31 S.C. Roy, L.K. Anantha Krishna Iyer, N.K. Bose

Vijit Dipani

Contents

1.  RAI BAHADUR SARAT CHANDRA ROY (1871-1942)

1.1 Tribal study

1.2 Folklore and Caste study

1.3 Utilisation of Applied anthropology in tribal welfare

2. NIRMAL KUMAR BOSE (1901-1972)

2.1 Study of Indian Caste system

2.2 Study of Indian Civilization

2.3 Tribal study

2.4 Pattern of Unity in Indian Civilization

3. DEWAN BAHADUR DR. L.K. ANANTHAKRISHNA IYER. (1861-1937)

3.1 Study of Indian society: the Tribals and the Caste groups

Objectives:

• To study the contribution of the following eminent anthropologists:
• S.C. Roy
• L.K. Anantha Krishna Iyer
• N.K. Bose
• To study the life history of these anthropologists.
• To study the theories and concepts emphasized/propounded by them.

1.   RAI BAHADUR SARAT CHANDRA ROY (1871-1942)

Sarat Chandra Roy has made valuable contributions with reference to Indian anthropology. He is thus regarded as Father of Indian ethnology. He was born on 4th Nov., 1871 in a village of Khulna district to Purna Chandra Roy (father) and Smt. Rajlakshmi Devi (mother). In 1888, he passed Matriculation from City Collegiate School in Calcutta. In 1895, he obtained a B.L. degree from Rippon College (now Surendranath College), Calcutta.

He had immense concern for the poor tribals of Chota Nagpur region and thus he dedicated his services as a lawyer for their upliftment. He started to explore and observe their culture, custom and dialect. Sarat Chandra Roy gave much weightage to learn the dialects of the various tribes of the region. He had no formal training, but he managed to create a good rapport by his ability and knowledge. He learnt of tribals and their problems. He wanted anthropology to be there as a subject in all Universities and also as a requirement of officers in administration and bureaucracy. He wrote a book titled Munda and their Country which was first monograph written by an Indian writer on an Indian tribe. He produced many monographs on different tribes such as The Oroans of Chotanagpur (1915), Birhor (1925), Hill Bhuiyas of Orissa (1935) and the Kharia (1937).

In 1921, he founded a research journal Man in India in Ranchi that would be the authority in finding out a current interpretation of the evolution of Indian Man in respect of racial affinities, mentality and culture. He became the President of the Anthropology and Ethnography Section of the Indian Science Congress Association. He was elected as a member of Bihar Legislative Council for several terms (1921 to 1937). His devoted services to field of Anthropology provided him due recognition. He received Kaiser-i-Hindi Silver medal (1913) and the title of ‘Rai Bahadur’ (1919). He has also made significant contribution to field of Physical anthropology and Prehistoric archaeology. In 1920, he also became an elected Honorary Member of the Folklore Society of London He died on 30th April, 1942 after a period of extreme illness.

His major contribution to anthropology can be categorised as:

• Tribal Study
• Folklore and Caste study
• Utilisation of Applied anthropology in tribal welfare

1.1 Tribal study

S.C. Roy firstly studied the Munda tribe of Chota Nagpur. He undertook study on their customs, beliefs, traditions, life-ways and dialect. In His book Munda and their Country he traced the origin of the tribe utilising folklore, language and prehistoric evidences. He discussed their history and their land systems in great detail. Funding was made available to him by the Government of Bihar under Sir Edward Gait, the then Governor of Bihar. Unlike other anthropologists, he emphasized that knowledge of history of a tribe helps to understand culture better. In his book, he provides an ethnographic detail about their physicality, material culture, religion, festivals, spiritual world, folklore and culture.

His book The Oroan of Chota Nagpur explains social organisation of the tribe. He also mentioned about the prevalence of youth Dormitory, the village panchayat and the Paraha system and explained function of dormitory in social and economic life of the Oroan. His book Oraon Religion and Customs showed the effect of acculturation and rapid culture contact among the Oraons, as seen in the Bhagat movement. He also provided information about various reform movements among the Oraon. He also became a member of the Provincial Committee that sat with the Simon Commission in this year. He gave a detailed account of religious and magical beliefs, feasts and festivals and the magical practices of the Oraon. He suggested that various feasts and festivals inculcate social solidarity in the village people.

