About This Book
A systematic ethnographic survey documents the peoples of southern India through field measurements, photographs, phonograph records, and archival research. It provides concise profiles of hundreds of castes and tribes within the Madras Presidency and neighbouring native states, detailing physical data alongside descriptions of kinship, ritual, customary law, occupations, and material culture. Entries mix observational notes and comparative commentary, supported by illustrations and references to district sources, aiming to map regional variation in social practices, belief, and lifeways across hill and lowland communities.