Detail study about Naga & Gond

1. Naga Tribes
Presented by,
Manish Kumar Kothe

2. History
• Originally Nagas were not known as tribes. The Naga tribes are linked
with tribes in Assam and Myanmar. From 1816 invasion onwards
Assam came under the rule of Myanmar. Naga tribes belonged to
Indo-Mongoloid Family.
• Each of the Naga Tribe is divided into as many as twenty clans.
• Some of the major Naga tribes are Angami, Chang, Konyak, Lotha,
Phoms, Rengma, Sema, Pochury and Zeliang.

3. Food
• Naga food consists of rice or millet accompanied by vegetables, fish
and meat. Nagas are fond of chillies and can fill their mouth with
chillies and nothing else as if they were chocolates.
• Nagas speak 60 different dialects belonging to the Sino-tibetan family
of languages.

4. Language
• Nagas speak 60 different dialects belonging to the Sino-tibetan family
of languages

5. Location
• Naga tribes are found in the states of Arunchal Pradesh, Manipur and
Myanmar.

6. Food and clothing
• Mundas are animal eaters for a long time. Their usual food inculdes
frogs, snakes, rats, earthworms, shells and snails. Mundas prefer
having Tari and Haria wine on the various occasions. They are in close
touch with the Hindu society. Munda men wear pant and shirts, While
the women are seen wearing the cotton saris with the cholis or blouse.
Mundari are generally short in height, dark complexion, and good
looking. They have short curly hair.

7. Occupation
• Naga tribe burn their fields and grow rice, millets and taro patato. The
practice of head-hunting by Naga Tribe is accompanied with a variety
of other social and cultural activities. The tribe has stimulated the
carving of wooden heads marked with prominent features and mobile
expressions which were worn like medals by the proud, successful
head-hunters. Dancing, drinking (local rice beer) and merry-making
follow the head-hunt. Head-hunting inspired the weaving of special
textiles of choice, colours and designs for use as shawls by the head-
hunter to identify his heroism. Strong and vigorous figures are carved
in bold out of wood and fixed to the baskets of the warriors, indicating
the number of heads taken. Such wooden figures were also kept in
houses as prized trophies.

8. People
• Nagas are people with great hardwork, sturdy, with a high standard of
integrity and strong sense of self respect. Most of the time they are
simple means the unspolit children of nature. The most important
quality of Naga tribes is their hospitality and cheerfulness to greet
people with a smiling face while travelling on the roads is the common
experience for every one who notices them. Even today people hunt
tigers and elephants in the mountains with spears and bows.

9. Appearance
• The height of all the Naga is medium -sized. The men are muscular
and full of stamina. The nose is flattened but some are sharp in their
mongoloid features.The women are short but stout. The eyes of
women are deep set with bulged eye sockets. Women are fairer in
complexion.

10. Costumes
• The Naga tribes are versatile artisans. The design and colour of each
group of Naga tribes differs with other group depending on the
wearer's position in the society. Every woman is supposed to weave
the cloths for her family and carry on the activities like spinning,
dyeing and weaving. The Naga shawls are the most famous ones
which come in bright colour and various patterns. Colorful ornaments
are worn by both men & women which are made of ivory, these
ornaments include the bangles and bracelets. The tribe is very much
fond of ornaments. Some old men grow hair long and arranged in
tangled knots. The babbed hair is the fashion for the young Naga girl.
Tattooing is customary for Naga tribes only in North and East.

11. Culture
• The daily life of Naga tribe is governed by an ancient tradition of a
customary code of laws which, titlehough unwritten, are universally
understood and zealously pursued. The village councils among the Ao
and Angami group of Naga tribes representing a democratic apparatus
made up of village elders or the chieftains' rule as among the Konyak,
Sema and Chang tribes, function as court of trial and justice against
crime. The judicial process is simple, quick and the final rests on the
truthful nature of the criminal.

12. Festival
• Naga tribes' biggest festival is New year festival of January 15th,
called Kaing Bi and organized by Naga festival committee who choose
each year's festival location and details under the control of Central
government. The Naga tribes send a few delegations to this occasion,
thus it is the perfect opportunity to see variety of different Naga people
at once.

