Tribal life then and now

this is my social project

1. Tribal life then and now By – David Paul 8C

2. who are tribals A common definition for a  tribe  is a group of people that all have common ancestry, or a common ancestor, a common culture, and live in their own enclosed society. Other names for a tribe are a clan, which is used in some European countries, and family. The idea of a tribe goes back to ancient times when Rome would create divisions within society due to class, family, and money. These divisions were tribes. This term has evolved while the people it describes may not have. Many tribes and tribal communities are in areas that lack industry. They live and create homes that do not accept the conveniences and behaviors of the present day, like the Aborigines in Australia who live in the wilderness of the Outback. They choose to be close to the land and follow the rules and lifestyle of their ancestors.

3. Some  tribal groups  earned their livelihood by hunting animals and gathering forest produce. They saw the forests as essential for their survival. The Khonds  were  such a community living in the forests of Orissa . As a result, tribals often ended up taking high-interest loans from moneylenders.

4. Lifestyle of the tribal groups in the pre-colonial period Many tribals followed jhum or shifting cultivation. They were involved in hunting and gathering activities. Many tribal groups were pastoralists who moved with their cattle or sheep according to seasons. They ploughed and cultivated land and gradually got the rights over the land. Some people who acquired power over fellow tribals became chiefs. Sometimes, the land belonged to an entire tribal clan such as the Mundals of the Chotanagpur Plateau .

5. How did colonial rule affect the tribal life Colonial rule affected the tribal lives in the following ways : Forests were the abode and the provider of food for the tribals. Tribal communities suffered when the British declared forests as state property . Forests were declared as reserved and protected. Problems arose when the tribals were not allowed to practise shifting cultivation and to collect fruits, food and woods . The tribal chiefs lost many of their administrative powers and had to follow the rules which were formulated by the British. They also had to pay taxes to the British .

6. They were exploited by traders and moneylenders. Traders involved in the silk trade sent their agents to Santhals who reared cocoons. The Santhals were paid Rs 3–4 for a thousand cocoons. These cocoons were sold at much higher prices in Burdwan and Gaya. The middlemen gained huge profits from the trade. Thus, tribals began to see traders as their main enemies . The tribals who travelled to distant places away from their homes in search of work suffered many hardships. They were recruited at extremely low wages and were also prevented from returning to their homes.

7. Story of birsa munda and his movement The tribal folk hero who was God to his people by the age of 25 Despite his young age, Birsa Munda influenced his people to stand against the British and fight for their rights to their land, finally leading to an act being passed that turned into a major chink in the armor for the reigning British Raj. B irsa Munda was a folk hero and a tribal freedom fighter hailing from the Munda tribe. He was a spearhead behind the Millenarian movement that arose in the Bihar and Jharkhand belt in the early 19th century under the British colonisation .

8. Munda rallied the tribals to fight against the forceful land grabbing carried out by the British government which would turn the tribals into bonded laborers and force upon them abject poverty. Known as 'Dharti Abba' or the Earth Father, Birsa Munda stressed the need of the tribals to study their own religion and not forget their cultural roots. He influenced his people to realize the importance of owning their land and asserting their right upon them . Birsa started a movement called 'Ulgulan', or 'The Great Tumult'. His struggle against the exploitation and discrimination against tribals led to a big hit against the British government in the form of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act being passed in 1908. The act restricted the passing on of land from the tribal people to non-tribals . Birsa Munda did all this by the age of 25 when he died in a prison in Ranchi on June 9, 1900, after being arrested in March from Chakradharpur's Jamkopai forest, where he had been resting with his tribal guerrilla army.

9. Many folk songs have been made to celebrate the life of the great warrior He was very sharp in studies Birsa converted to Christianity to join German Mission School since it was compulsory to convert to Christianity to join the school and was renamed as Birsa David, which he later changed to Birsa Daud When he was in school, the German and Roman Catholic Christian agitation was at its peak. This made his father, Sugana Munda, withdraw his son from the school Birsa Munda started to propagate the principles of Hindu religion and advised converted tribal people to read their original religious system thoroughly. He became such an important figure that tribal people used to seek his blessings

10. Different revolts against the British during the colonial period 1857-1858 The Bhil  revolted against  under the leadership of Bhagoji Naik and Kajar Singh. 1860 The Lushai tribal people raided the then  British  Tripura and killed 186  British  subjects. 1860-1862 The Synteng tribal Jaintia Hills  in  North-East India. 1861 The Juang tribal community  revolted in  Orissa .

