Tribal Polity, Society and Culture of Arunachal Pradesh by Narayan Singh Rao

This Edited Volume comprising Research Papers and articles contributed by scholars from varied fields of social sciences focuses on the Social Cultural, ethnographic and Political History of the erstwhile North – Eastern Frontier Agency (NEFA), now part of Arunachal Pradesh. This compendium aims to play a significant role in disseminating the historical data in eastern Arunachal Pradesh, the region which has had been the biggest and most vibrant corridor of human migration to and from South – East Asia, China and rest of the world ever since the age of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The migration from India played crucial role in the expansion of Hindu-Buddhist religion and culture across the globe. Similarly, the migration of the tribes of South-east Asia also enriched Indian cultural traditions and the polity. The papers contained in this volume, emerging out of a National Seminar organized at Rang-Frah Government College Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh in 1998. Talk about the diverse aspects and influence of this age – old history of migration and settlement.

This book encompasses 23 Chapters focusing on variegated aspects of Tribal Society, Origin and Migration, Oral History, Structure of the village society, Religious Belief system, Tribal Ethnography Culture, customary Laws, and Governance, Socio-cultural and Geopolitical nuances, and others. I do hope that the present volume will be highly useful for the historians, researchers and social scientists working on North East India while comprehending the political and cultural relationship between India on the one hand and South- East Asia and China on the other that continues till date.

Professor Narayan Singh Rao (b.1960), M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. (JNU) was born and brought-up in Udaipur (Rajasthan). Currently, he is serving as Professor, Head of the Department of History and Dean, School of Social Sciences at the Central University of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamshala. Prof. Rao started his career in academics from the CSRD/SSS, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi as Research Assistant in 1991 and had experience of working with V.V. Giri National Labour Institute, Noida (U.P.), Government College Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh.  Subsequently Prof. Rao joined AICTE approved Mewar Institute of  Management, and Institute of Management Education (IME), Ghaziabad (U.P.) as AICTE approved Director cum Professor.

In 2012, Prof. Rao joined Maharaja Ganga Singh University, Bikaner (Rajasthan) as Associate Professor in the Department of History wherein he became Head of the Department in 2014 and   rose to the position of Professor in 2017. He has successfully completed several action oriented projects supported by Government of India and International Organizations. He also organized several National and International Seminars, and Training Programmes. He also participated in national and international seminars and delivered dozens of invited lectures in institutions and Universities. Prof. Rao has several Books, Research Papers, Chapters, and Articles to his credit. Prof. Rao has experience of serving as Head of the Department; Director, Dean, Member, Board of Management; Convener, Board of Studies; Member, Board of Studies; Member, Academic Council; Subject Expert (History), in selection committees; Member, Executive Council (EC); and member Academic Council (AC) in different Universities colleges and Institutions. Currently major areas of Prof. Rao’s interest include Medieval Indian History and History of North East India.