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Synopsis To the student of Ethnography and evolution of culture, Mysore unfolds a region of extraordinary and absorbing interest. Though from very early times the social life in the area remained exposed to a variety of effects and influences, it has succeeded in maintaining an individuality of its own. The present study attempts a comprehensive survey of the customs and manners of the many tribes and castes inhabiting this ethnographically significant area. The survey covers more than 100 groups of castes and tribes and contains over 250 illustrations. The first volume in the series is more than an introduction to the descriptive volumes that follow: its extended scope renders it a volume on the Ethnography of South India, with special reference to the then Mysore state. The method of treatment is encyclopaedic which has the decided advantage that the reader gets all available information pertaining to any particular tribe or caste at one place. The Mysore Tribes and Castes has remained a classic ever since its first publication nearly half a century ago. The impressive reprint, brought out in response to wide popular demand, will be of immense value to scholars and students of anthropology, ethnography, history and sociology.