Tribal Polities and state systems in Pre-colonial Eastern & North Eastern India.

The volume presents ten case studies on the formation of complex polities in pre-colonial period in the tribal regions of Eastern and Northeastern India: Garhjat Orissa, Chotanag pur, Mallabhum, Assam (Ahom State), Meghalaya (Khasi and Jayantia chieftaincies/ principalities), Mizoram, Manipur, Cachar (Dimasa) and Sikkim. The ten case studies were presented by three anthropologists, a sociologist, a political scientist and five historians. Dr. Surajit Chandra Sinha directed the Workshop and edited the proceedings of the volume.

None of the kingdoms and states described in this volume appear to be "primary states" which developed out of endogenous ethnic based evolutionary process. It became obvious that the process of evolution of higher level of polities could be effectively studied only in the context of exploring the patterns of interaction between the indigenous tribal systems and the exogenous state systems. Stimulus diffusion of exogenous ideas or models of kingships often played an important role in the formation of higher polities in the tribal regions.

In the various case studies, there is an emphasis on examining the ecological dimen sions, patterns of surplus generation, extraction and redistribution, role of the chief or king as the head of society, religion and culture.