"Tribal" is the word used in India to refer to inhabitants known elsewhere as "indigenous". British ethnographers classified tribals as "animists". As per the National Census, they are classified as "aboriginals" and listed according to the tribe. The Hindi word for tribal is adivasi , meaning "ancient inhabitants."
Tribals are not Hindus, though they have imbibed many features of Hindu culture. The chief of the tribe, the Sarpanch , acts as the main advisor and mediator in disputes, a role in which he is assisted by a team of 5 advisors, each called panch . The sarpanch and 5 panchs are an integral and highly respected part of the village community and live in pretty much the same manner as the rest of the tribe.
There are many types of tribals in India, and Chhattisgarh is home to many of them. In fact, the state has India's oldest tribal communities, and it is safe to assume that the earliest tribals have been living in Bastar for over 10,000 years, since the time the Aryans occupied the Indian mainland and the rich plains became
(a) war-infested and
(b) de-forested for agriculture.
- Bastar - Gond, Abujmaria , Bisonhorn Maria, Muria, Halba, Bhatra, Parja, Dhurvaa
- Dantewara - Muriya, Dandami Mariya or Gond, Dorla, Halba
- Koriya - Kol, Gond, Bhunjia
- Korba - Korwa, Gond, Rajgond, Kawar, Bhaiyana, Binjwar, Dhanwar
- Bilaspur and Raipur - Parghi, Savra, Manji, Bhayna
- Gariabandh, Mainpur, Dhura, Dhamtari - Kamar
- Surguja and Jashpur - Munda
Each of these has its own rich (and distinctive) history and culture of music, dance, dress and food. What's common to all is a simple, basic, in-tune-with-nature way of life that has changed little over centuries because it works so well. Marriages tend to take place within the tribe. Both burial and cremation are used for the dead, but since cremation involves multi-day rituals, which are expensive, it is not so common. Important elders, though, are always cremated.
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