Spectrum of Tribal Bastar (An Old & Rare Book)

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The forest clad District - Bastar is ill communicated, lesser known area, and a precious wealth of anthropological research. The area is chiefly dominated by tribal people. Inspite of various historical waves these tribal people maintain their ethnic identity. The dwindling Ghadwa art still retains its socio-religious importance among the local tribes. The religiosity of tribal people of Bastar depicts interesting phenomena of tribal gods and goddess who are geneologically related and ultimately it unites the whole tribal Bastar in a single thread through the tutelary deity-Ma Danteshwari. Due to various induced forces of change for development the agrarian situation has also changed.

Dr. (Mrs.) Samira Dasgupta, is M.Sc., Ph. D. in Anthropology from the Calcutta University. She is specialised in Cultural Anthropology and her special interest is around culture ecology, tribal ethnography, role and status of working women and social change. She has authored two books entitled-Birjia: Society and Culture and In Search of Alternatives: Tribal Women in Desert Scenario (presently in the press). She is regular contributor of articles and research papers to reputed journals and at this moment she has published about twenty three research papers. At the present moment she is posted at Anthropological Survey of India, Jagdalpur, Bastar (M.P.).

Dr. Amitabha Sarkar is M.Sc., Ph.D. from Calcutta University. His valuable empirical research in the arena of anthropology is ethnography, Social/ Cultural Change with special emphasis. on Industrialisation and Culture Ecol ogy. Dr. Sarkar has published two books-(a) Toto: Society and Change and (b) Dhodia: Industrialisation and Change in a Primitive Community. He has published about two dozens of research papers in various leading journals. He has completed several research projects from Anthropological Survey of India.

He is a Life Member of Indian Anthropological Society and Indian Science Congress Association. Recently, from American Biographical Institute, Inc of U.S.A. he is nominated and awarded for (i) MAN OF THE YEAR, 1994, (ii) INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMA OF CULTURAL HONOR and (iii) 20th CENTURY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. His name has been recommended by the ABI, Inc of U.S.A. for exemplary performance and inclusion his name in 5th edition of International Directory of Distinguished Leadership. He is mem ber of Advisory Committee of All India Radio, Jagdalpur. He is presently posted as Anthropologist and Head of office at Anthropological Survey of India, Govt of India, Jagdalpur, Bastar (M.P.).

Bastar-the biggest district of Madhya Pradesh, is domi nated by the tribal people and is very rich for anthropological laboratory. There are some sporadic study on various tribal groups of Bastar. Here, in the present volume authors try to highlight tribal Bastar in a single volume for which authors are dependent both on textual published materials and contextual field observation which is supplemented by gene alogy, case history, questionnaire, focussed interview etc.

The authors studied the tribal Bastar where forest-clad Bastar district is conceived as an unit of observation from structural point of view and presented through the following chapters, namely, Chapter I 'Introduction', deals with intro ducing the area with aim of observation. Chapter II 'History' gives an idea of historical account of Bastar.

Chapter III 'Area', mainly deals with geographical environment and food habit Chapter IV 'People: The Tribal', gives a short ethnographic profile of chief tribal groups of Bastar. Chapter V 'Identification and Territorial distribution of Tribe', states how the tribal identity is maintained who have clear cut individual geographical territory. Chapter VI 'Agrarian Landscape', describes land alienation problem. Chapter VII 'Ghotul', gives us a picture of youth dormitory" among Muria and Abuj Maria, which is well organised. Chapter VIII 'Ghadwa Art', states about the metal crafts of Ghadwa and it's socio-religious significance in tribal life. Chapter IX 'Religious Beliefs and Practices', describes about their religious life and belief in supernatural forces and ritual practices round the year which are closely related with their socio-economic and religious life and all the tribals irrespec tive of their identity are enmeshed through such rituals.

The people of Bastar with its numerous tribal groups had long been isolated due to geographical barriers and lack of proper communication from the mainstream of Indian civi lization. Of the total population 72.27 per cent are tribals including various sub-groups of Gond tribe, both large and small, each having their distinct socio-cultural identity. The tribals of Bastar are the descendents of the successive waves of primitive immigrants of more or less similar beliefs and customs of pre-Dravidian era.

The forest clad Bastar district is the den of tribes namely, Abuj Maria, Dandami Maria (or Bison-Horn Maria or Maria), Muria, Dorla, Dhurwa, Bhatra and Halba. According to 1981 Census the tribal population is nearly three-fourth of the total population of the district. Literacy level is poor. As per 1981 census only 14.13 per cent were literate in the district.

Tribal economy of the district has automatically created. an institution known as "Hat" (weekly market) which performs basic functions of the markets and serves the people in a given area. "The village is an agglomeration of production functions carried out by different producing families having certain degree of mutual inter-depen dence" (Singh Deo, 1984) The most primitive organisational system is supposed to be in communities are-communal control over land and where villages are often shifted as per their need of cultivation. The means of production are treated communal but the material product of labour belongs to the family. Social life arising out of such economic organisation is necessarily community or clan oriented and as such is controlled by the society. In most cases villages are uniclan organisation and their inter village social relationship are controlled and guided by their customary rule. The growing pressure on land forced these tribals to acquire different skills for maintaining their livelihood. This type of produc tion organization does not event break the community in group feeling but on the contrary, the community control on social life, economic life becomes independent. The various tribal people of Bastar who possess different individual ethnicity, are living in atmosphere of mutual, co-operative environment and all of them are tied in a single thread-the worship of Danteshwari Mata-the tutelary goddess of Bastar.

In the present volume authors conceived Bastar as an unit of observation from structural point of view and the components of such structure are analysed in terms of structural-functional approach. Since Bastar is the den of tribal population, it is a very good laboratory of anthropo logical research.

Here in this volume an attempt has been made to understand the district with it's cultural plurality with a background to history of the district, identification or territo rial distribution of tribes and their ethnicity, agrarian land scape, Ghadwa or Dokra Art, Ghotul system, religious be liefs and practices through which they are enmeshed with each other, their health and hygiene knowledge etc. Lastly social change; developmental works, on these tribals of Bastar are also taken into consideration.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages