Category Archives: History

Tip | Explore tribal culture in a larger context: A society in search of “a vision for itself that is morally defensible”

 This website is being maintained with the motto “Showcasing new initiatives in education“. To catch up with “what’s going on in today’s India”, suffice a few pointers to discussions in today’s India. Appreciating “tribal” or “Adivasi” traditions will shed new … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Anthropology, Assimilation, Commentary, Democracy, History, Misconceptions, Modernity, Press snippets, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tagore and rural culture, Tips, Tribal culture worldwide | Comments Off

Traditional farming practiced by Baiga community: Planting 16 types of seeds every monsoon – Chhattisgarh

Meena Menon, The Hindu, August 5, 2012 View more photographs on thehindu.com >> The Baiga tribals in Chhattisgarh have been repeatedly facing displacement from their home and forest-dependant livelihood over the years with more areas being notified as reserve forests in … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Customs, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, History, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Rural poverty, Tiger, Tribal elders, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

A holistic view of the world of adivasis under the British: Understanding the encroaching colonial ideals and intentions in the name of development and civilization

Adivasis in Colonial India – Survival, Resistance and Negotiation by Biswamoy Pati (Orient BlackSwan, 2011) | Read the entire review here >> How do we define ‘adivasis’? A post-modernist approach will situate them as ‘colonial constructs’. However, as this book goes to show, … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Colonial policies, History, Literature and bibliographies, Misconceptions, Modernity, Quotes | Comments Off

Commemorating forced tribal migration 175 years ago: The Trail of the Tears remembered by Cherokees as “the place where they cried” – Tennessee

  This map shows the forced paths of removal for several tribes of Indians. (Image: “Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 4: History of Indian-White Relations,” Wikipedia)  – click on the image to read the full story This year marks … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Archaeology, Assimilation, Colonial policies, Cultural heritage, History, Maps, Modernity, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tribal culture worldwide | Comments Off

Adivasi writer Dayamani Barla presented with Indigenous Rights Award by Cultural Survival – New York

Narayan Lakshman, The Hindu, New York, May 25, 2013 | Read the entire article here >> Dayamani Barla was presented with the first ever Ellen L. Lutz Indigenous Rights Award by Cultural Survival, an indigenous peoples’ rights organisation The Big Apple … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Democracy, Economy and development, History, Literature and bibliographies, Names and communities, Press snippets, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tribal culture worldwide, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

Landless Kol tribe forest dwellers: Permission required to plant or use trees such as neem, amla and mahua – Uttar Pradesh

Omar Rashid, The Hindu, Allahabad, April 10, 2013 Though the Kols are anthropologically tribal, they are recognized as a Scheduled Caste in Uttar Pradesh. Not only has this deprived them of their traditional source of living-the forest, it has largely left … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Assimilation, Colonial policies, Community facilities, De- and re-tribalisation, Democracy, Education and literacy, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, Health and nutrition, History, Misconceptions, Names and communities, Press snippets, Rural poverty, Women, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

Tip | Search articles on tribal history, politics and literature on Ramachandra Guha’s website

Type “adivasi”, “tribal”, a place name or any other word pertaining to the history of India’s indigenous peoples in the the Quick Search on Ramachandra Guha’s website >> Recommended name search: “Mahasweta Devi”, “Verrier Elwin” Read his commentary “The continuing tragedy of the adivasis” … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Anthropology, Assimilation, Colonial policies, Commentary, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Democracy, Dress and ornaments, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Gandhian social movement, Health and nutrition, History, Internet, Literature and bibliographies, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Press snippets, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty, Seasons and festivals, Tips, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Video | Through the Eye of the Ancestors: Historical Adivasi photo exhibition curated by a member of the Rathwa community – Gujarat

View the full video here >> Image: Bhil husband and wife: 1953, Fürer-Haimendorf Collection (SOAS Library PPMS19_6_BHIL_0142) | More information >> Your ancestors and my ancestors existed together; therefore, we should also be together and live happily. – Muja Ratwa Source: subtitles … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Colonial policies, Community facilities, Cultural heritage, Customs, Dress and ornaments, History, Homes and utensils, Maps, Modernity, Museum collections - general, Museum collections - India, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Seasons and festivals, Storytelling, Tribal elders, Video resources - external, Worship and rituals | Tagged , | Comments Off

