describe kebang as an effective indigenous goverance system in arunachal pradesh
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Traditionally, the unit of administration and governance among the indigenous peoples was restricted to the village level. However, after means of communication developed, the sphere of administration and governance were expanded in which a number of villages came partially under one administrative system. Before colonial rule, indigenous peoples were effectively independent. Generally, four major institutions of authority governed indigenous political and administrative system: the Village Head or Chief, the Council of Elders, the Priestesses or Priests, and the Warriors. The four institutions worked closely together to safeguard the interest of the community. Customary law was used to govern and control the behavior of members of the community.
Because various tribes or communities were often at war with one another, prosperity, harmony and security were major considerations in the selection of community leaders. Thus, community leaders usually comprised of individuals who were knowledgeable about customs and tradition, have certain specialized knowledge, were wealthy, generous, brave and physically strong. Furthermore, personal integrity, reliability, honesty, wisdom and a sense of justice were valued as personal characteristics when selecting leaders.
The Chief or Village Head held the highest authority in term of hierarchy. She/he was responsible for the overall administration of the village and management of resources. She/he was also responsible for maintaining law and order in the village. The Chief or Village Head presided over village meetings and hearings and played a major role in ensuring that the traditional land boundaries, customary laws and rituals were followed. The Chief or Village Head was usually inherited as long as his/her personal integrity was fit enough in the eyes and standards of the villagers. In most cases, the Chief or Village Head was selected for his extensive knowledge of the custom, wisdom as well as his prowess and organizational ability to protect the village from raids.
The Council of Elders comprised of members of the community who were usually 40 years old and above. The Council advised the Chief or Village Head on all important matters concerning the village. The Council of Elders was the village administrative body, which made important decisions pertaining to security, development, justice, health, moral, spiritual standards of the community.
The Council of Elders sought their advice from the village Priestesses or Priests. The Priestesses were involved in most aspects of village life: birth, marriage and death as well as other daily activities such as farming, hunting and fishing. Besides being a medical specialist, the Priestesses were also ritual specialists who ensured moral and spiritual integrity. Tradition and custom formed the basis of individual behavior and it was believed that non-adherence to these traditional customs would bring diseases, sickness and natural disasters. To restore harmony, appropriate rituals had to be performed by the Priestesses. They were thus very influential and powerful figures in the community.
The last of the major institutions of authority was paramount leader or warrior who was responsible for security of the community by leading his group of warriors in protecting the village from outside intruders. The paramount leader or warrior was chosen for his prowess in war and in the defense of the community. He represents the higher authority but still seek the advice and assistance from the Priestesses to ward off enemies.