TRIBES OF JHARKHAND

PLACES OF TRIBAL HOMELAND IN INDIA

INTRODUCTION

India has the largest tribal population in the world. About 8.5 crore tribals live over the long corridors of Western, Central and Eastern India. Not only this, India's tribal population constitutes over 8 per cent of World's total tribal population of 100 crores and the highest concentration of them are in the States like Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Assam.

Carved out of Bihar in 2000, many treasures of the relatively new state of Jharkhand situated in the Chota Nagpur Plateau is still less known to most people. Nature wears her best clothes in this state. Many rivers like the Damodar, Brahmani, Kharkai and the Subarnarekha, flow gently adding to the natural charm of Jharkhand. It is heaven on earth, where hill streams bubble like a young adivasi’s laughter.The state is endowed with abundant mineral wealth, flora and fauna. Jharkhand has proudly emerged culturally as an important multi ethnic state.

Jharkhand is primarily a tribal state with a total tribal population of 70,89,068 which is about 27 per cent of State's entire population of 2.69 crores. The Santhal Tribe of Jharkhand constitute the main tribal community in State .

The tribals of Jharkhand have a long history of customs and costumes. They have ancient traditions and cultural heritage and languages. There is need to preserve and promote these traditions before they are extinct from the land of Jharkhand. There are so many noble cultural, social, environmental, and health practices among tribes of Jharkhand. The rich culture of Jharkhand is transmitted orally from generation to generation.

For example, the culture of preserving forest in SARNA (Sacred Grove) is still in practice among Jharkhand tribes, which potentially has a greater environment value today but we all are unknown of this culture.

TYPES OF TRIBES

The tribes of Jharkhand consist of 32 tribes inhabiting the Jharkhand state in India. Classification was as follows:

Hunter-gatherer type — Birhor, Korwa, Hill Kharia

Shifting Agriculture — Sauria Paharia

Simple artisans — Mahli, Lohra, Karmali, Chik Baraik

Settled agriculturists — Santhal, Munda, Oraon, Ho, Bhumij, etc.

Other categorization is:

Primitives Tribes: Asur, Birhor, Birajia, Korba, Mal Paharia, Sauria Paharia, Sabar, or Hill Kharia and Parahiya.

Other Tribes: Biga, Banjara, Bathudi, Bedia, Bhumij, Binjhia, Chero, Chik Baraik, Gond, Gorait, Ho, Karmali, Khadia, Kharwar, Khond, Kisan, Kora, Lohra, Mahali, Munda, Oraon and Santhal.

SOME FACTS ABOUT JHARKHAND TRIBE: Santhal is not only the main tribe of Jharkhand but also of India. One of the

divisions in the state has been aptly named as Santhal Pargana. From the viewpoint of population, Oraon and Munda are placed at 2nd and 3rd position. Tribal population of Jharkhand is concentrated mainly in Chhotanagpur plateau and Santhal Parganas.

From the racial point of view the tribal people of Jharkhand are known as the Proto - Austroid. They have generally short stature, long caphlic, broad flat nose and black skin as physical characteristics. Their main language is Austrick language group, e.g. Mundari, Santhali, Ho, Khaira etc.

Most of the tribal population lives in villages, which are divided in tolas. Their houses are mostly made of mud and kuchha . Many tribes decorate the outer walls of their houses with beautiful paintings. Rice, animal and bird flesh, fruits are the main food of tribes. Haria is their beer, which is prepared from rice.

Songs, stories and proverbs have important place in the folk literature of tribal people. Sohari, Sarhul, Karma, Tusu, Mange, Fagu etc. are the important and fascinating festivals of tribal people which are celebrated . It is the rich music of the folk songs that adds spice to Jharkhand. Mandar, Nagara, Dhol, Singa, Dhak, Dhamsa, Tasa, Gupi, Jantra etc. are their important musical instruments.

TRIBAL ARTWORK

Chhou mask - Chhou is a type of dance done with colourful masks. The masks are made of paper mache in Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. Paper mache of Saraikela and Charinda are famous for Chhou dance. Some times it appears similar to the masks used in kerla in Kathakali.

Tribal woodwork - Jharkand is full of good quality saal forest and hence wooden artwork in the "should" of tribals. The wood is used for cooking, housing, farming, fishing etc. The tribal artists make beautifully decorative door panels, toys, boxes, and other household articles.

