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The North-east Frontier of India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Deba Prosad Choudhury
Deba Prosad Choudhury
Affiliation:
School of Oriental and African Studies, [University of London], London, WC IE 7HP
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Extract

The north-east frontier of India has today become a controversial issue between India and China. It is well known that this frontier is inhabited by many tribes. They are different from the plainsmen of Assam and, like the Tibetans, Mongoloid in origin. This has led some people to argue that they are far closer to Tibetans than to Indians, or that they are not Indian in any sense of the word. Such arguments are based on the assumption that the people of India do not include people of Mongoloid origin. But there are many Indians who are Mongoloid, especially those who live in the hills of Assam south of the Brahmaputra. And in such important respects as religion, dress and methods of building, the people of the north-east frontier of India are far closer to the hilimen living south of the Brahmaputra than to Tibetans. On ethnic grounds therefore it cannot be said that this frontier area is a part of Tibet rather than of India.

Type
Articles
Information
Modern Asian Studies , Volume 4 , Issue 4 , July 1970 , pp. 359 - 365
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1970

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References

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