Verrier Elwin | |
|---|---|
 Verrier Elwin | |
| Born | 29 August 1902 |
| Died | 22 February 1964 (aged 61) |
| Citizenship | British (1902–1947) Indian (1947–1964) |
| Alma mater | Merton College, Oxford |
| Occupation(s) | anthropologist, ethnologist |
| Known for | Study of Tribes of India |
| Notable work | The Baiga (1939) The Muria and their Ghotul (1947) |
| Awards | Padma Bhushan (1961) |
Harry Verrier Holman Elwin (29 August 1902 – 22 February 1964)[1] was a British-born Indian anthropologist, ethnologist and tribal activist. He first abandoned the clergy, to work with Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress, then converted to Hinduism in 1935 after staying in a Gandhian ashram,[2] and split with the nationalists over what he felt was an overhasty process of transformation and assimilation for the tribals. Verrier Elwin is best known for his early work with the Baigas and Gonds of Orissa and Madhya Pradesh in central India, and he married a 13 year old member of one of the communities he studied. He later also worked on the tribals of several North East Indian states especially North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) and settled in Shillong, the hill capital of Meghalaya.[3]
In time he became an authority on Indian tribal lifestyle and culture, particularly on the Gondi people.[2] He served as the deputy director of the Anthropological Survey of India upon its formation in 1945.[4] Post-independence, he took up Indian citizenship.[3] Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru appointed him as an adviser on tribal affairs for north-eastern India, and later he was Anthropological Adviser to the Government of NEFA (now Arunachal Pradesh.[5] His philosophy towards the north-east was partially responsible in its disconnect from the modern world.[6]
The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan in 1961.[7] His autobiography, The Tribal World of Verrier Elwin won him the 1965 Sahitya Akademi Award in English Language, given by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters.[8]
- ^ Levens, R.G.C., ed. (1964). Merton College Register 1900–1964. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. p. 143.
- ^ a b World of Verrier Elwin[permanent dead link] by K. L. Kamat, 8 August 2000.
- ^ a b Linebaugh, p. 162
- ^ Anthropological Survey of India Archived 11 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine Anthropological Survey of India, Kolkata, website.
- ^ "British scholar's Indian widow in penury". BBC News. 4 May 2006.
- ^ Das, Pushpita (2008). "Management of India-China Border Area: A Case Study of Arunachal Pradesh". Indian Foreign Affairs Journal. 3 (3): 100. ISSN 0973-3248. JSTOR 45340743.
- ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ "Sahitya Akademi Awards 1955–2007". Sahitya Akademi Award Official listing. Archived from the original on 11 June 2010.