Book
Review:
Joseph S. Thong. (2012). Head Hunters Culture- Historic Culture of Nagas. New Delhi: Mittal
Publications. Pp. 175 + xv. ISBN: 81-8324-154-9. Price: Rs. 495/-.
The author of this book
has presented descriptive information of the Naga tribe who were once known for
head- hunting. Head- hunter’s culture is a very old tradition once practiced by
the Nagas, inhabited in the states of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam in India and in
Myanmar who migrated from the South East Asian countries long past. This tribe
is differing from rest of the communities of India in origin, language, food
habits, dress pattern, beliefs, religion, social customs and tradition. It is
said that they used to chop the head of their enemies after the battle is over
and bring those at home as a memory of victory in addition to prove their
valour and to appease their god in order to increase their fertility, good luck
and well being of their people. The practise of head- hunting resides in the
heart of the Naga culture and all other life cycle rituals and activities and
also inter woven with this. The inseparable part of the Naga culture like
village society, construction of house, construction of village gate and its
decorations, chieftainship, dress and ornaments, occupation, rituals, marriage,
clan system, fairs and festivals, etc. are all centred round and linked up with
head- hunting and Feast of Merit which are same in almost all the sections of
Naga tribe except some minor variations from village to village, clan to clan,
etc. This is a distinctive feature of the Naga tribe which makes it different
from the rest of Indian communities which is generally governed by caste
system, zamindari system, jajmani system, etc.
Although many books has
been written on Nagas by many British administrators, Christian Missionaries,
Naga National Workers, journalists, travellers, military personels, local
administrators, academicians, researchers and son on, but so far as the
author’s knowledge, no comprehensive book that covering all the aspects of the
culture of the head- hunting community has been written to quench our thrust
for knowledge. Hence, through this book the author tried to present us a
complete picture of Naga culture. Various components of traditional Naga
society have been described in brief.
In present day also, in
the interior rural villages one can see the historic culture still prevalent
without any change and are transmitted from one generation to another through
the aged people whose ways of life have not changed for centuries. Apart from
it, the material culture likes the wood carving craft, cloth weaving, pot
making, dresses and ornaments, weapons, tattooing, dyeing, folk songs, dances,
etc. also served the author as primary data to reconstruct the traditional
culture of the Nagas. For the collection of first hand data he also applied participation observation method. The data are
also collected from the information received from the informant from the field
and from the books listed in the bibliography. For the collection of data, the
author has gone through very systematic method like library method, historical
method, documentary method, questionnaire method, schedule method, interview
method and participant observation method.
This book serves as a
guideline for the students, research scholars, academicians and teachers of Social
Sciences like anthropology, ethnography, sociology, culture, tribal studies,
law, society and technology. The book is also very helpful to know more about
the life style of the Naga head- hunters. Apart from it, it will serve to the
candidates who are preparing for competitive exams, college and university
exams related to tribal culture and society. The administrators also be
benefited from this book who were serving in tribal and backward areas as this
book is proving information related to tribal culture, their ways of life,
tribal beliefs, values, customary laws and justice, political and social
organization and other relevant informations. Through this book the author
tried to document those lost intangible and tangible culture heritages that are
lost or about to lose.
Mekal Insights, Year 12 Vol. IV, Issue 1. ISSN: 0975-010X. (p.110-111).
