Toda tribe - Toda (English spelling)

Japanese: トダ族 - トダぞく（英語表記）Toda

A minority group living in the Nilgiri Hills between the Maiar and Bhawani rivers in Karnataka, southwest India. They speak a Dravidian language, but are characteristically of North Indian origin, with dark brown skin, tall and sturdy. They practice extensive dairy farming, following the grazing of buffalo and cattle. Culturally, they are extremely conservative, and although they have come and gone with the surrounding peoples, they have not been assimilated and have maintained their ancient customs. Their society consists of two endogamous groups, each divided into several exogamous patrilineal clans. Child marriage is common, and polyandry is observed, with several men, usually brothers, sharing one wife. When a wife becomes pregnant, one of the husbands presents her with a toy bow and arrows. This is a public announcement of the paternity of the child to be born. Their religion has a unique ritual centered on a buffalo dairying event. There is a theory that they once lived near the Iranian plateau, but migrated to their current location via northern India.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

インド南西部カルナータカ州のマイアル川とバワニ川にはさまれたニルギリ丘陵に住む少数民族。ドラビダ語系の言語を話すが，形質的には北方インド系で，皮膚は暗褐色，背が高く，がっしりしている。スイギュウとウシの放牧に従い，粗放な酪農を行う。文化的にはきわめて保守的で，周辺民族と往来しながらも同化されず，古来の習俗を保っている。社会は2つの内婚的集団から成り，おのおのがいくつかの外婚的父系氏族に分れる。幼児結婚が普通であり，一妻多夫婚がみられ，数人の男性，普通は兄弟が1人の妻を共有する。妻が妊娠すると，夫たちの一人が彼女に玩具の弓と矢を贈る。これが生れてくる子の父親の公示である。宗教は，水牛酪農の行事を中心とする特殊な儀礼をもっている。古くはイラン高原付近に居住したが，インド北部を経て，現住地へ移入してきたという説もある。

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