Mahasweta Devi: A model in which activism and writing can reflect upon each other

Mahasweta Devi was born in 1926 in the city of Dacca in East Bengal (modern day Bangladesh). As an adolescent, she and her family moved to West Bengal in India. Born into a literary family, Mahasweta Devi was also influenced … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, History, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Modernity, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Storytelling, Women | Comments Off

Lending a voice to the nation’s indigenous population: Adivaani, a trust that publishes books written by Adivasis – Jharkhand and West Bengal

Garima Mishra, Indian Express New Delhi, Sat Apr 27 2013 | Read the full article >> “Why don’t we have an Adivasi voice?”, “Why don’t we have a ‘for and by’ Adivasi publishing house?”, “Where is the authentic Adivasi narrative?” … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Community facilities, Cultural heritage, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Media portrayal, Modernity, Names and communities, Press snippets, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Storytelling, Tribal culture worldwide | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Early Buddhist Sanghas valued outlook of tribal society: Democratic functioning, gender equality and knowledge of medicinal plants

Lobsan Payat (Newsfinder.org) Posted by Anandajoti on Tuesday, 19th October, 2010 Adivasi traditions and practices pervade all aspects of Indian culture and civilization, yet this awareness is often lacking in popular consciousness, and the extent and import of Adivasi contributions … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Democracy, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Health and nutrition, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Names and communities, Quotes, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

Egalitarian culture leaves Adivasi youth unprepared for competition: On the challenge of balancing tradition and modernity

Boro Baski is a teacher and social worker with the community-based organisation Ghosaldanga Adibasi Seva Sangha in West Bengal. Read the entire article >> Boro Baski, 13/05/2013 The young generation of India’s tribal communities is struggling with different problems than the college-educated urban … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Assimilation, Commentary, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, Government of India, History, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

Western India’s cotton-growing and -dyeing technologies traced to Indus Valley civilization

  The western region consists of the desert states of Gujarat and Rajasthan as well as Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and western Madhya Pradesh. [...] The region is home to a wide variety of people with different religious ‘s and … Continue reading

Posted in Crafts and visual arts, Customs, Dress and ornaments, Economy and development, Fashion, History, Modernity, Names and communities, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Women | Tagged , | Comments Off

Video | Hul Sengel: The Spirit of the Santal Revolution (1855) – Jharkhand

Watch a film produced on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Santal Hul ["Santal revolution" of 1855-56] >> Director and Producer: Daniel J. Rycroft, University of East Anglia Co-Director: Joy Raj Tudu (Indian Confederation of Indigenous & Tribal People) Co-Producer: D. … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Colonial policies, Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Maps, Media portrayal, Music and dance, Names and communities, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Storytelling, Tribal elders, Tribal identity, Video resources - external, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

Tip | Publication: The Politics of Belonging in India: Becoming Adivasi

edited by Daniel J Rycroft, Sangeeta Dasgupta (2011) Source: The Politics of Belonging in India: Becoming Adivasi – Google Books Address : http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=z_Pe0z1ta_8C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false Date Visited: Mon May 13 2013 18:24:39 GMT+0200 (CEST) Related posts Adivasi Colonial policies History Literature and bibliographies … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Colonial policies, De- and re-tribalisation, History, Literature and bibliographies, Names and communities, Resources, Tips, Tribal identity | Tagged , | Comments Off

The Irulas’ Natural Products Corporation: Providing employment to several hundred Irula women – Tamil Nadu & New Delhi

Times of India, 29-3-2005 The Irulas’ Natural Products Corporation is a partnership firm located in the ITWWS campus, which produces, promotes and markets Irula health-care products. It provides employment to several hundred Irula women. [...] A team of experienced vaidyars … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Customs, Economy and development, Government of India, Health and nutrition, History, Maps, Names and communities, Organizations, Press snippets, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

