Agricultural Administration and its Coordination in Mizoram: Pre-Colonial and British Era
| Author | C. Lalthansanga |
| Published date | 01 July 2016 |
| Date | 01 July 2016 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556120160320 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
AGRICULTURAL ADMINISTRATION AND ITS
COORDINATION IN MIZORAM: PRE-COLONIAL
AND BRITISH ERA
C. LALTHANSANGA
Agriculture
in
the form
of
Jhum cultivation is the centre-
stage around which the traditional Mizo society revolves.
Traditional values and customs were conceived in the course
of
their common endeavour for survival through agriculture.
In the pre-colonial days, the village
chief
and
his council
of
'elders' were instrumental in discharging a
brief
form
of
administration
in
the field
of
agriculture while a vibrant
coordinating system was in place on the lines
of
the traditional
values.
The
late 19th century saw the formal establishment
of
British administration in the Lushai Hills. Agricultural
administration and its coordination were performed by the
British Superintendent who functioned with the assistance
of
his 'agriculture demonstrators' and the village chiefs.
However,
the common feature
of
administration
in
both the pre-colonial
and colonial days was that administration was carried out by
a single structure depicting the characteristic
of
'fused society'
as conceptualised by Riggs.
INTRODUCTION
HISTORY OF any nation, race, or clan always has its own share
of
violence,
in one form
or
the other, playing a significant part amongst the many variables
involved that mould such a particular race or clan. Violence
in
relation to
struggle for agricultural sustenance is always one major dominant factor
detennining the pattern
of
migration for a particular race or clan. Feuds over
fertile land space for the purpose
of
agriculture and allied activities often
lead to violence
in
the form
of
war. The dominant clan or tribe taking hold
of
the land, and the weaker group migrating towards another land. The Mizo
tribes are unanimously held to belong to the Mongoloid group. There are
several theories in relation to their origin and reason behind their migration.
However, it is generally accepted by all historians that the point
of
migration
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