Tribal Bamboo Artwork - The bamboo found in this area are different from bamboo of Southeast Asia. There is tourist place, Netarhat, which means a Bazaar of Bamboo. These bamboos are thin, and strong and flexible. The tribal people use bamboo for making baskets, hunting & fishing equipments. Specially the bamboo made fishing cage is very attractive.

Tribal Pottery - Tribal pottery is a part of tribals but still no specific working style observed.

Tribal jewellery - The tribal people particularly like jewellery. They use metallic ornaments made of gold, silver, brass, copper for their earrings, nose ring, bracelets, bangles etc.

Godna - Tribals use ornaments a lots but the spiritual concept of ornament is very different. They believe that all ornaments are human made and are mortal. Therefore they invented tattoos as permanent ornament. Majority of tribal woman have tattoos called Godna, on their bodies. However, tribal man also use Godna.They believe that Godna are the only ornament which goes with them after death also.

Tribal weapons - Bow and arrow is the symbolic weapon of the tribals of this area. Apart from this they use iron made Axes and Doulies and Ghana (Big hammer).

Tribal metalwork-Most of the metal works are done for agricultural purpose, hunting and weapons. There are specific communities like Lohar, Malhar and Thentri have expertise in metal work.

TRIBAL FESTIVAL

Sarhul is celebrated during spring season and the Saal trees get new flowers on their branches. It is a worship of the village deity who is considered to be the protector of the tribes. People sing and dance a lot when the new flowers appear. The village priest or Pahan fasts for a couple of days. In the early morning he takes a bath and puts on new a dhoti made of virgin cotton (kachha dhaga). The previous evening, the Pahan takes three new earthen pots and fills them with fresh water; the next morning he observes these earthen pots and water level inside. If the water level decreases he predicts that there would be famine or less rain, and if the water level is normal, that is the signal of a good rain. Before pooja starts, the wife of the Pahan washes his feet and gets blessings from him. At the pooja, Pahan offers three young roosters of different colors to one for the almighty god — the Singbonga or Dharmesh, as the Mundas, Ho and Oraons respectively address Him; another for the village deities; and the third for the ancestors. During this pooja villagers surround the Sarna place.

Karam-The Karam festival is a worship of Karam devta, the god of power, youth and youthfulness. Karam is held on the 11 of moon in Bhadra month. Groups of young villagers go to the jungle and collect wood, fruits and flowers. These are required during the Puja of Karam God. During this period people sing and dance in groups. This is one of the rare examples of such a vital and vibrant youth festival in Jharkhand’s tribal area

Jawa-At the same time, the unmarried tribal girls celebrate the Jawa festival, which has its own kind of songs and dance. This is held mainly for the expectation of good fertility and better household. The unmarried girls decorate a small basket with germinating seeds. It is believed that the worship for good germination of the grains would increase the fertility. The girls offer green melons to the Karam deity as a symbol of ‘son’ which reveals the primitive expectation of human being (i.e., grains and children). The entire tribal area of Jharkhand becomes tipsy during this time.

Rohini-Rohini is perhaps the first festival of Jharkhand. It is a festival of sowing seeds in the field. Farmers starts sowing seeds from this day but there is no dance or song like other tribal festivals but just a few rituals. There are some other festivals like Rajsawala Ambavati and Chitgomha are also celebrated with Rohini.

Tusu Parab or Makar-This festival is mostly seen in the area between Bundu, Tamar and Raidih area of Jaharkhand. This belt has a great history during India’s independence movement. TUSU is a harvest festival held during the winter in the last day of Poush month. It is also for the unmarried girls. Girls decorate a wooden/ bamboo frame with coloured paper and then gift it to the nearby hilly river.

Hal Punhya-Hal punhya is a festival which begins with the fall of winter. The first day of Magh month, known as “Akhain Jatra” or “Hal Punhya”, considered as the beginning of ploughing. The farmers, to symbolize this auspicious morning plough two and half circles of their agricultural land this day is also considered as the symbol of good fortune.

Bhagta Parab-This festival comes between the period of spring and summer. Among the tribal people of Jharkhand, Bhagta Parab is best known as the worship of Budha Baba. People fast during the day and carry the bathing Pahan the priest, to the tribal mandir called Sarana Mandir. The Pahan sometimes called Laya, gets out of the pond, the devotees make a chain, locking their thighs with each other and come forward to offer their bare chest to Laya for walk over. After worship in the evening, devotees take part in dynamic and vigorous Chhau dance with lots of gymnastic actions and masks. The next day is full of primitive sports of bravery. The devotees pierce hooks on skin and get tied at one end of a long horizontal wooden pole, which is hanging on the top of a vertical Shal wood pole. The height goes up to 40 feet. The other end of the pole which is connected with a rope, pulled around the pole by the people and the tied devotee display the breath-taking dance in the sky. This festivals is more popular in the Tamar region of Jharkhand.

