While there is a massive ethnographical and anthropological literature on Indian tribes, relatively little attention has been paid to tribal patterns of demographic behaviour, especially in a historical perspective. Systematic studies of tribal demographic behaviour can, however, provide important insights into how different patterns of demographic behaviour can be attributed to socio-cultural differences. Evaluating fertility differences between tribal and nontribal groups in the past may prove useful for a better understanding of contemporary differences in fertility and their determinants. This paper analyses tribal fertility in comparative perspective, in the late 19th and early 20th century.
To read the full text Login
New 3 Month Subscription
to Digital Archives at
₹826for India
$50for overseas users
Comments
EPW looks forward to your comments. Please note that comments are moderated as per our comments policy. They may take some time to appear. A comment, if suitable, may be selected for publication in the Letters pages of EPW.