S Sinha
S Sinha
Indian Anthropologist
Social & Cultural Anthropology
Bio…
• Born - 1926 in Durgapur, Bangladesh.
• Bhumij-Ksatriya continuum
In his study of Bhumij, scheduled tribes of
West Bengal and Bihar, Sinha found that how tribals
become integrated with the regional Hindu caste
system.
• This was the area of his strength as regards the tradition of Indian anthropology.
• “Hindu Method of Tribal Absorption”. ... The essence of the theory was the
Tribals who had come into contact with their powerful caste Hindu neighbours
gradually lost their own tribal identity and were given a low-caste status within
the Hindu fold.
• First of all, the primitive tribes cover a very limited (though significant)
dimension of the total complexity of Indian society and culture.
• There are 75 Primitive tribal groups (PTG) located in a host of states and
the Union territory Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Case Studies – Primitive Groups
• Sinha elaborates his conceptual ideas further by taking the examples of
tribal groups.
1. The Hill Maria Gonds
2. The Bhumij of Barabhum