Selected Essays on Tribes and Castes of Assam

Abstract

The book has been sponsored by the Institute for publication under the scheme Grants-in-Aids for literary works. The present work is the outcome of authors extensive research works in the field of socio-economic, cultural and religious aspects of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes of Assam. In introductory part of the book the author tried to define the term Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. No other social groups dominate the socio demographic sphere in Assam than the tribes and castes. Very often these terms have been used as synonymous. Various scholars, anthropologists and sociologists, have defined the tribe as possessing characteristic features like kinship ties, common dialect, joint ownership of property etc. The present day trend of defining a tribe with features like primitive traits, traditional tribal characteristics, geographical isolation, shyness of contact with the community at large and backwardness are by and large applicable in castes also, although untouchability is the main criterion for determining a caste.This book included 22 research papers of the author.