Kora Adivasi
The Kora, are of Adivasi of Jharkhand State, are found in the districts of Dumka, Godda, Deoghar, Pakur, Banka, Sahibganj, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh and Chaibasa in the State of Jharkhand. They are probably an offshoot or the Munda Group of tribe. They are regarded as proto-australoid today. But they were Dravidian tribe of earth workers and cultivators in early time. According to oral tradition, the Kora of Santhal Pargana claim to have come from Nagpur (the country of snake). They claimed their descent from the snake. Some claim their origin from Bada Tree. No systematic historical account or the origin and migration of the tribal in Jharkhand are available. But traditions reveal that they came along with Munda, Sauria, Paharia, Santhal, and oraon etc. and settled in different parts of Chotanagpur, Santhal Pargana and Bhagalpur. The Kora speak Mundari, Sadani, Khortha, Patois, Dikuani and Hindi.
The Kora Villages are situated on hills, foothills and plains. The number of house in the village varies from 10 to 30. Their houses are scattered not thickly erected. Houses are made up of mud, wood, branches, bamboo, leaves, grosses. Etc. few houses are mud built and thatched with tiles. The houses are mostly of single room followed by verandah from all sides. The rooms are rectangular in shape. They do not have window. The gate is closed with bamboo or grass tati. The same room is used for cooking, storing and sleeping purposes.
The household utensils of the Kora consists of earthen pots, aluminum utensils, bronze Lota and thali. They have wooden Kathauta. They have rope made articles, baskets, bamboo made fans, winnowing tray, mat, broom etc. Reading and writing materials generally do not appear in their houses.
Society
Kora society is patriarchal where authority lies in the hand of a male member. The different forms of Kora society are family, lineage, clan and village. They also maintain inter-village and inter tribe and iner caste relationship.
The Kora family is nuclear in structure where the couple and their unmarried children reside together. Marriage songs establish separate family and married daughters go to stay with husband. The existence of joint family is very few. The Kora family is patrilineal. The head of the family is batter of a wale. The lineage is also patrilateral in which the families of sons are included. The family name goes generation after generation.
The husband wife relation is very cordial. Both love each other and cooperate each other. The husband is lead of the family but he does not bunction in authoritiorian way. He takes decision with the help of and discussion with wife. The parents also consider the view of he young children at the time of decision making. These the family functions in democratic way.
Parent child relation is also very sweet and affectionate father and mother both love their children and try to meet their demand within the limit of their income. Children, too, love their parents and obey them. Beating of children is rare. Reward and punishment are almost-absent. The Kora family functions on the basis of divisiong labour based on age and sex. Cooking and serving of food is the duty of wife, while the husband performs work out side house. Children asisten their parents. Girls assist their mother in house hold chores. Boys help their father in the bield and forest. The children also collect fuels, along with their parents. The aged look after the house, kids, chicks, goat, etc when young members go to perform work. Altiough, there is division of labour in the family, keep males are also expert in cooking. They cook tood when the wives are ill. On ceremonial occasions, males of the community. Cook food for serving to the members of the community. Wives, besides performing works in houses, also work in forest and field to raise the income to the family. They also earn wages as causal labour. They are move industinous them their male counterparts. They have not to near their children but also to feed their drunkard husbands and aged parents-in-law.
The sibling relation is also very cordial. During childhood, brother-brother. Brother sister, sister-sister, eat together, play together and work together.
For food items, they also fight among themselves. Brothers reside in the same village after marriage and they half each other during trouble. The sister have to leave the house and village after marriage. Brothers visist the house of sisters on ceremonial and bestive occasions. The sisters also pay a visit in the house of brothers on the occasion of birth, marriage and death. Exchange of gefts and presentation takes place between them of the time of visits.
The Kora maintain the relationship with their lineage by reciprocal cooperation, visit and exchange of gifts are birth, marriage, death and bestive occasion. In the same way, they maintain relationship with the members of the clam and the tribe. Their relation with the other tribe and castes of the village is also good. Being the members of the same village, they maintain relationg by discussion and visists on different occasions. They do not have food and water relation with the other tribes and costs of the village. They work in the field of other costes and tget wages in cash or inkind.
The Kora have been divided in to a number of exogamous clansuch as Alu, Bardo, Butka, Hansda, kasyali, Kasibak, Sama, Sal, Sanpu, Kawrie, Samadwar, Fopowar, etc. these clans are to gemistic in nature and are derived from plant, tree, birds, animals in to different subgroups such as Dhalo, Malo, Sikharia, badamia, Souarekha, Jhethia, guri and Bawa. These are not endogamous group. Rather they are territorial groups concentrated in different territories.
