Logo

0
Your cart is empty empty bag

Free Worldwide Delivery on orders over $50

Х

Bastar: The Polity of Subalterns in State System

 
Samira Dasgupta (Author) Amitabha Sarkar (Author)
Synopsis

astar is the homeland of a number of tribal groups and has experienced a number of historical waves which have resulted into diverse cultural mosaic at this region. Each of such tribal has his own enclave of habitation, in which they eke out their livelihood practices. From early days Bastar was known as a princely state. A king or a chief or a head of a state had to acquire enough knowledge and power or strength to present him or herself as head of politics, society, religion and culture by adopting some more attributes which easily could percolate and be trusted by his or her subjects. Here, the religious belief system was a favourable trait. The king or chief had to combine the economic role of surplus extraction and exploitation and redistribution of wealth for the benefit of public life. Danteshwari Ma – the royal cult had to combine exogenous Brahmanic attributes with varieties of endogenous ethnic cultures. Bastar- once a dominant tribal state was one such example where with the help and belief of Danteshwari mata- the tutelary deity of royal family established a long span of regime of Kakatiya king of Chalukya dynasty. The special relationship of the tribes with the raja of Bastar , who also served as the chief priest to the presiding deity - Danteshwari , of the tribal pantheon. Dussehra festival of Bastar which is unique in the country and evolved as a way of consolidating political power (through Manjhi, Chalki, Gaita etc.) using cultural and religious symbols through Danteshwari Mata were documented. In each and every villages of Bastar there are a number of matas(or a kind of Mother goddess cult) who are appeased from time to time for welfare and blessings, their wrath may lead a troublesome life. The present treatise highlights what happened when and how a tribal state functions and after it disintegrates and how a new set up of political control replaces a traditional order. Here, it is an illustration of maintaining solidarity among various subaltern groups by the Royal family of Bastar is an unique example of the country which is narrated by empirical study and becomes an ideal for the scholars of current generation and the faculty members of various academic institutions.

Read more
94.50 85.05 $ 105.00 $
Free delivery Wolrdwidе in 10-18 days Ships in 1-2 days from New Delhi Membership for 1 Year $35.00
Get it now and save 10%
Members SAVE 10% every day
BECOME A MEMBER
About the authors

Samira Dasgupta

Dr. (Mrs.) Samira Dasgupta (b. 1953) is a research personnel in the Cultural Anthropology Division of Anthropological Survey of India. She obtained her B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Anthropology from the University of Calcutta. Her special interest is to study tribal ethnography, culture ecology and culture change in which these tribal people face a bi-cultural situation. She has till now completed several research projects from Anthropological Survey of India, Calcutta and submitted the reports to the office ad carried out extensive field work in the Chotanagpur plateau of Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat and also in various remote and isolated pockets of Bastar districts of M.P. She has also authored a book Birijia: Society and Contributor of articles and research papers to reputed journals and at this moment she has published about twenty three research papers in her credit. Dr. (Mrs. Dasgupta has joined the Anthropological Survey of India in 1977 and presently posted at it’s Sub-Regional Centre, Jagdalpur, Bastar (M.P.)

Read more

Amitabha Sarkar

Dr. Amitabha Sarkar has a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Calcutta University. His valuable empirical research in the arena of anthropology is ethnography, primitive art, culture change with special emphasis on the impact of industrialization and cultural ecology. Dr. Sarkar has published two books – Toto: Society and Change, and Dhodia: Industrialisation and Change in a Primitive Community. About twenty-six research papers have appeared so far in various leading scientific journals. He was nominated by the American Biographical Institute, Inc. U.S.A. and is a recipient of the Man of the Year, 1994, an international diploma of Cultural Honor and the 20th Century Achievement award. He joined the Anthropological Survey of India in 1977 and is serving as the Anthropologist and Head of the Department at the Anthropological Survey of India in Jagdalpur, Bastar (Madhya Pradesh).

Write a review
Reviews in total
 

Bibliographic information

Title Bastar: The Polity of Subalterns in State System
Format Hardcover
Date published: 12.12.2023
Edition 1st ed.
Language: English
isbn 9789392556876
length 216p., Illus col.& B/W, Map , Line drawing, Table, Plates; Size 9.5”. X 6”