The Mikirs

Stack, EdwardProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 406K words
Chapters: 41

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Mikirs by Edward StackAuthor: Stack, Edward,Language: English, Class: DS: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Asia, Release Date: Apr 14, 2015

Editor's review

The Mikirs is an ethnographic work by Edward Stack about the Mikir people (now more commonly called the Karbi), published by Project Gutenberg as an English-language ebook. Its value lies not in popular narrative but in providing an early systematic ethnographic record: it organizes the Mikir people's village organization, kinship relations, beliefs and rituals, means of livelihood, and oral traditions, making it an important primary source for understanding ethnic groups of Northeast India and colonial-era ethnographic writing. Readers should note its historical limitations: the author worked within the colonial knowledge-production system, and his classificatory framework and expressions carry the general tendencies of anthropology of the time; readers should compare them with later research and local perspectives. The book is better suited as supplementary reading for area studies, ethnology, or colonial history courses, and can also be read by topic by readers interested in Northeast Indian culture. The electronic edition is easy to search and suitable for consulting with specific questions rather than reading straight through.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Anthropology students studying ethnic groups of Northeast India and South Asian ethnology
Researchers concerned with colonial-era ethnographic writing and knowledge production
Students in South Asian history or colonial history courses who need regional background material
Readers interested in the Mikir people's social organization and beliefs and customs

Not a good fit for

General readers hoping for light travel essays or popular cultural writing
Readers expecting contemporary fieldwork methods and native self-account perspectives
Beginners who find English ethnographic terminology and academic style difficult

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and introduction first to clarify the author's questions and sources, then read selectively by topic.
While reading, mark classifications and wording that carry the biases of the era and compare them with later research.
Take thematic notes around three threads: kinship systems, ritual beliefs, and village organization.
If using it for coursework writing, check original page numbers and terminology first, and avoid secondhand paraphrase.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable as an introductory reading for understanding the Mikir people?

It can be one introductory source, but not the only one. It provides an early systematic record with broad coverage and helps establish a basic framework; however, it was written long ago, and its classifications and expressions carry the tendencies of colonial-era ethnology. It is best read alongside contemporary research and local-perspective literature, comparing as you read.

What language or background preparation is needed to read this book?

This is an English-language ebook, so basic ability to read academic English is needed, especially common ethnographic terminology. Understanding will be smoother if you first learn the geography and ethnic distribution of Northeast India and the basic background of colonial-era ethnology; without such background, you can still read the introduction and conclusion first before moving to specific chapters.

What reading approach suits the electronic edition?

The electronic edition is convenient for full-text search and keyword location, making it suitable for consulting specific questions, such as finding an account of a particular ritual or kinship term. If you want to read through, proceed chapter by chapter by topic and take notes to avoid losing the thread amid dense material; you can also browse the table of contents first and closely read the chapters most relevant to your research.

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About the author

Stack, Edward Author · British

Edward Stack was a British military officer and travel writer. Public information about him is limited, and details of his life, such as his birth and death dates and educational background, remain unclear. One work by him is held in the collection, namely The Mikirs. He also wrote a travelogue about Persia, showing his interest in foreign geography and culture. As an author combining a military career with a writing interest, Stack's texts are mostly based on firsthand travel and observation, covering ethnography and regional accounts. The Mikirs is his record of the Mikir people (now known as the Karbi) of northeastern India, an early ethnographic work that offers a reference for later understanding of the group. His travel writing is plain in style and focused on factual description.