Ch 4 Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age 1.pdf

Social science class 8

1. Class-VIII
V.Haimavathi Mahadevi, TGT-Social Science,JNV,Bangalore Rural
On behalf of NVS , I
extend my profound
gratitude to the sites
for the pictures .

2. Major Concepts
1.Introduction
2.Traditional Occupations of the Tribals of India
3.Change in their life style under the British
4.Effect of such changes-Condition of Tribal Chieftains, of
Jhum Cultivation, of Trade and Unemployment
5.Tribal Rebellion under Birsa Munda and other Revolts
6.Elsewhere
Essential Question
Had the Tribal Rebellion been successful, how will be the
life of the Tribals during the present scenario?

3. After learning the Chapter, the pupil will be able to
•To list a few major Tribal groups of India and locate their
areas on the map of India
•To describe the major occupations of the tribals of India
before the advent of the Europeans
•To discuss the plight of the tribal people under the British
•To describe the struggle of the tribal communities
against the Dikus
And the achievements of Birsa Munda
To acquire knowledge about the life of tribes elsewhere

4. Difficult Terms
Sleeper – The horizontal
planks of wood on which
railway lines are laid
Bewar – A term used
in Madhya Pradesh for
shifting cultivation
Fallow – A field left uncultivated for
a while so that the soil recovers
fertility
Sal – A tree
Mahua – A flower that
is eaten or used to make
alcohol
Vaishnav – Worshippers
of Vishnu

5. Difficult Terms
Dikus-Outsiders, mostly
money lenders and
traders who exploited the
tribals
Broadcasting-scattering
seeds in Shifting
Agriculture
Jhum cultivation-Shifting
Agriculture also known as
„Slash and Burn „method.
Plantation- an estate on which
crops such as coffee, sugar,
and tobacco are grown.
Sardar-Leader

6. Activity -1 . Match the
pictures with the words given
in brackets. (Plantation,
Broadcasting seeds, Jhum
Cultivation, Vaishnavite,
Mahua, Sleeper, Fallow, Sal)

7. Part-1 –General Introduction

8. 1.Gaddis of Himachal Pradesh
2.Van Gujjars of Himachal Pradesh,
Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat
3.Bhotias of Uttarakhand
4.Saharias and Bhils of Rajasthan
5.Banjaras of Deccan
6.Baigas and Gonds of Central India
7.Santhals of Jharkhand and West Bengal
8.Koyas of Odisha and Telugu States
9.Khonds and Kandhas of Orissa
10.Mala Irulas of Kerala

11.Khasis of Meghalaya and Assam

12.Nagas of Nagaland

13.Nishis of Arunachal Pradesh
Some Tribal Groups of India

9. The Dangaria Kandha or
Dongria Khond people are
members of the Khonds.
They are located in the
Niyamgiri hills in
of Odisha They sustain
themselves from the
resources of the Niyamgiri
forests, practising
horticulture and shifting
cultivation.

10. Bhils are popularly known as
the bow men of Rajasthan.
The name 'Bhil' is derived
from the word villu or billu,
which means „bow‟ in
Dravidian languages.
It is said that the Bhil women
offered ber to Lord Rama.

11. Santhals reside mostly in
the states of West
Bengal, Bihar and
Jharkhand
The livelihood of the
Santhals revolve around
the forests they live in.
Santhals possess the
unique skills in making
the musical equipments,
mats and baskets out of
the plants.

12. The Gonds of the Central
India were powerful during
the Medieval times and built
number of forts, palaces,
temples, tanks and lakes
They challenged the British in
several battles under the
colonial rule.
The Gonds speak Gondi
language mostly related to
the Dravidian languages.
Those who live in the
northern parts speak Hindi.
Most of the Gonds have been
influenced by culture and
traditions of Hinduism.

13. Van Gujjars are
mostly found in
Uttarakhand and
Gujarat.
The vast majority of
Gujjars are Muslims.

14. Banjaras/Lambanis
(Vana charis in Sanskrit)
live in Telugu speaking
States, Maharashtra and
MadhyaPradesh .

They were traders during
the Medieval period.

Most of them follow
Hinduism.