Seminar on the issue of trans-border Asia’s trans-border communities: Struggling to preserve their social and cultural characteristics – National Atlas & Thematic Mapping Organisation

Ipsita Pati, The Hindu, Kolkata, February 24, 2013 Tribal groups have to relocate themselves to create new identities or merge with bigger nations as an adaptive strategy to preserve their inherited social and cultural characteristics, said National Atlas & Thematic Mapping … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Assimilation, Government of India, History, Modernity, Networking, Organizations, Press snippets, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tribal culture worldwide, Tribal identity | Comments Off

Publications by social anthropologist Prof. Carol Upadhya, School of Social Sciences Bangalore: land rights and adivasi politics in Jharkhand

Carol Upadhya, a social anthropologist, is Professor in the School of Social Sciences [Bangalore]. Prof. Upadhya is Co-director of an international collaborative research programme entitled ‘Provincial Globalisation: The Impact of Reverse Transnational Flows in India’s Regional Towns’, and is Co-Anchor … Continue reading

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Indigenous Knowledge: “The country can learn much from the beauty of Adivasi social practices, their culture of sharing and respect for all”

Backgrounder on Adivasis in South India (October 2009) | Read the entire page >> Adivasis The term “Adivasis” (original inhabitants) refers to the Indigenous Peoples of India who possess distinct identities and cultures often linked to certain territories. The term is … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Colonial policies, Customs, Gandhian social movement, Health and nutrition, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Organizations, Quotes | Comments Off

Adivaani Trust: Kolkata-based publishing house for Adivasi literature – West Bengal

Call for Support: Adivaani—Publishing the Adivasi Voice Adivaani is a new publishing house from Kolkata, which describes itself as a response to the  endangered Adivasi cultural and historical heritage. For long, mainstre am publishing in India has neglected the documentation and publication … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Community facilities, Cultural heritage, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Education and literacy, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Names and communities, Organizations, Resources, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Storytelling, Women, Worship and rituals | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Bushmen, the original people of southern Africa, regain the right to live on their ancestral lands – Botswana

A celebration of the Bushmen’s historic court victory against their expulsion from their ancestral lands, weaving together photos and testimonies showing their profound connection to their homelands. The Bushmen are the original people of southern Africa. They can uniquely claim … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Community facilities, Cultural heritage, De- and re-tribalisation, Democracy, Economy and development, History, Names and communities, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tribal culture worldwide | Comments Off

Memories of life in a remote Bhil hamlet on the Narmada river: “poor but not impoverished” – Maharashtra

Simple ways of life Yoginder Sikand, Dec 23, 2012 : Reflections It was almost three decades ago and I have only very hazy memories of the trip. We, a batch of university students, accompanied our Anthropology professor to a remote tribal … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Assimilation, Commentary, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Dress and ornaments, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Government of India, Health and nutrition, History, Misconceptions, Modernity, Music and dance, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Press snippets, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

Adivasi Religion and Society Network (ARS): Encouraging communication and collaboration among scholars from all disciplines interested in religion and society among adivasi people

Reflections Why a Network for Adivasi Religions and Societies? Gregory Alles, October 11, 2011. When I first became interested in adivasis and adivasi religions several years ago, I started looking around for scholars of religious studies who were interested in … Continue reading

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Storytelling and local history in tribal school curriculum: Gudalur region (Nilgiri) – Tamil Nadu

March 27th, 2013  [...] A few of us have been busy over the last few weeks. We are trying to find ways to share stories of our local history with other in our school and family. For many years, the … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Cultural heritage, Education and literacy, History, Modernity, Names and communities, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Rural poverty, Storytelling, Tribal elders, Websites by tribal communities, Women | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

Book review: A Rogue and Peasant Slave by Shashank Kela

STAN THEKAEKARA, Indian Express, 5-1-2013 The Nine Per Cent An incisive account of adivasi survival, from colonial risings to contemporary insurgencies IS IT an anthropological study by an academic, a textbook by a historian, a political polemic by an activist … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Colonial policies, Cultural heritage, Forest Rights Act (FRA), History, Misconceptions, Names and communities, Press snippets, Storytelling | Tagged | Comments Off