The social statns of the Kora is not very high and they occapy states equal to Bagdis, Bauris, Bumas etc. who are intouchable Hindus. They eat best, park and all sorts of fish and fowl.
Marriage
In the society of Kora marriage is an important ceremony which comes in the life of every individual. The Kora maintain endogamis, exgomic, prothekitive and preferred rules at the time of marriage. By marrying in the same tribe, they follow the rule of endogamig. They marriage in the same tribe but outside their clan. Thus, they follow clan exogamic rule. Intertribal and intra clan marriages are extrictly prohiyited. The boys and girl to be married found not should not be relative from father’s and mother’s side up to three generation. Cousin marriage are strictly prohibited levirate and sororate marriages are preperred. Widow and widower marriages are allowed.
The marriage age of boy is between 15 to 28 years, while for girls marriage age is 15 to 22 years. Pulseity indicates that the girls have become marriageable. Generally marriages in the Kora are arranged by parents or guardians. But love marriages are also not exceptions. The various ways of acquiring marriage mater are bride Price, Service, Elopment, Raje-Khushi, Golat, etc. The father of the boy approaches to the father of the girl for marriage. At the time of negotiation, the king of boy and girl play vital role. When the marriage is se nee, the bride price is paid to the father of the girl. The bride price varies from Rs. 5 to Rs. 15 Besides bride price in cash, bride price is also paid in the form of kind. Such as chothes, Sare, Dhole, Rice, Pulse, he goat, etc. The marriage day is fixed with the help of the village head. The bride grdan goes eith Barat Party in the village of the bride. The Barat Party is received by the kiths and kins of the bride. A grand welcome is accerded to them by offering gamm and Handia. The bride. And the groom are brought at an auspicious place for the marriage. Amidst the scene of singing and dancing, the groom applies sindur in the fore head of the bride. The companious of the bride claps hand. After marriage, feast of rice, meat, handia, etc, is served to the members of the Barat Party. The members of the Barat Pzarty wear Red colour shirt and yellow colour dhoti. The Children wear paint and shirt. Dol, Thale, Shete, manar etc. are played at the time of marriage. The bride is brought on tempo, rickshaw or palaki. A special time of dance and play is organized in the house of groom by the female members, while male members go to barat. When the groom and the yoyo come, they are welcomed by sum fried rice, flowers, green leaves.
The bride and the groom have to abbey a member of taboos till the entire period of marriage. The worship of ancestors is also given the occasion of marriage in the family. All kiths and king of the bride and the groom participate is the marriage ceremony. They exchange of gift, presentations, money etc. Take place or theis occasion.
Kinship
The kin ship system of the Kora presents a model of relationship based on parentage and marriage. Through parentage blood relationships come in to existence, while the marriage gives birth to affinal relationships. Through parentage one becomes the members of a family, lineage, clan, He or she becomes assendaut or descendaut in the family. The marriage bringe together not anly the bride and the groom as husband and wife, but entire family members of the bride come in the network of the relationship with the fall family members of the groom. The membership of family, lineage and clan continues generation after generation. Old couples dies during old age. But their children continue the name or family, lineage and clan. In each generation, new relationship is formed through the marriage.
The inheritance of property in the Kora is patrilineal, only sons inherit the property established by the ather. The girls do not enjoy inheritance right. They get maintenance till the marriage. After marriage, they have to leave the property and house for the brothers. Succession is also patrilineal. The custom of primogeniture and ultimogeniture is not found.
Desceut is fraced in the time of father for eartain purpose an din the line of mother for certain purpose to reveal the characteristic of the stock. Persons tracing desent from common father are clled agnates and persons tracing discent from mother are called uterine siblinge sud as brother-brother,sister-brother and sister-sister are called as collateral king.
The Kora have their maternal and paternal king. Cougins are also treated as blood relatives. Marriage between cousins is a taboo in the Kora. The Kora uses classificaloing and descriptive kin ship terminology for indentifying their various categories of relatives.
The kinship usages like avoidance. Joking and take nonpmy, are prevalent, father in law son in law. Mother in law son in law, father in law, daughter in law, mother in law, daughter in law, elder brother and younger brothers wife, elder sister and younger sister’s husband behave observing the kinship usage of avoidance. Bhabhie’s bNanad, Bhabhi-Devar, Sala-Bahnoi, Jija-Sarhaj, Sister’s Nanad and Sister’s brother, Brother’s brother and Bhabhi’s Sister, Sisters husband and brothers wife, behave following the joking usages, They cut jokes through verbal and action behaviours.
All kiths, kins, kindered, friends etc are invited on the occasion of marriage, birth and death. Exchange of Nevata, money, cloth, gift, presentations takes place on those occasions.
