North-East India: Land, People and Economy

North-East India, comprising the seven contiguous states around Assam, the principal state of the region, is a relatively unknown, yet very fascinating region. The forest clad peripheral mountains, home to indigenous peoples like the Nagas, Mizos and the Khasis, the densely populated Brahmaputra valley with its lush green tea gardens and the golden rice fields, the moderately populated hill regions and plateaus, and the sparsely inhabited Himalayas, form a unique mosaic of natural and cultural landscapes and human interactions, with unparalleled diversity. The book provides a glimpse into the region-s past and gives a comprehensive picture of its physical environment, people, resources and its economy. The physical environment takes into account not only the structural base of the region, its physical characteristics and natural vegetation but also offers an impression of the region-s biodiversity and the measures undertaken to preserve it. The people of the region, especially the indigenous population, inhabiting contrasting environments and speaking a variety of regional and local dialects, have received special attention, bringing into focus the role of migration that has influenced the traditional societies, for centuries. The book acquaints the readers with spatial distribution, life style and culture of the indigenous people, outlining the unique features of each tribe. The economy of the region, depending originally on primitive farming and cottage industries, like silkworm rearing, but now greatly transformed with the emergence of modern industries, power resources and expanding trade, is reviewed based on authentic data and actual field observations. The epilogue, the last chapter in the book, summarizes the authors- perception of the region and its future.

Prof. Dr. Kamal Ramprit Dikshit is a former Professor of Geography of the University of Pune, India (now retired).  He has written several books, such as "Geography of Gujarat" (1970), "Contributions to Indian Geography: Geomorphology" (1983), "Maharashtra in Maps" (1986) and "Environment, Forest Ecology and Man in the Western Ghats: The Case of Mahabaleshwar Plateau" (1993) as well as many research papers. Jutta K. Dikshit has been teaching geography at the Department of Geography, University of Pune, Pune. She studied geography and German language and literature at the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz (Germany), and obtained her doctoral degree from the Sorbonne, Paris. Before coming to India, she worked as a lecturer at the University of Saarbrücken for a number of years. Her research papers are mainly in the field of physical geography. She is the editor of the book "The Urban Fringe of Indian Cities" (2011).

Introduction.- Part I: Historical Outline.- North-eastern India through the Ages.- Part II: The Land.- North-East India - Structural Framework.- Physical Setting of Northeast India.- The Drainage System of Northeast India.- Weather and Climate of the North-East.- Natural Hazards in the Northeast Region.- The Resource Endowment of the North-Eastern Region.- Forest and Grasslands of the North-East Region.- Part III:The People.- Early Colonisation of Northeast India.- People of the North-East.- Population of the North-eastern States.- Migration and its Impact on the Society and the Economy of the North-East.- Human Habitat in the North-East India.-Urbanisation and Urban Landscape in North-East India.- Part IV: The Economy.- Agriculture: Past and Present.- Industries and Associated Economic Activities.- Transport and Trade in Northeast India.- Socio-Economic Development of the North-East: An Assessment.- Part V: The Future.- Epilogue.