His Book Hill Bhuiya of Orissa (1935) provides a comparative account of plain and hill Bhuiyas. Besides several monographs, he wrote several research papers on life and culture of various tribes such as totemism among the Asur and Pahira of Chota Nagpur. He also worked on kinship system and human sacrifice in various tribes of North-east India.

1.2 Folklore and Caste study

In 1932-33, he was elected as President of the Anthropology and Folklore section of the All India Oriental Conference. S. C. Roy emphasized the fact that the study of folklore should not be restricted to traditional customs, rites and beliefs and should encompass close observation on folksongs, folk rites, folktraditons, folk beliefs associated with superstition, omen, folk magic, folk abuse etc. He regarded folklore as ‘pre-history of human mind’ as it provides clue to intellectual evolution of human society.

In 1934-35, his book Caste, Race and Religion in India was published. He made an extensive study of caste, race and religion in India. He explored various ethnographic literatures on caste and tribes in India and even studied Hindu literature to study the origin of caste system in India.

1.3 Utilisation of Applied anthropology in tribal welfare

Roy strongly emphasized the need to utilise anthropological knowledge and perspective about various tribes to resolve the administrative problems faced by poor and down-trodden tribes in India. He wanted to provide anthropological training to administrative officers, judicial, forest and excise officers so as to promote tribal welfare. He has shown that timely intervention by anthropologist can curb stress and strain condition in society. He played a pivotal role in resolving problems between Munda tribal people and police officials at time of non-cooperation agitation (1921).

Besides these, he has made valuable contribution to field of Physical anthropology and Prehistoric archaeology. In 1920, Principles and Methods of Physical Anthropology was published based on readership lectures given in Patna University between January and March 1920. He made significant contribution to prehistoric archaeology by excavating Asura site. He made exploratory investigations at the site and found stone temples and sculptures, cinerary urns and columns of sculptural atones which were attributed to Asura people.

2.   NIRMAL KUMAR BOSE (1901-1972)

Nirmal Kumar Bose was born on 22 January 1901 in Kolkata. He received his early education from the Anglo-Sanskrit School, Patna, Sagar Datta Free High School, Kamarhati, 24 parganas and Ranchi Zila School, Ranchi and B.Sc.(H) degree in geology from Presidency College, Calcutta University(1921) and completed his Masters in Anthropology from the same University (1927). He left his research fellow post in Anthropology, Calcutta University to join Salt Satyagraha. His association with nationalistic events and influence of Gandhian principles drew him closer to Anthropology. In post – retirement period, he was invited by the Administrator of NEFA to report on educational problems.

He has received Annandale Gold medal (1948) of Asiatic Society of Bengal. He was invited by various renowned international organisations to deliver lectures on social and political changes in India and even on Gandhi ideas and principles. He wrote about 40 books and over 700 articles in English and Bengali on temple architecture, art, prehistoric archaeology, human geography, urban sociology, geology as well as travelogues. He emphasized that Indian anthropology should attempt to develop its own theories and perspectives based on Indian data in order to make a distinct Indian identity to anthropology. His major contribution to field of Anthropology include’- Cultural Anthropology (1929), Canous of Orissan Architecture (1932), Cultural and Society in India(1967) and many others. He received President’s award of Padmashri in 1966.

Bose was influenced by diffusionist approach of Franz Boas, an American diffusionist. He was impressed by Kroeber and Wissler’s trait distribution studies as visible in diffusionist study of Spring Festival Culture Complex (1927) and Elements of Temple Architecture (1949). He even followed Functional approach to define culture as an adaptive tool in Cultural Anthropology (1929). He believed that in any culture there are four categories of culture: Vastu (Material object), Kriya (habitual action), Samhati (Social grouping) and Tattwa (knowledge).

