Harry Verrier Holman Elwin (29 August 1902 – 22 February 1964) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

-born

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

anthropologist An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms an ...

ethnologist Ethnology (from the grc-gre, ἔθνος, meaning 'nation') is an academic field that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropolog ...

and

tribal The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

activist, who began his career in India as a Christian missionary. He first abandoned the clergy, to work with

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

and the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...

, then converted to

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

in 1935 after staying in a Gandhian ashram, and split with the nationalists over what he felt was an overhasty process of transformation and

assimilation Assimilation may refer to: Culture * Cultural assimilation, the process whereby a minority group gradually adapts to the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture and customs ** Language shift, also known as language assimilation, the prog ...

for the tribals. Verrier Elwin is best known for his early work with the Baigas and

Gonds The Gondi (Gōndi) or Gond or Koitur are a Dravidian ethno-linguistic group. They are one of the largest tribal groups in India. They are spread over the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Prad ...

Orissa Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of S ...

and

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the second ...

central India Central India is a loosely defined geographical region of India. There is no clear official definition and various ones may be used. One common definition consists of the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which are included in al ...

, 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 India , native_name_lang = mni , settlement_type = , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , motto = , image_map = Northeast india.png , ...

n states especially

North-East Frontier Agency The North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA), originally known as the North-East Frontier Tracts (NEFT), was one of the political divisions in British India, and later the Republic of India until 20 January 1972, when it became the Union Territory of ...

(NEFA) and settled in

Shillong Shillong () is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India, which means "The Abode of Clouds". It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India with a ...

, the hill capital of

Meghalaya Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and J ...

. Linebaugh, p. 162 In time he became an authority on Indian

lifestyle and culture, particularly on the

Gondi people The Gondi (Gōndi) or Gond or Koitur are a Dravidian ethno-linguistic group. They are one of the largest tribal groups in India. They are spread over the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Prad ...

.World of Verrier Elwin
by K. L. Kamat,8 August 2000. He served as the Deputy Director of the Anthropological Survey of India upon its formation in 1945. Post-

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the stat ...

, he took up Indian citizenship. Prime Minister

Jawaharlal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian Anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India du ...

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 Arunachal Pradesh (, ) is a state in Northeastern India. It was formed from the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and became a state on 20 February 1987. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares ...

. His philosophy towards the north-east was partially responsible in its disconnect from the modern world. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...

in 1961. His autobiography, ''The Tribal World of Verrier Elwin'' won him the 1965

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

English Language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...

, given by the

Sahitya Akademi The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of, the Indian government. Its of ...

, India's National Academy of Letters.

Early life and education

Harry Verrier Holman Elwin was born on 29 August 1902 in Dover. He is the son of Edmund Henry Elwin, Bishop of

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...

. He was educated at Dean Close School and

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, ...

, where he received his degrees of BA First Class in English Language and Literature, MA, and DSc. He also remained the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union The Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union, usually known as OICCU ( ), is the world's second oldest university Christian Union and is the University of Oxford's most prominent student Christian organisation. It was formed in 1879. Due to th ...

(OICCU) in 1925. He had a nice career at Oxford, where he took a Double First in English and in Theology, before being ordained a priest in the Church of England. He came to India in 1927, to join a small sect, the Christa Seva Sangh of Poona, which hoped to 'indigenise' Christianity.

Career

In 1926, he was appointed Vice-Principal of

Wycliffe Hall, Oxford Wycliffe Hall is a Church of England theological college and a permanent private hall of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is named after the Bible translator and reformer John Wycliffe, who was master of Balliol College, O ...

and in the following year he became a lecturer at

. He went to India in 1927 as a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

. Over the years, he was influenced by the philosophies of

and

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...

. He quickly threw in his lot with the Congress, winning Gandhi's affection and becoming a camp follower and occasional cheerleader to the popular movement against British rule. Seeking fuller immersion in the toil, the sufferings, the poverty of India, he resolved to make his home among the Gonds. He first joined Christian Service Society in Pune. The first time he visited the central India, now the states of

Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prad ...

, and parts of eastern

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country subdi ...

