The North-East region of India originally comprised the composite Assam or old Kamarupa and the two native states of Manipur and Tripura. Assam alone as it exists at present, no longer comprises the North-East region. The other constituents are Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram. Although Assam of the past or the North-East region as it is called at present, had been known from its own civilization, its geographical position was not known to many people. With her diverse population, speaking different languages and professing different faiths, may be regarded as an epitome of India. It is the land where waves of immigrants from Tibeto-Burman and Mongoloid stocks have met and woven with aboriginals, a pattern of common culture, custom and tradition. The people of the hills and of the plain have lived long side by side and followed common pursuits of life undisturbed. No part of India other than the North-East region has boundaries which are clearly vulnerable to outside powers. The area is surrounded by four foreign countries, viz., Bhutan, China, Burma and Bangladesh, touching 4825 km in length. There are several tribes in these North-Eastern states. Each has its own culture, tradition, customs and beliefs. The Zemi Nagas, the Mikirs, the Dimasa Kacharis and the Manipur are the most important and believed to be among the earliest people of this region. The present work is a successful attempt to study these four peoples with a general survey of the tribes of the region. The work is based on earlier works on the subject as well as on first hand knowledge derived from field studies. It incorporates up-do-date information on various developmental processes and progresses so far made. The book is divided into fifteen extensive chapters. The first eleven of which are devoted to geographical, economic, social and anthropological study of the region. Each of the remaining four chapters is devoted to a particular tribal people, viz. the Zemi Nagas, the Mikirs, the Dimasa Kacharis and the various ethnic groups in Manipur. The learned author has dealt with all aspects of the tribal life and system, e.g., ethnic characteristics, traditions, mythology about origin, dress, dwelling, food habits, feasts and festivals, religious beliefs and rites, disposal of the dead, agriculture, arts and crafts, economy, etc. of each of the peoples covered by the work. The work is fully illustrated with original photographs which facilitate readers’ understanding of the subject matter.
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