Anthropos: Anthropos, 41/44.1946/49,1-3

Anthropos, 41/44.1946/49,1-3

Bibliographic Data

Journal

Structure Type:: Journal

Works URN (URL):: https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-714789

URN:: urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-714789

Persistent identifier:: BV041701500

Title:: Anthropos

Other Titles:: Anthropos

Place of Publication:: Fribourg

Publisher:: Ed. St. Paul, Anthropos-Institut

Year of Publication:: 1906

Collection:: Journals and Newspapers > Journals of Ethnology

Domain:: Social and cultural anthropology > General overview

Journal Volume

Structure Type:: Journal Volume

Works URN (URL):: https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-709555

URN:: urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-709555

Persistent identifier:: DE-11-001871421

Title:: Anthropos, 41/44.1946/49,1-3

Year of Publication:: 1946

Call Number:: LA 1118-41/44,1-3

Collection:: Journals and Newspapers > Journals of Ethnology

Journal Issue

Structure Type:: Journal Issue

Title:: Bd. 41 - 44, 1946-49, Heft 1 - 3

Other person:: Schmidt, Wilhelm

Collection:: Journals and Newspapers > Journals of Ethnology

Journal Article

Structure Type:: Journal Article

Title:: Changes and Developments in the Population of the Nimar District in the Central Provinces of India

Other person:: Fuchs, Stephen

Collection:: Journals and Newspapers > Journals of Ethnology

50 Stephen Fuchs, [41-44, 1946-49] wealthy land-lords and farmers; the Digamber Jains and the Gangrade Banias, prosperous merchants and the principal money-lenders of the Nimar, living mostly in towns and market-places ; the Banjaras, a caste of semi aboriginal agriculturists and cattle-breeders ; the Balahis, untouchable weavers and farm-servants ; and lastly, the aboriginal Gonds and Korkus. Responsible and representative leaders of the Narmdiya Brahman, Rajput, Digamber Jain, and Gangrade Bania communities supplied informa tion in reply to a written questionnaire sent to them. The Banjaras I inter viewed personally on occasion of a meeting of Banjara caste leaders invited for the purpose to Harsud ; the Gonds and Korkus were questioned by me at a meeting of several hundreds of them at Jamdar. The Balahis I know intimately, for I have lived among them for many years as a missionary. 1. Changes in Religious Views. Among high-caste Hindus, religion still plays an important role in the life of the older generation and the womenfolk. The younger generation, especially the men with a modern education, may have retained their reli gious faith, but they feel reluctant to observe the traditional ritualistic practices .of their religion. Their religious outlook takes a more individualistic form, more and more independent from the traditional teachings of Pandits (Hindu scholars) and sects. In the community of the Narmdiya Brahmans, for instance, such trends have resulted in certain changes of their religious practices : The Upnayan Sanskar ceremony (investiture with the Sacred Thread), for instance, is since about twenty years no more performed on boys of five to nine years of age ; now boys must be at least eleven when they are invested. It is maintained that boys of so tender an age do not understand the duties imposed and the responsibilities accepted in this ceremony. Most of the Narmdiya Brahmans now dispense with the astrologer’s horoscope for a happy marriage and arrange a match without regard to the constellation of the stars. The marriage ceremonies are still performed by their caste priests in .Sanskrit, but it is felt with a certain degree of resentment that most of the priests do not understand the meaning of the prayers and ceremonies. The wedding ceremonies usually last about twelve days, but some more enlightened families insist on a simpler and less expensive cele bration of the marriage. Among the Rajputs those who still live in villages are usually very conservative in their religious views, while a certain relaxation of religious fervour is noticeable among the town-dwellers and the educated classes. This is, above all, apparent in the ritual of wedding, which is still rigidly observed in the villages in accordance with the old traditions, while in the towns the Rajputs have no scruples to omit ceremonies which they find obsolete and meaningless. The Gangrade Banias claim that "the religious views of their younger generation are of a more refined character : they do not follow blindly the

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