THE MARIA GONDS of BASTAR HILL MARIA YOUTH and GIRL (Phologmph by Baron E
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THE MARIA GONDS OF BASTAR HILL MARIA YOUTH AND GIRL (Phologmph by Baron E. von Eickstedl) THE MARIA GONDS OF BASTAR By W. V. GRIGSON Indian Civil Snviu WITH AN INTRODUCI"ION BY J. H. HUTTON C.I.E., D.Sc., Profm•r cf Social A.nlllropowgy in IN Unwmity cf Cambridge HUMPHREY MILFORD OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON NEW YORK BOMBAY CALCtriTA MADRAS 1938 OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS AliiElf BOUSE, LOHDOiif0 E.C •.4 Edinburgh Glasgow Bombay Calcutta Madras Melbourne New York Toronto Capetown HUMPHREY MILFORD PtJ&LlSHU TO THE trNlVERSITV PB.Il'ftJtD IN GllXAT SttlTAIN BY HJtAJ)LaY B"ROTHI!RS 1()9 ktHCSWAY, LONDON, W,C,2; AND ASH.FORD, KRN'f To THE PEOPLES OF BASTAR AND To MY CoMPANIONs IN BASTAR I927-31 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGB INTRODUCTION xi PREFACE XV PART I INTRODUCTORY BASTAR STAT& AND ITS PEOPLES ; THB HISTORICAL. GEOGRAPHIC AND ETHNOGRAPHIC 5RTTING OF THE MARIAS , , I CHAPTER I THE S&TTlNG IN Tnnt ; THB HISTORICAL !SOLAnOM OF BASTAR •• 3 CHAPTER II THE SBTTING IN s'PACR; THB PHYSICAL AND ADMINlSTRATIVB Gxo- OKAPHY OF BASTAa •• 21 CHAPTER III THE ETHNOLOGICAL S&TnNG; THB PRIMITIVE RACES 011' BAsTAR 35 PART II PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND CHARACTERISTICS CHAPTER IV PBRSONAL APPIU.RANCB; PHYSICAL POWERS AND ENDURANCE ; BODILY ATTITUDES; CL.zANLlNBSS: HAIR•DltESSlNG; DRESS AND 0RNAMBNTS OF (A) HILL, (B} BtSON•BORN' MARIAS; \VEAPONS AND TooLS 61 CHAPTER V viii CONTENTS PART III DOMESTIC LIFE M'D ECONOMY CHAPTER VI PAGE VILLAGES, HoUSES AND THEIR CONTENTS · IOI A. HILL MARIAS IOI B. BISON-BORN MARIAS u8 CHAPTER VII AGRICULTURE 125 CHAPTER VIII PROCURING OF OTHER FooD AND DRINK 151 · A. Fooo GATHERING •• 151 "" B. HUNTING AND 'TRAPPING I 54 ~- DoMESTICATION OF ANIMALS 161 ...- D. FISHING 163 E. INTOXICANTS AND OTHER DRINKS 168 CHAPTER IX DOMESTIC LIFE ; MISCELLANXOUS 172 A. TREATMENT OF 5J:CKNESS 172 B. MANUFACTURES 174 C. MusiCAL INSTRUMENTS .. I8I D. DANCING. I. HILL MARIA 183 2. BISON -HORN MARIA 185 E. OTHER AMUSEMENTS I86 F. RECKONlNG Tnt:& 187 G. DAILY RouTtNE t88 H. FIRE-MAKING . ' 189 PART IV RELIGION AND MAGIC CHAPTER X TH& EARTH, THE CLAN-GOD AND THE VILLAGE MOTHER 193 CHAPTER XI THE ANNUAL RELIGIOUS CEREMONIE-S OF THB BISON-HORN MARIAS 208 CONTENTS ix CHAPTER XII PAGE THB CULT OF THE DEPARTED~ MAGIC AND WITCHCRA.FT; 0MBNS; BELIEFS ABOUT THE PHENOMENA OF NATURE 222 PART V SOCIAL ORGANIZATION, LAW AND CUSTOM CHAPTER XIII SociAL 0RGAPfJZATION ; THE PHRATRIRS AND CLANS 233 CHAPTER XIV MARRIAGE CHAPTER XV BIRTH ANO CHILDHOOD A. HILL MARIAS B. BISON-HORN MARIAS CHAPTER XVI DEATH AND FUNERAL CHRRMONIES 271 A. HILL MARIAS 271 B. BISON-HORN MARIAS 279 CHAPTER XVII VJLLAGB-, CLAN AND PARGANA AUTHORITIES AND PANCHAYATS; THRIR EXJ!Ct.lTIVR AUTHORITY; THKlR jUDICIAL AUTHORITY AND METHODS; PRm•F.RTY AND lNHHRITANcn; PosiTION OF WOMEN'; THE RECENT STATE 0RDKRS H.ESTORIN'G jUDiCIAL AUTHORITY TO PANCHAYATS 284 APPENDIXES 1. ADMJNISTRATIVK DIVISIONS OF BASTAR STATB 299 ll. LJSTS OF HILL MARIA CLANS AND BISON•HORN MARIA CLANS AND I'IIRATR1hS, AND PEDIGREE