Bandna-Bandana is one of the most famous festivals celebrated during the black moon of month of Kartik (Kartik Aamavashya). This festival is mainly for the animals. Tribals are very close with animals and pets. In this festival, people wash, clean, paint, decorate feed well and put ornaments to their cows and bulls. The song dedicated for this festival is called Ohira which is an acknowledgement for animal’s contribution in their day-to-day life. The belief behind this festival is animals are integral part of life and have souls as human being do. The most exciting day of the bandanna week is the last day. Closured bulls and buffaloes are chained to a strong pole and they are attacked with a dry animal hyde. The angry animals hit the dry skin with their horns and the crowd enjoys. Generally the colour used for decorating animals are natural colours and the is artwork is of folk type.

Jani-Shikaar-This is held once every 12 years. The womenfolk wear menswear and go for hunting in forest. Jani-Shikaar is performed in remember of driving away the mohameddens by the kurukh womenfolk in Roh-tas-garh, who wanted to capture the fort on the Sharhul festival new year day for tribal community, when men used to be in drunken condition. They had tried to capture 12 times in 12 years and every time they were driven by the kurukh women, who wore the men's clothes while in the field of war.

MUNDA TRIBES

Places they inhabit :Munda tribe mainly inhabit in the region of Jharkhand, Although they are well spread in the states of West Bengal, Chhatisgarh, Orissa and Bihar. Munda generally means headman of the village. 

Language and Physical Characteristics : Mundas speak Mundari language, which belongs to the family of Austro- Asiatic. The complexion of Mundas is blackish. They have short curly hair. With the passage of time some of the Mundas resembles same features as that of the Bengali's. Common surnames used among the Mundas includes Topno, Barla, Aind, Hemrom, Guria, Herenge, Surin, Horo, Sanga and Samad.  

History of Mundas : Mundas are the tribal communities from the south east Asia. There are some evidences of the Mundas kingdom in the Pre British times. For example the Ho/Munda kingdom of Chota Nagpur, and the Bhumij states, especially Barabhum.  

Religion : Christianity is the main religion followed among the Mundas. Apart from that Mundas have their own religion known as Sarna. Mundas believe in the supreme being known as the Singbonga, which means the Sun God. According to the Mundas, he saves them from the external enemies and troubles of life. Mundas are of the belief that Singbonga is not the jealous God and gives his people the right to worship any celestial being. In Sarna the Mundas worship the nature. Some of the Mundas also worship Lord Shiva.

Occupation of the Mundas :Mundas have remained haunters for centuries. But now they have been converted into the settled agriculturist. Most of the then do not have land of their own. They are largely dependent on the labour work in the fields to earn their livelihood.  

Food and Clothing of Mundas :Mundas have been the animal eaters for the long time. They usually eat frogs, snakes, rats, earthworms, shells and snails. They prefer having Tari and Haria wine on the various occassions. As the Mundas are in close touch with the Hindu society. Munda men usually wear pant and shirts. While the Munda Women are seen wearing the cotton saris with the cholis or blouse.

Festivals :Mage, Phagu, Karam, Sarhul, and Sohrai are the few festivals celebrated among the Munda tribes

Santhals Tribe

Places they inhabit : Santhals are the third largest tribe in India. They are mostly found in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand and Assam.

History of Santhals : Santhals belong to the Pre Aryan period. They were the great fighters during the British regime in India. They wagged war against the permanent settlement of Lord Cornwallis in 1855. During the late 1850 Santhals hero Sidhu had accumulated around 10 thousand Santhals to run parallel government against the British government. Baba Tilka Majhi was the first Santhal leather who raise weapons against the Britishers in 1789.

Language and Identification : Santhals speak Santhali, which belongs to the Austro- Asiatic language family. Santhals have their script called Olchiki, which was developed by Dr Raghunath Murmu in 1925. Accoring to the census their population is around 49,000. They are generally Bilingual. Apart from Santhali they also speak Bengali, Oriya and Hindi. Santhals have long head and flat nose. Their complexion varies from dark brown to black in colour. Santhals usually have curly hair.

