CENSUS OF INDIA 19,61 VOLUME XX.- PART VI - 'NO. 14 HIMACHAL PRADESH A Village Survey of CHAUNTRA (Jogindar Nagar Tehsil. ,Mandi District) Field Investigation and Draft by DHARAM PAL KAPUR E"clitor RAM CHANDRA PAL SINGH of the Indian Administrative Service Superintendent of Oensus Operations ''I ... , i : .. , ... Q. ~ ~ +1C' e... A I~ .J ~ ..J « z 0 0 0 :x: a: V t- fJl l- 0 R' .- " )" : : z ci O! III « .' Z 0 Z til " W ::» 0 ..J ::> UI w II) « z « '" III III ::) w 0 )- Z 0 0 W ::> 0 0 0- ..J ::> Il) ::> w Z c: Z 0: « :x: I/) 0 a: ::t ..J 0 ::) 0 UI 0 u 1: 1: <{ ~ ..J. III 1: 1: ;:l 0 ~ til :w: u 0 « '" :l Z 0 « 0.. ). p: u w J: 0: l:. - « l- e[ J: '", J: ::t « Z « u. 0: c: a: ..J « '" ~ c: ::J u '" w « 0. 0- ~ o 0 .. ... ~. oJ ..J Q ~ N J: 3: u W J: 0. ~ .~ .... u I: ..J « ~ -< '"« « W ~ 0 I- « ., O ' ~ ..J « U :) :) .... c( I: 8 I: « a: w w - « ..J w :r « a: « 0 0 ,• ~ ~ u. Z'" ~ a: '" ~ .... '"I: a. w ~ 111 ~ CD cc II) f- ~ U Contents PAGES Foreword (iii)-(iv) Preface (v)-(vi) Aknowledgements ... (vii) 1 The'Village Introduction-Physical Aspects-Configuration-Flora-Fauna-Climate­ The Earthquake-W rnter Sources-History-Population Figures-Residen- tiaL pattern . "! 1-9 2 The People I Caste Compositiqn-Dress-Ornamenlts-House Type-Household Goods­ Food and Drinks-Birth Customs-Mundan Sanskar-Janeu Ceremony­ Marriage Customs-Death Customs 10-23 ' 3 Economy Economic Resources-Workers and Non-workers-Tea Pla1btation-Agri­ cu.!ture-Animal Husbandry-ViLlage CrC14Jlt and Industry-In come­ Expenditure-Indebtedness 24-42 4 Social and Cultural Life Leisure and Recrentions-Dance and Drama-Temples-Deod Sidh­ Gugga-Fairs and Festivals-Common Beliefs and, -Superstitions-Un­ wuchability-Succession and Rights 9f Inheritance-Community l:entre­ Welfare Centre-Education-Medical and Public Health-Panchayats­ Cooperative Societies-Community Development 5 Conclusion ... , 53-54 Appendices - APPENDIX I-Extract from Punjab Gazetteers, Mandi State ~ .. 55-70 LIP(D)8CSOHP ...... 2(a) (i-il) o <; o 75 n 78 I I JAMMU AND KASHMIR.. I I ,_fIIII'II ,.1 . .". .... ', .,. L , , • PAR"'A!. , • • 'KUPHA .'\. o o ,,) KAROTI •• MAlET '." -)} 33 r-- .!'.A.:. ,...... .... 2 . iI\ HIMACHAL PRADESH .' ( ~. ..... , .' ·O£IIII(·OTHI , (". (; I \. \. .-- ,.",. \~ I \ I " .' VJLLAGE SURVEYS ~ (... ._, ../" ...... \ \.......... .....'. i ., j ...... -.,'.. )" \... I ~ ..,.. \ 3 i ....... \.... '\ I\.... MAIN GAL / . .,,) '... ." J ·'.LI"(KAii \~ANOI ~::" ."' '. .... ,. eH ITRA'Jl BRAHMAUR" \ ., 4 ".~. \. :; 5 ." ., ! '-.i. , . \. ' . i \· ..... H.ATll ....~...... I ow ,._.,.. p U o -32 .() I CHAURAH TEHSll 2 PANGI SU8-TEHSIL 3 C H AMII~ TEHSIL 4 BHATTIYAT TEHSIL '" o 5 allAHMAUR SU p, -TEHSII. 31 1-& JQGINOARNAGAR TEHSI!: 7 MANDl SAOAR TEHSll e SARKAGHAT TEHSll Q. 9 CHICHOT TEHSll 10 SUNOARNAGAR TEHSII. II KARSOG TEHSI I,. 12 GHAMARWIN T EHSIL 1381lASPUR SADAR T£H511. ~ ARKI 1'EHSll 15 SEONI . SUIl-fEHSI" 16 KUIliHAI! SAIN 5UII-TEHSfL. 17 RAMPUR TEHS,," 18 RONRU TENSII. 19 oWlII&AL TEtllIlL 2OKOT"HAI sua-TEHS!l 21 TN£OG T£"'$II. 22usUMPTI TENSII. 23$OLOIf TEHSIL 24cHAUPAL "'Hill , 2$PACHHAD TEMIII. , 0 )0 10 f--261U1NKA TlENIt&. - 27NAHAN T'H511. MILES ',0 10 0 20 'J0 28tAONTA TEHSll 40 KILOM[ TilES 29NACHU SUB-OIIiISION ' 20 '0 0 20 3OUL"" BUB-OIVI,SION '-___ ___ ___ ____I _ a_l_j~O~O $U_B~-_~_V_'S_'_O_N .._· '_~ ________j.;t-~ --------..____________ ____ ~~J __ --------------------------~~I. -' 1; (An OF GltHNWICH' if 7a. 7 ~ Foreword Apart from laying the foundations of more 'normai' typ,es of villages were chang- demography in this subcontinent, a hundred ing. They were to be prfmarily type studies years of the Indian Census has alsOi produced which, by virtue of their number and distri- 'elabor~te and sclholarly: accounts o£ the bution, would also give the reader a 'feel' of variegated phenomena of Indian life-some- what was going on and some kind of a map times with no statistics attached, but usually ofi the Count:ry. with just enough statistics to give empirical underpinning to their conclusions'. Tn a A brief account of the tests of selection country largely illitefate where sti:j,tistical or will help to explain. A minimum of thirty- numerical comprehension of evert such a five villages was to be chosen with great simple thing as age was liable to be inaccu- care to represent adequately geographical, rate, an understanding of the sOel,al structure occupational and, even ethnic diversity. Of was essential. It was more necessary to this'minimum of thirty-five the distribution attain a broad understanding of what was was to be as follows: ....... happening around oneself than :to wrap one- (a) ,At least eight viLlages were to be self up in 'statistical ingenuity' or 'Mathema- selected that each of them would contain one