Tribes, Nomads, and Settled Communities PDF

Summary

This document provides a chapter on tribes, nomads, and settled communities, explaining how these societies impacted the development of communities and social dynamics across the subcontinent. It highlights various tribal groups and nomadic pastoralist lifestyle, shedding light on their historical context and livelihood.

Full Transcript

## Tribes, Nomads, and Settled Communities ### Chapter 5: **You saw in Chapters 2, 3 and 4 how kingdoms rose and fell. Even as this was happening, new arts, crafts and production activities flourished in towns and villages. Over the centuries important political, social and economic developments h...

## Tribes, Nomads, and Settled Communities ### Chapter 5: **You saw in Chapters 2, 3 and 4 how kingdoms rose and fell. Even as this was happening, new arts, crafts and production activities flourished in towns and villages. Over the centuries important political, social and economic developments had taken place. But social change was not the same everywhere, because different kinds of societies evolved differently. It is important to understand how and why this happened.** In large parts of the subcontinent, society was already divided according to the rules of varna. These rules, as prescribed by the Brahmanas, were accepted by the rulers of large kingdoms. The difference between the high and low, and between the rich and poor, increased. Under the Delhi Sultans and the Mughals, this hierarchy between social classes grew further. ### Beyond Big Cities: Tribal Societies There were, however, other kinds of societies as well. Many societies in the subcontinent did not follow the social rules and rituals prescribed by the Brahmanas. Nor were they divided into numerous unequal classes. Such societies are often called **tribes**. * Members of each family were united by kinship bonds. * Many tribes obtained their livelihood from Agriculture. * Others were hunter-gatherers or herders. * Most often they combined these activities to make full use of the natural resources of the area in which they lived. * Some tribes were nomadic and moved from one place to another. * A tribal group controlled land and pastures jointly, and divided these amongst households according to its own rules. * Many large tribes thrived in different parts of the subcontinent. * They usually lived in forests, hills, deserts and places difficult to reach. * Sometimes they clashed with the more powerful, caste-based societies. * In various ways, the tribes retained their freedom and preserved their separate culture. * The caste-based and tribal societies also depended on each other for their diverse needs. * This relationship, of conflict and dependence, gradually caused both societies to change. ### Who Were Tribal People? Contemporary historians and travelers give very scanty information about tribes. A few exceptions apart, tribal people did not keep written records. But they preserved rich customs and oral traditions. These were passed down to each new generation. Present-day historians have started using such oral traditions to write tribal histories. Tribal people were found in almost every region of the subcontinent. The area and influence of a tribe varied at different points of time. Some powerful tribes controlled large territories. * In **Punjab**, the **Khokhar** tribe was very influential during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. * Later, the **Gakkhars** became more important. Their chief, **Kamal Khan Gakkhar**, was made a noble (mansabdar) by Emperor Akbar. * In **Multan and Sind**, the **Langahs and Arghuns** dominated extensive regions before they were subdued by the Mughals. * The **Balochis** were another large and powerful tribe in the north-west. They were divided into many smaller clans under different chiefs. * In the western **Himalaya** lived the shepherd tribe of **Gaddis**. * The distant north-eastern part of the subcontinent too was entirely dominated by tribes - **the Nagas, Ahoms and many others.** In many areas of present-day **Bihar and Jharkhand**, **Chero chiefdoms** had emerged by the twelfth century. **Raja Man Singh, Akbar's famous general, attacked and defeated the Cheros in 1591**. A large amount of booty was taken from them, but they were not entirely subdued. **Under Aurangzeb**, Mughal forces captured many **Chero fortresses** and subjugated the tribe. The **Mundas and Santals** were among the other important tribes that lived in this region and also in **Orissa and Bengal.** ### How Nomads and Mobile People Lived Nomadic pastoralists moved over long distances with their animals. They lived on milk and other pastoral products. They also exchanged wool, ghee, etc., with settled agriculturists for grain, cloth, utensils and other products. * The **Maharashtra highlands and Karnataka** were home to **Kolis**. * **Berads and numerous others** also lived in many areas of Gujarat. * Further south, there were large tribal populations of **Koragas, Vetars, Maravars and many others**. * The large tribe of **Bhils** was spread across western and central India. * By the late sixteenth century, many of them had become settled agriculturists and some even zamindars. * Many Bhil clans, nevertheless, remained hunter-gatherers. * The **Gonds** were found in great numbers across the present-day states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. ### Changing Society: New Castes and Hierarchies As the economy and the needs of society grew, people with new skills were required. Smaller castes, or **Jatis**, emerged within varnas. For example, new castes appeared amongst the Brahmanas. On the other hand, many tribes and social groups were taken into a caste-based society and given the status of Jatis. Specialised artisans - smiths, carpenters and masons - were also recognised as separate Jatis by the Brahmanas. Jatis, rather than varna, became the basis for organising society. ### The Ahoms The Ahoms migrated to the Brahmaputra valley from present-day Myanmar in the thirteenth century. They created a new state by suppressing the older political system of the bhutyans (landlords). During the sixteenth century, they annexed the kingdoms of the Chhutiyas (1523) and of Koch-Hajo (1581) and subjugated many other tribes. The Ahoms built a large state, and for this they used firearms as early as the 1530s. By the 1660s they could even make high-quality gunpowder and cannons. However, the Ahoms faced many invasions from the south-west. In 1662, the Mughals under Mir Jumla attacked the Ahom kingdom. Despite their brave defense, the Ahoms were defeated. But direct Mughal control over the region could not last long. The Ahom state depended upon forced labor. Those forced to work for the state were called paiks. A census of the population was taken. Each village had to send a number of paiks by rotation. People from heavily populated areas were shifted to less populated places. Ahom clans were thus broken up. By the first half of the seventeenth century, the administration became quite centralised. *** Please let me know if you'd like me to elaborate on any specific section or add any further details from the image.

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