Santhal Economic Status : The livelihood of the Santhals revolve around the forests they live in. They fulfill their basic needs from the trees and plants of the forests. Apart from this they are also engaged in the haunting, fishing and cultivation for their livelihood. Santhals posses the unique skills in making the musical equipments, mats and baskets out of the plants. This talent is safely passed on from one generation to the other.

 Culture : Santhals love dancing. Dance is the important part of the Santhals fairs and festivals.Santhal women dress in the red bordered white sari and dance in the line sequence. Apart from dance Santhals play great music using Tirio (bamboo flute with the seven holes), Dhodro banam (which consists of belly called lac covered with an animal skin on which rests the bridge(sadam, lit, horse), an open chest( korom), a short neck(hotok)and a head( bohok), Phet banam (a fretless stringed instrument with three or four strings), Tumdak, Tamak, Junko and Singa.

 Religion : Santhals have no temples of their own. They even do not worship any idols. Santhals follow the Sarna religion. The God and Goddess of Santhal are Marangburu, Jaheraera, and Manjhi. Santhals pay respect to the ghosts and spirits like Kal Sing, Lakchera, Beudarang etc. They have village priests known as the Naiki and shaman Ujha. Animal sacrifices to the Gods is the common practice common practice among the Santhals to appease the Gods and Goddess.

 Festivals :Santhals mainly celebrate the Karam festival which falls in the month of September and October. They celebrate this festival to plaes the God to increase their wealth and free them from all the enemies. It is the tradition among the Santhals to grow the Karam tree outside their house after the purification process. Other festivals of the Santhal community include Maghe, Baba Bonga, Sahrai, Ero, Asaria and Namah. They also celebrate haunting festival called Disum sendra on the eve of Baishakhi Purnima.

GOND TRIBE

Places they inhabit : The Gonds are the tribal community mostly found in the Gond forests of the central India. They are widely spread in the Chhindwara District of Madhya Pradesh, Bastar district of Chhattisgarh and also in the parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Orissa. The name by which the Gonds call themselves is Koi or Koitur which means unclear. Gonds are one of the largest tribal group in the world.

History of Gonds : Gonds finds mention in almost the historical books of India. Gonds settled in the Gondawa in the ninth and thirteenth century AD. In the fourteen century they ruled several parts of the central India. They built number of forts, palaces, temples, tanks and lakes during the rule of the Gonds dynasty. The Gondwana kingdom survived till late 16th century. Gond dynasties ruled in four kingdoms - Garha-Mandla, Deogarh, Chanda, and Kherla in the central India. Gonds have been the warriors since the British period. During the British regime in India, Gonds challenged the Britishers in several battles. They also gained control over the Malwa after the decline of the Mughals followed by the Marathas in the year 1690.

 Language and Identification : Gonds tribe speak Gondi language which is related to the Telgu and the other Dravidian languages. In the northern parts Gonds are often seen speaking the local Hindi and Marathi. Some of the Gonds in the southern parts also speak Parsi or Persian. Gonds are mainly divided into four tribes namely - Raj Gonds, Madia Gonds, Dhurve Gonds, Khatulwar Gonds. Gonds men wear Dhoti, which is the lonf piece of cotton cloth wrapped around the waist passing through the legs. Women wear soft cotton saris along with the Choli or blouse. The staple food of Gonds are the two millets known as Kodo or Kutki. Rice is the ceremonial feast of the Gonds, which they prefer eating during the time of festivals. Most of the Gonds are the meat consumers.

Religion : Gonds have been practicing the Hindus culture and traditions. Gonds are the worshipers of Janani or the mother of creator. They use the title Thakur. Gonds mainly worship Pharsa Pen, who is worshiped under the form of the nail and sometimes a piece of iron chain. Besides Pharsa Pen, they also believe in several other Gods namely Mariai – the Goddess of plague and other diseases, and Bhimsen – the Hindu God. Apart from these God and Goddess, their exist great number of deities and spirits in the beliefs of Gonds. According to them every hill, river, lake, tree is also inhabited by a spirit. They say that the the earth, water and air are ruled by the great number of deities which must be appeased by sacrifices. They have priests (devari) who perform all the religious formalities on all the occasions. Gonds also pay homage to the Gods of household, Gods of Cattle, Gods of fields. Animal sacrifice on the religious occasions is the common practice among the Gonds.