OP THE HILL MAIUA FAMILY HOLDIN'G THE HEREDITARY HBADMANSHJP OF CHHOTA DoNuAR PAR<IANA AND ORCHA Vn.LAGB 300 111. HILL MARIA TERMS OF RELATIONSHIP 308 IV, NAMlis OP MEN AND \VoMliN 310 V. ANTHROPOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THB HILL AND BISON-HORN MARtAs, BY MR. R. C. RoY , 312 • \'1. l.ANGUAGS 319 \'ll. Gt.OSSAR.Y OF ,.BRNACUUR TERMS JJI \'111 BIBliOGRAPHY 337 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PLATE PAGE HILL MARIA YouTH AND GIRL jn:mtispiece I MAP OF BASTAR STATR-NA"TURAL DIVISIONS 20 II (X) THE CHJTRAKOT FALLS OF 'THB RlVER INDRAWATI (2) CONFLUENCE OF RIVERS INDRAWATI AND KOHRA, BORDER 011' BASTAR AND CHANDA (3) Tuz ARANPUR PAss •• feuing 22 lll MAP OP' BASTAR STATE-POLITICAL DIVISIONS IV BASTAR STATE ETHNOGRAPHIC MAP V (I} and (-z) A HILL MARIA., OF THE GoND TYPE. USBNDI MUKA OF 0RCHA (3} GROUP OF HILL MARIA GIRLS facing 6z VI (1) FULL-FACE. }UGHO CHRRO, OF ITULNAR (2) HILL MARIA OF" HANDAWADA (3) }{UTRU :r-·JAR YOUTHS, WEARING TAGHALI BARK OVERCOATS VII (1} and (2) HILL MARIA DANCERS; (2} SHOWS THE USE 01' BARK RAIN<OAT AS DANCING SKIRT (3) HILL MARIA DANCERS, SHOWING DANCING-SHIELDS AND BuNCHES OF PELLET-B~u.s WORN OV£R THB RUMP (4) A HILL MARIA OF KURMRR, USING HIS RAIN-HAT AND RA.tN•5Ht11LD, AS HE WORKS WITH HIS GUDARI DIGGING HOE VHI BISON·HORN MARlA DANCERS IX BISON-HORN MARIA DANCERS AT BAILADILA; Abow, FouR MBN Btlof.t', WoMRN, SHOWING THE CLOTHES, THE MASSES OF ORNAMENTS, AND THll TIRDUDI BAMBOO DANCING-STAVES jtJCing 8o X (!) THB. VtLLAGR MOTHER'S SHRINE AT 0RCHA (.l) THE VtLLAGll MOTHB.R AT HANDAWADA j~King 110 XI (1) HILL MARIA \VoMEN CAR~tYlNG GouRDS or WATKR (l) HILL MARIA WOMAN CARRYING A LEAF-BOX OF GRAIN (3) BISON-HORN MARIA Vn..LAGE STREET, TELAM, NEAR KATAKALIAN jaci.'lfg n8 Xll PLANS OF BISON-HORN MARIA VILLAGE AND HoUSE 121 Xlll HlLL MARIA PKNDA FUtLD, JUST JiARVBSTBD, Duo- NARKA, Kt..lTRU MAR .. ja.ci"g 132 xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PLATE PAGE XIV ToMDAWADA, Hru MARIA DAM FoR RicE CuLTIVATION: .Above. DOWNSTREAM FACE Below. UP~AM FAcE XV (I) HILL MARIA DANCERS (2) HILL MARIA DOMESTIC LIFE. FETCHING WATER FROM RIVER facing 184 XVI THE SACRIFICE BEFORE THE WIJJ-WETA. THE OFFER INGS BEFORE THE ALTAR OF Bows facing 211 XVII HILL MARIA TYPES : Above, ARKI BAIYYA QF KoRAWAYA; GECHA Pou oF CHUDALA ToNDAWADA Below~ JuGHO BuKE OF ITULNAR; GUMA EWADO OF Gon facing 22-6 XVIII BISON-HORN MARIA TYPES : Above. MARKAMI liARMA OF BURGUM; MARXAMI j OGA, HEADMAN OF BUR GUM Below. MAsE~ WIFE OF MARKAMI MUKA OF KAKADI fac-ing 240 XIX (t.} THE POURING OF WATER OVER THE BRIDEGROOM AND BRIDE AT THE BtSON-HORN MARIA WED DING DESCRIBED AT PAGE 258 (2} AN OLD BISON-HORN MARIA FROM GUD!lA, BETWEEN KATAKALtAN AND KvAKoNDA *. facing 2.54 XX Hru. 