An Ethnographic Exploration of the Customary Laws of The Deori Tribe of Majuli

Deori is one of the major tribes who have made an immense contribution to the formation of greater Assamese culture. They are unique among the other tribes by their customs, dress pattern, food habits, rituals and rites and they prefer to live within the periphery of traditions, firm rules and regulations of customs. The tribe is one of the major inhabitants of Majuli district and has a rich heritage of customary laws that regulates social, religious and economic aspects of life. The objectives of the study are to know the importance of customary laws among the Deori tribe and to study its role in social sphere of the Deori tribe of Majuli. The study is conducted in Deori Pam and Major Deori villages of Majuli district. The two villages are selected through purposive sampling and the purpose of choosing of these two villages is that the Deori people of Majuli belong to the Dibongiya sub group and this sub group is still maintaining their customs, culture and language. The study is based on both primary and secondary sources. Primary data has been collected by interviewing the elderly persons of the community. Secondary data has been collected from secondary sources like books and journals. The study has shown that, the tribe strongly believes that customary laws can preserve their traditional knowledge, culture, morals and govern their social life. The study shows that they maintain a unique system of dispute settlement, inheritance, marriage and community governance through oral tradition and religious sanction.