15. The Khasi people are an
indigenous ethnic group
of Meghalaya and
Assam.

Around 85% of the
Khasi populace have
embraced Christianity.

16. Sentinelese and Jerawas

17. Questions based on Part -1 - Introduction

JAWAHAR NAVODAYA VIDYALAYA
Class VIII -Social Science
History -Chapter 4
Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age
Match Column 'A' with Column 'B'
S.No. Column A Column B
1 Gonds a. Rajasthan
2 Khasis b.Himachal Pradesh
3 Banjaras c. Central India
4 Bhils
d. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and
Maharashtra
5 Van Gujjars e.Meghalaya

18. Part-2
Traditional Occupations of the Tribals of India
before the Colonial Rule
1. Jhum
Cultivators
2. Hunter-
Gatherers
3. Herders
4. Settled
Agriculturists
Tribal
Livelihood

19. 1.Jhum Cultivators:

They followed Slash and Burn method.
They cut trees and burnt them.
They spread the ash on the land which would supply potash to fertilize
the soil.
They broadcast seeds in the places dug with hoe.
When the soil lost its fertility, they owed it to the wrath/anger
of their gods and vacated the area.
They moved to newer places within the forest, cut trees and burnt
them.
After clearing the forest area, again they broadcast seeds.
A field that had been cultivated once was left fallow for several
years.

20. 2. Hunter Gatherers:
The Khonds of Orissa went out on collective hunts and
divided meat among themselves. ( Best example for
Community Living)
They collected fruits, roots and nuts and cooked them for
meals.
They extracted oil from Sal and Mahua seeds and used for
cooking.
They used many herbs and shrubs for medicinal purposes.

21. The mahua flower is edible and is a food item for tribals. They are used to
make syrup for medicinal purposes.

They are also fermented to produce the
alcoholic drink mahua, a country liquor. Mahua is an essential drink for tribal
men and women during celebrations.

22. 2. Hunter Gatherers- They sold the forest products in the nearby
villages .
The Weavers and Leather workers bought dye (extracted from
kusum and Palash flowers) from the Khonds.
They followed barter system to buy grains and other essential
Commodities in exchange for forest products.
Some times they used cash from their poor earnings for buying
local products.
Some of them did odd jobs in the villages, carrying loads or
building roads, while others laboured in the fields of peasants
and farmers.
Kusum
Palash

23. 2. Hunter Gatherers- But many of them – like the Baigas of
central India – were not willing to do work for others.
It was below the dignity of a Baiga to become a labourer
leaving his habitat-the forest.
In the market places the tribal
people were cheated by the
Traders who looked for huge
profit and by the Money
Lenders who imposed higher
rate of interest for the cash
lent to the poor tribals.

So the Tribal groups
considered the Traders and
the Money Lenders as their
enemies and the evil
Outsiders. (the Dikus)

24. 3. Herders:
a.They moved from one place to another in search of
pastures for their cattle. They sold milk and milk
products in the nearby villages.

b. The Van Gujjars of the Punjab hills and the Labadis of
Andhra Pradesh were cattle herders.

c. The Gaddis of Kulu were shepherds.

d. The Bakarwals of Kashmir reared goats.

25. 4. Settled
Farmers:-

Some tribals took to
settled farming.

They ploughed the lands
and sowed the seeds.

At times without even
knowing the benefits of
„Crop Rotation‟ as a
scientific technique,
they followed it.

26. a. In many cases, like the Mundas of Chotanagpur, the land belonged
to the clan as a whole.

b. All members of the clan were regarded as descendants of the
original settlers, who had first cleared the land.

c. Therefore, all of them had rights on the land.

d. Very often some people within the clan acquired more power than
others, some became chiefs and others followers.

e. Powerful men often rented out their land instead of cultivating it
themselves.
4. Settled Farmers:

27. British officials saw
settled tribal groups like
the Gonds and Santhals
as more civilized than
hunter gatherers or
shifting cultivators.

Those who lived in the
forests were considered
to be wild and savage.

They needed to be
settled and civilized.
4. Settled Farmers:

28. Test No: 3
Occupation of the Tribal Groups before the Colonial Rule
Clues:

29. A time to hunt, a time to sow, a time to move to a new
field
Source Based Analysis
Part-3
Verrier Elwin, a British Anthropologist lived
among the Baigas and Khonds of Central India
for many years.