Economy
The economic activities carried out by the Kora are collection of MFP, cultivation of land and earning as casual labour. The Kora collect MFP from the neighbouring forest in different reasons. This together with hunting was important economic activity of the Kora previously. But hunting has been prociebeled by the overnment. Various forest regulations and deforestation have affected adversely the collection of food and MFP from the forest. Those who live nearby the forest are still dependent upon it for their livelihood.
The Kora have their own homestead and some cultivable land. In bari land, they cultivate vegetables during rainy season. They have trees or manago, Sohejanam, Katahal, Banana etc. in their Bari land. The cultivable land is of two types-Dou land and Taur land. In Tanr land vadai crops like marua, makeyo, millet, and coorse variety of paddy are cultivated wyhile in dou, Jarahau paddy are cultivated. They have plough and oxen for their purpose cultivable land is not sufficient. Natu ralig have to seek work as casual labour in the field and in the forest department. They have to migrate insearch or work, when work is not available in the forest and neighbouring villages. Females have to work as Raja in house coustruction, road repair and construction, bridge construction, etc. They have to migrate temporarely for getting work and payment.
The Kora have chicks, goat, calf, ox, cow etc. to supplement their income. They do cultivation by own labour or exchange labour with the villagers. In the construction of hosue, they exchange service with the kins and community members. They do not pay wages for any kind of work.
They also prepare rope, from the grasses of the forest from the rope, they prepare rope made articles like cot, siko, basket, tali, etc. They also prepare was, broom, basket from the grasses, koshi, etc. available in their environment.
The Kora visit the weekly Haat regularly for buying the items of household consumption. They sell the MFP collected from the forest invironment. In weekly Haat, men, women, children aged all visit to do marketing. The traders of the weekly market know them well by name, face and village. They avail credit facility in the shop of the traders. They repay the loan of the traders in receiving payment from the contractors, mohajan or forest department. In the market the medium or exchange is money. The local market is the ceutra of social, economic, religious and political activities for the Kora.
The Kora do not womt to take loan from the Government institutions like bank, cooperatives CAMPS, etc. They take loan from the local mahajan and traders. They pay interest also on the loan. They fed trouble in getting loan from the government institution.
They have digging and boloughing instruments in their houses along with baskets to store different things.
Religion
The Kora religion is characterized by beliefs in different Gods, Goddesses, spirits, ancestors, witch craft and witch doctors.
The believe that trees, plants, bushes, birds, animals, mountain, hill, river, stream, tank, root or drybeo, mud hill etc are enhalsited by the spirits. Sun, moon, stars earth etc are also spirits they offer worship and sacrifice in their homes. They also offer worship and sacrifice in the name of ancestors on the occasion of birth, warriage and death in the family. They offer worship and sacrifice to Kali Mai, Bhagwati mai, Durga mai, etc. They celebrati festivals like Sarhul, Sohrai, Phogu, Dasehra, Ramnawami. They also participate in procession of lord hanumana. They organize Sawa Lakha Puja in the mouth of Baisakhi. This worship is called annual worship.
The worship is held with the help or Baiga Priest and the village head Mahato. The sacrifice or goat, chick, her, duck, egg, pigeon, etc. is made on the occasion of worship. Vermillion, sunfried rice, flower, colour, turmeric, curd, gur, dhup, agarbati etc. are used for performing worship. The village priest enchants mantras at the time of worship. Mlae member of the community participates in the sacrificialworship. The females participate in davee and singing. The community level worship is organised by collecting funds from each family. The rate of fund is decided in the village Panchayat. In household level worship, worship is organized by the family concerned. The female members also take part in such worship.
Political Organisation
The Kora have a traditional village Panchayat. The village head is called mahato. The mahato presides over the village Panchayat decides the cases of adultery, extra marital relations, marriage in same day, thefty, divorse, witch craft etc. The culprit has to obay the decision of the Panchayat otherwise, he is ousled from the community. All members of the community do not have disecission, food, water and marital relation with that family. The family concernedc is isolated totally. Husband wife dispate, brother-brother dispute, inter family dispute etc. are setted in the Panchayat. The cases related to dispute of property is also decided there.
Parwanik and Jagmanghi are the assistants to mahoto. These posts are hereditary. During Zamindari Period, the mahoto with the help of Parmanik and jag Manghi used to collect land revenue for the parganait of the area concerned. But after the abolition of Zamindari period, the mahto, parmanik, jagmanghi and Parganait have bcome also ciated with the work of village and inter village Panchayat.
Now a day modern Gram Panchayat have been established covering the villages of the Kora. Thus, Kora have been also ciated with modern gram Panchayat. They have become votes. They cost their votes and elect Mukhia, sarpach, executive members, MLA, MP, etc. They cast their votes according to decision takes in the village Panchayat. But they have not fought any kind of election. Theya re not members of any political parties. They are also not supporters of any political parties. They know the major political parties like BJP, Samta, JD(U), RJD, congress, JMM and their symbols. Their weekly Haat becomes the centre of political activities during the election period.
