Traditional Agriculture Practices of The Tripuri People

Sangit Debbarma

Jhum cultivation, Indigenous Farming Systems, Tripuri Tribal Culture, Traditional Agricultural Tools, Sustainable Farming practices.

The Tripuri (also known as Tipra or Borok) people, the largest indigenous community in Tripura, Northeast India, have a rich tradition of agriculture deeply intertwined with their cultural, spiritual, and ecological worldview. Historically, their economy revolved around jhum (shifting or slash-and-burn cultivation), a sustainable rotational system suited to the state's hilly terrain. In jhum, forested plots are selected, cleared by cutting vegetation in January, burned to enrich the soil with ashes, and cultivated with mixed crops for 1-2 years before being left fallow for regeneration, traditionally for 10-15 years, though shortened cycles due to population pressures have raised sustainability concerns. Key crops include rice (the staple), maize, cotton, sesame, vegetables (e.g., sweet potatoes, cucumbers), pulses, and oilseeds, often intercropped for biodiversity and risk mitigation. Traditional tools such as daos (knives), hoes, digging sticks, and occasionally animal-drawn ploughs are employed, reflecting a labour-intensive, community-based approach. The Tripuri are noted for transitioning earlier than other tribes to settled plough cultivation in plains, combining jhum with permanent fields for greater stability. Agriculture is not merely economic but ritualistic: festivals like Garia Puja mark sowing with prayers for bountiful harvests, while Mamita celebrates post-harvest gratitude to deities. Indigenous plant protection practices, using local herbs and natural methods, underscore eco-friendly knowledge. Despite modernization-shifting toward rubber plantations, horticulture, and cash crops-these traditions preserve agro-biodiversity, communal harmony, and resilience, though facing challenges from land scarcity and environmental changes

Volume 14 Issue 1, January-2026

Pages : a754-a758