An Impact Assessment of Cultural and Administrative Factors on Differential Fertility Rates of Two Communities

[Muslim immigration to the North East especially to Assam is a comparatively new phenomenon. During British period, their numbers were very few. But today Muslim population in Assam itself has crossed 8.0 million marks forming about 31percent of the total population of the State. Islamic tradition has two distinctly observable traits in Assam. The one that is preserved by the people migrated to Assam during eighteen century who assimilated with the Assamese society in every possible way. This section is concentrated mainly in upper Assam region. The other is prominent among the immigrants who migrated from present neighbouring Bangladesh at different times during the twentieth century and established their residence right from central Assam to the lower Assam region. Apart from being Muslim, these two cultural groups have no common elements among themselves – rather they have unmatched social system of their own. This paper analyses the status of growth of Muslim population in two sets of districts one set in Upper Assam and another in lower Assam. It was found that despite religious homogeneity both the sets differ significantly in respect of their fertility. ]