Now-a-day, they have come in cautaclwith block head quarters and officieals like BDO, CO, Karamchari, VLW etc. They pay land revenue to the government. They are also untitled to talke benefit from various kind of development schemes.
Women
The women of the Kora are the custodian of culture and tradition. They are the goddess of the house. They are the first leaders in the family and play significant role in the socialization, rearing and coving of children. They are of more industrions nature than their male counter parts. They a do not participate in traditional village and intervillage Panchayat. But they play vital role in dicision making in the family. They advise their husbands in house hold level decision. They communicate their views in the village Panchayat through their husbands in directly. They also do not take part in sacrificial worship. But observe fast, prepare Prasad, sing and dance on the occasion festivals and religion. They do not enjoy inheritance right, but run the house hold expenditure. They manage to get them from the mahajan. They work as Raja to increase the family income. The Kora women work more hours than their male counter parts, but they get less wages than them. This in inequality in wage payment is based on sex. They are exploited by the mahajan, contractors and land lords of the area.
The Kora women have to observe a member of taboos during menstruation, pregnancy and lactation period. They also have to observe taboos on ceremonial and festive occasions.
Now-a-day, they participate in democratic process by costing their votes in different elections.
Children
The Kora children are the back bone of the society. They are the assest and the future hope for the society. They are loved by all. The concept of Panishment in the form of physical torture, yeateing, scolding, abnsing etc. is absent. They are also not rewarded. They are socialized according to their cultural traditions. They are taught good hokits and social virtues through socialization. They are enrled no-a-day in Government schools, but they do not attend schoold negularby. Non-europment, non-attendance and drop-outs edist among them. Literacy rate is very low. They are generally engaged in household chores and earning wages.
Aged
The aged of the Kora community are also not considered as liabilities. They have value for the family. They are offered worship on the occasion of ceremonies. They provide important suggestions to young generations on the basis of their post experiences. They keep watch on the house and house hold property when young members go out for work. Thus, they enjoy social, economic, political and ritvalistic value.
Birth
The birth of a child brings happiness the family and community. In kora, birth generally takes place in the house. They do not go to hospital for this purpose. The senior and experienced woman or Dai assists the experctant mother at the time of delivery. The birth brings pollution period in the family for 12 days. On the 12th day ofbirth, the entire house and the courtyard are washed with mud and water. The mother and the child take purificatory bath in presence of community women members. The mother whear clean clothes and the child is also couered in deam clothes. The name giving ceremony is held after one month with the help of the Brahmin priest. The ritual of serving foot is held when the first tooth erupts. The Mundan ritual is held after also year. When the child attaims the age of 3 years, earboring ritual is held. The mother has to observe a member of taboo related to walking, visit, work, food etc. for the welfare of the child. In the sdelivery room, every care is taken to protect the child and mother. An iron knife is plaeed on the cut in which mother and child sleep. Fire is kept burning round the lock. A throny plant is placed at the gate. These behaviors are related to the protection of mother and child from evil spirits.
Death
The Kora are aware of the reality of the death. They know well that where there is birth, there is death also. The death during old hood taken good. Beat death good. In natural death is also considered very bad. The souls of such people become ghost. They believe that death is caused by evil spirits. The dead body of children and diseased persons is buried. While the dead bodies of people meeting natural death are cremabial. After death pollution period starts for nine days. On 10th day, the family and community members have their heads and beard shaved. They perform bath and become clein. All rooms and clothes of the hosue are washed with mud water property. All clothers and beds are also washed. A goat is sacrificed in the name of anestors and community feast takes place.
Development
After in dependence our ceutral as well as state government have launched several schemes of development for the tribals and poverty eradication. These schemes are related to health, education, housing, drinking water, rural roads, storage of tribal and rural product, imployment generations, small and petty business etc. As a result of these development activities, various positive changes have been brought in the life and behavior of the Kora. Educational schemes have enealid literates in the Kora community, though the percentage of literates is not satisfactory. But some of them have become able to read and write. The various health schemes have changed the belief of the Kora related to health and diseases. Now they think that it is diseases which causes death. They visit block hadquarters, thana, police, court etc. They have come in coutaof with out side world. They wear modern dress and modern ornaments. They have radio, watches, bicycles etc.
They Kora participate in democratic process. They cost their votes in the election of MLA and MP. They have community leaders who take active part at the time of election. Women also participate in election. Some of Kora have small shops where they sell items of daily use. The Kora have started celebrating festivals in modern way. They utilize the services of Brahmin priest for getting the rituals performed.
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