30. He gives us a picture of the calendar of activities of the
Baigas (monthwise) and division of tasks – between men
and women.
Verrier Elwin
Anthropology is
the study of humans,
early hominids and
primates
Anthropologists study human language, culture, societies,
biological and material remains, the biology and behavior
of primates.

31. Verrier Elwin
Birth : 29 August 1902
Place of Birth: Dover,England
Father: Edmund Henry Elwin
Alma Mater: Merton College, Oxford
Came to India: As a Missionary in 1927
Influenced by : Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore
Books: Baiga, Songs of the Forest and many more
Important Book on him: Ramachandra Guha's biography: ‟Savaging
the Civilized -Verrier Elwin, His Tribals,
and India ‟
Death: 23rd February, 1964
Award: Sahitya Academy Award and
Padma Bhushan.

32. Lila Elwin, Wife of Verrier Elwin
Passed away on 14
th
July 2013
She was the daughter of the Pradhan Gond chief. She never
went to school. She hosted a number of dignitaries
including two Prime Ministers as the wife of a great
anthropologist.

33. 1.Chaitra (30 / 31* Days) Begins March 22 / 21*

2. Vaisakha (31 Days) Begins April 21

3. Jyaistha (31 Days) Begins May 22

4. Ashadha (31 Days) Begins June 22

5. Shravana (31 Days) Begins July 23

6. Bhadra/Bhadon (31 Days) Begins August 23

7. Asvina/Kuar (30 Days) Begins September 23

8. Kartika (30 Days) Begins October 23

9. Agrahayana/Aghan (30 Days) Begins November 22

10. Pausa/Pus (30 Days) Begins December 22

11. Magha (30 Days) Begins January 21

12. Phalguna (30 Days) Begins February 20
Indian Months for You to learn
Verrier Elwin had recorded the activities of the Baigas month wise
in his book

34. Calendar of Activities of the Baiga Tribals
In Chait(Chaitra) , women cut stalks that were already reaped. Men went
for hunting . Baiga women gathered fruits like tamarind , mushroom, roots
and mahua seeds. Of all the Adivasis, the Baigas were the best hunters.

In Baisakh (Vaisakh) the firing of the forest took place, the women
gathered unburnt wood to burn. Men continued to hunt, but nearer their
villages.

In Jeth (Jaishtha)sowing took place and hunting still went on.

35. Calendar of Activities of the Baiga Tribals
From Asadh to Bhadon ( Ashadha, Shravana and Bhadra) the
men worked in the fields.

In Kuar ( Ashvin)the first fruits of beans were ripened and

In Kartik kutki (Tamil‎: Kadugurohini Telugu‎: ‎Karukarohini
Malayalam‎: ‎Kaduk rohini, Kannada‎: ‎Katuka rohini, )became ripe.

36. Calendar of Activities of the Baiga Tribals
In Aghan every crop was ready.

In Pus winnowing took place.
Pus was also the time for dances and marriages.

In Magh shifts were made to new bewars and hunting -
gathering was the main subsistence activity.

37. •Work done by the Baigas _________________________
In Chaitra
•Work done by the Baigas _________________________ In Baisakh
•Work done by the Baigas _________________________ In Jayishtha/Jeth
•Work done by the Baigas _________________________
From Ashadh to
Bhadra
•Work done by the Baigas _________________________ In Ashvin /Kuar
•Work done by the Baigas _________________________ In Pus
In Magh Work done by the Baigas _________________________
Source Based Activity- Write what the Baiga did against each
month using the description given by Verrier Elwin

38. Part-4
How did the Colonial Rule affect the Tribal Lives?
Condition of Tribal Chiefs

Fate of Shifting Cultivators

Forest Laws and their Impacts -Problem with
Land, Problem with Trade and Unemployment

Tribal Rebellions

39. Before Colonial Rule:
1.The Tribal Chieftains had economic and
administrative powers. They could do Forest
management and rules.
2. They could even keep their own Police
force.
Under the British:
1.Though the Tribal Chieftains could have
their titles and rent out lands, they lost
their administrative powers. They had to
follow the British rules.
2.They were asked to pay tributes .
3.They were to discipline their own tribal
groups on behalf of the British.
4.So they lost the authority enjoyed earlier.
5.They could not do their traditional
functions.

