RAJBANSHI SOCIETY AND CULTURE OF COOCH BEHAR ON THE PATH OF CHANGE: A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

The Rajbanshi community is a significant community in the whole district of Cooch Behar. However, it is a difficult task to determine the ethnic identity of the Rajbanshi of Cooch Behar. According to 1981 census, the population of the Rajbanshi community of Cooch Behar is 40.96% and the census of 1991 come and went 39.86%. The only majority community in Cooch Behar and greater North Bengal is the Rajbanshi people. Especially the Rajbanshi are in the eastern part of India like the northern part of west Bengal (Cooch Bihar, Jalpaiguri, Dinajpur, plain areas of Darjeeling, Alipurduar, Malda), lower part of Assam, they live in some parts of Meghalaya and some parts of Purina district of Badarpur Bihar in Nepal. There is considerable debate among historians as to the origin and development of the Rajbanshi. However, the ancient history testifies that despite the controversy, the Rajbanshi community played an important role in the governance and socio-cultural life of Cooch Behar during the Dynasty. The Rajbanshi community of Cooch Behar has its own society and culture which is different from other community. This culture especially helps to unite and consolidate their society. Rajbanshi society and culture occupy a significant place in India united in diversity. But recently it has been noticed that under the influence of modernity and globalization process the own and basic culture of Rajbanshi community of Cooch Behar is losing its identity and moving towards change.In this paper researchers would like to identify the culture and it's problem,how it's changes.