Tribes, Nomads, and Settled Communities

Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities

• In many regions, society was divided according to varna rules as prescribed by Brahmanas.

Beyond Big Cities: Tribal Societies

• Tribes living outside cities didn't follow Brahmanical rituals.
• They lived in forests, hills, deserts and remote areas.
• Caste-based and tribal societies depended on each other for various needs.

Who were Tribal People?

• Tribal people lived in almost every region.
• Punjab → Khokhar, Gakkhars
• Multan and Sind → Langahs, Arghuns
• North-West → Balochis
• Western Himalaya → Gaddis
• North-East → Nagas, Ahoms
• Bihar & Jharkhand → Cheros, Mundas, Santals
• Deccan → Kolis, Berads, Koragas, etc.
• Central & Western India → Bhils
• Chhattisgarh, MP, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh → Gonds

How Nomads and Mobile People Lived

• Pastoralists moved with animals, lived off milk and pastoral products.
• They exchanged wool, ghee for other goods.
• Banjaras were important trader-nomads.
• Many reared and sold animals to prosperous people.

Changing Society: New Castes and Hierarchies

• Some tribes integrated into caste-based society and became jatis.
• Artisans like smiths, masons were recognized as jatis.
• New Rajput clans gained power among Kshatriyas.
• With Brahmana support, tribes entered the caste system.

A Closer Look

Gonds

• Lived in Gondwana region.
• Practised shifting cultivation.
• Divided into clans, each with its own raja.
• Administrative systems became centralised.
• Society became unequal as states grew.
• Garha Katanga was a rich Gond state.
• Mughals annexed part, rest given to Chandra Shah.
• Later defeated by Bundelas and Marathas.

The Ahoms

• Migrated to Brahmaputra valley from Myanmar in 13th century.
• Annexed Chhutiyas (1523), Koch-Hajo (1581), and subdued many tribes.
• Used firearms by 1530s; produced gunpowder, cannons by 1660s.
• Defeated by Mughals in 1662, but regained control.
• Relied on forced labour.
• Administration became centralised in 17th century.
• Society organised in khels or clans.
• Worshipped tribal gods;

  → By 1714–1744, Hinduism became dominant.

MCQs

1. Mundas and Santals lived in the region of

(a) Orissa and Bengal

(b) Bihar and Orissa

(c) Bengal and Assam

(d) Bihar and Uttar Pradesh

► (a) Orissa and Bengal

2. The Ahom state depended upon forced labour. Those forced to work for the state were called

(a) Bhuiya

(b) Itinerant

(c) Paiks

(d) Tanda

► (c) Paiks

3. Tribes obtained their livelihood from the following ways except

(a) Weaving

(b) Hunter-gatherers

(c) Herders

(d) Agriculture

► (a) Weaving

4. Which Gond raja of Garha Katanga, assumed the title of Sangram Shah

(a) Amar Das

(b) Aman Das

(c) Ram Das

(d) Rahim khan

► (b) Aman Das

5. Bastar is in

(a) Assam

(b) Uttar Pradesh

(c) Bihar

(d) Madhya Pradesh

► (d) Madhya Pradesh

6. The rise of which clans to the position of rulers set an example for the tribal people to follow many dominant tribes of Punjab, Sind and the North-West Frontier had adopted Islam quite early

(a) Ahoms

(b) Rajput

(c) Banjaras

(d) Gonds

► (b) Rajput

7. Nomads are

(a) Farmers people

(b) Hunting people

(c) Craft men people

(d) Wandering people

► (d) Wandering people

8. Raja Mansingh was the famous general of

(a) Babar

(b) Humayun

(c) Akbar

(d) Jahangir

► (c) Akbar

9. Under the rule of _____ hierarchy between social classes grew further in Delhi

(a) Mughals

(b) Cholas

(c) Britishers

(d) Dutchs

► (a) Mughals

10. Large tribe of Bhils was spread across

(a) Western and central India

(b) South and central India

(c) North and central India

(d) Eastern and central India

► (a) Western and central India

11. Few exceptions about the tribal people is

(a) They did not keep written records

(b) They preserved poor customs

(c) They have written traditions

(d) Customs were not passed down to each new generation

► (a) They did not keep written records

12. Cultivation in which trees and bushes in a forest area are first cut and burnt. The crop is sown in the ashes. When this land loses its fertility, another plot of land is cleared and planted in the same way. It is called

(a) Multiple cultivation

(b) Shifting cultivation

(c) Modern cultivation

(d) Burn Cultivation

► (b) Shifting cultivation

13. Emperor ____ wrote in his memoirs that the Banjaras carried grain on their bullocks from different areas and sold it in towns

(a) Akbar

(b) Babar

(c) Shahjahan

(d) Jahangir

► (d) Jahangir

14. The ____ and ____ depended on each other for their diverse needs. This relationship, of conflict and dependence, gradually caused both societies to change

(a) caste-based, race societies

(b) creed-based, tribal societies

(c) creed-based, race societies

(d) caste-based, tribal societies

► (d) caste-based, tribal societies

15. Durgawati was the daughter of

(a) Salbahan, the Chandel Rajput raja

(b) Ram Das, the Chandel Rajput raja

(c) Dalpat, the Chandel Rajput raja

(d) Aman Das, the Chandel Rajput raja

► (a) Salbahan, the Chandel Rajput raja

16. Koboi tribe live in

(a) Assam

(b) Manipur

(c) Arunachal Pradesh

(d) Meghalaya

► (b) Manipur

17. It is a group of families or households claiming descent from a common ancestor.

(a) Class

(b) Gang

(c) Departments

(d) Clan

► (d) Clan

18. Gond kingdom was divided into

(a) Clan

(b) Jati

(c) Group

(d) Garhs

► (d) Garhs