Logo

Synopsis The anthropologists and the Christian missionaries have written on the religious beliefs and practices of the indigenous tribal people with bias and prejudice. Prof. Gangmumei kamel’s essays on primordial religion exposed the fallacy and inaccuracy of Tylor’s animism. He discusses Dr. Harold Turner’s proposal of primal religion which means existing since the beginning of time is a more accurate definition of tribal religion which is an ancient and eternal belief. Prof. kamei also thinks that the Sanskrit term Sanatan Dharama meaning ancient and eternal religion expresses the tenets to tribal religion. The other three essays deal with the indigenous belief of Maori people of New Zealand, Zulus of South Africa, the Cherokees of North America and Sankyo of Korea. There is another essay on Tribal Religious Reform Movement of Northeast India, the Seng Khasi Movement of Meghalaya, the Zeliangrong Religion revivalism of northeastern India and Donyi-Polo of Arunachal Pradesh. Prof. kamei devotes an essay on the Zeliangrong Religion as a case study of primordial religion. The work of Prof. kamei is a brief but a thought provoking exposition on philosophy of Tribal Religion which will be of interest to anybody who is interested in tribal study.