Anthropological studies among the Koch population of Goalpara district, Assam - article ; n°2 ; vol.2, pg 203-212
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Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d'anthropologie de Paris - Année 1990 - Volume 2 - Numéro 2 - Pages 203-212
ÉTUDE ANTHROPOLOGIQUE DES POPULATIONS KOCH DU DISTRICT DE GOALPARA, ASSAM Résumé. — Les Koch de Goalpara constituent un groupe détribalisé de l'Assam dont la distribution des caractères anthropométriques, dermatoglyphiques, aussi bien que celle du groupe sanguin ABO et de la sensibilité gustative au PTC sont présentées dans ce travail. La population Koch est comparée à d'autres populations tribales qui constituent leur stock ancestral ainsi qu'à des populations ayant un statut de caste équivalent au vu de leur affiliation ethnique.
Summary. — The Koch of Goalpara, an Assamese detribalized caste group, has been investigated for the the distribution of anthropométrie and finger dermatoglyphic traits as well as for the distribution of ABO blood groups and PTC taste sensitivity. The Koch population is compared with some tribal population who form their ancestral stock and also with population groups of equivalent caste status in the light of their ethnic affiliation.
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Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

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Publié le 01 janvier 1990
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Sarthak Sengupta
Anthropological studies among the Koch population of Goalpara
district, Assam
In: Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d'anthropologie de Paris, Nouvelle Série, tome 2 fascicule 2, 1990. pp. 203-
212.
Résumé
ÉTUDE ANTHROPOLOGIQUE DES POPULATIONS KOCH DU DISTRICT DE GOALPARA, ASSAM Résumé. — Les Koch de
Goalpara constituent un groupe détribalisé de l'Assam dont la distribution des caractères anthropométriques, dermatoglyphiques,
aussi bien que celle du sanguin ABO et de la sensibilité gustative au PTC sont présentées dans ce travail. La population
Koch est comparée à d'autres populations tribales qui constituent leur stock ancestral ainsi qu'à des populations ayant un statut
de caste équivalent au vu de leur affiliation ethnique.
Abstract
Summary. — The Koch of Goalpara, an Assamese detribalized caste group, has been investigated for the the distribution of
anthropométrie and finger dermatoglyphic traits as well as for the distribution of ABO blood groups and PTC taste sensitivity. The
Koch population is compared with some tribal population who form their ancestral stock and also with population groups of
equivalent caste status in the light of their ethnic affiliation.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Sengupta Sarthak. Anthropological studies among the Koch population of Goalpara district, Assam. In: Bulletins et Mémoires de
la Société d'anthropologie de Paris, Nouvelle Série, tome 2 fascicule 2, 1990. pp. 203-212.
doi : 10.3406/bmsap.1990.1732
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/bmsap_0037-8984_1990_num_2_2_1732et Mém. de la Soc. d'Anthrop. de Paris, n.s., t. 2, n° 2, 1990, pp. 203-212 Bull,
ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDIES
AMONG THE KOCH POPULATION
OF GOALPARA DISTRICT, ASSAM
Sarthak Sengupta (*)
Summary. — The Koch of Goalpara, an Assamese detribalized caste group, has been
investigated for the the distribution of anthropométrie and finger dermatoglyphic traits as
well as for the distribution of ABO blood groups and PTC taste sensitivity. The Koch popul
ation is compared with some tribal population who form their ancestral stock and also
with population groups of equivalent caste status in the light of their ethnic affiliation.
ÉTUDE ANTHROPOLOGIQUE DES POPULATIONS KOCH
DU DISTRICT DE GOALPARA, ASSAM
Résumé. — Les Koch de Goalpara constituent un groupe détribalisé de l'Assam dont
la distribution des caractères anthropométriques, dermatoglyphiques, aussi bien que celle
du groupe sanguin ABO et de la sensibilité gustative au PTC sont présentées dans ce tra
vail. La population Koch est comparée à d'autres populations tribales qui constituent leur
stock ancestral ainsi qu'à des populations ayant un statut de caste équivalent au vu de
affiliation ethnique.
