The
tribal population in Rajasthan is focused in the areas of Sirohi, Udaipur,
Dungarpur, Chittorgarh, and Banswara districts to the Kota, Sawai-Madhopur,
Tonk, Jaipur, and Kota districts. Bhil community is one of the ancient tribes
of India who could be identified as one of the Dravidian racial tribes of
Western India and fits Australoid groups of tribes. They are not gypsies. The
Bhil country of South-Western Rajasthan is mountainous, comprising the roughest
part of the Aravalli hills. They live inmates of separated hovels among the
hills. Their huts statuses on a little knoll in the middle of its way of
refined ground. The settlement has been divided into several paras or phalas that
offer shelter and defense in case of any violence. Bhil occupancy of Rajasthan
is a group of huts within a solitary attachment which is their strength as a
collective tribal community. They have migrated within India and settled as
well. The settlement process through migration even expanded in India`s far
northeast region such as in Tripura. The Meena’s is another tribal community of
Rajasthan comprises almost half of the tribal population. They live in thick
forests is called Mewasas. Mewasas settlement was one of the oldest forms of
tribal living place in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The groups of their
houses were called pal where most of the population fitted. Jaipur,
Sawai-Madhopur and Tonk territory were the areas where Meena’s were settled. The
term Meena is from the Sanskrit word meen which is fish. Meena community
originates from Lord Vishnu`s Matsya Avatar. The classification of Meena’s
community such as Purana Basis Meena’s and Naya Basis Meena’s dictated their
role in the society. Purana Basis Meena’s are agriculturists and Naya Basis
belong to the light-fingered who was accused of stealing traditionally. And
they had to go to the police station under the Criminal Tribal Act. The Garcia
community is another tribe of the Rajasthan state of India. They did not build
their houses as a group but infrequent adobes. They would build their houses at
the incline of the hills and heaps, where ground spread ahead of them. Houses would
be made by leaves and bamboo and little plastered over with cow-dung. It has
been said that Bhil tribal community related to Eklavya and from ancient times
they ruled over the territories of Southern Rajasthan. They were formed into
rulers like Dungariya which is Dungarpur, Bansia which is Banswara, Kotea which
is Kota and Dewa which is Udaipur. The bhil community in ancient times was
considered as one of the trustworthy soldiers and watchmen. The author Abul
Fazal wrote in his book Ain-i-Akbari about them that they were the most
diligent and law enduring populace. In Hindu Mythology Mata Shabari was a
well-known Bhil figure who offered half-eaten berries to Lord Rama and Lakshmana.
In Mahabharata existence of the Bhil community has been explained. The
settlement of other tribes in Rajasthan such as Santhals and Gonds has been
existing in a similar way to other tribes. Tribes of India has consisted of
three major groups: Bhil, Gond and Santhal. Bhil is the largest group of India
with a population of estimates 17071049. The Gond tribal group is the
second-largest with an estimated 13256928 population and the Santhal tribe
group is the third largest with an estimated population of 6570807. The
settlement and migration of the tribe`s community in India have been extended
through various routes and places within India. Gaddi tribe group is the
successors of Garhwa rulers of Rajasthan, who are living in South-western
Rajasthan, and migrated in the Western Himalayas in Kangra, and Chamba district
of Himachal Pradesh. Rajasthan is enriched by Bhil and Meena tribe’s community
mainly and both have contributed with their unique traditions, civilization, and
rites. This is how the tribe culture of Rajasthan is quite rich by various
communities of tribes such as Bhil, Meena, Santhal, Gond, Gadia Lohar, Bishnoi,
Meghval, Rabari, Garasia etc. They are all linked with Vedic India and have
been migrated since then to present India’s several states through an evolutionary
process. They settled from South-West Rajasthan to the North-East of Indian
states such as Tripura’s Bhil community, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Gujarat, Telangana. Their domestic migration process was due to obtain better
economic life from place to place. They have been modified themselves through
various evolutionary processes. Historically they were a part of India’s Vedic age,
Ramayana, and Mahabharata periods and survived themselves by following their
rituals, customs, and traditionalism. Historically they survived the attacks of
Hunas, Aryans, Sakas, Kusanas and successfully maintained their values, norms,
and ethics. The history of the tribe’s community of the world detects that they
were linked with soil, and nature such as the sun, the tribal communities of Rajasthan
