Social Changes Among Malayali Tribes Of Eastern Ghats

Background: The Malavali, or Malayali, are a tribal community in the Eastern Ghats of India, primarily found in the hilly regions of Salem, Attur, and surrounding areas. They have a rich cultural heritage that is closely linked to their surroundings. Their social interactions were characterised by economic, religious and cultural factors which has been orally transferred through generations. Yet, in recent decades, the Malvali community has experienced considerable socio-cultural changes driven by factors like urbanisation and technological progress. This research focuses on examining how these transformations have affected their socio-economic structures, cultural traditions, and spiritual beliefs. Methods: In this qualitative study, 45 participants including both male and female above 18, were randomly selected. The individuals where primarily from three villages namely, Mellur village in Jarugumalai & Vellakadai village in Shevaroy hills of Salem district, and Gedamalai village in Bodhi hills of Theni district. Moreover, the study involved semi structured interviews and narrative analysis for extracting relevant insights. Observation: The Malayali tribes embody a nature-human-religion complex deeply rooted in their surroundings and characterised by socio-economic activities. Over the past 40 years, exogenous and endogenous forces such as urbanisation, westernization, and migration has led to the shift in this complex. This has led to a gap between social progress and technological adoption Conclusion: The study reveals the core objective of the research which is to highlight the social transformations of Malayali tribes. The Tribal group is in a constant state of transition towards economic integration. This transition has led to more negative than positive impact. Therefore, proper introspection on social services is required for holistic growth of the Malayalis