Ancient Land Research Articles

Segments of the ancient cultural landscape in the “Hungarian Corner” of Moravia: A valuable pre-industrial heritage

After a brief historical overview, the paper discusses two basic types of natural and cultural heritage in the territory of the “Hungarian corner” of Moravia. For 300 years, this area called a Campus Lucsco in the southeast of today’s republic was disputed territory between the Czech and Hungarian states. Settlement therefore proceeded slowly in waves depending on the political situation. The present international border was established around the year 1333. Numerous documents of the ancient landscape, probably of medieval origin, have been preserved in the current landscape. They are the ground plans of the cores of municipalities, whether they were founded by Czech or Hungarian landlords on one hand, and the remains of ancient land distribution in the form of narrow strips of agricultural land on the other hand. Other areas succumbed to land consolidation during land reforms in the 20th century. While the ground plans of the village cores are only subject to minor changes, the small-scale use of land is still threatened by further merging. The ground plans of the municipalities and land division at the present time (in colour orthophoto maps) were visually compared with the situation documented by the stable cadastre maps from the 1820s–1830s (see Figure 3). Only identical areas in both sources represent urban and rural segments of the pre-industrial landscape, whose roots go back to the dated Medieval Ages. They are documented on selected representative examples well-preserved ground plans of village cores, probably of integrated Hungarian and Czech origin. Similarly, well-preserved examples of the ancient division of agricultural land in flat and dissected terrain both with poly-functional and mono-functional land use are demonstrated. The best-preserved remnants of the ancient pre-industrial landscape are equal in value to protected areas of nature and cultural monuments. Their number and quality these remnants are threatened by economic pressure.

Study on the Provenance and Tectonic Setting of Mudstone in the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation of the Yanyuan Basin on the Western Margin of the Yangtze Platform

This study investigates the provenance and tectonic background of the lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation black shale of the Yanyuan Basin in the western Kangdian ancient land and provides guidance for shale gas exploration and development in the area. The mineral petrological and geochemical characteristics of the Longmaxi Formation black shale in this area have been studied in detail. The study area is mainly a passive continental margin environment, but also has the attributes of an active continental margin and island arc environment due to the collision between the western oceanic crust and the Yangtze continental crust. The source rocks are mainly felsic igneous rocks, with a small contribution of intermediate–basic rocks. It is inferred that the Kangdian ancient land in the eastern part of the area could be the main provenance area, but with the contribution of sediments derived from oceanic island arc located in the west. During the whole Longmaxi period, the tectonic movement was intense, the climate was cold, the degree of chemical weathering was low, and it was a highly volatile geological sedimentary basin. Therefore, the highly siliceous organic-rich mudstone, which was different from the Sichuan Basin, was deposited.

Beyond Visualization: Remote Sensing Applications in Prehispanic Settlements to Understand Ancient Anthropogenic Land Use and Occupation in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia

AbstractArchaeology is increasingly employing remote sensing techniques such as airborne lidar (light detection and ranging), terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and photogrammetry in tropical environments where dense vegetation hinders to a great extent the ability to understand the scope of ancient landscape modification. These technologies have enabled archaeologists to develop sophisticated analyses that overturn traditional misconceptions of tropical ecologies and the human groups that have inhabited them in the long term. This article presents new data on the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia that reveals the extent to which its ancient societies transformed this landscape, which is frequently thought of as pristine. By recursively integrating remote sensing and archaeology, this study contributes to interdisciplinary scholarship examining ancient land use and occupation in densely forested contexts.

A Study of Ballad Literary Techniques, Aesthetic sense and Bravery of a Tamizhachi through the lens of Vanavil K. Ravi’s The Ballad of the Warrior Girl Kuyili

Tamilnadu, the ancient land with many accolades including the eminent language, culture, bravery, hospitality has more crown and feather to its caps. Its achievements and accomplishments knew no bounds. Endless song on the praise of Tamil and Tamil culture can be sung for ages and ages. Among the versatility of Tamil culture, the bravery of female warriors cannot be ignored. One such significant contribution is The Ballad of the Warrior Girl Kuyili by Vanavil. K. Ravi. Through this text, the magnificent achievement and the contribution of female warriors for the independence is well brought out and presented to the younger generation. This paper explores the techniques, aesthetic sense and bravery of blood in a woman. The ballad form employed by the poet adds more flavour and enthusiasm while approaching this text, henceforth this paper ventures to explore on the aspects of Ballad form in addition.

