Changes and Developments in the Population of the Nimar District. 
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Changes and Developments 
in the Population of the Nimar District 
in the Central Provinces of India. 
By Stephen Fuchs, S. V. D. 
Conten ts: 
Introduction. 
1. Changes in Religions Views. 
2. Social Changes. 
3. Changes in the Standard of Living. 
4. Changes in the Economic Conditions. 
5. Schools and Education. 
f>. Development of Political Views. 
Conclusion. 
Introduction. 
In the last two or three decades momentous changes have taken place 
in India in all spheres of religious, social, economic, and political life. Naturally, 
these developments are more noticeable in areas where people are more 
intensely alive and in sections of the Indian population with a more advanced 
mental outlook. But to some extent even the most conservative classes of 
people in the most backward regions of India are affected by the revolutionary 
spirit of the modern age. It is most interesting to study the impact of modern 
civilisation just in such backward areas. The Nimar District, the westernmost 
district of the Central Provinces, is such a backward area where life still 
moves at a slow pace and where the population is generally much averse 
to changing their time-honoured traditions and habits of life. 
It was felt that for the purpose of this paper an exact and detailed 
study of each of the numerous castes of the Nimar was unnecessary, as an 
accurate investigation of a number of well-selected and representative castes 
provides a quite adequate picture of the conditions which prevail among 
the whole population. The castes selected for special investigations were 
the Narmdiya Brahmans who are until this day the spiritual leaders of the 
Hindu population of the Nimar ; the Rajputs who form the bulk of the 
Anthropos XLI-XLIV. 1946-1949. 
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