THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY August 22, 1964 Book Review Light on Pahari Culture Imtiaz Ahmad Hindus of the Himalayas by Gerald D Berreman, Bombay, Oxford University Press, 1963; pp X +430, price Rs 25.00. THE Paharis living on the Himala- tern of landholding and structure of cial and economic levels. Thus, the yan foothills have always been re­ authority and political power. pure polluted or high-low caste dicho­ garded as Hindus, but there has hardly tomy is a striking feature of the Pahari been any serious attempt so far to The study is concerned primarily caste structure as distinguished from study their social structure and culture with an analysis of the village social the multiple division of the plains. Se­ and to compare them with the social system. The author shows that ties of condly, there are few ranked subcastes structure and culture of Hindus in kinship, caste and community consti­ among the indigeneous hill castes in and other culture areas. Berreman's tute three important levels of organiza­ around Bhatbair; the sub-divisions book is the first systematic anthropolo­ tion in the lives of the villagers. They (gotra, sib) are of equal rank and purity. gical study attempted on Pahari provide the structural basis for Pahari culture, and one of the very few studies culture and social interaction, and It seems that the author has over­ that have dealt with the Himalayan pe­ come into prominence in varying de­ stated the pure-polluted dichotomy in ople. It describes a central Pahari villa­ grees in different contexts. The ties Pahari caste structure in trying to dis­ ge in the broader contexts of Pahari of kinships are of most immediate sig­ tinguish it from the caste structure in and North Indian culture areas. nificance, and the patrilineal extended the plains. In the first place, he has family is the basic economic, social and failed to see that in the hill areas there The Village ritual unit. It is the residential unit, are certain sociological and demographic The village described by Berreman is the property owning group, the group factors which affect the caste composi­ called Sirkanda and il; is within ten that finds brides for its sons, that par­ tion of the Pahari villages. In the hill air miles of Dehra Dun, the valley ticipates most effectively in the life- areas the villages are generally small town in western Uttar Pradesh. Cul­ cycle ceremonies of its members, that and the number of castes living in them turally, it lies in the area known as worships common gods together and is extremely limited. Usually, the vill­ Bhatbair comprising nearly 60 villages applies social safeguards and social age consists of one or two high castes with a total population of 5,000. It sanctions to its members to keep the who own the village lands and few has a population of 384 of whom 178 family reputation untarnished. Above essential artisan castes. It contains no are permanently living there, 43 stay it, the lineage, clan, sib and kinderd intermediate cultivators, traders and there at regular intervals and the re­ are groups which function in many practioners of secular occupations. In maining 163 rarely or never reside there contexts as social and religious units of the absence of intermediate caste though they too are recognised by vill- progressively less relevance to the indi­ groups the pure-polluted dichotomy agers as members of the Sirkanda vil- vidual. Caste is significant in the re­ automatically becomes obvious. The age community. Ninety per cent of gulation of marriages and other social people, however, do not consider the the population of the village comprising and ritual contacts, in its influence on caste structure as a system of two fold thirty extended families and fourteen the religious and economic activities of division. The evidence in the book nuclear families are high caste (Brah­ its members, and as an effective identi­ suggests that the people recognise the min 8 per cent and Rajput 87 per cent) fication group for its members. It is an multiple divisions as the essential feat­ and 10 per cent comprising three ex­ important tie which cuts throughout the ure of the caste structure. immediate culture area across com­ tended families and four nuclear fami­ Sub-Castes Not Absent lies are low caste (Blacksmith, Barber munity boundaries and transcends com­ and Bajgi). munity loyalties. It may also be wrong to say that the Pahari caste structure is characterized The village is mainly agricultural The author argues that the Pahari by the absence of ranked sub-caste di­ with animal husbandry as a subsidiary caste structure differs from the caste visions. The Brahmins in Sirkanda are occupation. Agriculture is, however, structure of the plains, though it is themselves grouped into two ranked the primary preserve of only the high well within the range of regional vari­ groups. The ceremonial cooks enjoy castes who own most of the land in ation. Firstly, it is characterized by a ritual superiority over other Brahmins. Sirkanda and the outlying areas; the two fold division into high caste group The Rajputs too are similarly divided (Brahmins and Rajputs) and low caste low castes derive their subsistence into various sub-groups according to artisan group collectively known as partly from performance of traditional ritual criteria. As regards the lower Dom. The latter are accorded the posi­ services and partly from agricultural castes, the distinctions are more of a and other kinds of labour within and tion of untouchables and include most territorial nature. The sub-caste is a outside the village. The Rajputs are of the occupational groups found both localized group and the members be­ the dominant caste enjoying numerical among the clean Sudras and the un­ longing to a sub-caste are generally dis­ preponderance and weilding economic touchables in the plains. Although and political power. Although Sirkan­ there is status differentiation within tributed over a particular geographical da is larger than an average village each of these broad divisions it is not area and within that area marriages are both in the district and the neighbour­ of the same order as that of the main contracted and other ritual social con­ ing area of Tehri Garhwal it is typical divisions. Even intermarriages are tacts are maintained. Outside the area of the area in caste composition, pat­ tolerated between castes of similar so­ other sub-castes live and neither marri- 1385 August 22, 1964 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY COUNTRIES WE EXPORT TO (5) THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY August 22, 1964 ages are contracted nor intimate social tions and values, low caste plains traditional patterns in the village, contact is maintained with that area. groups adopt sanskritic behaviour for­ though outside their behaviour is But this is as much a feature of the merly denied them rather than follow westernized and urbanized. plains villages in Western and Central the high castes in their new line. Economic Ties Uttar Pradesh as of the hills villages. Paharis, like the low caste group?, have It does not mean that there are no sub­ lacked the experience and facilities for Berreman distinguishes four kinds of divisions among lower castes. Perhaps acquiring the knowledge and compet­ economic dealing in the village. First- it might be more correct to say that the ence necessary for the adoption of non- ly, there is the exchange of the Brah­ sub-caste divisions in the lower castes traditional reference systems. In Sir­ mins' ritual services with his clients are co-terminous with their territorial kanda, cultural, physical and intellec­ for traditional gifts paid in grain or localization. tual isolation has, in all castes, militat­ other goods. This exchange is referred It is doubtful if all artisan groups in ed against adoption of alien reference to as the jajmani. Secondly, there is Sirkanda can really be referred to as groups to any significant degree. Plains exchange of an artisans' specialized untouchables. The account of ritual people have long served as something of traditional services with annual pay- services received by the high castes a reference group for them and have ments in grain. The Pahari term which show that the Barber performs a number been known to them. Increased contact Sirkanda villagers normally use in re- of ritual services in which he comes in has resulted in increased knowledge of ference to an artisans' services, parallel intimate contact with the high caste their own viewpoints. This, combined to their use of the term jajmani, is patrons. If he is an untouchable his with increased wealth, has enabled the gaiku. A third kind of economic deal­ position must be different from other Paharis to push toward higher status in ing is that of exchange of services untouchables such as Drummer and their eyes by emulating them. Since among castes. Finally, many cervices leather worker. If it is so, the author Pahari experience has for the most part are performed on piece-rate or daily should have clarified in what ways he been with plains people who advocate wage basis with cash or grain used for is distinguished from other untouch­ a traditional world-view, emulation has payment. Berreman also mentions that ables and what is the basic principle been in this direction. gaiku relationships are generally un­ underlying this distinction. Two Patterns stable with much jockeying for the better paying clients on the one hand, Sanskritization In the early part of this century the and for the better performing artisan on hill area was a centre of considerable The study shows that in the Pahari the other. He, however, does not men­ missionary activity.