Some Features of the Learning - Success in the Land of “Co Bon”

Located in the deltas of Ma River, Chu River, Co Bon village, Dong Thanh commune, Dong Son district, Thanh Hoa province, it is an ancient land, where the sacred gas of rivers and mountains converges, gathering of residential areas long before. Not only that, but this place is also famous for its glorious tradition in the process of building and defending the country and carrying many traditional cultural features of the nation. One of them is the tradition of studiousness - academic excellence. Perhaps that's why this place is always mentioned as the "cradle", the "umbrella" of the Thanh school, producing many talents whose names and careers are recorded in history books, and admired by the people.

Właściwości i zastosowanie lecznicze żywicy jodły syryjskiej w historii medycyny i farmacji

The Syrian fir [Abies cilicica (Antoine & Kotschy) Carrière] is a slender tree found in the mountainous areas of Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. Its name recalls an ancient land called Cilicia, located in modern-day Turkey; the capital city of this land was Tarsus, where an important trade route called the Gates of Cilicia ran. The rich medicinal properties of the resin naturally flowing from this tree were appreciated by the ancient Egyptians as early as in the Old Kingdom period. It was used as an antiseptic, anti–inflammatory and diuretic agent, but also in cosmetics: an important ingredient of preparations strengthening weakened hair, skin firming and wrinkle reducing. Respiratory ailments, mainly persistent coughs, were widely treated with preparations containing the Syrian fir resin, which was also noted by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder in his famous Naturalis Historia. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the medicinal properties of the Syrian fir, primarily of its resin, and the time period in which it was used for therapeutic purposes. A thorough analysis of the botanical, medical and pharmaceutical literature brings to a conclusion that Syrian fir was often used in the abovementioned applications in ancient times. Since the Middle Ages and continuing into the 19th century, native, neighboring, more popular varieties of fir trees, like the balsam fir, or the Canadian fir, were more often used for medicinal purposes. Many other common species of coniferous trees were used as well, especially the Pinus sylvestris, thanks to which the pine tar (Pix liquida Pini) can still be used today.

The Endangered Ancient Cultural Landscape Heritage in Moravian Plains

The inventory of remnants from the pre-industrial cultural landscape in Moravia was conducted between 2016 and 2020 across 3075 cadastral areas. This comprehensive project, supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, aimed to document the historical heritage systematically. By comparing the present land use structure through recent orthophotomaps with cadastral mapping from the 1820s-1830s, over 1100 areas re-sembling their appearance from almost two centuries ago were identified. The primary ob-jective of the current research was to discern connections between inventory results and regional as well as local terrain conditions. Historically, the prevalent land use featured narrow strips of fields, often supplemented by aristocratic estates. Unfortunately, only 96 segments of the ancient pre-industrial landscape have endured in the plains region. Among these, a mere 73 are situated on flat terrain (with slopes up to 3°), indicating the pronounced impact of homogenized land use, transforming the plains of Moravia into large, monotonous blocks of arable land. Assessing the preservation of the ancient land use structure, 16 remnants of the historical landscape with a dominance of large-scale use on former estates stand out as being in the best condition on the plains. Only 12 areas exhibit exceptional preservation of the land division into small plots, and of these, a mere seven are located on flat terrain. It is plausible that these areas, characterized by a detailed land tenure possibly dating back to the Middle Ages, represent a historical natural and cultural landscape heritage comparable in value to protected constructions and legally safeguarded natural areas. These specific regions should garner interest and prove suitable for voluntary forms of nature and landscape protection. URL: https://www.gcass.science.upjs.sk/

Beached swords from Marano Lagoon (northern Adriatic) reveal ancient land–sea connections and recent coastal evolution

AbstractDepositional and erosional processes, subsidence and sea‐level changes have strongly modified the coastal landscape of northern Adriatic lagoons. Such rapid transformations have induced significant consequences on human settlements and, thus, on the archaeological visibility of the area, still largely unexplored. We present here six metal swords fortuitously retrieved by fishermen over the last decades in front of the barrier islands of Marano Lagoon (north‐eastern Italy). Multi‐analytical analyses carried out on the artefacts (X‐ray radiography and computed micro‐tomography, radiocarbon dating and typo‐chronology) combined with the study of the coastal paleo‐environment (mainly based on historical cartography and remote sensing) allowed the items’ main features to be defined, and highlighted both the historical importance of the area and the significant morphological changes that have occurred there over the last millennium. Data presented indicate that Marano Lagoon was a major hub in the northern Adriatic in the Late Middle Ages, during the crucial period of the Crusades, and in Early Modern times, connecting inland Europe with the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, the research highlights the onset of coastal erosion that occurred in the last century after a phase of relatively geomorphic stability, possibly deriving from the intensification of human impact and climate change.