, was with an Indian from Pune, Shamrao Hivale. For the first time, he visited a remote village in the forests of Mandla district. Hivale and he were to spend some twenty years in Central India, living with and fighting for tribal rights. Their studies on the tribes are some of the earliest anthropological studies in the country. In January 1954, Elwin became the first foreigner to be accepted as an Indian citizen. In the same year, he was appointed anthropological adviser to the Indian Government, with the special reference to the hill tribes of the north east. Moving to Shillong, he served for a decade as a leading missionary of what he liked to call 'Mr Nehru's Gospel for tribes'. He died in 1964, a greatly esteemed public figure in his adopted land, the recipient of the Padma Bhushan and countless other medals and rewards. He participated in the

Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged from Bengal ...

, and in 1930 Gandhi said he regarded Elwin as a son. He came out with numerous works on various tribal groups in India, the best acclaimed being those on Maria and Baigas. After India attained independence in 1947, he was asked by Nehru to find solutions to the problems that emerged among the tribal peoples living in the far northeastern corner of India, the

North East Frontier Agency The North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA), originally known as the North-East Frontier Tracts (NEFT), was one of the political divisions in British India, and later the Republic of India until 20 January 1972, when it became the Union Territory of ...

(NEFA). He was also a Fellow of the

Indian National Science Academy The Indian National Science Academy (INSA) is a national academy in New Delhi for Indian scientists in all branches of science and technology. In August 2019, Dr. Chandrima Shaha was appointed as the president of Indian National Science Acade ...

. Elwin entered into an agreement which prohibited the entry of

Sadhus ''Sadhu'' ( sa, साधु, IAST: ' (male), ''sādhvī'' or ''sādhvīne'' (female)), also spelled ''saddhu'', is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. The ...

into Nagaland with Nehru. The historian

Ramachandra Guha Ramachandra "Ram" Guha (born 29 April 1958) is an Indian historian, environmentalist, writer and public intellectual whose research interests include social history, social, political history, political, contemporary history, contemporary, Envir ...

's biography ''Savaging the Civilized: Verrier Elwin, His Tribals, and India'' (1999) brought renewed attention in India to Elwin's life and career.

On Ghotul

Verrier Elwin wrote – "The message of the

ghotul A ''gotul'' is a tribal youth dormitory in form of a spacious hut surrounded by earthen or wooden walls. It is an integral part of Gond and Muria tribal life in regions of Chhattisgarh and the neighboring areas in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and ...

– that youth must be served, that freedom and happiness are more to be treasured than any material gain, that friendliness and sympathy, hospitality and unity are of the first importance, and above all that human love – and its physical expression – is beautiful, clean and precious, is typically Indian."

Personal life

Elwin married a Raj Gond tribal girl called Kosi who was a student at his school at Raythwar (Raithwar) in

Dindori district Dindori District, formerly known as Ramgarh District, is a district of Madhya Pradesh state of central India. The town of Dindori is the district headquarters. The district is part of Jabalpur Division. Total area of the district is . It is l ...

in Madhya Pradesh on 4 April 1940. They had one son, Jawaharlal (Kumar), born in 1941. Elwin had an ex-parte divorce in 1949, at the

Calcutta High Court The Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in India. It is located in B.B.D. Bagh, Kolkata, West Bengal. It has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The High Court b ...

, writing in his autobiography, "I cannot even now look back on this period of my life without a deep sense of pain and failure" In 2006, Kosi was still living in a hut in Raythwar, their son Kumar having died. Kosi's second son, Vijay, also died young. Elwin remarried a woman called Lila, belonging to the Pardhan Gond tribe in nearby Patangarh, moving with her to Shillong in the early 1950s. They had three sons, Wasant, Nakul and Ashok. Elwin died in Delhi on 22 February 1964 after a heart attack. How a tribal girl's life became a book on sex ''

Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split be ...

'', 5 March 1999. His widow Lila died in Mumbai in 2013, aged about 80, shortly after the demise of their eldest son, Wasant. His marriage to Lila connected Verrier to Jangarh Singh Shyam, the Gond artist.

