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INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................... 11
CHAPTER 1: THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF POWER ................................................................................................ 15
THE CONCEPT OF POWER ............................................................................................................................................... 15
ANTHROPOLOGY AND POWER ....................................................................................................................................... 15
POWER AND ANTHROPOLOGY- STUDIES OF POWER IN ANTHROPOLOGY ....................................................................... 23
POWER AND POLITICS .................................................................................................................................................... 26
RELIGION AND POWER................................................................................................................................................... 27
POWER AND ECONOMY.................................................................................................................................................. 28
FAMILY AND POWER...................................................................................................................................................... 28
KINSHIP AND POWER: .................................................................................................................................................... 29
CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................. 31
THE FIELD AND THE FIELDWORK.................................................................................................................................... 32
RAPPORT ESTABLISHMENT ............................................................................................................................................ 35
TECHNIQUES USED ........................................................................................................................................................ 36
PROBLEMS FACED ......................................................................................................................................................... 37
CHAPTER 3: AREA AND PEOPLE............................................................................................................................. 39
THE STATE OF CHHATTISGARH ...................................................................................................................................... 39
HISTORY AND MYTHOLOGY .......................................................................................................................................... 39
GENERAL INFORMATION ............................................................................................................................................... 40
ECONOMY...................................................................................................................................................................... 41
The Natural Resources ............................................................................................................................................. 42
THE DISTRICT- JASHPURNAGAR OR JASHPUR ................................................................................................................ 43
THE ORAONS .............................................................................................................................................................. 46
The distribution of Oraons in India .......................................................................................................................... 46
The Origin................................................................................................................................................................. 47
Oraon Lifestyle ......................................................................................................................................................... 47
Physical Characteristics ........................................................................................................................................... 48
Oraon Village ........................................................................................................................................................... 48
The Parha Panchayat ............................................................................................................................................... 48
The Family and Kinship............................................................................................................................................ 49
Religious Ceremonies ............................................................................................................................................... 50
Oraon Celebrations .................................................................................................................................................. 50
CHAPTER 4 : ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE VILLAGE .............................................................................................. 52
HISTORY AND ORIGIN .................................................................................................................................................... 52
PHYSICAL LOCATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 53
THE SOCIETYS COMPOSITION ....................................................................................................................................... 54
LANGUAGE SPOKEN ...................................................................................................................................................... 54
FAMILY AND THE HOUSEHOLDS .................................................................................................................................... 54
DRESS AND ORNAMENTS ............................................................................................................................................... 55
FOOD AND DRINKS ......................................................................................................................................................... 56
HOUSE PLAN ................................................................................................................................................................. 56
RELIGION ....................................................................................................................................................................... 58
POLITICAL ORGANIZATION ............................................................................................................................................ 60
BASIC AMENITIES .......................................................................................................................................................... 61
ECONOMY...................................................................................................................................................................... 61
KINSHIP ......................................................................................................................................................................... 63
FESTIVALS ..................................................................................................................................................................... 63
RITES-DE-PASSAGE ........................................................................................................................................................ 65
THE MODERN INSTITUTIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 69
CHAPTER 5: THE TRADITIONAL SOURCES OF POWER .................................................................................. 71
TRADITIONAL POLITICO-JURAL INSTITUTIONS .............................................................................................................. 71
THE PARHA PACHAYAT ................................................................................................................................................. 72
THE CUSTOMARY LAWS ................................................................................................................................................ 74
TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP IN THE ORAON SOCIETY ..................................................................................................... 77

4
HOW THE LEADERS BECOME LEADERS: ........................................................................................................................ 83
1. Life history of INC Leader ................................................................................................................................ 83
2. Life history of BSP leader ................................................................................................................................. 84
POWER IN ACTION: THE LIFE HISTORY OF A LEADER WHO DOES NOT CONFORM TO ANY POLITICAL PARTY .................... 85
RELIGION ....................................................................................................................................................................... 89
The Kali Mandir ....................................................................................................................................................... 90
The Power of Dos and Donts ................................................................................................................................. 91
THE POWER OF MAGIC .................................................................................................................................................. 92
NATURAL RESOURCES AS SOURCE OF POWER ............................................................................................................... 93
The Forests: .............................................................................................................................................................. 95
The Livestock: ........................................................................................................................................................... 95
Power of Objects: ..................................................................................................................................................... 96
ECONOMY AND POWER: ................................................................................................................................................ 97
WOMEN AND TRADITIONAL SOURCES OF POWER .......................................................................................................... 99
CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................. 103
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................................. 107