The Fire and Sermon

The Fire and Sermon Abhay K. (bio) After T.S. EliotThe river’s soul is slashed: its five fingersFractured and dammed with an imaginary border. The windCrosses back and forth the ancient land, unhindered. The saint has departed.Sweet Indus, flow gently, till I sing again.The river bears no blood stains, partition papers,Silk flags, passports, blue or greenOr other remains of dark midnights. The saint has departed.And their successors, the drifting souls of the subcontinent;The departed have left only their words of wisdom.By the lost waters of Sarasvati1 I sit down and weep . . .Sweet Indus, flow gently till I sing again,Sweet Indus, flow gently, for I tread rough terrain.I hear explosions in Pokhran2The split of the atoms, shockwaves ripping the world apart. Violent storms blew through the desertDrowning villages and cities in sandWhile I was strolling at Bandra bandstandOn a hot summer evening in BombayThe desert shook again, this time in Quetta3 [End Page 291] While I was grazing a cowherd in BalochistanDust rose in the sky turning the day into nightAnd the dry hot winds from the desert destroyedAll the sunflowers from Peshawar to Kanyakumari.But from time to time I hear talks of sunflowersBeing revived or of planting a new crop of similar kindWhich will grow as fast and shine as bright.O the sun shines bright in the desertAnd there is no waterWe drink only milk and eat only dessertSarve bhavantu sukhin, sarve santu niamayahSarve bhadrani pashyantu, ma kaschit dukh bhag bhavet! 4 Ram Ram Sita RamHare Krishna Hare HareIshwar Allah Tero NamSabko Sanmati De Bhagwan 5 Eternal CityUnder the smog of a November noonMrs. Kaul, the Civil ServantBright as ruby, in her finest SariStitched in Benares by Banke Bihari,Asked me gently in HinglishTo dine at the India International CentreFollowed by a luminous night at a five-star hotel. At the midnight hour, when the world sleepsTurning and tossing in beds, when the humanity recuperatesLike a frog hibernating in winter,I, Lord Mountbatten, though blind, swinging across the subcontinent, [End Page 292] Partitioned with a pen on paper, can seeAt the midnight hour, the sun setting over the British EmpireHeading homeward, as the sailor returns home from sea,It’s teatime in London, time to make one’s own breakfast, lightOne’s own stove, and to open canned tin food.Of the vast empireOver which the Sun never set,What has been left?Souvenirs, loot, kohinoor, and maps?I, Mountbatten, now an old man with wrinkled skinForesaw what was coming, and left the scene—All awaited that expected moment.Nehru, the impatient man with the gift of gab, arrived,The last Englishman, Macaulay’s true son,One of a kind the British could trustSomeone who could speak the language, a confidante.The propitious hour arrived at midnight, as he agreed,The Raj ended, India woke up from centuries of slumber,for its tryst with destinybut broken and limping.Partitioned and bleeding, assaulted by invadersand tribesmen heavily armed;inviting immediate response,that made a substantial difference.(And I, the Time, have foreseen it allEnacted on this same ancient land of Bharat;I have fought in Kurukshetra and KarnalAnd walked among the dead after the great war of Mahabharat.)I Mountbatten deliver my final farewell speech,And grope my way, after the sunset (on the Empire), to the sea . . . [End Page 293] India heaves a sigh of relief,Fully aware of its new found freedom;Its numb amputated body feels a streak of terror:It must move on: now what’s done is done.When even great men stoop to folly andCommit despicable acts partitioning the landIt wipes tears with its tender left hand,And sobs silently alone at dawn. A new music plays in the Moghul gardensAnd along the Rajpath, up the Central Secretariat.O Delhi o Delhi, I can sometimes hearBeside a public monument at the India Gate,The pleasant sounds of the...