Works

* ''Christian Dhyana''. Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1930. * ''The Dawn of Indian Freedom'', with Jack Copley Winslow. G. Allen & Unwin, 1931. * ''Gandhi: the Dawn of Indian Freedom'', with John Copley Winslow. Fleming H. Revell company, 1934.. * ''Truth about India: can we get it?''. G. Allen & Unwin, 1932. * ''Mahatma Gandhi: sketches in pen, pencil and brush'', with Kanu Desai. Golden Vista Press, 1932. * ''Songs of the Forest: the folk poetry of the Gonds''. with Shamrao Hivale. London: G. Allen & Unwin, 1935. * ''Leaves from the Jungle: Life in a Gond Village''. John Murray Publishers Ltd, 1936. * ''The Agaria''. H. Milford, Oxford University Press, 1942. * ''The Aboriginals''. H. Milford, Oxford University Press, 1944. * ''Folk-songs of the Maikal Hills''. with Shamrao Hivale. H. Milford, Oxford University Press, 1944. * ''Folk-songs of Chhattisgarh''. G. Cumberlege, Oxford University Press, 1946. * ''The Muria and their Ghotul''. Oxford University Press, 1947. * ''Myths of Middle India'', Indian Branch, Oxford University Press, 1949. * ''Bondo Highlander''. Oxford University Press, 1950. * ''Maria Murder and Suicide'', Oxford University Press, 1950. * ''The Tribal Art of Middle India: a personal record''. Indian Branch, Oxford University Press, 1951. * ''Tribal Myths of Orissa''. Indian Branch, Oxford University Press, 1954. * ''The Religion of an Indian Tribe''. Oxford University Press, 1955. * ''Myths of the North-east Frontier of India, Volume 1''. North-East Frontier Agency, 1958. * ''India's North-east Frontier in the Nineteenth Century''. Oxford University Press, 1959. * ''The Art of the North-east Frontier of India, Volume 1''. Pub. North-East Frontier Agency, 1959. * '' The Fisher-Girl and the Crab'' * ''A Philosophy for NEFA''. S. Roy on behalf of the

(NEFA), 1960. * ''A New Deal for Tribal India''. Abridgement of the tenth Report of the Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for the year 1960–61. Ministry of Home Affairs, 1963. * ''When the World was Young: folk-tales from India's hills and forests''. Publication Div., Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 1961. * '' The Tribal World of Verrier Elwin: An Autobiography''. Oxford University Press, 1964. * ''Religious and Cultural Aspects of Khadi''. Sarvodaya Prachuralaya, 1964. * ''Democracy in NEFA.''. North-East Frontier Agency, 1965. * ''Folk Paintings of India''. Inter-national Cultural Centre, 1967. * ''The Kingdom of the Young'', Oxford University Press, 1968. * ''The Nagas in the Nineteenth Century''. Oxford University Press, 1969. * ''A New Book of Tribal Fiction''. North-East Frontier Agency, 1970. * ''Folk-tales of Mahakoshal''. Arno Press, 1980. * ''The Baiga''. Gian Pub. House, 1986. * ''Verrier Elwin, Philanthropologist: Selected Writings'', Ed. Nari Rustomji. North-Eastern Hill Univ. Publications; Oxford University Press, 2002, .

References

External links and further sources

* The Muria and Their Ghotul by Verrier Elwin * Warren E. Roberts, 'Verrier Elwin (1902–1964)', ''

Asian Folklore Studies ''Asian Ethnology'' is an open access, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the promotion of research on the peoples and cultures of Asia. It was first published in 1942 at the Catholic University of Peking as ''Folklore Studies'' and subsequentl ...

'' 23:2 (1964), 212–14 * The Tribal World of Verrier Elwin, An Autobiography, ''Oxford University Press (1964)''
Beating a dead horse
Verrier Elwin *Resources related to research
BEROSE - International Encyclopaedia of the Histories of Anthropology
Paris, 2019. (ISSN 2648-2770) {{DEFAULTSORT:Elwin, Verrier 1902 births 1964 deaths People from Shillong Protestant missionaries in India Converts to Hinduism from Christianity Alumni of Merton College, Oxford British ethnologists People educated at Dean Close School Fellows of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford Naturalised citizens of India Indian people of English descent British emigrants to India British Hindus British anthropologists Indian anthropologists Indian male novelists Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in English Indigenous rights activists People from Dover, Kent Indian folklorists Indian Hindus Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in science & engineering English Protestant missionaries 20th-century anthropologists People associated with Shillong