Tribal History and Culture in North-East India

Arunachal Pradesh is the north eastern most state of india, is the home of number of tribal communities having their distinct socio cultural traditions. One can come across a few Buddhist community professing Theravad and Tibetan form of Buddhist. Some other tribes believe in hereditary shamanism. The Akas and indigenous communities of the states resides in the western part of Arunachal Pradesh.

The socio cultural, religious and political; life of the Akas are significant to understand the cultural identity of Arunachal Pradesh. Their origin, migration, socio cultural religious traditions are significant to understand the history of Arunachal Pradesh.

The present publication is the first comprehensive historical study on the Akas, providing an idea of their history and culture in pre-colonial and colonial period. The book can be useful for understanding the historical tradition in Arunachal Pradesh in general and that of the Akas in particular.

Dr. Dusu Sambyo (M.A., B.Ed, Ph.D.) has done his Ph.D. from Rajiv Gandhi University in 2014 on the topic "The Akas of Arunachal Pradesh: A Historical Study till 1947". Presently he is teaching History at Don Bosco College, Itanagar. Arunachal Pradesh since 2015. He has keen interest in study of the history and culture of the various tribes of Arunachal in general and the Akas in particular with pre-colonial and colonial period.

The history and culture North East India is largely associated with the T tribes. A Number of tribes contributed towards history and culture of the region. In Arunachal Pradesh, there are 24 major tribes and 110 sub tribes. They can be broadly divided into three significant cultural groups consisiting of the Western, the Central and the Eastern parts. The ethnic tribes of Arunachal Pradesh such as the Membas, the Khambas, the Nahs, the Meyors (Zhakrings), the Monpas, the Sherdukpens inhabits the central and western zone of the state follow Mahayana form of Buddhism (Tibetian form). In the central zone, majority of the populace follow Shamanistic form of religion. However, the Tani group, who consider themselves to be the descent of legendary Abotani, such as the tribes of the Adis, the Nyishis, the Apatanis consider Donyi Polo as their supreme deity. In the eastern zone, the tribe consisting of the Tikak Tangsa, the Singphos and the Khamptis are followers of Theravada Buddhism. The rest sizable populace are indegineous worshippers. The Mahayana Buddhists of western Arunachal, Theravada Buddhists of Eastern Arunachal and other non- Buddhist tribe have immensely contributed towards history and culture of Arunachal Pradesh.

Amongst these tribe, one of the noted tribes are the Akas of Arunachal Pradesh. These tribe had history with the Ahoms and the British as well. So. far no major contribution have been done on the works of the Akas. British authors have cited British-Aka relation during colonial period. Post colonial period Verrier Elwin have also worked on tribes of arunachal pradesh and the akas also.

However, we donot have a clear cut and comprehensive idea about the society, economy, polity, culture, religion of the Akas as well as Aka's relation against the British.

It is my pleasure to introduce the book "Tribal History and Culture in North-East India", to the scholarly world. The work deals with a little known ethnic community of western Arunachal Pradesh, the Akas, who have contributed remarkable to the tribal history and culture. On the basis of history, archival and ethnographic data, the author has presented a comprehensive account of the history and culture of the Akas in Pre- Colonial and colonial period. This is perhaps the first systematic work dealing with a detailed discussion on their traditional, socio-cultural organization, economic base, political and legal institutions and religion. The Aka's relation with the medieval Ahom kings of Assam and the British is also investigated.

The work is a welcome addition to the historiography of Arunachal Pradesh. The scholar has successfully a reconstructed various aspects of the Aka's life and culture in details. Some of the remarkable features of Aka's society like Role of Rani Institution of friendship (Thumona), impact of Neo-Vaisnavism and Buddhism on their religious life etc. provide interesting reading.

I hope, the present work will serve as a useful reference for understanding tribal history and culture in North-East India in general and that of Arunachal Pradesh in particular.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages