MAPPING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SANTALI LITERATURE

Tribal literature has a long history in India. A tribal literature gives an insight on the beliefs, practices, cultures, and way of life of members of an ethnic society. On the broader note Tribal literature or folklore describes the indigenous knowledge cultural and literary knowledge of these communities that comprise archaic customs, narratives about their simple life, the impact of divine forces on their lives etc. The Santali literature and its folklore do play a significant role in representing the identity of the Santali community and also reviving the indigenous knowledge of these communities. Over the years, Santali literature has undergone significant transformation. Initially Santali literature focused on oral traditions which emphasized customs, myths, and the community’s relationship with nature. So, the main objective of this study is to map the progress of the Santali community by mapping the development of Santali literature. In doing so, the study has undergone Bibliometrics analysis from different databases of Santali literature from 1867-2021. The study finds an increasing trend of research in Santali literature mainly after 2000 with 60 percent of literature published in that phase.