First published in 1984, The Assamese is an anthropological exploration of Assam. The many tribes living in the hill tracts of Assam early engaged the attention of anthropologists but no significant studies have been made of the people living in the Assam valley who call themselves Assamese, the distinctive features of whose culture are inseparably connected with their religious institutions. The purpose of this book is to give an account of the way of life which the Assamese people are seeking to preserve, and its chief claim to attention is that it is the very first field-study of the village foundations of social life in Assam, containing a plenitude of detailed information on local aggregates, caste divisions, modes of livelihood, devotional practices, marriage patterns, and much else. This book will be of interest to students of anthropology, ethnic studies, history and cultural studies.

This volume offers a fresh approach to the existing literature on religion in Early Assam, bringing together perspectives from the fields of archaeology, religion, history and heritage. For decades, the Naraka legend has been incorporated into history without due critical attention and analysis of the historical context, while archaeological studies in religion have been largely descriptive. The sacred landscape of the erstwhile Prāgjyotiṣa and Kāmarūpa kingdoms had linkages with the history of other parts of India, and beyond. This book offers a comprehensive reconstruction of religion in Early Assam based on an exhaustive use of archaeological sources. It opens with a useful overview of the conceptual and methodological foundations of religion, archaeology and history. Heritage conservation of sacred sites such as Kāmākhyā which face the impact of rapid urbanization illustrates implications for Assam’s history and identity.

Chiefly history of Vaishnavism in Assam, with special reference to Sankaradeva, 1449-1569.

The North Eastern Region Is A Very Fertile Place For The Study Of The Tribal Culture. Various Ethnic Groups Of People Having Rich Culture And Tradition Of Their Own Still Follow Their Traditional Customs, Beliefs And Practices.

Concepts Culture Culture may be defined as the learned behaviors and ideas (beliefs, attitudes, values, and ideas) generally shared by the members of a society or other social groups (Ember and Ember, 2007, p.228). The British anthropologist Edward B. Tylor first used the term culture in its anthropological sense. He defines "Culture....is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society" (Tylor, 1871, p.1). The term culture is derived from 'colere' meaning to cultivate. Culture is the social norms and values we found in the society. It is the day to day livelihood activities. The things that we do, we eat what we wear, etc. can be termed as religion. The socio-economic aspect, our belief system can all term as a culture. Culture is a word for people's 'way of life', meaning the way groups do things. Different groups of people may have different cultures. A culture is passed on to the next generation by learning, whereas genetics are passed on by heredity. Culture is seen in people's writing, religion, music, clothes, cooking, and in what they do. The concept of culture is very complicated, and the word has many meanings. The word 'culture' is most commonly used in three ways. 1) Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities, also known as high culture. 2) An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior.

A comprehensive book on Assam its heritage and culture. Assam is full of mountains, plateaus, river streams, various tribes, dense forests, and rare wild species. The author attempts to discuss all aspects its ancient history, its contribution in freedom struggle, tribal dances, weaving industry, tourist places, drama and cinema and a special focus of Gopinath Bardolai A useful book on history and culture of Assam.

A Sociological Understanding of North East India attempts to discuss socio-cultural unity and diversity, demographic features, and the linguistic scenario of Northeast India. Traditional institutions of the northeastern region such as family, marriage, religion, and polity are described with examples. The concept of identity and the identity conflict of different ethnic groups, homeland and homeland politics, tribal autonomy, and other related contemporary issues in the northeastern region have been included in this volume. The promotion and development of the tourism sector and the tourist destinations in the eight states have been studied, and different government policies and programs of Northeast India are also incorporated in this volume for discussion.