The term "tribal society" is used to refer to societies organised largely on the basis of social,

especially familial, descent groups (such as clan and kinship). A customary tribe in these terms is
a face-to-face community, relatively bound by kinship relations, reciprocal exchange, and strong
ties to place.

Structure of Tribal Community

Tribes in India di er from one another in racial traits, language, social organisation, cultural patterns, etc.
The dominant racial type among tribes is the proto-Australoid. In the sub-Himalayan belt, the Mongoloid
type is preponderant. The Mediterranean and the Negrito are found in other regions. Tribal languages
belong to all the types: the Austric, the Dravidian, and the Tibeto-Chinese. Tribal people are generally
bihngual. Some tribes have been assimilated into the Hindu-fold, like the Bhumij and the Bhils. Some have
been attracted by Christianity.

Tribal communities are divided into ve territorial groupings, taking into account their historical,
ethnic and socio-cultural relations-

(1) North-east India, comprising Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura;

(2) The sub-Himalayan region of north and north-west India, comprising hill districts of Uttar
Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh;

(3) Central and East India, comprising West Bengal, Bihar (now Jharkhand), Orissa, Madhya
Pradesh (now Chhattisgarh) and Andhra Pradesh;

(4) South India comprising Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka; and

(5) Western India, comprising Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Features of Tribal Community:

Common Territory
A tribe is a territorial community. It means that the tribe has a de nite territory in which its
members reside. For Example, the Naga, Rengma Naga, Sema Naga and other tribals reside in
Nagaland; Garos, Khasis, Khasas live in Assam; Bhils in Madhya Preadesh; Soligas in Mysore;
Thodas in Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, and so on. In the absence of a common locality or territory a
tribe would lose its uniqueness.

Collection of Families
As the de nitions of tribe cited above clarify, tribals constitute a collection of families. These
collections may have various sizes. These families which normally have blood relationships
among themselves could be matriarchal or patriarchal in nature.

Common Name
Every tribe has its own name. Each tribe is known to other tribes by its distinctive name. Example
of some Indian tribes: Garo, Khasi, Khasa, Naga, Rengma Naga, Sema Naga, Limbu, Santhal,
Munda, Gond, Kota, Badaga, Urali, Thodas, etc.

Common Language
The members of a tribe speak a particular language. Di erent tribes speak di erent languages.
These languages are not only di erent from the language of the civilised people, but they
themselves di er from one another. Common language contributes much to the development of
community feeling. Since these languages do not have a script of their own, education of the
tribals has become problematic.

Common Ancestor
The tribals claim that they have a common ancestor. A major cause of the sense of communal
unity in the tribe is ―the tie of blood

relationshipǁ between its members arising out of common ancestry. The tribals are bound by
kinship bonds.

Common Religion
Religion plays an important role in the tribal organisation. The members of a tribe usually worship
a common ancestor. Also, ̳nature worship‘ is common among them. In addition to the Ancestral
worship and nature worship the tribals practise other types of faith such as -festishism, animism
and totemism. Magic is also widespread among them. The tribal social and political organisations
are based on this religion. Participation in common religious ceremonies functions and festivals
contributes to the unity of the group. A sizeable proportion of Nagas, Mizos, Santhals, Oraons and
Munda, etc. Have embraced Christianity while some tribals such as Butia, Lepcha Chakma have
largely identi ed with Buddhism.

Common Culture
Each tribe has a way of life of its own. Each tribe has its own way of behaving, thinking, feeling
and acting. Each has its own customs, traditions, morals, values, its own peculiar institutions in
fi
fi
ff
ff
ff
fi
ff
fi
ff
brief, its own culture. The very peculiarities of a tribe reveal that it has a distinctive culture of its
own.

Common Political Organisation

Each tribe has its own political system. The tribal chief normally exercises authority overall the
other members. The chieftainship is normally hereditary. He occupies an important position in the
tribal society. The tribals do not possess a government in the modern sense of the term. But, they
do have their own tribal government, tribal council and tribal court or judicial system. Santhai, for
example, an advanced tribe, has a village council the members of which are democratically
elected. Nagaland emerged on the rst of December 1963 as the 16th State of the Republic of
India and Meghalaya in 1972.

Feeling of Unity
The members of a tribe always feel that they are united. This sense of unity is essential for them to
retain their identity. Tribals are normally cohesive and they ght against common enemies as one
man. They are ever ready to avenge the injustice done to the group or the individuals.

fi
fi