ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the Kuki economy – lives and livelihoods against the backdrop of the Anglo-Kuki War. Two agriculture seasons have been expended, two winters and two rainy seasons have been toiled. Most of their villages, houses, livestock and granaries had been destroyed by the British columns operating in the Kuki country. But how could they survive for so long without cultivation? Were they extorting from other tribes as the colonial accounts reported, or were there any other sources of livelihood? This takes us back to explore their traditional mode of production, agricultural practice and food security that can help us explain how the Kukis could sustain their fight against the mighty British forces – and withstand them – for two long years. It also reminded us of the importance of their agro-political practices, particularly their typical economics of root crops such as bal (taro), gamha (yam), and so on. In other words, their sense of food security system – how did they reserved or preserved their food items for any eventuality such as famine, warfare and other calamities? How is economy interwoven in the Kuki sociocultural practices? The idea of sharing and caring was deeply rooted in their everyday life, and their economic practices also enriched their sense of solidarity. As stated, the chapter purports to re-examine the traditional agriculture practice or subsistence strategies.
