The Bhotia and Beyond: Peripheral Tribes of the Himalayas
The Bhotia people are native to the Himalayan region and are chiefly found in Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal, and Darjeeling. In Sikkim, the Bhotias inhabit the valleys around the Himalayas that lead down to the plains. Through its striking portraits of the marginal Himalayan tribes, "The People of India" conveys the authenticity and beauty of indigenous peoples via these treasured photographs.
Sikkim is home to the majority of the Lepcha tribe, who were the earliest inhabitants of the region. Additional communities of Lepchas can be found in western Bhutan, eastern Nepal, and West Bengal. The tribe originated as a subgroup of the Tibetan ethnic group and sustains strong economic and cultural connections with Tibetans. In terms of language, appearance, mannerisms, and attire, they are indistinguishable from the Tibetan people. Their way of life is nomadic in nature, as they lack permanent settlements and typically relocate within three years.
Bhutan is an inland country in southern Asia, situated on the southern slope of the eastern Himalayas. Sanskrit texts identify the Kuchi tribe as the indigenous people of Bhutan. Known as "Ngalop," these tribe members migrated in the 9th century AD from Tibet, China, into Bhutan's northern and western regions, bringing Buddhism and Tibetan culture with them. After a certain period, they move on to live elsewhere.
Compiled between 1868 and 1875 by John Forbes Watson and John William Kaye, the eight-volume work 'The People of India' centres on research reports about the Himalayan marginal tribes. Within it are 468 annotated photographs depicting the region's indigenous peoples. The project was born from Canning and his wife Charlotte's wish to assemble a photographic collection of native peoples.
At that time, photography was still an emerging technology. Canning came up with the concept for and conducted research on photographing the indigenous peoples of the Himalayas. The work eventually appeared as an atlas series spanning eight volumes. Through pictures and words, it vividly recorded the standard traits of these communities, including their physical features, clothing, traditions, daily routines, and other details.