Village Survey of Brahmaur, Part-VI-No-5,Vol-XX, Himachal Pradesh
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CENSUS OF INDIA 1961 VOLUME XX - PART VI -- No.5 HIMACHAL PRADESH A Village Survey of BRAHMAUR Brahmaur Sub-Tehsil, Chamba District Investigation & Draft by DHARAM PAL KAPUR Guidance and Final Draft by RIKHI RAM SHARMA Assistant SUl'erintendent of Census 01'erations Editor RAM CHANDRA PAL SINGH of the Indian Administrative Service Superintendent of Census Operations ~ OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR " GENERAL, INDIA, NEW DElHI. 2011 [LIBRARY] Class No._' t 315.452 \ Book NO._1 1961 BRA VSM i , 44121 Accession N I J CONTENTS FOREWORD III PREFACE VI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS VIII I THE VILLAGE 1 tlztroduction.--Physical Aspects-Configuration-Geology, Rock and Soil-Flora-Fauna-Water Supply-Size-Market .and Administrative Institutions-History, 2 THE PEOPLE AND THEIR MATERIAL EQUIPMENT 12 Caste Composition-Housing Pattern-Dress-Ornaments Household Goods-Food Habits-Utensils-Birth Customs Marriage Customs-Death Rites. 3 ECONOMY 35 Economic Resources-Workers and Non·workers-Agricul~ ture-Horticulture-Animal HlisbandrY-Malundi and Pohals and their Migration Calendar-Village Crafts-Income Expenditure-Indebtedness and Mortgages. 4 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LIFE 53 Migration-Religion-Temples-Fairs and Festivals-Folk Dances-Folk Songs-Amusements-Beliefs and Superstitions -~tatus of Women-Un touch ability-Inheritance-Language. 5 PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS 71 Education-Public Health and Sanitation-Community Deve [opment-Cooperatives-Panchayats-Conc[usion. L/P(D)4SCOHP-4(a) n CONTENTS APPENDICES ApPENDIX I-Extracts from Antiquities of Chamba, Volume I, by J. Ph. Vogel, Superintendent, 4rchaeological Sur vey, Northern Circle 79 APPENDIX II-Extracts from the Punjab States Gazetteer, Vol. XXII A, Chamba State, 1904 (pp. 261-266), by Dr. Hutchinson' .of the Church ,of Scotland Mission, Chamba ".~. ... ... .. 80. ApPENDIX III-Inter~Caste ~riage in Kugti Village, Upper Budhi Nadi (Brahmau;' :rehsil, Chamba District, Himachal Pradesh)-by William H. Newell, Interna tional Christian University Mitaka, Tokyo 83 ApPENDIX IV -Gaddi Dialect 85 APPENDIX V-Folk Songs 86 ApPENDIX VI-Extract taken from "The Early Wooden Temples of Chizmba" by Hermann Goetz. (Memoirs of the Kern Institute No. 1) 89 ApPENDIX VII-Glossary 95 ApPENDIX VIII-Hindu Months in Vikrami Calendar 101 APPENDIX IX-Collversion Table 101 ApPENDIX X-Glossary of the Trees, Shrabs and Climbers commonly found in the Upper Ravi Forests-Extract from Himaclwl Pradesh Administration Forest Deptt. Working Plan for the Upper R4vi Forest Chamba Forest Division, Himachal Pradesh 1954-55 to 1968-69 by S. C. Gour, M.F. (Yale), P.F.S. (I), Working Officer, Chamba, (H.P.) 102 ApPENDIX XI-Questionnaire used by Investigators llO FOREWORD A PAR T from laying the foundations of demography lin this subcontinent, hu.ndred a picture for the whole State in quantitative years of the Indian Census has also produced terms on the basis of villages selected statisti elaborate and scholarly accounts of the varie cally a~ random. !he selection was avowedly gated phenomena of Indian life--sornetimes purpOSive: the object being as much to find with no statistics attached, but usually with out what was happening and how fast to those just enough statistics to give empirical under villages which had fewer reasons to choose pinning to their conclusions. In a country, change and more to remain lodged in the largely illiterate, where statistical or numerical past as to discover how the more 'normal' comprehension of even such a simple 'thing types of villages were changing. They were to as age was liable to be inaccurate, an under be primarily type studies which, by virtue standing of the social structure was essential. of their number and distribution, would also It was more necessary to attain a broad under give the reader a ~feer of what was going on standing of what was happening around one and some kind of a map of the country. self than to wrap oneself up in 'statistical in A brief account of the tests of selection will genuity' or 'mathematical manipulation'. This help to explain. A minimum of thirty-five vil explains why the Indian Census came to be lages was to be chosen with great care to interested in 'many bypaths' and 'neady every represent adequately geographical, occupa branch of scholarship, from anthropology and tional and even ethnic diversity. Of this mini sociology to geography and religion'. mum of thirty-five~ the distribution was to be In the last few decades the Census has as follows: increasingly turned its efforts to the presenta tion of village statistics. This suits the temper (a) At least eight villages were to be so of the times as well as our politkal rind eco selected that each of them would contain one nomic structure. For even as we have a great dominant community with one predominating deal of centralization on the one band and occupation. e.g., fishermen. forest workers. decentralisation on the other, my colleagues jhurn cultivators. potters. weavers, salt-makers, IUought