tical maniplUlation'. This expl~ns why :the dominant community with one predominat- Indian Census came to be interested in 'many l.ng occupation) e.g., fishermen, forest work- by-paths' and 'nearly every branch of scho~ ers, jhum cultivators, potters, weavers, sal~ lar'ship, from anthropblogy and soCiology to ma~ers; quarry workers etc. A village should geography and religion~. have a minimum population of 400, the opti- In the last few decades the Census has mum being between 500 and 700. increasingly turned its -efforts to the presen- (b)' At least seven vilJages were to be of tation of village statistics. Thi~ su,its the tem- numerically prominent Scheduled Tribes of per of the times as weH as oUr political and the State. Each village could represent a par- economic structure. For even as we h~ve' a ticular tribe. The minimum population should great deal of centralization o~ the one band be 400, the optimum being between 500 and and decentralisation on the other,. my' col- 700. leagues thought it would be a welcome con~ (c) The thitd group of villages should each tinuation of the Census tradition to try to be or fair 'size, of an old_and settled charac- invest the dry gones of village statistics with tel' and contain variegated occupations and flesh-and-iblood accouIits' of soCial structure' be, if possible, multi..:ethnic in composition. and social change. It waS accordingly'decid;;' By fair size was meant a population of 500- ed to select a few villages in every State for 700 persons or more._ The village should main- special study where personal observation ly depend on agriculture and be sufficiently would be brought to bear on the int~rpreta.. away frbm the major sourc_es of modern tion of statistics to find out how much of a communication such as the district adminis- village was static and yet changihg and how trative headquarters -and business centres. It fast the winds of change were blowing and sh,Ould be roughly a day's journey from the from where. aboye places. The villages were to be select- Randomness of selection was, therefore, ed with an eyf:! .to variation in -terms or size, eschewed. There was no intention to build proximity to city and pther means of modern up a picture for the whole State in quantit!i- communication, nearness :to hills. jungles tive terms on the basis of villages selec~ed and major rivers. Thus there was to be a statistically at random. The selection was regional distribution throughout the State of avowedly purposive, the object being as much this category of villages. IT; ho.vt_ever, a to find out what was happening and oarticular district contained significant ecolo~ how fast to those villages which had fewer gical variations within its area, more than reasons to choose change and more to remain one village in the district might be selected lodged in the past as to discover how the to study the speci~l adj~s'tments to them. (iii) (iv, FOREWARD It is a unique feature of these village sur· census count itself was left behind hi March, veys that they rapidly outgrew their original 1961, a series of three regional seminars in terms of reference, as my colleagues warmed Ttivandrum (May, 1961), Darjee]ing and! up .to their work. This proved for them an Srinagar (June, 1961) restored their atten­ absorbing voyage of discovery and their infec· tion to this field and the importance of trac­ tious enthusiasm compelled me to enlarge the ing. social change through. a number of well­ inquiry's scope again and again. It was devised statistical tables was once again re­ just as weH cautiously to feel one's way cognised. This itself presupposed a 'fresh sur­ about at first and then venture further afield, vey of villages already done; but it was worth and although it accounts to some extent for the trouble in view of the possibilities a certain unevenness in the-quality ll-nd cover· that a close analysis of statistics offered, and age of the monographs, it served to com· also because the Iconsanguinity' schedule re­ pens ate the purely honorary and extra-mural mained to be canvassed. By November, 1961, rigours of the task. For; the Survey, along however, more was expected of these survey with its many ancillaries like the survey of than ever before. There was dissatisfaction fairs· and festivals, of small and rural industry on the one hand with too many general state­ and others, was an 'extra' over 'and above ments and a growing desire on the other to the crushing load of the 19611 Census. draw conclusions from statistics to regard social and economic data as interrelated pro­ It might be of interest to recount briefly cesses, and finally to examine the social and the stages by which the Survey enlarged its economic processes set in motion through scope.