A Historical and Cultural Analysis of the Kota Tribe in Nilgiri Hills – A Study

S. Valarmathi1 and A. Theeba2*
1Ph.D. Research Scholar, PG & Research Centre, Department of History, Rani Anna Government College (Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University), Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.
2Associate Professor in History, PG & Research Centre, Department of History, Rani Anna Government College (Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University), Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Corresponding Author Email: valarmathiset@gmail.com
Keywords: Kota tribe, Nilgiri Hills, indigenous community, cultural heritage, traditional way of life, challenges, preservation, economic development, empowerment

Abstract

This study explores the history, culture, and challenges faced by the Kota tribe, an indigenous community living in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, India. With a population of around 1,500-2,000 people, the Kota tribe has a unique cultural heritage and traditional way of life. Despite facing numerous challenges, including poverty, lack of access to education and healthcare, and threats to their cultural heritage, the Kota tribe remains a resilient and proud community. This study aims to document the Kota tribe's history, culture, and challenges, and to highlight the importance of preserving their cultural heritage and promoting their economic development and empowerment.

Citation

S.Valarmathi and A.Theeba, A Historical and Cultural Analysis of the Kota Tribe in Nilgiri Hills – A Study, International Journal of Business and Economics Research (IJBER) e-ISSN: 2455-3921; 12.1 (2026): 56 – 61. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19555458

License

© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Dr. BGR Publications. The authors retain copyright of this article. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.

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