TRIBAL COMMUNITIES IN INDIA: STRENGTH AND DISTRIBUTION

• Tribal population in India (1991 census) was 67.76 million, forming 8.08% of the total population.
• India has the second largest tribal population in the world, after Africa.
• Tribes are spread across India, varying in strength from a few hundred to several lakhs.
• States with the highest tribal populations (1991 census):
  • Madhya Pradesh (15.4 million),
  • Maharashtra (7.3 million),
  • Orissa (7 million),
  • Bihar (6.6 million),
  • Gujarat (6.1 million).
• More than three-fifths (62.75%) of the tribal population resides in the five largest states.
• In Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh, tribal populations make up over 80% of the state’s total.
• Major tribal communities:
  • Gonds (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh) – 4 million,
  • Bhils (Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh) – 4 million,
  • Santhals (Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal) – more than 3 million.
• The smallest tribal community: Andamanese with a population of 19.
• Religion-wise distribution of tribals:
  • 89% Hindus,
  • 5.5% Christians,
  • 0.3% Buddhists,
  • 0.2% Muslims,
  • 5% others.
• Tribals’ relation to the Hindu social order:
  • (i) Incorporated: Accept caste structure (e.g., Bhils, Bhumij),
  • (ii) Positively oriented: Adopt Hindu symbols but not caste (e.g., Santhals, Oraon, Munda, Gonds),
  • (iii) Negatively oriented: Reject Hindu caste system (e.g., Mizos, Nagas),
  • (iv) Indifferent: Some tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Geographical distribution of tribal groups (L.P. Vidyarthi, 1972):
  • Himalayan Region: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura – 11% of total tribal population.
  • Middle India: West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa – 57% of the total tribal population.
  • Western India: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra – 25% of the total tribal population.
  • Southern India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andaman & Nicobar Islands – 7% of the total tribal population.
• Tribals belong to various racial groups (Proto-Australoid, Mongoloid, etc.), linguistic groups (Austric, Dravidian, Tibeto-Chinese), and economic categories (food-gatherers, cultivators, laborers).
• Wide variation in development level and socio-cultural integration among tribes.
• Tribals are generally technologically and educationally backward.
• Most tribes follow patrilineal social systems, but some, like the Garo, follow matrilineal systems.
• Some tribes have embraced Christianity (e.g., Nagas, Mizos, Santhals, Oraon, Munda), while others like the Bhutiaand Lepcha are associated with Buddhism.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF TRIBAL COMMUNITIES

• Tribes are isolated from larger cultural influences, with cultural homogeneity and simple technology.
• They believe in spirits, magic, and witchcraft.
• Tribes have taboos that prohibit certain actions, punishable by the community, supernatural, or magical consequences.
• Many tribes practice animism, where all objects (animate and inanimate) are inhabited by spirits or souls.
• Some tribes worship spirits and treat them with fear and respect.
• Ancestor worship is common in many tribes.
• Key features of tribes in India:
  • (1) Common name: Each tribe has a distinct name.
  • (2) Common territory: Tribes occupy common geographical areas.
  • (3) Common language: Each tribe speaks its own language or dialect.
  • (4) Common culture: Prescribed patterns of behavior, festivals, and deities.
  • (5) Endogamy: Marry within their tribe.
  • (6) Political organization: Tribes have their own political structures, often with councils of elders.
  • (7) Economic activity: 57% of tribals are economically active, compared to 43% of the national average.
  • (8) Work distribution:
    • 91% of tribals work in agriculture (vs. 73% national average),
    • 3% in manufacturing (vs. 11%),
    • 5% in the servicing sector (vs. 16%),
    • 1% in forestry and food-gathering.
• Tribes typically live in isolated terrains, relying on agriculture and gathering for livelihood.
• Distinguishing tribes from castes:
  • No specific criteria to distinguish a tribe from a caste.
  • A tribe is defined as a community with a common geographic area, similar language, and culture/beliefs.
• Scholars like G.S. Ghurye, T.B. Naik, F.G. Bailey, and Verrier Elwin have used criteria such as religion, geographical isolation, language, economic backwardness, and political organization to differentiate tribes from castes.
• Religion:
  • Tribes practice animism, while castes follow Hinduism.
  • Animism includes beliefs in spirits, possession, and magical influence.
  • Hinduism includes dharma, bhakti, karma, and rebirth, though some lower-caste Hindus share animistic beliefs.
  • Distinction between Animism and Hinduism is artificial and meaningless as many tribes adopt Hindu gods, customs, and rituals.
• Geographical isolation:
  • Tribes live in isolated regions like hills, while caste Hindus typically reside in plains.
  • Geographical isolation is no longer a relevant criterion, as both tribes and castes live in various terrains.
• Language:
  • Tribes have their own languages, but some tribes speak dialects of major Indian languages.
  • Language alone cannot distinguish tribes from castes.
• Economic backwardness:
  • Tribes are economically backward, but so are many caste Hindus.
  • Some tribes are economically advanced, so economic backwardness is not a distinguishing feature.
• Bailey’s Model:
  • Tribes and castes can be seen on a continuum.
  • Land control and right to land are key factors.
  • In tribal societies, people generally have direct access to land, whereas in caste-based societies, few are landowners.
  • Tribes are organized around segmentary solidarity, while castes are organized around organic solidarity.
• Tribes merging with castes:
  • Bailey, Ghurye, N.K. Bose, and M. Orans suggest tribes are gradually merging with caste systems due to agriculture and craft-based economies.
  • Tribes are becoming increasingly influenced by Hinduism, language, and economic structures of caste societies.
• Ghurye believed some tribes are not isolated from Hindu castes and are considered backward Hindus.
• Tribes and castes represent two ends of the same scale, with gradual merging occurring in India’s social system.