The Indian tribal society is one of the most complex social structures in the world. There are more than 550 tribes in India spread across states and union territories. These tribal groups practice a very different culture from the rest of India. We can find a primitive economic organization based on hunting, gathering, shifting cultivation, and settled agriculture as well. Despite these differences, the Indian government since independence has taken various steps to safeguard the tribal’s interests. However, the Britishers did not care one bit about the tribals. These groups suffered enormously and the anger often resulted in revolts. Let's see how the tribals lived and survived during the colonization of India.
The tribals in India depended on nature for their livelihood. So they adopted the following ways to sustain themselves-
Shifting Cultivation: It is a method of growing crops. Under this, the forests are burnt and the ash is used as a fertilizer. Instead of ploughing the land, the seeds were just scattered over it. After one or two cropping seasons the tribe moves to the next patch of land. However, the burning of the land makes it infertile for future use. This is practiced in the hilly areas of the northeast, and the Chotanagpur plateau.
Hunters and Gatherers: These hunt the animals in the forest for food and collect fruits which is available to them. The Khonds in Orissa practiced it on large tracts of forests.
Animal Herders: Some tribes in India were cattle herders. These tribes domesticated animals for food, protection, and aesthetics. The Van-Gujjars, Bakarwals, Labadis, and Gaddis are prominent examples of this type of tribe.
Settled cultivators: Some tribes had evolved methods to grow food grains. Hence they started settling in one place. These tribes laid claim to the forest land as well like the Mundas, Gonds, and Santhals.
“Dikus” was the term used by the tribals for the outsiders like money-lenders, traders, and Britishers. The tribal men and women viewed Dikus as evil and threatening. For the tribals, the concept of big and small didn’t exist. They considered everyone as equals and therefore despised the caste system of Hinduism as well.
However, when the forest produce was not enough to sustain them. Tribesmen went to nearby villages to work as labourers. They also borrowed very cautiously as the interest rate was exorbitantly high. The Britishers wanted to exploit the forests for timber and other products like rubber. Many tribes, especially from eastern India were stripped of their ancestral lands and relocated to somewhere else. The tribal retained his land but lost the administrative controls he had. People were also forced to work on train tracks, indigo plantations, and in mines. This is why the tribes loathed the dikus.
Birsa Munda was born in the Bohonda forests in 1875. As a child, he was very curious and innovative. He heard stories of rebellions and the sacrifice of their ancestors. He went to listen to the missionaries and Vaishnava preachers to learn about various things like cleanliness, piety and giving up intoxicants.
Birsa Munda
India Post, Government of India, GODL-India
In the year 1895, he started spreading his idea of a golden age. He told people about how their ancestors made embankments and used streams of water to grow crops. He portrayed the Golden age as when people will be honest and clean, there will no landlords above them, and they could farm their land and be finally free. His idea of the golden age comes from the stories he was taught as a child. He portrayed himself as an incarnation of God and asked people to revolt against the foreign rule.
He was imprisoned in 1895 for his actions. After two years, he was released from jail. He toured the villages of the tribe to spread his message across the villages to rise and fight. It was known as “Munda Rebellion” and Ulgulan or “the Great Tumult”. The Britishers tried very hard but were failing miserably. However Birsa Munda died of cholera in the year 1900, and soon the movement fizzled out. However, the revolt still achieved a few objectives.
The Britishers introduced stricter laws to safeguard the land of tribals being taken over by the zamindars and moneylenders.
It gave confidence to the tribes to fight their war themselves.
It also served as an inspiration for future tribal revolts in India.
Birsa Munda’s portrayal of the “Golden Age” or Satyug (the age of truth) was the exact opposite of the reality of those times. He promised them free land, while they were under British control. So the people resonated with the idea very quickly. People wanted to break free from the clutches of the Dikus and live freely.
Tribals across the world desire independence and isolation. So when Birsa Munda promised them that land without colonization was possible for them to achieve, they believed in it and fought for him.
The tribal society is very complex in our country, as is the case across the world. It is very difficult to provide them developmental benefits like medicine, food, roads, electricity, etc. However, over the last 70 years, a lot of progress has been made in India. Scheduled Tribes(ST), as they are called in India, have been given reservations in jobs, education, and other areas. This has helped in the development of many tribes, especially Santhals, Munda, Khonds, etc.
Smt. Droupadi Murmu is now the President of India. She became the first person from the ST community to take the most honorable position in India. This alone indicates the kind of progress that has been made since the British days.
Q1. When did the Santhal uprising take place?
Ans. Santhal uprising took place in 1855-56. Led by Sidhu and Kanho, it was aimed at ending the British rule in their lands. The uprising revolved around the area of modernday Jharkhand and Orissa.
Q2. What do the tribals in the northeast demand even today?
Ans. The northeastern tribal groups seek autonomous control of their region. They don't want the government to interfere in their affairs. However often these tribes are influenced by Chinese and Pakistani narratives to break India.
Q3. How is the President of India elected?
Ans. The President of India, unlike the Prime Minister, is not elected directly by the people. Instead, she is elected by votes of Members of Parliament(MPS) and Members of Legislative Assembly(MLAs).
Q4. Who was the first woman President of India?
Ans. Smt. Pratibha Patil served as the first woman President of India. She served our country from 2007 to 2012. Dr. Manmohan Singh served as the Prime Minister during his tenure.
Q5. Who led the Kol rebellion?
Ans. The Kol rebellion was led by Buddho Bagat in the year 1832. This revolt was organized to oust the rule of Britishers from the Chotanagpur plateau.
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