Cultural life of Badagas of Nilgiris \b tradition and change

Abstract

The time of British and missionaries entered the Nilgiri hills during the early period of 19th century, the Badagas lived with other native communities based on mutual relationships sustaining on economic exchange system where in the Badagas (agriculturalists), Kotas (Artisan, musician and cultivator) Todas (pastoralist) and Kurumbas (food gatherers, hunters, slash and burn cultivators and sorceress). But afterwards in 19th century, the Badaga economy, agriculture got much influenced. Badagas being the major agriculturalists of the region, they produced a real surplus of grains and English vegetables like cabbage, carrot and potato along with the commercial crops of tea plantation. They exchanged their products such as salt, mustard, potatoes, sugar, opium, cloth and deceased livestock in return for various goods and services. The Badagas were dynamic for; they were the first to shift to large scale commercial crop cultivation, English education in the missionary schools for their children, and gaining employment in local establishments. The other tribes maintained their subsistence way of life as what they are for several more decades20. In the post-Independence period, the Badagas are very much concerned with their ethnic status whether as a tribe or a caste due to the decline of Tea plantation and the migration of Badagas in search of employment. The challenges Badaga community face in the wake of their migration process ever since their first migration from Badaganadu to Nilgiri foothills, from thence to hilltop and their dispersal to different geographical regions on the hills-Poranganadu, Mekkunadu,Kundeanadu and Thodhanadu and finally again flying to the plains of Coimbatore and other places is highly enterpreneuring. This is a significant journey in the cultural life of the Badagas. The customary interdependence that exists between the Badagas and other groups is being changed in different parts of the plateau. Some Badagas who emphasise on cash crops are uninterested to maintain age old ties. The factors like potentialities of a labour market, proximity to bus routes to the town , aboriginal dwelling patterns and nearness of tribal settlements that are in reciprocity of relationships determine the affinities of Badagas with their traditional obligatory bondage with the local tribes of Nilagiris.