VAID'S ICS – Best UPSC Anthropology Coaching in Delhi Since 1985

Comprehensive Classroom Course · Admissions openRegister now
+91 93113 37737
  • +91-93113 37737, +91-99999 46748
  • 73(FF), Old Rajender Nagar Market, Delhi - 110060
  • MON to SUN 9.00 am - 6.00 pm
Facebook Youtube Instagram
Menu
Enquire Now
Home/Anthropology/Mains PYQ/2017/Paper I/Anthropology of Religion
UPSC MainsAnthropology Optional Paper I 2017 20 Marks Model Answer Available

Traditional Forms of Religion in Tribal Societies — 2017 Paper I

Question · 2017 · Paper I · 20 Marks

Discuss the different traditional forms of religion in tribal societies.

Model Answer

VAID ICS

Approach

  • Demand of Question:Describe major traditional religious forms found in tribal societies and explain their social and ecological significance rather than merely listing labels.
  • Structuring the Response:Define tribal religion cautiously; discuss animism, animatism, naturism, totemism, ancestor cults, shamanism and ritual specialists; use Indian ethnographic examples and conclude with syncretism.
  • Key Dimensions to Cover:Tylor; Marett; Durkheim; Radcliffe-Brown; shamanism; mana/taboo; Gond, Santhal, Oraon, Toda and Naga examples; religion as lived system.

Model Answer

Introduction Traditional tribal religions are not isolated 'primitive' survivals, but highly integrated systems of cosmology, ritual, morality, and ecological knowledge. They lack codified texts, temples, or dogma, operating instead as a "lived system" embedded deeply in kinship and the environment.

Body

Forms of Traditional Religion in Tribal Societies:

  1. Animism (Belief in Spirits)
  • Concept: Coined by E.B. Tylor (Primitive Culture, 1871), it is the belief that a soul (anima) or spiritual being animates all elements of the universe (plants, animals, rivers, mountains).
  • Ethnographic Example: The Santhals believe in numerous Bongas (spirits) residing in the forest and hills, which must be appeased for well-being and agricultural success.
  1. Animatism (Impersonal Sacred Power)
  • Concept: Proposed by R.R. Marett, this is the belief in an impersonal, diffuse supernatural power or force that lacks a specific spirit-identity. It is often referred to as Mana (power) and is regulated by Taboo.
  • Ethnographic Example: The Nagas believe in Aren, a vague, impersonal life-force that brings prosperity and fertility, which can be acquired or lost.
  1. Naturism (Nature Worship)
  • Concept: Associated with Max Müller, it involves the personification and worship of natural forces (Sun, Moon, Earth) out of awe and dependence.
  • Ethnographic Example: The Oraons and Mundas practice Sarna (Sacred Grove) worship, revering nature directly. The Toda revere their sacred buffaloes and the pastures they graze on, showing how ecology and religion interpenetrate.
  1. Totemism (Kinship with Nature)
  • Concept: A system where a clan claims mystical/symbolic descent from a plant, animal, or object (Totem). Emile Durkheim argued that by worshipping the totem, society is actually worshipping itself (collective solidarity). Radcliffe-Brown emphasized its function in maintaining ecological balance.
  • Ethnographic Example: The Gonds and Bhils have numerous totemic exogamous clans (e.g., Tiger, Tortoise). Injuring or eating the totem is strictly taboo.
  1. Ancestor Worship (Cult of the Dead)
  • Concept: The belief that deceased kin continue to exist in the spirit world and actively intervene in the lives of the living. It legitimizes lineage authority and inheritance.
  • Ethnographic Example: The Santhals worship their ancestors (Hapram) in the sacred Bhitardhe (inner room) of the house, offering them the first fruits of the harvest.
  1. Shamanism and Magic
  • Concept: Reliance on ritual specialists (Shamans/Diviners) who enter trances to communicate with the spirit world, diagnose illnesses, and restore cosmic balance.
  • Ethnographic Example: The Saoras of Odisha have highly specialized shamans (Kuran) who cure diseases by negotiating with malevolent spirits through trance and sacrifice.

Conclusion Traditional tribal religion is a pluralistic field of relationships among humans, ancestors, spirits, and the landscape. Rather than viewing these as separate evolutionary stages, modern anthropology understands them as overlapping orientations that provide ecological harmony and social solidarity, which are now dynamically syncretizing with mainstream religions.

2026 How do religious beliefs help people to devise cultural mechanisms to adapt to their environment? Discuss in detail with appropriate examples. 2026 Myth as oral literature. 2025 Critically examine James Frazer's theory of evolutionism. Elucidate the place of religion in modernity. 2023 How did Clifford Geertz look at religion ? Differentiate between anthropological and psychological approaches to the study of religion.

Want feedback on your answer?

Join the Anthropology workshop or get structured answer-writing guidance from VAID ICS.

Join Workshop Contact VAID ICS

UPSC Anthropology Optional 2017 — Paper I

28 questions

5(d) Age at menarche

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 11.1 Relevance of menarche, menopause and other bio-events to fertility
2017Paper IHuman Genetics & Human BiologyModel answer available

5(e) Anthropology and designing of equipments

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 12. Applications of Anthropology > Anthropology in designing of defence and other equipments
2017Paper IApplied & Forensic AnthropologyModel answer available

5(c) Concept of race

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 9.5 Race and racism > Biological basis of racial classification
2017Paper IHuman Genetics & Human BiologyModel answer available

5(a) Hardy-Weinberg law

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 9.3 Mendelian population and Hardy-Weinberg law
2017Paper IHuman Genetics & Human BiologyModel answer available

1(d) Non-verbal communication

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 7. Culture, language and communication > Verbal and non-verbal communication
2017Paper ICulture & SocietyModel answer available

1(e) Questionnaire

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 8.3 Research Methods: Tools of data collection > Questionnaire
2017Paper IResearch Methods in AnthropologyModel answer available