40. 1.Settled peasants were easier to control and
administer than people who were always on
the move.

2.The British also wanted a regular revenue
source for the state.

3.So they introduced land settlements – that
is, they measured the land, defined the rights
of each individual to that land, and fixed the
revenue demand for the state.

4.Some peasants were declared landowners,
others tenants.

41. The British effort to settle Jhum cultivators
was not very successful.

1. Settled plough cultivation was not easy
in areas where water was scarce and the soil
was dry.

2. In fact, jhum cultivators who took to plough
cultivation often suffered, since their fields did
not produce good yields.

3. The jhum cultivators in North-East India
insisted on continuing with their traditional
practice.

4. Hence, in some parts of North East, the
British had to permit them for doing Jhum
Cultivation.
Results:

42. Some forests were classified as
Reserved Forests for they produced
timber which the British wanted.

In these forests people were not
allowed to move freely, practise
jhum cultivation, collect fruits, or
hunt animals.

Jhum cultivators were therefore
forced to move to other areas in
search of work and livelihood.

Forest Laws and the Tribals

43. But once the British stopped the tribal
people from living inside forests, the
Forest Department could not get its
labour to cut trees for railway sleepers
and to transport logs.

Colonial officials decided that they
would give jhum cultivators small
pieces of land in the forests and allow
them to cultivate on the condition that
they would have to provide cheap
labour to the Forest Department and
look after the forests.

But Many tribal groups reacted against
the colonial forest laws. They disobeyed
the new rules and rose into rebellion.
(Revolt) (Mutiny)
Forest Laws and the Tribals

44. “In this land of the English how hard it is to live”
In the1930s Verrier Elwin visited the land of the Baigas – a tribal group in
central India. He wanted to know about them – their customs and
practices, their art and folklore. He recorded many songs that lamented
the hard time the Baigas were having under British rule.

In this land of the English how hard it is to live
How hard it is to live
In the village sits the landlord
In the gate sits the Kotwar
In the garden sits the Patwari
In the field sits the government
In this land of the English how hard it is to live
To pay cattle tax we have to sell cow
To pay forest tax we have to sell buffalo
To pay land tax we have to sell bullock
How are we to get our food?
In this land of the English

Quoted in Verrier Elwin and Shamrao Hivale, Songs of the Maikal, p. 316.
Source-2

45. At Hazaribagh, in Jharkhand, the Santhals reared cocoons.
The silk traders and their agents gave loans to the tribal
people and collected the cocoons.

The growers were paid Rs 3 to Rs 4 for a thousand
cocoons. But they were sold at five times the price.

The middlemen – the dealers between the exporters and
silk growers – made huge profits.

The silk growers earned very little. Understandably, many
tribal groups saw the market and the traders as their main
enemies.

46. Tribals were recruited in
large numbers to work the
tea plantations of Assam
and the coal mines of
Jharkhand.

They were recruited
through contractors who
paid them miserably low
wages, and prevented them
from returning home.

47. Part-4 - Test
Change of Tribal Life under the Colonial Rule
State whether the following Statements are „True‟ or „False‟:
( 5x1=5)

1. The Tribal chiefs could maintain their own Police force before
the advent of the Imperial powers. ( True/False)
2. The Tribal Chieftains were given more administrative and
economic powers under the colonial rule. . ( True/False)
3. Jhum Cultivators got fertile lands from the British
administrators. . ( True/False)
4.In the „Reserved Forest‟ areas , all the tribals were allowed to
move freely. . ( True/False)
5.The Forest Department established forest villages to get a
regular supply of cheap labour. ( True/False)

48. Part-5 A Closer Look
Consequences of Colonial Rule
1.Rebellion by the Kols-
1831-32
2.Santhal Rebellion-1855
3.The Bastar Rebellion-
1910
4.Warli Revolt in
Maharashtra-1940
Rebellion by
other Tribals
under Birsa
Munda

49. Munda tribe mainly inhabit in the region of Jharkhand, Although they are
well spread in the states of West Bengal, Chhatisgarh, Orissa and Bihar.
Munda generally means headman of the village.

