Himalayan Polyandry: Structure, Functioning and Culture Change. A Field Study of Jaunsar-Bawar

This book, published by Asia Publishing House in Bombay, is an ethnographic and sociological field study conducted by prominent Indian anthropologist Dhirendra Nath Majumdar. It examines the social structures, practices of polyandry, and ongoing cultural shifts in the Jaunsar-Bawar region of the Himalayas. This copy is a second 1963 printing. It has a dust jacket showing slight shelf ware that was at one point plastic-covered for protection. The book itself is black linen with gold foil writing on the spine and slight wear as photographed. It comes with the original Business Reply Card from the publisher. The first page is signed by the current owner, and includes pencil markings on the original price paid in 1970. The fore-edge has remnants of an ink stamp with the current owner's name. The spine is intact and mostly tight, with a little looseness to the stitches in the first 20 pages. There is no other writing or page damage than listed. There is a fold-out map just prior to Chapter One, black-and-white photographs in the center insert, and several tables within the text. Please review the listing photos as they form an important part of the description. The item shipped is the item photographed. The current owner, anthropologist and writer Don Messerschmidt, PhD, is known for his research and writings in and on the Himalayas. He has published books and articles internationally since the 1960s when he first lived in Nepal as an American Peace Corps volunteer. He went on to enhance his understanding of Himalayan peoples and places as an independent researcher and on numerous consultancies. For over a half-century, he has been engaged in field studies, university professorships, and writing about the rich cultures of Bhutan, Nepal, North India, and Tibet. Along the way, he amassed an extensive library of Himalayan studies and has written several of his own, including two prize-winners. He has also been an editor for two regional magazines and has been called upon to review and pen chapters and forewords for Himalayan-oriented publications.…