is a Professor of History, University of Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal. Earlier he had worked as Head and Associate Professor of History, University of GourBanga, Malda, Assistant Professor in History, Acharya B.N. Seal (Govt) College and University B.T. and Evening College, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India. He is working as editor, Journal of People's History and Culture from 2015. His recent publications:

1. British Paramountcy and the Cooch Behar State (A study of the Anatomy of Indirect Rule in Cooch Behar).

2. Ethnicity and Regional Politics of Eastern and North East India.

3. Historians and Historiography of Bengal and North East India: Dimensions and Perspectives.

4. Reflections on the History of North Bengal.

5. Women in Indian Society: Essays on Hisoriography and Politics.

He obtained his M. Phil Degree (Bengal in the Persian Chronicles of the 13th and 14th Centuries) from the University of North Bengal. He obtained his Ph.D. Degree (2010) "Revisiting Anglo- Koch Relations 1773-1947 (A study of the Anatomy of Indirect rule in Cooch Behar" from University of North Bengal, Darjeeling. He has published more than 40 articles in National, Inter-National and Regional Academic Journals and Edited Books. He has completed UGC Major and Minor Research projects (2016, 2011). At present, he is engaged in the studies on Princely states, Ethnicity and regional History of North Bengal and North East India.

PREFACE

This book focuses on the little known Meches, Rabhas, Totos and Garos tribe of Sub-Himalayan North Bengal region from the days of antiquity to the first decade of the twenty-first century. This book is an exercise on the changing life of these tribes and to the new interpretation of their origin, religion, culture, diseases and medicine, tradition, different social institutions like family, clan and marriage, social and economic structure and social stratification.

We are familiar that the North Bengal region has multi- ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-cultural characteristics. The British administrators, missionaries, travelers and other anthropologically oriented individuals collected data on tribal and rural groups and wrote about them. After independence, many researchers have spent their precious time towards the tribal study and brought a lot of insights into this, on various aspects of tribal life, issues and challenges. However, no in-depth study has so far been made on the said tribes of Sub-Himalayan North Bengal. Moreover, no one has attempted to look into the process of transformation that took place on the overall socio-cultural life of the Mech, Rabha, Toto and Garo tribes. The craft weaving and basketry underperforming art along with dance, music, and musical instruments, with decorative arts which include body decoration, dress and ornament etc. are valuable technic they have. But their traditional art and craft are passing into difficult times. Our responsibility is to preserve it. The indigenous people of North Bengal consisting of both the aboriginals and the immigrant population had developed their own medicinal system based on traditional beliefs and practices. Every community had developed its own system of medicine to get rid of diseases in its own way. The treatment of disease varied from community to community. When we are passing through the COVID-19 phase, all modern treatment is failed to lit the hope then their folk medicine can open a new vista to fight this disease.

And last, analysis of the changes in the social stratification and the processes of social mobility, the nature of demographic changes of this region in the context of urbanization and globalisation.

I am indebted to the staff for their kind service- West Bengal State Archives, Bangiyo Sahitya Parishad Library, National Library, Asiatic Society, North Bengal State Library, Cooch Behar, ABN Seal College Library, National Library, Alipurduar Edward Library, North Bengal University Library, GourBanga University Library, Kalyani University Library etc.

**Contents and Sample Pages**