But, as an anthropologist, he wrote mostly on society and culture in India, covering the entire range from the simple Juang tribe of Orissa to the complex metropolitan city of Calcutta. He has made incredible contribution to field of anthropology which could be categorised as:

• Study of Indian Caste system
• Study of Indian Civilization
• Tribal study
• Pattern of Unity in Indian Civilization

2.1 Study of Indian Caste system

Bose developed keen interest in Indian caste system when he was working among the untouchables in the slums of Bolpur town under the Gandhian Reconstruction Programme. He did not support the myth of divine origin and notion of purity and pollution. He proposed that caste as an economic system and indicator of social hierarchy is disintegrating at different rates in different regions of India. Bose proposes that the caste system is based on the economic and cultural security provided by the non-competitive, hereditary, vocation-based productive organization, which operated in isolated village communities controlled by general norm of inter-ethnic cultural tolerance.

Bose observed that the current developments result in deviations from the non-competitive ascribed traditional system towards a competitive one. In other words, the old structure being used in various combinations in new social meaning. He discusses about various aspect of Indian caste system in his articles like ‘Hindu Method of tribal Absorption’ (1941), Caste in India (1951) and Competing Productive system in India (1968).

2.2 Study of Indian Civilization

In his book, Hindu Samajer Gadan (Structure of Hindu society, 1949), Bose explained various social processes shaping Indian social structure such as the impact of British rule, social movements in the medieval period in relation to Islam. He observed that Classical Varna Jati system will not be suitable for Modern India but some of its components and ideas may have functional significance. The cultural history of Indian civilization exhibits unity in diversities. Various diversified groups are bound together by Indian system of Jajmani, in which each caste works for other in accordance to heredity positions and occupations. He has thrown light upon characteristic traits of a civilization but not properly distinguished the concept of civilization from that of culture.

2.3 Tribal study

The brief field work among Juang of Orissa provided him basic knowledge about various aspect of social and economic life of the tribal people. He presented papers which talked about the tribal economy, absorption of tribes into the Hindu caste system and the root of tribal separatist movement. In his book on Tribal Life in India (1970), Bose has observed that there is little difference in economic life of tribes and peasant and artisan communities. The difference between our rural folk and urban classes is undoubtedly greater than that between peasants and the tribal communities so for as their occupations are concerned.

2.4 Pattern of Unity in Indian Civilization

Bose proposed that the division of Indian population on the basis of with reference to dialect was possible on a different set of cultural divide as evidenced through items of material culture. This proposition was tested on the basis of extensive survey of the distribution of a set of material traits, forms and techniques of potters all over India. Bose showed various regions of India, which are today separated by difference of language, share many elements of material culture in common. In his book Peasant Life in India: A Study of Indian Unity and Diversity, Bose proposed that structure of Indian unity can be compared to a pyramid. There is more differentiation at the material base of life and progressively less as one traverse higher and higher.

In another article, ‘The Geographical Background of Indian Culture (1950)’, Bose discusses as to how a kind of uniformity grew up between geographically and even ecologically distinguishable regions of India through the tradition of caste system.

The study of civilization is essentially a study of inner most, i.e., matters of the mind responding to changing life experiences of people. According to Bose, Indian civilization differed from European civilization. As former advocated cultural pluralism, latter was based on war experience leading to a spirit of nationalism.

He conducted archaeological excavations in Mayurbhanj and wrote with D. Sen a pioneering work on the Palaeolithic culture of the area. Bose has written on temple architecture. He had interest in the material culture of the tribal people, and wrote with professional skill technology of shifting cultivation, and on various crafts such as oil-pressing, pottery and weaving. He edited almost single-handedly India’s oldest anthropological journal, Man in India.