 Customs and Festivals : Gonds fair and festivals are influenced from the Hindu traditions. Keslapur Jathra is the important festival of the Gonds. In this festival they worship the snake deity called Nagoba, whose temple is found in the Keslapur village of Indervelly mandal of Adilabad district. Gusadi dance is the most famous dance perfomed by the Gonds. It is performed by wearing head gears decorated with the peacock feathers. They wear cotton cloth around their waist. They smear ash all over their body and beards made of animal hair is also important part of the dance costumes. Madai is the another major festival celebrated among the Gonds. It is the festival when Gonds meet their relatives settled in various parts of the country. During this festival they also sacrifice goat beeath the sacred village tree to appease the tribal Goddess. In the night they enjoy liquor and dance along with the tribal music. Apart from this they also celebrate Hindu festival called Dusshera

ASUR  Asur is an important tribe in the state of Jharkhand in the

eastern part of the subcontinent of India. Asur in Jharkhand is one of the thirty major tribes of people who have made the state of Jharkhand their home. The people who belong to this tribe form quite a big part of the total population of the state of Jharkhand.

It ranks 21st among all the 30 tribal groups of the state, in terms of population, that is, there are as many as 9 tribal groups in the state that have a smaller population than the Asur of Jharkhand. Asur is one of the most ancient ethnic groups in the state of Jharkhand.

BAIGA  The Baiga is one of the most important tribes in the state of

Jharkhand in India. The people who belong to the Baiga tribe of Jharkhand are reportedly least civilized of all the different tribes of the state. The people of the tribe of Baiga in Jharkhand inhabit in a particular district of the state. The name of this district of Jharkhand is the Garwa district.

The people who belong to the tribe of Baiga constitute a Kolerian ethnic community. The name of this tribe of Jharkhand has quite a few meanings. One of them is 'ojha' or a person who makes medicines. Many of the people who belong to the Baiga tribe make medicines by profession, though their chief traditional occupation has been shifting cultivation.

CHERO The Chero are one of the scheduled tribes of Jharkhand. In Jharkhand,

Chero dwell in the districts of Ranchi, Sathal Pargana, Latehar and Palamu. Palamu seems to have a larger concentration of the Chero tribe in Jharkhand.

Besides, the Chero at Jharkhand are also found in Bhojpur, Gaya, Champaran, Munger, Daltonganj, Patan, Lesliganj, Bhawanathpur, Rohtas, etc. It is noteworthy in this context that the Chero, also known as Cherwas or Cherus, was a martial group that annexed many new territories through war. They are said to be descendants of the Kshatriya lineage known as Chandravanshi.

kHARIA  Kharia at Jharkhand belong to the Proto-Australoid group. The Kharia in

Jharkhand are said to be the descendants of Nagvanshi Raja and are divided into three major sections namely Dudh Kharia, Dhelki Kharia and Hill Kharia.  

The Kharia of Jharkhand are one of the most primitive tribes that chiefly depend on the resources obtained from the forests of the territory. The Hill Kharia largely depend on roots, edible herbs, leaves, fruits, seeds, flowers, honey, wax, etc; the Dhelki Kharia and Dudh Kharia depend on agriculture.

The Kharias are basically centered round the hills and plains adjoining the hills. The settlement of the Kharia is dispersed throughout the different districts of Jharkhand. The houses of the Kharias are made up of straw, bamboo, mud, rope, etc. and are generally rectangular in shape. The houses, generally, possess a single room that contains a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom: we can find a cow-shed or pig stay attached to the house.

KHARWAR Kharwar are found in the Latehar, Lohardaga, Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Chatra,

Daltonganj, Garhwa, districts and is known to be one of the scheduled tribes of Jharkhand. The Kharwar of Jharkhand is also found in the Rohtasgarh district in Bihar.

It is interesting to note that the Kharwar in Jharkhand are a group of traditional people who use the Khair grasses for various purposes. Due to the excessive use of the Khair leaves by them, the Kharwars are named so.

A family is the unit of the Kharwar society which is generally nuclear in structure and comprises a husband, wife and their unmarried children because after marriage the children set up their own families. In fact, the concept of the joint family is completely absent from the Kharwar society

BANJARA The colorful lives of the Banjaras now has become the source of

entertainment to the entire state. Tribal festivals like Sarhul, Tusu and Sohrai are celebrated throughout the state. Banjara music and dances like Chaw, Natua, Ghatwari and Matha now-a-days has become sources of recreation even to the tourists to Jharkhand. They now seem to plan their visit to Jharkhand in the festive seasons of the tribes in Jharkhand.

