Oraons of Chota Nagpur: their history, economic life and social organisation
- New Delhi: Abhijeet Publications, 2018.
- xix, 491p.: ill.; hbk; 22cm.
Includes Index and Appendices
The Oraons are one of the largest tribes in South Asia numbering 17,02,663 Persons at the 1971 Census, about half of them live in Bihar mainly on the Chota Nagpur Plateau the remainder are in Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal . They speak a Dravidian language known as Kurukh. Orans are closely related to the neighboring Munda tribe and the headman of an Oraon is called Munda. Though there are no subcast among the Oraons, the Kudas and Kisans having their distinct occupations tend to marry among themselves, beyond this Oraons observe Village and clan exogamy. Boys and girls marry after puberty between 16 to 20 years. This follows a period in which both sexes sleep in a youth dormitory, boys are branded on the arm before being admitted to this institution, dormitory provides a pool of agricultural labour that can be hired when necessary. Small minority follow the tribe are Christian and the Grate majority follow the Hindu form of worship.