Book

The Maria Gonds of Bastar

Oxford University Press • London • Published In 1949 • Pages:

By: Grigson, W. V. (Wilfred Vernon), Elwin, Verrier.

Abstract

This excellent ethnography, by a former member of the Indian Civil Service, describes the culture of two subgroups of the widespread Gond peoples, the relatively unacculturated Hill Marias and the more acculturated Bison Horn Marias, both of Bastar State. The book is divided into five main sections: Introductory, giving the geographical, ethnographical and historical setting of the Maria Gonds; Personal Appearance and Characteristics; Domestic Life and Economy, which includes villages, houses and their contents, agriculture, procuring of food and drink, and domestic life; Religion and Magic, which includes the gods, annual religious ceremonies, and the cult of the departed; and Social Organization and custom, which includes marriage, birth and childhood and death and funeral ceremonies. A number of appendices are included on administrative divisions, clan lists, terms of relationship, names, anthropometry, language, and glossary. Throughout the book, the culture of the Hill Marias is described first, then that of the Bison Horn Marias, with indications as to how the two cultures differ. The Supplement contains a comment by Elwin which includes additional information, mainly on Hill Maria culture; notes on the Maria Gonds of Chanda and Drug District by Grigson; and notes by Elwin on the original edition supplementing or correcting Grigsons material.

HRAF PubDate

2010

Region

Asia

Sub Region

South Asia

Document Type

Book

Evaluation

Creator Type

Government Official

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Timothy J. O'Leary; 1958: John Beierle; 2010

Field Date

1927-1934, 1940-1941

Coverage Date

1927-1941

Coverage Place

Maria Gonds, Bastar State, India

Notes

by W. V. Grigson ; with an introduction by J. H. Hutton

Data on the gotul, the adolescents and bachelors dormitory, will be found in category 883. Data on the zamindar, sendhia, and taluq, all administrative divisions, have been filed in category 632.

Reissued in 1949 with a supplement containing 80 pages of additional matter and 39 illustrations by the author and Verrier Elwin

Includes bibliographical references (p. 337-338)

LCCN

39003071

LCSH

Gond (Indic people)

Ethnology--India--Bastar

Bastar (India)