'MARIA DEATH CEREMONIES : (1) .MOURNING OVER A CORPSE, J!ANDAWADA (z} KEENING FOR A DEAD WOMAN, BHERA TONDA WADA. (3) BURIAL GRAVE AT NUGUR, KUTRU MAR fdcing 274 XXI BISON-HORN MARIA MEMORIALS .TO THE DEAD : {I) URAS-GATTA PosT, NEAR CHITRAKOT FALLS {z} DANYA-KAL AND .U8-AS-KAL STONES, ARANPUR facing 280 XXII URAS-KAL STONES oN DANTEWARA-BAILA DILA RoAD facing z8z XXIII HILL MARIA PANCHAYAT, lTULN~R, SHOWING RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR HEADMEN SEATED ON STONE UDAM-GARYA SEATS facing 290 FIGURE PAGE ANTAGARH TAHSIL, DIVIDED INTO PARGANAS 33 2- HILL MA.RIA ARROWS • • 86 3 HILL MARIA BoWMAN, SHOWING METHOD OF RELEASE 87 4 HILL MARIA AxE, HoE AND DIGGING IRON ; BISON HoRN MARIA HoE 89 5 MAP OF KARANGUL VILLAGE OF THE PARLLO HILL MARIA CLAN • • IOj 6 PARISH MAP OF HANDAWADA facing 108 1 GROUND PLAN OF THREE HILL MARIA HousES '" 8 HILL MARIA PANTHER-TRAP, HANDAWADA '57 INTRODUCTION Ir is very remarkable that Indian administrators and British anthropologists should have had to wait a century for any detailed authoritative account of the Gonds of Central India. It may also be said to have been very unfortunate that we should have had to wait so long, though that misfortune is much mitigated by the excellence of the monographs that we have just received from Verrier Elwin and, in particular, from Mr. Grigson. What one regrets most is that an earlier study of the Gonds might have prevented much suffering and many misfortunes, at least, that is, if it had led to the taking of measures in their interests such as Mr. Grigson was able to initiate in Bastar State during the term of his office there as Administrator and Diwan. It is hardiy necessary for me to say anything of Mr. Grigson's qualifications for writing of the Maria Gonds of that State : those qualifications will be self-evident to the discerning reader of the book which follows. But it should be placed on record that Mr. Grigson has succeeded in initiating measures to restore the juris diction of village panchayats, to restrict the alienation of villages to foreigners from outside by abolishing the lhekadari system, to put an end to oppressive and vexatious interference by police and other petty officials with the life of the Maria village. For it is the very high privilege of that altogether too rare individual the anthropo logi~ally-minded administrative officer, that he can often bring practical benefits to the subjects of his studies as well as informative benefits to the readers he instructs. It is obvious that this monograph on the Gonds of Bastar reveals a fusion of cultures which has not only taken place in the past but is going on in the present. The author himself draws attention to the difference between the cultures of the Bison-horn and of the Abujhmar Marias, and ascribes them to successive waves of Gond immigrants, as wcll as to the more recent encroachments of Hinduism. But this is not the whole of the picture, and without otfering any attempt at an analysis of the Bastar cultures it is perhaps permissible to point out certain parallels and to suggest an inference or two. Mr. Ramesh Chandra Roy, dealing in Appendix V with the physical side of the Gond problem, suggests the existence of thn-e elements, a pre-Dravidian element conveniently labelled ' proto-australoid ' by Sewell and Veddaic by others-Eickstedt calls it · \'eddid '-which is dolichocephalic, prognathous and xiv INTRODUCTION platyrrhine ; a Dravidian element. which some would prefer to call Mediterranean--<lolichocephalic leptorrhine ; and a slight brachycephalic element, which Mr. Roy is clearly inclined to ascribe to an alpine or palaeo-alpine source rather than a mongoloid one.