it would be a welcome continuation quarry workers etc. A village should have a of the Census tradition to try. to invest the minimum population of 400, the optimum dry bones of village statistics with flesh-and being between 500 and 700. blood accounts of social structure and social change. It was accordingly decided to select (b) At least seven villages were to be of nu a few villages in every State for special sWdy, merica_Ily prominent Scheduled Tribes of th.e where personal observatio~ would be .br~)Ught State. Each village could represent a parti to bear on the interpretatlon of statIstlcs to cular tribe. The minimum population should find out how much of a village was static and be 400 the optimum being between 500 and yet changing and how fast the winds of change 700. ~ were blowing and from where. (c) The third group of villages should each Randomness of selection was. therefore. be of fair size. of an old and settled charactor eschewed. There was HO inteRtion to build up and contain var!i~atedl occupations and be, IV FOREWORD if possible, multi-ethnic in composition. By 1959 conference, introduced groups of ques- fair size was meant a population of 500-700 tions aimed at sensing changes in attitude and persons or more. The village should mainly behaviour in such fields as marriage, inheri- depend on agriculture and be sufficiently tance, movable and immovable property, away from the major sources of modern com- industry, indebtedness, education, community mlinication such as the district administrative life and collective activity, social disabilities, headquarters and business centres. It should forums of appeal over disputes, village leader- be roughly a day"'s journey from the above ship and organisation of cultural life. It was places. The villages were to be. selected with now plainly the intention to provide adequate, an eye to variation in terms of size,. proximity statistical support to empirical 'feel', to ap- to city and other means of modern communi- proach qualitative change through statistical cation, nearness to hills, jungles and major quantities. It had been difficult to give thought rivers. Thus there was to be a regional (lis- to the importance of 'just enough statis.tics to tribution throughout the State of this cat"e'"" give ~mpirical underpinning to conclusions' gory of villages. If, however, a particular dis- '" at a tIme when my colleagues were straining trict contained significant" ecological variations "themsel_ves to the utmost, for the success of within its area, more than one village in the the mam Census operations, but once the district might be selected to study the special census count itself was left behind in March adjustments to them. 1961, a series of three regional seminars in Trivandrum (May 1961), Darjeeling and It is a unique feature of these village sur Sri nagar (June 1961), restored their attention veys that they rapidly outgrew their original to this field and the importance of tracing terms of reference, as my colleagues warmed social change through a number of well-devis up to their work. This proved for them an ed statistical tables was once again recognised, absorbing voyage of discovery and their infec This itself presupposed a fresh survey of tious enthusiasm compelled me to enlarge villages already done; but it was worth the the inquiry's scope again and again. It was trouble in view of the possibilities that a close just as well cautiously to feel one's way about analysis of statistics offered, and also because at first and then venture further a field, and the 'consanguipity' schedule remained to be although it accounts to some extent for a cer canvassed. By November 1961, however more tain unevenness in the quality and coverage of was expected of these surveys than ever before. the monographs, it served to compensate the There was dissatisfaction on the one hand purely honorary and extra-mural rigours of with too many general statements and a the task. For, the Survey, along with its many growing desire on the other to draw conclu ancillaries like the survey of fairs and festivals, sions from statistics, to regard social and eco of small and rural industry and others, was an nomic data as inter-related processes, and 'extra', over and above the crushing load of finally to examine the social and economic the 1961 Census. processes set in motion through land reforms and other laws, legIslative and administrative It might be of jnterest to recount briefly measures, technological and cultural changes. the stages by which the Survey enlarged its In the latter half of 1961 again 'was organized scope. At the first Census Conference in Sep within the Census Commission a section on tembe,r 1959, the Survey set itself the task of Social Studies which assumed the task of what might be called a record in situ of mate giving shape to 'the general frame of study rial traits, like settlement patterns of the vil and providing technical help to Superinten lage; house types; diet; dress, ornaments and dents .of Census Operations in the matter of footwear, furniture and storing vessels; com conducting surveys, their analysis and present mon means of transport of goods and passen ation.