Medicinal Practices of a Downtrodden Castes: Reflections on the Folk Medicinal Practices of the Rajbanshis of Sub-Himalayan Bengal

Since a couple of decades, ‘history of science, technology and medicine’ has received wide attention of historians all across the world. They have paid adequate attention to explore the scientific and technological contributions of India in the global history of science. Simultaneously, the institutionalized form of certain medicinal practices and health seeking traditions of India have achieved international recognition for their medicinal values. Even the traditional medicinal practices of India are being studied with great interest with a scientific outlook. However, there are several indigenous [tribal/ autochthonous/ adibashi] communities whose traditional medicinal practices have remained beyond the purview of history of medicine. In such a context, the present article has attempted to explore the folk medicinal practices, preventive food habits, folk culture and health seeking behaviour of the Rajbanshis of Sub-Himalayan Bengal [Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts of West Bengal] with a historical perspective.