Christianity is the main religion followed among the Mundas.
The Mundas also worship the „Sun God‟.
Mundas have been hunters for centuries. But now they have become
settled agriculturist. The landless Mundas work for others as agricultural
labourers.
Mundas
Part-5 A Closer Look

50. Birsa Munda was a great leader of the Munda tribe. Birsa Munda
was born on 15 November 1875, at Ulihatu in Bengal Presidency,
now in the Khunti district of Jharkhand. Birsa Munda died in the
jail on 9 June 1900. (Courtesy: https://www.ndtv.com/india-
news/birsa-munda-the-tribal-freedom-fighter-who-fought-british-
colonial-rulers-remembered-on-his-death-anniversary-2243192)
Part-5 A Closer Look
Birsa Munda

51. Birsa Munda walked in the jungles of Chhotanagpur meeting his people to disobey
the British laws. Not only Mundas, the other Tribal communities like the Santhals
and Oroans revered him as their redemmer. They believed that he had miraculous
powers to cure the sick and to free the tribals from trouble. He was considered as a
messenger of God.

His achievements in the freedom struggle became even greater considering he
accomplished this before his 25th year.

He opposed the British, the greedy landowners, the cunning traders and
moneylenders.
He led a revolt of the tribes against the British for their ill treatment of his brethren
and the harsh Forest Laws that seized the livelihood of his people.

52. Birsa urged his followers to recover their glorious past. He talked of a
golden age in the past – a satyug (the age of truth) – when Mundas
1. lived a good life,
2.They constructed embankments,
3. They tapped natural springs, planted trees and orchards,
4. They practised cultivation to earn their living.
5.They did not kill their brethren and relatives.
6.They lived honestly.

Birsa, in 19
th
Century, wanted people to once again work on their land,
settle down and cultivate their fields, to give up sorcery (black magic) , not
to believe in superstitions and to help each other.

53. Birsa‟s Struggle against the British
Birsa Munda’s education in Mission school and his association with the
Vaishnavites and his exposure to outer world made him to understand that his
tribals were ill-treated by the Dikus and the British. The tribals of other areas
too gathered under him to fight their enemies.
His growing influence alarmed the British and he was imprisoned for two years
in 1895. After his release in 1897, he worked with rejuvenated power to release
his people from the clutches of the British. In 1900 Birsa died of cholera in prison
and the movement
faded out.

54. 1. The tribal rebellion under Birsa Munda forced the colonial
government to introduce laws so that the land of the tribals could
not be easily taken over by dikus.
2. It showed once again that the tribal people had the capacity to
protest against injustice and express their anger against colonial
rule.
Triumphant Tribes

55. Elsewhere
This tribal song from Papua New Guinea
gives us a glimpse of how the tribals
there viewed the market.

“We say cash,
Is unsatisfactory trash;
It won‟t keep off rain
And it gives me pain
So why should I work my guts
From coconut trees
For these government mutts;
Cash cropping is all very well
If you‟ve got something to sell
But tell me sir why,
If there‟s nothing to buy;
Should I bother?”

Adapted from a song quoted in
Cohn, Clarke and Haswell, eds, The
Economy of Subsistence Agriculture,
The tribal groups of many countries suffered under European colonialism. It
was said that the Tribal people of many African countries were sold in the Slave
Market of Lisbon and sent to North America to work and slave labourers. So
many of the Tribal groups did not like to produce anything for the market where
the traders cheated them and slowly enslaved them.

56. Assignment
1.List some tribal groups of India. On the map of India
mark their areas.
2.Describe the major economic activities of the tribals
before the advent of the Europeans.
3.Discuss how the British rule affected the lives of the
tribals.
4.Who was Birsa Munda? Why did he rise into rebellion
against the British rule?
5.Recollect and write about the Gonds‟ rule in Madhya
Pradesh before the arrival of the British. Name their
Queen.
6.Collect pictures of the tribals of India and make an
album.
7.Learn about Karia Munda, Arjun Munda, Babulal
Marandi, Shibu Soren and other famous Tribal leaders.