Banjaras of Jharkhand has become famous particularly for their embroidery works. Influenced by their themes and culture and exploiting the availability of raw materials, the Banjaras embellish their works with ivory beads, shells and colorful threads. The needle crafts of the Banjaras create skirts, jackets, belts, bags, blouses and also different types of room decors

Though smallest in number, the Banjara tribe in Jharkhand is a recognized part of the tribal community. Unlike the Banjara tribe of Rajasthan, the Banjaras of Jharkhand lead a settled life. They generally live in thatched huts with kuchcha walls. Though they remain unperturbed by the modernization around, recent years has seen far reaching changes in the relationship between the Banjaras and the large society. The literacy rate of the Banjaras is about 12.38%.

Birhor Birhor is one of the primitive tribes in Jharkhand. In

Jharkhand, Birhor are found in the Palamu, Garhwa, Dhanbad, Singhbhum, Giridih, Lohardaga, Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Gumla, etc.

Birhor at Jharkhand belong to the Proto-Australoid stock; linguistically, they originate from the Austro-Asiatic group. It is interesting to note that the Birhor tribe of Jharkhand consider themselves as the descendants of the Sun. It is believed that the Birhors are related to the Kharwar tribe, also said to have descended from the Sun.  

BIRJIA The Birjia tribe of Jharkhand is found in the districts

of Ranchi, Gumla, Palamu and Lohardaga. In Jharkhand, Birjias live in small huts made of bamboo, wood or mud, which are located in the hills or the plains adjoining these hills.

The Birjia at Jharkhand live in triangular or rectangular huts made up of bamboo, wood or mud. The huts of the Birjia tribe, usually, are devoid of windows: the huts have a small gate which is closed with a tati or a mat.

The Chick Baraik The chick baraik of Jharkhand is found in Ranchi,

Lohardaga and Gumla districts. The Chick Baraik in Jharkhand belongs to the Proto-Australoid and speaks Mundari, Hindi and Sadani languages.

The Chick Baraik tribe presents a picture of communal harmony. In Jharkhand, the Chick Baraiks do not dwell in a separate village but live with the other tribes and castes within the same village. In fact, it can be said that they celebrate fraternity and brotherhood.  

GORAIT The Gorait at Jharkhand belong to the Austric racial

group and are found scattered in the districts of Dhanbad, Palamu, Ranchi, Sathal Pargana, Singhbhum and Hazaribagh. Linguistically, the Gorait belong to the Proto-Australoid group.

The Gorait in Jharkhand are found in the hilly tracks adjoining the forests of the territory. The Goraits of Jharkhand dwell with the other tribes of Jharkhand. This co-existence of the Goraits with the other tribes of Jharkhand has led to the assimilation of the cultural habits of the tribes. Thus, like the other tribes in Jharkhand, the Goraits also build a one-room house containing a bed-room, kitchen and bathroom.

Ho The ho is one of the scheduled tribes of Jharkhand. The Ho

in Jharkhand belong to Proto-Australoid stock and speak Ho and Hindi languages: a corrupt version of Bengali is also spoken by the Hos of Jharkhand.

In Jharkhand, Ho tribe dwells near the rivers, river terraces or by the side of the springs. It is noteworthy in this context that the Ho community of Jharkhand largely depends on agriculture. Agriculture is the main stay of the people of the Ho tribe in Jharkhand.

KARMALI Karmali in Jharkhand are found in Ranchi, Hazaribagh,

Santhal Parganas, Singhbhum, and Bokaro districts. Karmali at Jharkhand is one of the scheduled tribes of Jharkhand who are also known as the artisan tribes of Jharkhand.

Karmali of Jharkhand are known for a nuclear family system where the father is the head of the family. The nuclear family of the Karmali is composed of a man and his wife and children. The children live with their parents till they are single: after their marriage the children set up a family of their own. Therefore, we can say that the Karmali tribe celebrates a nuclear family: the concept of a joint family is completely absent in the Karmali society.

