The Kondh Of Orissa

Abstract

In the wild undulating plateaus and river valleys of the Eastern Ghat region lives a fascinating Kui-speaking tribe called, the Kandha who are numerically the largest among the 62 tribal communities of Odisha. Mr. Russell in his report of August 1836 was the first who brought to the notice of the Madras Government the barbarous practice of female infanticide and human sacrifice prevalent among the Kandha. These superstitious beliefs and practices made the tribe known to the administrative as-well as academic world. Scholars like Dalton, Risley, Thurston, Russell and Hiralal have left behind a few pages about the Kandha in their published works. But no full ethnographic work was available till this book was published.The Kandha are at various stages of development. The KutiaKandha of Belghar area and the Dongria Kandha of Bissam Cuttack area represent the primitive sections and the Desia Kandha living in the plains of Phulbani district, and other districts represent the Hinduised section of the tribe. In between these two polarities are various sections of the Kandha which are at different stages of socio-economic development. Unlike the Kutia Kandha who are primarily shifting cultivators and unlike the Desia Kandha who have taken to plough cultivation in a large measure in the plains, the Dongria Kandha as mentioned above are basically horticulturists. This publication deals with the DongriaKandha in the first part, the Desia Kandha in the second part and health and nutritional status and developmental aspects in the third part. The Dongria Kandha inhabit the lofty Niyamgiri hill ranges in the district of Koraput. From the point of view of cultural peculiarities they occupy a very special place in the heart of Anthropologists. Expert horticulturists as they are the Dongria Kandha have proved that the skill, ingenuity and perseverance of Man can tame any rugged terrain without even the application of any improved technology for the prosperity of mankind.With the development of road communication the Kandha have come in contact with the plains dwellers. In course of acculturation they have borrowed many cultural traits from their Hindu neighbours. They have given up many of their archaic practices and turned themselves into a class of peasantry in the low-land countries. Part II of this book deals in detail with the life and work of the acculturized section of the tribe called the Desia Kandha.In this book both aesthetic and humanistic interests have been interwoven to present thought-ways and work-ways of a people who lead a life of indigence and poverty in the midst of plenty. Though major portion of the book is devoted to socio-cultural aspects of anthropological interest, the economics of axe-cultivation, horticulture and plough agriculture have been discussed in detail. Besides, problems of health and approach and strategy for tribal development have been highlighted succinctly in this book. The scholars &administrators alike will find this book interesting and useful.