13. Gond

14. History
• The term Gond refers to tribal people who live all over India's Deccan Peninsula. They describe
themselves as (hill people) or as Koi or Koitur. Gond Tribe Gondvana - the Mighty Kingdom in
the olden days stayed from 15th century to the 18th century, this region called Gondwana was
the home to the Gonds. The Gondwana Land gave its name to the present day countires like
Africa, South America, Australia, India Sub Continent and Antarctica. The Gonds lost their
lives in saving their lands from the upcoming tribe called the Banjaras. Scholars believe that
Gonds settled in Gondwana, now known as eastern Madhya Pradesh, between the 13th and 19th
centuries AD. Muslim writers described a rise of Gond state after the 14th century.
• Gondas ruled in four kingdoms (Garha-Mandla, Deogarh, Chanda, and Kherla) in central India
between the 16th and 18th centuries. The Maratha power swept into Gondland in the 1740s.The
Marathas overthrew Gond Rajas (princes) and seized most of their territory.
• While Some Gond zamindaris (estates) survived until recently. Gonds are similar to many tribal
groups today in that they face severe economic hardships. titlehough some Gond groups own a
great deal of land, others are classified as Scheduled Tribes, which means they are blessed with
special social and economic help from the Indian Government and the local state governments.

15. Origin
• Gonds live all over central India i.e. in the states of Maharashtra and
Odisha. Apart from Madhya Pradesh, Gonds are also found in
Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. They are the largest Tribe in
India, South Asia, and perhaps the world with nine million people out
of which four million reside in Central India. Mostly Gonds live
around the Satpura Hills, Maikala Range, Son-Deogarh uplands on the
Bastar plateau and Garhjat Hills of northern Odisha.

16. Culture
• Gonds Tribes main deity is the pantheon - a single Temple which bows to all the Gods
and Culture of the World. The Clan of Gond is known as Persa Pen who protects all Clan
Members. Gonds believe in the equality of the human beings without the discrimination
of higher and lower society. This can be depicted throught the transparency which can be
clearly seen as they themselves have inclusions of Bhils and Santals in their tribes.
Mostly Gonds live in a Village with a Headman known as Mahji or Patel. The Village
Council of Gond Tribe divides the Gonds into Castes called Ahir (Cowherds), Agaria
(Blacksmith), Dhuli (Drummers) and Pardhan (bard and singers).
• The Village has typically several hamlets & houses which are made of hatch and mud
have a verandah (outer space), living room, kitchen, special room for women and shrine
room for Gods and a Guest Room. They welcome visitors with tobacco leaves, fruits or
other small gifts. Marriages in Gonds tribe are usually chosen by themselves. Later the
tribal council approves the matches. The father of the Gond groom pays a bride price.
• The newly wedded Gond tribes live with the elders of the family till they make a house
of their own. Gonds are educated to a pretty decent level where they can understand
things better. Around 25% of Gonds in Maharashtra and 15 % Gonds of Madhya Pradesh
are educated. The ratio of boys to girls still remain 1: 5 percent.

17. Dress
• Gonds tribes of India origin have a typical Indian dress culture. Men in the Gonds
tribe wear Dhoti (long piece of cotton cloth wrapped around the waist passing
through the legs). Women wear soft cotton saris along with the Choli or blouse.

18. Occupation
• Agriculture is their main work. Gonds tribes are today mainly farmers. While
some Gond communities have risen to the status of landowners, many are landless
laborers. Herding cattles is a part of Gond Tribes occupation as part of their
livelihood.

19. Food
• The Staple Food of Gonds is two millets known as Kodo and Kutki. Vegetables
are usually grown in kitchen gardens or collected from forests. Gonds grow
tobacco for smoking and make liquor for Mahua tree.

20. Language
The prime language spoken by Gond Tribe is Gondi. Beside this, the Gond tribes
have a good command on Telugu, Hindi, Marathi, Parsi and many other Dravidian
languages..

21. Festivals
• Celebrations for Gonds have Danderi dancers who retell events from Gond.
Sacrifices are made by the Village Priests called Devari in most of the festivals.
Their festive life are filled with animal sacrifices. Gonds festivals are usually
related to agriculture. Each village of Gonds has a Village Guardian and a Village
Mother who are worshipped during all regular festivals. The Spirits of both good
and bad are supposed to be inhabited in hills, villages, lakes and rivers.
Mythology, Dance, songs, cock fighting form the main attractions of any
celebration for a Gond Tribe.
• During the festivals, women wear colored glass bangles and necklaces made of
small black beads. Tattooing is the major charm for Gonds. They are highly
religious minded tribes of India. The Gond Indian tribes worship Janani or the
mother of creator. They also worship Pharsa Pen, in the form of nail or a piece of
iron chain. Mariai- the Goddess of plague and other diseases, and Bhimsen - the
Hindu God are also worshiped by Gonds tribes in India. One unique feature of
their beliefs is the existence of spirits.