3.    DEWAN BAHADUR DR. L.K. ANANTHAKRISHNA IYER. (1861-1937)

Dr. Ananthakrishna Iyer was a great pioneer in Anthropology and Ethnology and his extensive field study have made him a renowned face among his contemporaries. He was born in 1861, in Lakshmi Narayana Puram village of Palghat district. He passed his B.A. from Madras Christian College in 1883. In 1890, he joined Victoria College, Palghat as a teacher and continued there till 1897. In 1908, he became a Deputy Inspector in the Inspectorate of Schools. Later, Government of Cochin had appointed him to investigate the cultural and racial problems of the different communities inhabiting that state through an ethnographic survey. He was appointed as a superintendent of ethnography of the Cochin princely state and this resulted in the publication of twelve monographs between 1904 -1906, which were later compiled and published as Tribes and Castes of Cochin in two volumes. The work on Cochin tribes and castes is a rich collection of data on numerous tribes and castes of former princely state of Cochin. First volume gives a descriptive account of all the hill and jungle tribes and other low castes in the ascending order of the social status while the second volume deals with other groups of people higher in social grade such as Nambidis, Kashtriyas and then Brahmins. His works got appreciation from the leading anthropologists such as E.B Taylor, W. H. R. Rivers, Frazer, and A. C.Haddon and so on.

Ananthakrishna was elected as the president of Anthropology section at the foundation session of the Indian Science Congress in 19149. In 1920, he joined as a lecturer in Anthropology and Ancient Indian History at Calcutta University. In order to set up the anthropology department as well as organizing teaching and research Ananthakrishna was appointed as a senior lecturer when the university introduced first Anthropology post-graduate course. There he remained as the head of the department and the chairman of the board of studies in anthropology till his retirement in 1932. The lectures he delivered there at Calcutta university were later (in 1926) compiled and published as ‘Lectures on Ethnography’. In 1903, The Ethnographic Survey of Mysore was started under H V Nanjundeyya as Superintendent of Ethnography. Due to his untimely death, Iyer was assigned this work on 7 August 1924.

In 1924, he was assigned the responsibility of creating the State Museum, Zoological Gardens and Industrial Bureau. Much of his ethnographic work revolved around life cycle rituals, seeing caste and tribe as isolated entities rather than seeing their linkages with neighbouring groups. After his retirement in 1933, he delivered lectures on Indian Ethnology in Florence, Rome, Paris, Munich, Berlin, Cambridge, Vienna and other places in Europe. In London, at the International Congress of Anthropology, he presented a paper on ‘Agricultural Basis of Religion in South India.’ At the Institute of Anthropology in Florence he presented a paper on ‘Primitive Culture of South India.’ He was given an honorary membership of the institute with a special university medal for his recognition as an outstanding contributor to Indian Ethnology. The President of France also gave him the title Officer d’Academic. The British Government gave him the title Dewan Bahadur. Due to his legendary status,

Anthropology in India was jokingly referred to as ‘Ananthropology.’ Author of five books and several renowned articles, he died on 25 February 1937 in Madras.

3.1 Study of Indian society: the Tribals and the Caste groups

Ananthakrishna had keen interest in exploring the development of human society. He was keen to record the changes occurring in the various aspects of life of the tribals while documenting facts about tribal customs and institutions. But he could not ignore the exploitative changes that occur to the tribe. As in case of Kadars who, he stated that, their frequent contact with the people of the plains has deprived them of their simple habits and brought them to a modified condition of life. He stated that their encounter with modernity resulted in their dilapidated cultural condition. At a time when anthropologists restricted themselves to the study of preliterate communities, he attempted to study literate communities such as Nambudiris, Nayars, and the Syrian Christians.

Ananthakrishna modified the earlier format (twenty seven point format developed H. H. Risley) opted for the census operations of ethnographic survey of India into 14 point one, which suited to the Indian population. In his Book, Cochin Tribes and Castes, he described each tribe and caste in a 14 point format which included the introduction, their origin and tradition, habitation, marriage and customs, pregnancy and child birth, inheritance, tribal organization, religion, magic and sorcery, funeral ceremonies, occupation, physical and mental characteristics, food, social status and a conclusion.

He both adopted and adapted the ethnographic tradition of his times. He rejected the administrative way of collecting information about the people. During his field studies, he used to interact with the people in their natural environment. Ananthakrisha gave much importance to the description of life-cycle ceremonies. Ananthakrishna arranged tribes and castes of Cochin in the order of their social status, instead of following the western rule of alphabetical arrangement. In case of fieldwork, he repeatedly emphasized the importance of participant observation.

REFERENCES:

1. Hasnain, N. “General Anthropology, Revised.” (2003): 3-9.
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