TRIBES, NOMADS AND SETTLED COMMUNITIES

 

CLASS-VII          HISTORY

CHAPTER: 7      TRIBES, NOMADS AND SETTLED COMMUNITIES

•        Societies evolved by varna system as prescribed by Brahmanas.

•        Tribes: Not divided into unequal classes. Members were united under kinship bonds- agriculture, hunter, gatherer or herder, they were nomadic and controlled land and pasture jointly.

•        Tribes lived in forest, hills, desert and places difficult to reach, tribes retained their freedom and preserved separate culture.

•        Tribes did not keep written records and preserved rich customs and oral traditions.

•        Powerful tribes controlled large areas. Punjab- 13^th and 14^th century-Khokhar tribes and later Gakkhar tribes (Their chief, Kamal Khan Gakkhar, was made noble by Emperor Akbar)

•        Multan and Sindh- Langahs and Arghuns tribes; Balochis were powerful in NW and divided into smaller clans (groups of families or households claiming descent from a common ancestor).

•        Western Himalayas- Gaddi tribes

•        North East- Nagas, Ahoms tribes

•        Bihar and Jharkhand- Cheros tribes- defeated by (Raja Man Singh, Akbar’s general Cheros in 1591)

•        Odisha and Bengal- Mundas and Santhals

•        Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujurat- Kolis

•        South India- Koragas, Vetars, maravars

•        Western and Central India- Bhils

•        CG, MP, MH, AP- Gonds

MOVING PEOPLE

•        Nomadic Pastoralists- moved long distances with animals

•        Lived on milk and pastoral products

•        Exchanged wool, ghee, etc with settled agriculturists for grain, cloth, utensils

•        Banjaras- Trader nomads, caravans known as tanda (group), they bought grains where it was cheaper and sold where it was dearav- AllaudinKhaliji used Banjaras to transport grain to the city markets, transported food grains to army during military campaigns

•        Itinerant groups- Craftspersons, pedlers and entertainers travel from place to place practicing their different occupations

•        Both Nomads and Itinerants visited same place every year

•        Mendicants acted as wandering merchants

 

NEW CASTES

•        Smaller caste and Jatis emerged within Varnas

•        New caste appeared amongst Brahmansa- smiths, carpentors and Masons were also recognized as separate Jatis by Brahmanas

•        Jatis and not Varna became basis for organizing society

•        Rathakaras (Chariot makers)- include architecture, building coaches and chariots – as mentioned in UyyakondanUdaiyar, in Tiruchirapalli taluka

•        In Kshatriyas- Rajputs emerged (belonged to different lineages, such as Hunas, Chandelas, Chalukyas )- it gave way for tribal population to follow

•        Emergence of state is related to social change amongst tribals

GONDS

•        Lived in Gondwanaland

•        Practiced shifting agriculture

•        Gonds divided into clans

•        Each clan had its own Raja or rai

•        Large Gond kingdoms were beginning to dominate smaller Gond chiefs

•        Akbar nama, history of Akbar’s reign, mentioned Gond Kingdom of Garha Katanga that had 70,000 villages

•        Centralized administration with kingdom divided into garh

•        Garh was controlled by Gonds and divided into 84 villages as chaurasi

•        Chaurasi further divided into group of 12 villages as barhots society became unequal

•        Brahmons got land grant from Gond rajas and became influential

•        Gond chiefs wished to be recognized as Rajputs.

•        Aman Das, Gond Raja of Garha Katanga, assumed title of Sangram Shah

•        His son, Dalpat, married princess Durgawati, the daughter of Salbahan, the Chandel Rajput raja of MahobaDalpat died early but Durgawati was capable and ruled in lieu of 5 year old son.

•        Bir Narayan- Mughal forces under Asaf Khan attacked- Durgawati preferred to died rather than Surrender and later her son also died. Garha Katanga was rich state & earned by trapping and exporting wild elephants to other kingdoms. Mughals captured precious coins and elephants, annexed and granted the rest to Chandra Shah, an uncle of Bir Narayan.

•        After fall of Garha Katanga, Gond kingdoms survived for some time & became weaker later.

 

AHOMS

•        Migrated to Brahmaputra valley from Myanmar in 13^th century.

•        Created new state of Bhuiyans (landlords)

•        16^th century they annexed kingdoms of Chhutiyas (1523) & Koch-Hajo (1581).

•        1530s used fire arms.

•        1660s- made Gun powder & cannons (Heavy gun fired from a tank)

•        In 1662, Mughals under Mir Jumla attacked Ahoms and defeated them

•        State depended on forced labors and those forced to work were called Paiks. Each village had to send Paiks on rotation

•        Early 17^th century- Administration was centralized with all adult males in army during war, at other times in building dams and public work.

•        Society divided into clans or Khels. Khel controlled several villages.

•        Initially worshiped tribal gods but later influence of Brahmans increased & during Sib Singh – Hindus became common

•        Poets and theatre was common

•        Work of Sanskrit was translated to local languages

•        Historical works (buranjis) were written first in Ahom language and then in Assamese.

 

CONCLUSION

•        Varna based society and tribal people interacted

•        Many merged with caste based societywith time

•        Others rejected caste system and Hinduism

•        Some became politically very powerful

 

MONGOLS

•        Pastoral and hunter- gatherer tribe

•        Inhabited the grasslands (steppes) of central Asia and the forested areas further north

•        By 1206 Genghis Khan had united Mongols and Turkish tribes into a powerful military forces. At his death (1227) he was the ruler of extensive territories.

•        His successors ruled till Russia, Eastern Europe, China and West Asia

•        Organised military and administrative system based on support of different ethnic and religious groups.

 

THE END