CBSE Class 7 Social Science History Notes Chapter 7 Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities

Who Were the Tribal People?

Tribal people in ancient India are often mentioned briefly by contemporary historians and travelers, as they did not keep written records. Instead, they preserved their rich customs and oral traditions, which were passed down through generations. Modern historians use these oral traditions to write about tribal histories. Tribes were present in almost every region of the subcontinent, and their areas of influence varied over time. Powerful tribes controlled large territories. For example, the Khokhar tribe was very influential in Punjab during the 13th and 14th centuries, and 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 large regions but were eventually subdued by the Mughals. The Balochis were a large and powerful tribe in the northwest, divided into many smaller clans under different chiefs. In the western Himalayas, the shepherd tribe of Gaddis lived, while the distant northeastern part of the subcontinent was entirely dominated by tribes such as the Nagas and Ahoms. In Bihar and Jharkhand, Chero chiefdoms emerged by the 12th century. Akbar's general, Raja Man Singh, attacked and defeated the Cheros in 1591, taking a large amount of booty. However, the Cheros were not entirely subdued until the Mughal forces, under Aurangzeb, captured many of their fortresses. Other important tribes in this region included the Mundas and Santals, who also lived in Orissa and Bengal. The highlands of Maharashtra and Karnataka were home to tribes such as the Kolis and Berads. The Kolis lived in many areas of Gujarat. Further south, there were large tribal populations of Koragas, Vetars, Maravars, and others. The Bhils, a large tribe, were spread across western and central India. By the late 16th century, many Bhils had become settled agriculturists and some even became zamindars, although many Bhil clans remained hunter-gatherers. The Gonds were found in great numbers across the present-day states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.

A Closer Look: The Gonds

The Gonds inhabited the vast forested region known as Gondwana, which means "country inhabited by Gonds." They practiced shifting cultivation and were divided into numerous smaller clans, each with its own leader called a raja or rai. As the power of the Delhi Sultans declined, larger Gond kingdoms began to dominate the smaller chiefs. One such kingdom was Garha Katanga, mentioned in the Akbar Nama, which had 70,000 villages. These kingdoms had centralized administrative systems, divided into garhs controlled by specific Gond clans. Each garh was further divided into units of 84 villages called chaurasi, which were subdivided into barhots, consisting of 12 villages each. The emergence of large states changed the nature of Gond society, leading to the division of what was once an essentially equal society into unequal social classes. Brahmanas gained influence as they received land grants from Gond rajas. Some Gond chiefs sought recognition as Rajputs, adopting titles like Sangram Shah. One notable figure was Rani Durgawati, who ruled Garha Katanga on behalf of her young son, Bir Narain. Under her rule, the kingdom expanded even further. However, in 1565, Mughal forces attacked Garha Katanga. Rani Durgawati resisted fiercely but was ultimately defeated and chose death over surrender, as did her son. Despite the fall of Garha Katanga, Gond kingdoms survived for some time, albeit weakened. They later struggled unsuccessfully against stronger opponents like the Bundelas. Garha Katanga, renowned for its wealth earned from trapping and exporting wild elephants, was annexed in part by the Mughals, while the remainder was granted to Chandra Shah, an uncle of Bir Narain.

The Ahoms: Builders of a New State

The Ahoms migrated to the Brahmaputra valley from present-day Myanmar in the 13th century and established their dominance by supplanting the older political system of landlords known as bhuiyans. Over time, they annexed neighboring kingdoms, including those of the Chhutiyas and Koch-Hajo, to build a large state. Utilizing firearms as early as the 1530s, the Ahoms defended their territory against numerous invasions, notably from the southwest. Despite facing challenges, including a Mughal invasion in 1662 led by Mir Jumla, the direct control of the region by the Mughals proved short-lived. The Ahom state relied heavily on forced labor, with individuals obligated to serve the state known as paiks. Each village was required to provide a quota of paiks, leading to population shifts and the fragmentation of Ahom clans. By the first half of the 17th century, the administration became more centralized, with adult males serving in the army and contributing to public works projects. Ahom society was organized into clans, and artisans often hailed from neighboring kingdoms due to the scarcity of artisan castes within Ahom territories. Originally worshipping tribal gods, the influence of Brahmanas increased over time, with temples and Brahmanas granted land by the king. Under the reign of Sib Singh (1714-1744), Hinduism became the predominant religion, although the Ahom kings maintained elements of their traditional beliefs. Despite these changes, Ahom society remained sophisticated, with poets and scholars receiving land grants and the encouragement of theater. Historical works known as buranjis, initially written in the Ahom language and later translated into Assamese, offer valuable insights into the history and culture of the Ahom kingdom.