Traditional Institutions of Land and Nature of Property Rights in the Tribal Society of Assam, India, With Special Reference to the Karbi Tribe

Abstract

The Karbi tribe is one of the major ethnic groups in northeast India, especially in the hilly areas of Assam. According to the customary law of Karbis, the land was viewed as communal property and managed by the community through various sets of customary rules over generations. Traditionally, the tribal villages in the hills did not have fixed or recognized territorial boundaries since the people shifted from place to place according to the need for jhum (shifting) sites. This study concluded that the Karbi’s land was viewed as communal property and managed by the community through various sets of rules practiced over generations. However, it is an accepted phenomenon that hill tribes are yet to receive legal entitlement over land in many areas since they have been cultivating for decades under communal ownership of the land. In this context, this paper analyses Karbis’ institutions of land and the nature of property rights while exploring the various concepts of landholding system. Since this study is historical, the paper has been developed with the help of the historical method, which is an important method to interpret historical data and oral history sources. Oral interviews also merged with historical methods while dealing with different sources in the construction of this study.