ПРАВОВАЯ КУЛЬТУРА В АЗЕРБАЙДЖАНЕ В ПЕРИОД ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ И РАСПРОСТРАНЕНИЯ ИДЕОЛОГИИ ЗОРОАСТРИЗМА

Legal culture is closely connected with the social organization of society and is largely determined by the state and level of legal consciousness of people. The critical state of legal consciousness is one of the indicators of a low level of legal culture. It is well known that legal culture implies knowledge of the basic principles of law, awareness of the fundamental provisions of the current legislation and the ability to apply them. The lack of a legal base for the most important social relations, as well as the necessary knowledge of the most important legal norms, the provisions of the current legislation among subjects or citizens leads to the fact, that they cannot exercise their rights, without knowing about their rights and obligations, they will not be able to protect their legitimate interests. This article deals with the legal culture of ancient Azerbaijan, namely the Zoroastrian ideology, which is directly related to the formation of legal consciousness and political and legal culture of people living in this territory. The issues of the influence of the Zoroastrian religious and legal doctrine not only on the legal life of the inhabitants of this ancient land, but also on the formation of subsequent religious and philosophical and legal ideological trends in Azerbaijan are considered.

Պանթյուրքականության խնդիրը Իրանի Իսլամական Հանրապետությունում 2005-2013 թթ․

Ethnic nationalism is an important component of the internal political life of any country, given the need to strengthen the internal security of that country, and in the case of Iran, being also at the crossroads of civilizations and ethnic groups. The activities of ethnic nationalists in western and southwestern Iran, where the economic and religious situation is markedly different from other Iranian provinces, and the potential for provocations by foreign forces in those areas may be significant. The situation is exacerbated by the existence of so-called "irredentism". On the one hand, Iran has the opportunity to influence its neighbors, but on the other hand, its neighbors can incite their target ethnic group to inter-ethnic clashes in Iran. In the context of the above, the issue of pan-Turkism in Iran is an important subject of discussion, which refers to the now Turkic-speaking historical Aturpatakan region, where activists try to promote pan-Turkic aspirations, mainly as foreign actors, with the ultimate goal of secession of this ancient land from Iran. It should be noted that the ethnic consciousness of this group is mainly determined not by the circumstance of linguistic affiliation, Turkish speaking, but by religious affiliation, the factor of being Shia. It is important in terms of ethnic self-awareness, forming an identity that can be defined by the term "Turkic-speaking Iranian". However, it should be noted that the Iranian authorities are in full control of the situation. Attempts at mass actions and protests are suppressed, activists are arrested, and the socio-political activities of NGO leaders are monitored. As for the neighboring countries, Iran had its own levers of pressure on the internal situation of those countries, such as the Shiite factor in Azerbaijan, the threat of exporting the Islamic Revolution, and ethnic conflicts in Turkey, which allowed Iran to maintain the balance of power.

Multiscaled Archaeological Survey in Eastern Iberia: Ancient Settlement Dynamics, Agrarian Practices, and Rural Landscapes

ABSTRACT This paper presents the ancient settlement pattern and rural landscape recognized in the archaeological survey of the Upper Vinalopó Valley (Alicante Province, eastern Spain). The archaeological fieldwork was assisted by geospatial techniques such as GIS, lidar, GPS, and GPR that allowed analyzing the obtained results along multiple scales. Through this data, we analyze the occupation dynamics and ancient land use during ancient times (2nd century b.c.–3rd century a.d.), attending especially to the intensification process linked to agrarian practices such as manuring. In this sense, the historical dynamics of the region are recognized and compared within a regional framework. In addition, we propose a socio-economic organization of agricultural work that contributes to the global discussion of intensification processes and agrarian strategies worldwide.

Sharks in Sangam Literary Fishermen's Lives and Contemporary Fishermen's Lives

The Sangam literature consists of texts that explain the internal lives of peoples from five ancient Tamil land divisions. In this anthology, Neythal explains the life of the sea and the fishermen who are dependent on the sea and also describes the sea creatures of marine life. Records of fishes are also found among these species. 18 types of fish are found in this way. Similarly, the writer conducted a field survey of fishermen living in Pamban village in Rameswaram circle, Ramanathapuram district, and found 204 types of fish. The five types of fish found in Sangam literature are lobster fish, codfish, shark fish, swordfish, and sawshark fish, and they are found in the lives of modern fishermen. The main occupation of fishermen is fishing. These fishing methods were documented in Sangam literature by poets of the time. Sharks mentioned in Sangam literature are also found among fishermen living in four places: Pondicherry, Cuddalore District, Mandapam, and Pampan (Ramanathapuram District). Here, the names of these sharks, their types, their habitats, characteristics of sharks, hunting of sharks, food of sharks, breeding patterns, worship of sharks, and other uses of sharks have been investigated.

