Ethnographic study of the Gond tribe of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India.

Is primitivism a consequence of the natural evolution of some human societies? Or is it a conscious choice by such societies to evade state power? In The Roots of the Periphery, Bhangya Bhukya sets out to answer these questions by taking as his focal point the case of the Gond dynasty of the erstwhile Chanda region of Deccan India. He examines the evolution of Gond society over an extensive period, demonstrating how the British colonial government created anadministrative divide between the plains and the hills, thus stereotyping hill and forest communities as isolated, primitive, barbaric, and uncivilized in order to deny them self-rule.

A visual ode to trees rendered by tribal artists from India, in a handsome handcrafted edition.

Indian tribal world is unique and least explored. There are 74 tribal groups which are identified as Primitive Tribal Groups, and Baiga is one of them. This book provides deep insight into the various socio-cultural aspects of the Baiga, a primitive tribe of Central India. Taking a close look at their history and population characteristics, it discusses at length their habitat, settlement patterns, dress and ornaments, material culture, livelihood practices, cultivation, means of transport and communication, and religious practices. The issue of tribal rights on forest and wild life conservation has also been addressed.