Next to Africa, India has the largest tribal population (67.7 million) in the world. Indian tribes, spread over the length and breadth of the country, are concentrated in hilly and forest regions. The tribes of India differ considerably from one another in race, language culture and beliefs, and present a spectacle of striking diversity. It is this diversity marked by varied social characteristics and diverse cultural traditions and linguistic traits that lends lustre to the cultural mosaic of India. Encyclopaedia Profile of Indian Tribes, first of its kind, seeks to present a concise by comprehensive account of the socio-cultural profile of all the tribal communities who have been declared as Scheduled Tribes by the Government of India. The tribes are arranged alphabetically in order to facilitate easy reference. Each profile deals with the geographical distribution of the tribal population, the social structure, the means of subsistence and economic organisation, religious beliefs and practice, the political institutions, and modern social changes sweeping the community. At the end of each profile, there is a short bibliography for the more inquisitive reader. Each entry in this four volume set has been contributed by a scholar who has deep personal knowledge and contact with the community. This classic multi-volume set will be extremely useful to scholars studying tribals in India and abroad and to all those interested in a standard reference work on the Indian tribes.

Survey of the pre and post Christian culture of the Paite people of Manipur, India.

This first-ever book about the Lisu brings their ironic worldview to life through vivid, often amusing accounts of individuals, communities, regions, and practices. One of the smallest and last groups of stateless people, and the most egalitarian of all Southeast Asian highland minorities, the Lisu have not only survived extremes at the crossroads of civil wars, the drug trade, and state-sponsored oppression but adapted to modern politics and technology without losing their identity. The Lisu weaves a lively narrative that condenses humanity’s transition from border-free tribal groupings into today’s nation-states and global market economy. Journalist and historian Michele Zack first encountered the Lisu in the 1980s and conducted research and fieldwork among them in the 1990s. In 2014 she again traveled extensively in tribal areas of Thailand, Myanmar, and China, when she documented the transformative changes of globalization. Some Lisu have adopted successful new urban occupations in business and politics, while most continue to live as agriculturists “far from the ruler.” The cohesiveness of Lisu culture has always been mysterious—they reject hierarchical political organization and traditionally had no writing system—yet their culture provides a particular skillset that has helped them navigate the terrain of the different religious and political systems they have recently joined. They’ve made the transition from living in lawless, self-governing highland peripheries to becoming residents and citizens of nation-states in a single generation. Ambitious and written with journalist’s eye for detail and storytelling, The Lisu introduces the unique and fascinating culture of this small Southeast Asian minority. Their path to national and global citizenship illustrates the trade-offs all modern people have made, and their egalitarian culture provides insight into current political choices in a world turning toward authoritarianism.