11. 1812  Kurichya  Rebellion organised by the tribal people Kurichyas against the  Wayanad  invasion of British in 1812. 1825  Singphos  attacked and set fire to the British magazine at Sadiya. 1828  Singphos  Chief attacked Sadiya with 3000 tribal warriors. 1832 The  Kol uprising  of tribal peoples including the Ho and Munda people. 1843  Singpho  Chief Nirang Phidu attacked the British garrison and killed several soldiers. 1849 Kadma  Singpho  attacked British villages in Assam and was captured. 1850 The  Khond  tribe revolted in  Orissa  under leadership of chief Bisoi. 1855 The 'Great Rebellion'by the Santhal community against the British in Eastern India led by Sido and Kanho, claiming to have supernatural powers. 1857-1858 The Bhil revolted against under the leadership of Bhagoji Naik and Kajar Singh. 1859 The Andamanese in the  Battle of Aberdeen 1860 The Lushai tribal people raided the then British  Tripura  and killed 186 British subjects.

12. Santhal tribe Santhals are the third largest tribe in India. They are mostly found in the states of West Bengal, Bihar,  Orissa , Jharkhand and Assam . The santals have their own clothing's and distinctive draping styles. Now days people wear the sarees and dhotis what ever available in market. How ever they prefer cotton material for daily use and synthetic sarees with good drape for occasional use . Santhal food habits include  large amounts of rice, which is either eaten with watery potato gravy, or with watery pulses with salt and chilly to enhance the taste . The occupation of the Santhals revolve around the forests in which they reside. Their basic needs are fulfilled from the trees and plants of the forests. They are also engaged in the  hunting ,  fishing  and  cultivation  for their livelihood . the language they speak is the Santali language The main  festival  celebrated of the  Santal   community is Sorhae

13. Gond tribe The people of the gond tribe live in south central India and are about 2 million in population The men in the Gond tribe wear dhotis and the women wear soft cotton sarees They eat two millets known as Kodo and Kutki and green leafy vegetables Their main occupation is  agriculture  or Agricultural laborer. They also go for fishing and hunting for supplementing their income.  Their language is called Gondi Pola, a cattle  festival , Naga panchami, and Dassera are their major  festivals to the Gonds

14. Bihil tribe Location of the bihil tribe is Gujarat ,  Madhya Pradesh , Chhattisgarh,  Maharashtra  and  Rajasthan all in the western Deccan regions and central  India as well as in Tripura in far-eastern  India , on the border with Bangladesh . The women of the bihil tribe wear traditional sarees and the men wear a loose long frock along with pajamas Main  foods  of  Bhils  are maize, onion, garlic and chili which they cultivate in their small fields. They collect fruits and vegetables from the local forests. Wheat and rice are used at time of festivals and other special occasions only . Agriculture is the main  occupation of Bhil  community . The Baneshwar fair is the main  festival  celebrated among the  Bhils . This fair is held during the period of Shivatri and is dedicated to Baneshwar Mahadev also known as Lord Shiva. 

15. Khasi tribe People from the khasi tribe can be found in Meghalaya ,Assam and in Bangladesh  The men of  Khasi wear   Jymphong , a long sleeveless coat without collar, with a dhoti and it is fastened in the front. The women  wear  a Jainsem or Dhara , which are several pieces of cloth wrapped around their body giving them a cylindrical shape . the Khasi are mostly  meat  eating people with their staple consisting of  rice  and  meat  based curries. The  rice  could be boiled  rice  or jadoh . Khasis occupation is called as JHUM Means shifting cultivation for their survival. They have a peasant based economy. There are more than 100 Khasi villages in Sylhet Division. The Khasi people mainly do  farming , grow betel palm and do other business .