I. — INTRODUCTION
The Koch populations who are synonymous with Rajbansi form one of the
largest caste group of Assam. Today they are widely distributed over most of the
plain districts of Assam. However, a heavy concentration is observed in the dis
tricts of Kamrup and Goalpara. Their primary occupation is agriculture, few of
them do not own any agricultural land and subsist as agricultural and daily
labourers.
According to Waddel (1901), « the term Koch has become more of a caste title
than a tribal appellation, so that individuals of the Kachari, Garo, Rabha, Lalung
and allied Indo-Chinese tribes are admitted as members ». Gait (1905) Comments :
« In Assam proper, it (the word Koch) has become the name of a Hindu caste,
into which are received the converts to Hinduism from the ranks of the Kachari,
Lalung, Mikir and other tribes ». Therefore, in the present context of Assam, « the
term Koch is applied in various senses to indicate various groups of some
which are now full fledged members of the Hindu society, even raising themselves
to a high status in the caste hierarchy » (Mazumder, 1972). They have been des
cribed as one of the « race caste » (Allen, 1905) of Assam who generally claims
to be an « outlying branch of the Kshatriya » (Risley, 1915). Scholars also differ
in opinion with regard to the affinity of the Koch as some of them (Dalton, 1872 ;
Department of Anthropology, Dibruagarh University, Dibrugarh Assam, India, 786 004. 204 SOCIÉTÉ D'ANTHROPOLOGIE DE PARIS
Risley, 1891) hold this group to have Dravidian origin while others (Waddel, 1901 ;
Haddon 1924, ; Das, 1962) are inclined to postulate mongoloid descent for them.
But whatever may have been racial affinities of the original Koch population, there
can be no doubt that the present Koch population of Assam belong to the « Mon
goloid » rather than to the « Dravidian >> stock (Sengupta 1982).
From the above discussion there hardly remains any doubt of the fact that
the Koch (Rajbansi) population forms a major detribalized group. It is not known
from which time the process of conversion started, but it has not stopped. It is
a continuative one, i.e. ongoing process. It is a fact that major part of conversion
took place following the preaching of Vaishnavite cult by Srimanta Sankardeva,
a socio-cultural reformer and a religious preacher of Assam during the 15 th cen
tury A.D.
The present paper aims to study the distribution of anthropométrie and der-
matoglyphic traits as well as that of ABO blood groups and PTC taste sensitivity
among the Koch population of Goalpara. Regarding the origin of the Koch it has
already been mentioned that the people of different tribal groups like the Rabha,
Garo, Kachari, Lalung, Mikir, etc. after conversion to Hinduism are known as
Koch and are given a place in the caste complex of the Hindu society. Therefore,
an attempt has been made to examine how much the Koch sample of Goalpara
deviates from the so called ancestral population and also to examine the position
of the Koch caste with respect to the groups of almost equivalent caste
status distributed in different parts of the State.
II. — MATERIAL AND METHOD
The anthropological data of the Koch population under study were collected
from Goalpara (Borigaon area) district of Assam in 1978-1979. Proper care was
taken not to include closely related individuals in the samples. Somatometric mea
surements were takan on males only following Martin and Sailer (1957) : The other
anthropological variables (ABO blood groups, PTC taste sensitivity) were collec
ted from both sexes following the standard techniques. In collecting and analy
sing the dermatoglyphic data (male only) the usual scheme proposed by Cummins
and Midlo (1961) is followed. Chi-square and t test were performed to see the
intergroup differences. The data of the ancestral tribal population and caste popul
ation groups having equivalent status like that of the Koch are taken from the
published works of other scientists whose method and approach are the same as
those of the present worker. Necessary information (reference) as regards sources
have been incorporated in respective tables.
III. — RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 1 demonstrates the distribution of 1 1 measurements and 6 indices among
the population groups under study. An attempt has been made to compare the
anthropométrie characters of the Koch of Goalpara with those of some other tr
ibal (ancestral) populations of Assam. It is seen from the table that there is some
variation among these groups. The Koch of Goalpara are medium statured peo- ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDIES AMONG THE KOCH POPULATIONS OF GOALPARA DISTRICT, ASSAM 205
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