In recent years changes of vast magnitudes are affecting the distribution, population density and way of life of human populations all over the world. It is important today to study the demographic structure and population biology of human communities because here the consequences of biosocial interactions are remarkably perceptible. It is only during the last few decades that we have become progressively aware to the problems relating to fertility and the bio-social factors affecting it.
The primary intention of this book is to show the extent of diversity in the bio-demographical patterns of the Kashmiri populations which may have been incorporated due to change in the socio-economic status and exposure to changed environment. Dr. (Mrs.) Kanan Kusum Sadhu has made a significant contribution by demonstrating effect of maternal constitution on their fertility performance and also relationship of physique of mother and sex ratio of their children among the Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims. The study assumes further significance as very little information is available on the population dynamics of the Kashmiri people of semi-urban as well as of urban origin.
The sex ratio as an indicator of the relative number of males and females in a population is a basic measure in demography and genetics. The author calls the Kashmiri population as 'masculine in character'. Among all the Kashmiri populations under study, the desired average number of sons is much higher than the daughters in both categories of parents those using birth control devices and those not using birth control devices. If the same populations are examined for different historic periods, there is, as one would expect, a general tendency within the recent past to form a distinct mendelian group and this seems to have occurred among the Kashmiri population.
I am very pleased to recommend this book to the students of Anthropology in particular and other readers in general.
The valley of Kashmir, which has been called paradise on earth and which is surrounded by the mountain ranges of North Western Himalayas, is inhabited by one ethnically homogeneous population comprising Pandits and Muslims. These two population groups share common heritage and common history, yet over the last six centuries they have come to differ from each other in faith, customs and many other aspects. Investigations were made to determine to what extent changes in socio religious-economic status and the physical environment has diversified the bio demographic pattern of these two groups. In the course of this investigation, I have made comparative study of these two religion-based communities in the matter of demographic structure and population biology. I have also observed that so far, the rural urban differenciation in bio demographic patterns has mainly attracted the anthropologists. In the modern India, due to economic and other factors, the population composition has been undergoing considerable change with the result that Semi-urban populations have started swelling in number. While making comparative studies, I have, therefore, selected representative urban and semi-urban population sample. Another factor which I could not overlook was the fact that in the post-Independence India, Delhi, the capital of our country, has become the second largest concentration of Kashmiri population. It was, therefore, felt necessary to study the effects of this changed environment as well. Further an assessment has also been made of the association that may exist between fertility and body dimensions among the two population groups to reveal the differentiations, if any.
This study was basically undertaken to present thesis to the University of Delhi which has awarded me the degree of Ph.D. The late Prof. P.K. Datta was my guide for this work and I remember with gratitude the guidance provided by him in this field. I am also grateful to Dr. A.K. Kalla who so painstakingly went through chapter after chapter of this book and gave me valuable suggestions for its improvement. I would also wish to express my gratitude to all those in the Department of Anthropo-logy of the University of Delhi who provided me with encouragement, assistance and guidance. My special thanks are due to Prof. S. C. Tiwari, Head of the Department for kindly writing a foreword for this book.
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