ORAON Tribals in India constitute around eight per cent of the total

population. Oraon is one of the tribal communities found in India, which mainly depends on agriculture for earning their living. They are also known as Kurukh tribes. These tribes are mainly found in the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa. In the ancient days, Oraons used to make their living by chopping timber and selling forest products. Majority of the population of Oraons can be found in Northeastern states engaged in the occupation of tea cultivation.

Bathudi The Bathudi is a minor schedule tribe numerically. They

prefer to call themselves as Bahutuli, i.e., people of arms, the Kshatriyas and not Bathudi. They are agriculturists and prefer to live around the hill ranges and on the banks of the river Swarnrekha in the Dhalbhum Subdivision of SinghbhumOrissa (Risley 1891). They speak a corrupt form of Oriya-Bengali mixture with good many Hindi words.

Bedia: 

Hunter (1877) mentioned that they are akin to the Mundas without really putting forward any serious or any concrete evidences. The Bedias call themselves ‘Vedbanis’ and are settled cultivators in permanent villages. They generally reside in the district of Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Dhanbad, Singhbhum, Santhal Parganas, and Palamau

MAHLIMahli is the name of a tribe of India. It is a scheduled tribe of the state of West Bengal and Jharkhand (earlier these areas were part of Bihar). They mostly reside in Santhal Parganas and certain other regions of Jharkhand, and in the adjoining areas of West Bengal. Their population is dwindling. Mahli people traditionally earned their livelihood by selling articles made of bamboo. Some typical articles made by them are: Machi (a small bench), umbrellas, soop (used in kitchen, to remove dust from cereals), sop and chatai (for lying down and sleeping), raincap (special cap covering head, and upper back for protection from rains during work).Mahli people typically have a tattoo of their name on their hand.

SAURIA PAHARIAThe Sauria Paharia people (also known as Maler Paharia) are a tribal people of Jharkhand in India. They are found mostly in Santhal Parganas.

History:According to Oraon traditions, when they were driven out of their home in the Son valley, the main group migrated towards Palamu but a smaller group moved down the Gangetic valley till they reached Rajmahal Hills, where they settled mostly in Damin-i-koh. The language of the Sauria Paharias is closely linked to that of the Oraons.

Demographics:Sauria Paharias are listed as a primitive tribe and have a population of around 30,000 in Jharkhand, with a possible negligible population in West Bengal. They constitute less than 1 per cent of the tribal population in Jharkhand. Sauria Paharias resort to shifting cultivation. They lead family lives.

The Saurias are divided into three distinct cultural groups, namely the Probia, the Bare and the Chete.

BHUMIJBhumij are a tribal/Adivasi people living primarily in the Indian states of West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, mostly in the old Singhbhum district. They speak the Mundari language of the Austroasiatic language family or sometimes the predominant local language such as Bengali.

In the 2001 census, they numbered 336,436 in West Bengal, accounting for 7.6 per cent of the scheduled caste population of the state.[1] In Odisha, Bhumijes had a population ranging from 248,144 to 321,592 and were among the twelve most populous tribes.[2] In Jharkhand Bhumijes were one the eight most populous tribes, their population ranging between 164,022 and 192,024.

Bhumij means one who is born from the soil. They form one of the Hinduised Adivasi groups in Jharkhand. Bhumij Kols have adopted the surname 'Singh.

The Kols:

The kols (aka Ho/Larka) inhabited a large portion of the Chota Nagpur region. They rebelled to resist British entry into their dominion. Soon they joined the Munda rebellion.

It was only in the middle of 19th century that the Kols and the Mundas were finally defeated. In 1820 the Raja of Singhbum acknowledged the supremacy of the British. The restless Kol tribes, however, resented the agreement and broke into a rebellion in 1831-1832. They were joined by the Munda tribe. The immediate cause of the Kol uprising was the oppression of the local tribes by the non-adivasi thikadars (contractors) or farmers of rented lands. The Kols, the Mundas, the Santhals and the Oraons joined and burnt the houses of many diku (outsider) landlords and killed many of them. The British suppressed the rebellion with great effort. A register of all tribal land was completed in 1862. It was in favour of the landlords than the adivasis. The Adivasi kols of Chotonagpur area was divided into many subcastes. They lived independently there. (1) In 1820 the king of Porhat accepted the British governance and settled to give a huge tax to the British Government. After that he demanded the surrounding area as his realm. The British Government accepted his demand. The problem arose when he went collect the revenue from the Ho. They killed the retainers or servants of the king. After that the Kols dressed with bow and arrow, the jabbing etc. came to a fight with the English. They fought till the death and hindered the English a lot; but at last the wood-word Kol had to surrender in 1821.

