The document provides information about various tribal groups in India, including their lifestyles, occupations, clothing, food and festivals. It discusses how colonial rule affected tribal communities by declaring forests as state property, exploiting tribals and disrupting their traditional ways of life. It also summarizes the story of Birsa Munda, a tribal leader who led an uprising against the British to protect tribal rights and land. Specific tribal groups mentioned include the Santhal, Gond, Bhil, and Khasi tribes.

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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. • 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.

9. 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.
• Birsa 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.

10. • 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.

11. • 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

13. 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.

14. • 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.

15. 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

17. 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

18. 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.

19. 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.