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Between Resilience and Rupture: An Ethnographic Study of Cultural Continuity and Acculturative Dissonance among the Mal Pahadiya Tribe of Jharkhand

Author(s) Tanishk Kumar
Country India
Abstract Mal Pahadiya is the one among the three tribes of the Pahadiya community of Jharkhand. The Pahadiya people are a Dravidian ethnic people of India, mainly living in Jharkhand and West Bengal. They are the original inhabitant of the Rajmahal hills, present in the present Santhal Pargan subdivision of Jharkhand state. The Rajmahal hills are also called as “Saba Lakh Ekees Pahad” by the Pahadiya tribes. They are listed as scheduled tribes by the government of Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal. They mainly speak Mal Pahadiya and Maudi/Maudo languages in their day-to-day life. Except Maudi/Maudo and Mal Pahadiya language they also practice Parsi language. Maudi/Maudo or Parsi is a Dravidian language whereas Mal Pahadiya is categorized as an Indo-Aryan language.
Culture plays an important role in the existence and sustainability of any community. Birth, marriage, and death are important parts of the culture. The unique traditional practices to celebrate all these occasions make their culture significant. Due to a lack of literacy and awareness, their traditional and cultural practices are on the verge of extinction with time. Encroachment of Marathas, Mughals, British, Santhals, and mainland settlers in Rajmahal hills made them socio-culturally vulnerable. The study focuses on documenting their birth, marriage, death rites and rituals along with folktales and folklores associated with it. This study will also explore the spiritual activities and beliefs influencing the Mal Pahadiya community’s spiritual ethos, including everything from their relationship with the nature to the significance of ancestral worship. Further, the study will portray the Mal Pahadiya tradition and culture, showcasing the distinctiveness of an ethnic group that adds to the colourful tapestry of India’s diverse history. From the study, I will try to convey a deeper understanding of customs, and cultural richness that characterize the Mal Pahadiya people of Jharkhand.
The fieldwork of this paper was conducted by the author in several villages of Pakur districts of Jharkhand. The author used a variety of field approaches, including schedules, questionnaires, focus group, interviews, samplings and visual documentation, to collect data during the fieldwork. The study found that the traditional and cultural practices of this tribe need to be restored and documented as it’s on the verge of extinction.
Keywords Mal Pahadiya, Culture, Maudi/Maudo, Rites and Rituals, Folklore, Rajmahal hills, Ancestral worship.
Published In Volume 16, Issue 1, January-June 2025
Published On 2025-01-24
Cite This Between Resilience and Rupture: An Ethnographic Study of Cultural Continuity and Acculturative Dissonance among the Mal Pahadiya Tribe of Jharkhand - Tanishk Kumar - IJAIDR Volume 16, Issue 1, January-June 2025. DOI 10.71097/IJAIDR.v16.i1.1915
DOI https://doi.org/10.71097/IJAIDR.v16.i1.1915
Short DOI https://doi.org/hb29hz
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