are not different from the rest of the global tribe’s community. They accepted
Hinduism as their major religion through their connection with traditional
Santana Dharma of ancient India; however, Sikhism is also quite predominant amongst
these tribes of Rajasthan. The modern-day society creates a state-of-art image
in a socio-economic environment that creates influences of various religions
such as Buddhism, Christianity, Parsi, Islam and the tribes of Rajasthan take
up these religions as their religious faith as well as Hinduism and Sikhism. Cultivation
is still the main professionalism of those tribe communities of Rajasthan, but
due to modernization and the requirement of the settlement process, they
developed themselves as business and commercial personnel as well. At the core
of the state of Rajasthan, the Garsia tribes live with their resources of
ethos, art, and music, which makes their wonderful culture. The acculturation process was thus created in
Rajasthan through which the state has been turned into a global tourism spot
and destination in India. The tribes, desert, environment, dynasties, and
histories of Rajasthan have connected each other. Therefore, it has created a mystery
to everyone for the exploration of those ancient tribes and their activities. The
bhil community occupies a major position, while Gadia Lohar Tribe has
importance as well. They have superb language, food, habits, and stunning
clothes. All the tribes of Rajasthan distribute a common behaviour, but they
are different through jewels, get-ups, carnivals, and centenaries. Stories of
ethnic communities are not always good. In Rajasthan, it was a similar picture
of tribal communities. They were isolated from the mainstream of society. The
tribal of Southern Rajasthan was the first settlers in the country. They were
brutally tortured by the landlord of the feudal society from the beginning.
They were remaining illiterate, innocent because of their connection with nature
(soil and sun). After India`s independence, they have been given protection
constitutionally through various amendments and have been given reserve
community status. It has been observed that the tribal in southern Rajasthan
(Bhil) had been divided into classes that created hierarchies among them and
the colonial system influenced them for various social and economic
classification. They were deprived through this class system by the Jaigirdar
and little upper classes of their society. The Colonial system and the
traditionalism of feudalism, hierarchies made them isolated economically,
socially, and politically. The government of India expensed a lot of money for
the development of the tribal communities in Rajasthan to bring them into the
mainstream of Indian society. However, money has been utilized for the
non-tribal community development in some cases and areas by the district and
local administration. Feudalism and Rajasthan have especial relation and
connection with Bhil tribes. The development of tribes in the feudal system was
nothing but a horrifying period. Mewar and Dungarpur of southern Rajasthan were
given educational facilities for the Bhil boys. The settlement of Bhil tribes
in feudal India and Rajasthan was based on assured livelihood facilities such
as provide land for cultivation and other equipment. Rajput rulers paid for the
entire expenses on behalf of the Bhil community. It was a special relationship
between Bhil and Rajput rulers due to Bhil`s heroic work for the dynasty at
that time. Therefore, tribes in India
and Rajasthan have seen two special periods such as feudal India and India
after independence. Their settlement has been permanent by the initiative of
the government of India through the preservation of the communities. Under-five
years national development planning government of India has made community
development programs, rural society, Tribal development blocks. Overall, the
settlement process of Tribal communities finally has seen a real development under
the government assistance through a secular image from the form of their
ancient India, feudal India and India after independence.
References:
1. Webindia123.com.
2021. Tribal Settlements of Rajasthan - People of Rajasthan - Cultural
Complexity of Rajasthan. [online] Available at:
2. Mishra, M.,
2021. Comprehensive Essay On “Bhils Tribe” Of India. [online] World’s
Largest Collection of Essays! Published by Experts. Available at:
3. Kumar, M.,
2021. Tribes of India - Gond, Santhal, Munda, Khasi, Bhil, Tharu, Bhotia,
Buxa. [online] My academy - UPSC, PCS, Engg, SSC & RRB. Available at:
4. Tribesindia.in.
2021. About Rajasthan Tribal Peoples | Indiatribes.Com. [online] Available
at:
5. SHARMA, G. N.
(1986). Social and political awakening among the tribal of Rajasthan.
Jaipur, Centre for Rajasthan Studies, University of Rajasthan.
Sharma, G.N.
(1986). Social and Political Awakening Among the Tribal of Rajasthan
(Book, 1986) [Worldcat.Org]. [online] Worldcat.org. Available at:
Comments