Geological Characteristics and Development Techniques for Carbonate Gas Reservoir with Weathering Crust Formation in Ordos Basin, China

The carbonate gas reservoir is one of the most important gas formation types; it comprises a large proportion of the global gas reserves and the annual gas production rate. However, a carbonate reservoir with weathering crust formation is rare, and it is of significant interest to illustrate the geological characteristics of this kind of formation and present the emerging problems and solution measures that have arisen during its exploitation. Therefore, in this research, a typical carbonate gas reservoir with weathering crust formation that is located in Ordos Basin, China, was comprehensively studied. In terms of formation geology, for this reservoir, the distribution area is broad and there are multiple gas-bearing layers with low abundance and strong heterogeneity, which have led to large differences in gas well production performance. Some areas in this reservoir are rich in water, which seriously affects gas well production. Regarding production dynamics, the main production areas in this gas reservoir have been stable on a scale of 5.5 billion cubic meters for more than a decade, and the peripheral area has been continually evaluated to improve production capacity. Nevertheless, after decades of exploration and development, the main areas of this reservoir are faced with several problems, including an unclear groove distribution, an unbalanced exploitation degree, low formation pressure, and increases in intermittent gas wells. To deal with these problems and maintain the stability of gas reservoir production, a series of technologies have been presented. In addition, several strategies have been proposed to solve issues that have emerged during the exploration and exploitation of peripheral reservoir areas, such as low-quality formation, unclear ancient land and complex formation-water distribution. These development measures employed in the carbonate gas reservoir with weathering crust formation in the Ordos Basin will surely provide some guidance for the efficient exploitation of similar reservoirs in other basins all over the world.

Forest Fire History in Amazonia Inferred From Intensive Soil Charcoal Sampling and Radiocarbon Dating

Fire has a historical role in tropical forests related to past climate and ancient land use spanning the Holocene; however, it is unclear from charcoal records how fire varied at different spatiotemporal scales and what sampling strategies are required to determine fire history and their effects. We evaluated fire variation in structurally intact, terra-firme Amazon forests, by intensive soil charcoal sampling from three replicate soil pits in sites in Guyana and northern and southern Peru. We used radiocarbon (14C) measurement to assess (1) locally, how the timing of fires represented in our sample varied across the surface of forest plots and with soil depth, (2) basin-wide, how the age of fires varies across climate and environmental gradients, and (3) how many samples are appropriate when applying the 14C approach to assess the date of last fire. Considering all 14C dates (n = 33), the most recent fires occurred at a similar time at each of the three sites (median ages: 728–851 cal years BP), indicating that in terms of fire disturbance at least, these forests could be considered old-growth. The number of unique fire events ranged from 1 to 4 per pit and from 4 to 6 per site. Based upon our sampling strategy, the N-Peru site—with the highest annual precipitation—had the most fire events. Median fire return intervals varied from 455 to 2,950 cal years BP among sites. Based on available dates, at least three samples (1 from the top of each of 3 pits) are required for the sampling to have a reasonable likelihood of capturing the most recent fire for forests with no history of a recent fire. The maximum fire return interval for two sites was shorter than the time since the last fire, suggesting that over the past ∼800 years these forests have undergone a longer fire-free period than the past 2,000–3,500 years. Our analysis from terra-firme forest soils helps to improve understanding of changes in fire regime, information necessary to evaluate post-fire legacies on modern vegetation and soil and to calibrate models to predict forest response to fire under climate change.

The Diaries of Judith Malina, 1958–1971 (Excerpt)

The Diaries of Judith Malina, 1958–1971 (Excerpt)

Did agriculture beget agriculture during the past several millennia?

