Author:

Charanga Modarp

Research Scholar
Department of History
Manipur University
Imphal ,Manipur,India

Email: charanga.modarpha@gmail.com

Abstract: Agriculture has been the backbone of human civilisation. Jhum, or shifting cultivation, is the traditional farming system widely practised among the tribals of Northeast India, particularly among the Nagas of Nagaland and Manipur. This farming practice is found to be most suitable and widely practised in hilly regions of Manipur. Among the Maring Naga, jhum cultivation continues to be their dominant mode of food production and their primary livelihood source. Their agricultural practices are closely associated with their culture, social structure, and ecological surroundings. Debates surround the sustainability of jhum cultivation among scholars because of its primitive and detrimental environmental impacts. However, the Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) in agriculture has played a vital role in sustaining the traditional farming system and ecological protection. Therefore, this paper will explore the Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) among the Maring Naga in sustaining their traditional cultivation system, its continuity, and the changes in today’s rapidly changing society. The paper attempts to analyse the socio-economic conditions of the Jhumias among the Maring Naga.

Key Words: Indigenous Knowledge System, Jhum Cultivation, Soil Conservation, Deforestation etc.