Agricultural, Ecological, and Anthropological Knowledge in the Aphorisms of Ghaagh from the Indo-Gangetic Plains

Anthropological research has shown that vast amounts of traditional knowledge can remain embedded in verbal discourse of indigenous communities. This knowledge is usually unrecorded. Instead, it is preserved by oral transmission from one generation to another. Hence, it has a fragile existence which is closely interlinked with the equally fragile existence of the community itself. Understanding and preservation of this knowledge is critical for a complete understanding of the life of people in the community. In the Indian context, one such collection of indigenous knowledge are the aphorisms of Ghaagh. Since the medieval times, these aphorisms have been quite popular among the traditional agrarian communities in the Gangetic plains of the northern part of India. The aphorisms were quite important and widespread once upon a time, and they continue to leave an indelible mark on the lives of people in these communities even today. However, quite unfortunately, in the last few decades, the aphorisms are dying a slow death, becoming victim to a local version of the increasingly global and worrying phenomenon, namely that of rapid disappearance of traditional ways of life . We have translated the aphorisms of Ghaagh compiled by respected scholars like Ram Naresh Tripathi, Dev Narayan Dwivedi, and others. The aphorisms are an excellent introduction to the traditional way of life in the north Indian villages since medieval times, along with the prevalent belief systems, social structure and occupational demography. They also bring out hitherto unrecorded knowledge locked up in the vast collective experience of the Indo-Gangetic civilisation that has lived on since thousands of years.