In 1831 the Kols rebelled again. In that part of Chotonagpur area the 'Ijara' was given to Hindu, Muslim, Shikh Mahajans. They exceeded the limit of oppression. In protection of the oppression Buddhu Bhagat, Joya Bhagat, Jhindrai Manaki and Sui Munda amassed the Kols. In 1831 Munda and Oraon cultivators broked their first rebel in Ranchi district. The rebel immediately spread to Singbhum, Manbhum, Hajaribag and Palamu districts. All the men like Jamindar, Jotdar (one kind of Jamindar), Businessman, Mohajon (who lends money to the farmers for interest), English Servant except Adivasi came under the aegis of this rebel. The rebel was taken into control after the continuous effort of two years and killing a thousands of innocent children, woman and man.

MAL PAHARIA The Mal Paharia people are a tribal people of

Jharkhand in India.

Society:The Mal Paharias who live in the southern hills of Damin-i-koh and in the south and east of Santhal Parganas have been Hinduised.

The Mal Paharias survive on agriculture and forest produce.

Demographics:As per 2001 census, the Mal Paharias number around 115,093 in Jharkhand.

KORBA Korba people are one of the scheduled tribes of

India. They live in hills and forest of Chhotanagpur; the bordering area of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. They are socially and economically poor (it is estimated that 60% of Korwa people are below the poverty line) and outsiders often look down on them because of this. A small number of Korwa are also found in the Mirzapur District of Uttar Pradesh. The Indian Government has implemented several facilities for them, such as roads to their settlements, boys hostels for education, providing agricultural aid, etc.

SABAR TRIBE The Sabar people (also Shabar and Saora) are one of the

scheduled tribes in India who live mainly in Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal. During the British Raj, they were classed as one of the 'criminal tribes' under Criminal Tribes Act 1871, and still suffer from social stigma and ostracism in modern times.

Also known as Saora, the Sabar tribe finds mention in the Hindu epic Mahabharata,while in some parts of East Singhbhum district mainly in Musabani, they are known as in Kariya.

This reclusive tribe is found primarily in East Singhbhum district in Jharkhand and in Midnapore District of West Bengal.

The traditionally forest-dwelling tribe are not used to agriculture, and rely on the forests for their livelihood.

PAHARIYA A community that has the claim of being the earliest

inhabitants of the region and finds mention in Megasthenes' book as well as Hiuen Tsang's travelogue, has now been pushed to the edge and is an ecologically and biologically endangered tribe. They go on hunting-expeditions, practice share-cropping as well as shifting cultivation, live in mud houses, collect firewood from forest and practice herbal medicine. Though poverty, under development and lack of education have deprived them of the benefits of modernization, they celebrate Magahi Parab (festival) with ecstatic joy and vivacious song and dance.It resides mainly in Dumka district of jharkhand

BINJHIA Binjhia are found in Simdega and Khunti in Jharkhand. The Binjhia villages are

located in and around the forest and hills. They are found living with the other tribes. A few villages are of only Binjhia tribe.

Culture :The Binjhia erect their houses with wood, bamboo, mud, leaves, grasses and tiles. They prepare tiles themselves. The houses are generally rectangular in shape. Each house has two rooms and verandah. The house, there is no separate kitchen and both room. The same room is used for the purpose of cooking and sleeping. They have wooden rack in the house.

Their household possession consists of earthen pots and metal utensils for cooking and serving food, they have mat, baskets, tray and cot which they prepare themselves. They have knife, sickle, tangi (axe), kudal, khanti, a khurpi and plough as agricultural and hunting gathering implements. They have harpoon and not for fishing. Dol and flutes are their musical instruments.

The Binjhia men wear Half dhoti and a Gamachha when they are in house or worksite. They also wear a plastic shoes or slipper. Women wear Sari, Saya and Blouse. The buy wear only Ganji in early childhood. But in old childhood, they wear paint, Ganji and shirt. The girl wears paint and frock in early childhood. In late childhood, they wear salwar suit. They purchase clothes from the local Haat.

The Binjhia women are also fond or ornaments. They wear ornaments in finger, wrist feet, neck and ear. The ornaments are made up or steel, copper, bronze, glass, silver and imitation of gold and silver. They also wear beads of forest seeds and thread made ornaments. They have loraha, silant and okhali for crushing grains.

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