The Early Anthropogenic Hypothesis posits that carbon emissions from ancient farming caused global warming by raising greenhouse gas concentrations (GHG) during the late-Holocene, in contrast to declining GHG during prior interglacials. Here, we explore whether this hypothesized pre-industrial anthropogenic climate change also fostered agriculture by creating more favorable growing conditions. We investigate this question using transient GCM experiments and the Cultivation Suitability Index, CSI, which quantifies farming potential based on climatic and soil factors. The Community Earth System Model (CESM) simulated the climate of the last 6000 years under two alternative forcing scenarios: (1) ACTUAL: orbital variations, historical land cover change, and observed GHG increase; and (2) NATURAL: orbital variations, fixed (natural) land cover, and expected natural GHG decline. The CSI was computed using CESM model output and observed soil properties. Ancient land clearance affected the simulated climate both biogeochemically (via carbon emissions) and biogeophysically (altered surface albedo and land-atmosphere energy fluxes). Biogeochemical effects generally dominated, as evidenced by a warmer (and slightly wetter) global climate in ACTUAL versus NATURAL by year 1850. But a few regions were cooler in ACTUAL, especially interior Eurasia during winter-spring, due to a higher surface albedo from cropland. The expansion of agriculture generally mitigated the orbitally induced decline in cultivation potential in boreal extratropics but worsened it in low latitudes. Our results suggest that ancient farming may have thus promoted a “push-pull” migration during the late-Holocene by inducing climate changes that encouraged a northward spread of agriculture.

Differential Accumulation of Metabolites and Transcripts Related to Flavonoid, Styrylpyrone, and Galactolipid Biosynthesis in Equisetum Species and Tissue Types.

Three species of the genus Equisetum (E. arvense, E. hyemale, and E. telmateia) were selected for an analysis of chemical diversity in an ancient land plant lineage. Principal component analysis of metabolomics data obtained with above-ground shoot and below-ground rhizome extracts enabled a separation of all sample types, indicating species- and organ-specific patterns of metabolite accumulation. Follow-up efforts indicated that galactolipids, carotenoids, and flavonoid glycosides contributed positively to the separation of shoot samples, while stryrylpyrone glycosides and phenolic glycosides were the most prominent positive contributors to the separation of rhizome samples. Consistent with metabolite data, genes coding for enzymes of flavonoid and galactolipid biosynthesis were found to be expressed at elevated levels in shoot samples, whereas a putative styrylpyrone synthase gene was expressed preferentially in rhizomes. The current study builds a foundation for future endeavors to further interrogate the organ and tissue specificity of metabolism in the last living genus of a fern family that was prevalent in the forests of the late Paleozoic era.

KARABAKH-LAND OF ANCIENT UNIQUE ARCHAEOLOGICAL CULTURES OF THE CAUCASUS

The ancient land of Azerbaijan, Karabakh, has gone through different stages from ancient times to modern times. Karabakh has a rich history, where the stages of primitive society, and the archaeological cultures of the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages have been consistently represented since the creation of prehistoric man. Karabakh archaeology, one of the urgent issues of Azerbaijani archaeology, is very important in this regard. Karabakh, the land of unique archaeological cultures such as Guruchay, Leylatapa, Kur- Araz, Goycha- Uzerlik, and Khojaly- Gadabay, is distinguished by the richness of archaeological monuments. Azykh and Taghlar caves, Bronze Age mounds, Uzerliktepe, Yedditepe, Goytapa, grave monuments of Khojaly-Gadabay culture, Albanian period settlements, grave monuments, Albanian temples, Islamic period monuments replace each other chronologically. The study of historical, archaeological, and architectural monuments in the land of ancient archaeological cultures - Karabakh, is always relevant as a priority of science.

Soft Power, Crisis of Existence and the Tribal People of Kerala:A Study of Mother Forest, the Unfinished Story of C. K. Janu

Joseph Nye coined the term “soft power” which he says means “getting others to want the outcomes that you want.” The world’s largest democracy India is also the home of millions of impoverished people including many indigenous tribes that are impediments to the desired rapid economic and political growth of India. Mother Forest: The Unfinished Story of C. K. Janu, written by Janu Bhaskaran and translated from the original Malayalam into English by N. Ravi Shanker, narrates the story of the struggle of the Adiyas, a tribal people of Kerala, whose identity and livelihood is threatened when they are dispossessed of their ancient land in the forest. The tribe is led by Janu, a girl from their community, whose struggles against the soft power of the State inform the crisis of existence of these tribal people. This paper will attempt to study the crisis of existence of the tribal people in the narrative of Mother Forest using Nye’s theory of “soft power”. This paper will attempt to expose the authoritarianism of State policies vis a vis the helplessness of the indigenous people in the face of displacement from their original habitat as described in Mother Forest.