The Socio-Economic & Religious Conditions of the Bodos in the Early 20th Century

Abstract

The Bodos are believed to be the earliest settlers of Assam and of the regions known as the North East India. In ancient periods, the Bodos built powerful kingdoms in different names and in different places in the present North East India including the present north Bengal and Bangladesh. But in the modern period, the Bodos are now represented as the rural community with their modest living on their agricultural produce. Their medieval religious practices are still carried to this day, and during the period of the study that is second half of the nineteenth and the first part of the twentieth century, the modern economic activities could not be seen, they did not have any polity of their own, nor any written character, hence, no written history to reckon with, the social practices were of rudest type. Such a state of things was bound to attract criticism, hatred and belittlement in the hands of other neighbouring communities. The consequence is the wide proselytization to other established religions after giving up their ancestral religion, social practices and their own language, culture and traditions. They were on the brink of losing in oblivion. From this critical juncture, the Bodos were rescued by the efforts of some of their community leaders and reset in the right track again to march ahead. This research study is an attempt to know what actually, were the conditions of society, religion and economic lives of the Bodos during the period of the study. Endeavour is also to highlight the issue for the sake of dissemination across all sections of people.