traditional economic system of karbi

1. TRADITIONAL ECONOMIC SYSTEM
OF THE KARBIS

2. INTRODUCTION
• An ethnic tribal group, scattered across NE, India.
• Highest concentration in Karbi Anglong district,
Assam.
• Besides K/A they are found in Dima Hasao, Kamrup,
Morigaon, Nagaon, Golaghat, Sonitpur districts of
Assam and also in Arunachal and Meghalaya.
• Hills Karbi and Plains Karbi
• Karbis are reffered to as ‘Columbus of Assam’ by
great artist-scholar Bishnu Prasad Rabha.
• Karbis also call themselves as ‘Arleng’ which means
man.

3. ECONOMIC SYSTEM
 Basically agiculture
 Shifting cultivation (Inglong Arit)
 Permanent agriculture or Wet paddy field (Hidi)
 Principle crop is paddy
 In jhum field, along with rice several other crops are
grown like maize, cotton, taro, pumpkin, brinjal,
chillies, cucumber, sweet potato, water melon,
sesame etc.
 Sesame is found to be cultivated separately as well.
It is easy to cultivate and no social care is needed to
protect it from animals because they do not eat
them.
 Sesame has a great demand, they fetch them a good
amount of money.

4. YOUTH SOCIAL ORGANIZATION
• Jir-kedam, whose members(Jirsong) were all young man
who had to live in a dormitory called ‘Terank’.
• Similar dormitory for young girls was also maintained.
• Members of both the dormitory were put to work in the
jhum field right from the start upto the harvest.
• Hacha-Kekan: A big feast is organized by the villagers at the
house of ‘Riso-Basa’(head of the youth).
• Includes songs, dances, food and drinks.
• The harvest dance called ‘Hacha-Kekan’.

5. PICTURE OF HACHA-KEKAN

6. REARING OF SILKWORM
• Used both as a source of food and clothing.
• Yarn thread out of the cocoon of the silkworm.
• Also a source of delicacy.
• Sell the cocoons in the nearby market.
• Fetch them some amount of money to meet other needs.
• Salt, tea leaves, dry fish, etc

7. A KARBI WOMAN HOLDING SILKWORMS

8. • Rearing of pigs, goats, chickens are
seen.
• Significant for both economic and
ceremonial or religious reason
• Horticulture: Ginger, banana,
pineapple, oranges, pear etc.
• Jute is also cultivated although not in
large scale.

9. • Handlooms and Handicrafts
• Weaving
• Bamboo crafts: mats, handfan, basket,
winnower etc

10. A YOUNG GIRL WEAVING

11. WOODCRAFT

12. HANDICRAFTS

13. • In the present time the scenario of
economic system has been changed
upto some extent.
• Contract, govt service, business,
politics
• Traditional economic system has not
vanished but amalgamated with the
modern economic system.

14. REFERENCES
WIKIPEDIA
shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in