unit 1 Flashcards
Meaning of Tribes
According to D.N Majumdar, tribes are a collection of families bearing a common name, the members of which occupy the same territory, speak the same language, and observe certain taboos regarding marriage, profession and occupation, and have developed a well assessed system of reciprocity and mutuality of obligation.
Meaning of Scheduled Tribes
Tribes recognised by the Constitution of India (in its schedule 5) are known as Scheduled Tribes.
According to Article 366 (25) of the Indian Constitution,
“Such tribes or tribal communities or parts of such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 to be Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of this Constitution.”
Characteristics of Scheduled Tribes
- common territory ( bhils live in mp )
- common name ( bhils, khasi, garo, naga )
- common language
- common ancestor
- common religion ( nagas and santhals have embraced christianity )
- common culture
- common political organisation ( santhal has a village council whose members are democratically elected )
- collection of families
- unity
- common economic organisation ( manufacturing, forestry, fishing, food gathering )
Nomenclature of tribes
tribe came from latin word ‘tribus’
- adivasi : earliest dwellers
- vanya jati : forest castes
- van vasi : forest dwellers
- jan vasi : folk communities
- girijan : hill dwellers
- adimjati : primitive castes
- aborginals : western name
- scheduled tribes : constitutional name
Demographic profile of tribes of Madhya Pradesh
- LARGEST tribal population all over India
- 46 recognised tribes
- 1 crore 53 lakh scheduled tribals
- around 21 % of state’s total population
- around 17 % of total tribal population
- main tribes :-
{ These 6 tribes are 92.2% of total tribal population in M.P}
- Bhil
> 46 lakh : 37.7 %
> dhar, barwani, khargone - Gond
> 44 lakh : 35.6 %
> chhindwara, betul, mandla, shahdol - Kol
> 12 lakh
> rewa - Korku
> 7 lakh
> khandwa - Sahariya
> 6 lakh
> shivpuri - Baiga
> 4 lakh
> shahdol
Geographical Distribution
Dr. B. S. Guha gave 3 zones :-
- NORTH AND NORTH EASTERN
- eastern kashmir
- eastern punjab
- himachal pradesh
- assam
- northern uttar pradesh
> khasi
> naga
> aka
> mishmi
> chulikata - CENTRAL / MIDDLE …….. ( 8 states and 85% total ST population )
- madhya pradesh
- rajasthan
- southern uttar pradesh
- orissa
- bengal
> gond
> santhal
> bhil
> muriya - SOUTHERN ZONE
- andhra pradesh
- tamil nadu
- karnataka
- kerala
> chenchu
> kadar
> koraga
> toola
C.B Mamoria added 4th zone :-
ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS ………… ( a.k.a the small zone )
- andaman and nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal
> andamanese
> nicobarese
> jarawa
Linguistic Classification
Tribals have a common language that is usually unique for each tribe
They are oral languages that have been passed down from generation to generation
- SINO - TIBETAN GROUP
- almost all North and North eastern zones
- examples : naga, aka, mishmi, chulikata
- exception - khasis of assam belong to Austric speech fam - AUSTRIC - LINGUISTIC GROUP
- Central zone
- examples : bhil, santhal, muriya, baiga
- exception : kondh and gond - belong to Dravidian speech fam - DRAVIDIAN - LINGUISTIC GROUP
- Southern Zone
- examples : chenchu, kadar, koraga, toola
- languages like tamil, kannada, malayalam in one form or another
Isolation - Meaning
- absence of communicative interaction
- lack of social contact
- alienation from modern society
Isolation - Characteristics
- started under BRITISH RULE
- for better administration
- deprived autonomy
- led to exploitation by non - tribals - INDIAN GOVT.
- adopted after independence
- lil modifications
- welfare measures in partially excluded areas - NATIONAL PARKS
- suggested by Elwin
- would help solve 2 problems
> maintain independent identity
> free from exploitation - CONSTITUTION
- constituent assembly recommended iso of some areas
- safeguards and inclusion of tribals in 5th schedule
- financial seperation in 5 year plan
Isolation - Limitations
- ESTRANGEMENT
- develop vested interests
- keep themselves permanently away from others - CRITICISM
- G.S Ghurye and others criticised this approach
- said it’ll cut off tribals completely - CONSTITUIONAL LASHBACK
- the special safeguards of tribals created a gap between tribals and general population - RESULT
- govt. came up with assimilation policy as a solution instead, which brought many changes into the lives of tribals
Assimilation - Meaning
- a person or group has acquired the values of another group to an extent that they lose their own identity.
- close contact of dissimilar cultures results in fusion of cultural traits
- one of the cultures is the dominant one which influences the subordinate culture
- the groups become similar in culture, views, and outlooks
Assimilation - Characteristics
- UNCONSCIOUS PROCESS
- happens without any deliberate effort by either of the groups involved - SLOW PROCESS
- takes long to materialise
- takes considerable amount of time for a culture to change - UNEQUAL CULTURES
- one is dominant, other is subordinate - LASTING EFFECTS
- not a temporary change
- effects stay for a long time - SOLUTION OF TRIBAL PROBLEMS
- govt believed that this policy would be the ultimate solution to all tribal problems - EFFORTS MADE
- Christian missionaries tried to assimilate tribes into Christian community
- Hindu missionaries and social reformers, like Thakkar Bapa, tried to assimilate tribals into Hindu community
Assimilation - Limitations
- INCOMPLETE ASSIMILATION
- difficult task to completely assimilate them
- tribes are reluctant to give up their culture and accept the change - MENTAL CONFLICT
- reluctant to give up their beliefs and practises
- imposition of external cultural practises creates feelings of confusion, distress, guilt etc - DEGRADATION
- this solution may create economic, religious, moral degradation upon them
Integration - Meaning
- combining seperate units into one single big unit
- refers to the rehabilitation of tribals on plains with civilised people
- away from their native homes like forests, mountains, hills etc.
- idea supported by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
Integration - Characteristics
- COMPLEX PROCESS
- complex social process : more complex than isolation and assimilation
- requires lot of structural adjustments in groups involved - CHANGES
- groups undergo several changes in some institutions
- retain traditional features and practises in remaining institutions - SOLIDARITY
- created by sharing of common characteristics
- division of labour + working together
- reciprocal relationship
- interdependence - UNITY
- uniting/ linking cultural parts with the whole or mainstream culture
- acceptance and observance of various norms set by group
- discipline among members
- ethnocentrism among the members of the group - FINAL SOLUTION
- isolation is neither possible nor desirable
- assimilation would imply imposition
- integration alone can
> make benefits of modern society available to tribals
> at the same time, retain their seperate identity
-
