Tribes & Nomads

Who were paiks?

Ans. The Ahom state depended upon forced labour. Those forced to work for the
state were called paiks.
Who are nomads?
Ans. Nomads are wandering people. Many of them are pastoralists who roam
from one pasture to another with their flocks and herds.
Which was the most influential tribe in Punjab during 13th and 14th century?
Ans. In Punjab, the Khokhar tribe was very influential during the thirteenth and
fourteenth centuries.
What are itinerant groups?
Ans. Itinerant groups, such as craftspersons, pedlars and entertainers travel from
place to place practising their different occupations.
What kinds of exchanges took place between nomadic pastoralists and settled
agriculturists?
Ans. Nomadic pastoralists exchanged wool, ghee, etc., with settled agriculturists
for grain, cloth, utensils and other products.
What is clan?
Ans. A clan is a group of families or households claiming descent from a common
ancestor. Tribal organisation is often based on kinship or clan loyalties.
What is ‘shifting cultivation’?
Ans. Trees and bushes in a forest area are first cut and burnt. The crop is sown in
the ashes. When this land loses its fertility, another plot of land is cleared and
planted in the same way.
Who were Gonds?
Ans. The Gonds lived in a vast forested region called Gondwana – or “country
inhabited by Gonds”. They practised shifting cultivation. The Gonds were found in
great numbers across the present-day states of Chhattisgarh, ,Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Write about the administrative system Gond Kingdoms.
Ans. The administrative system of these kingdoms was becoming centralised. The
kingdom was divided into garhs. Each garh was controlled by a particular Gond
clan. This was further divided into units of 84 villages called chaurasi. The chaurasi
was subdivided into barhots which were made up of 12 villages each.
Who were Ahoms? How did they build a large state?
Ans. The Ahoms migrated to the Brahmaputra valley from present-day Myanmar
in the thirteenth century. They created a new state by suppressing the older
political system of the bhuiyans (landlords). During the sixteenth century, they
annexed the kingdoms of the Chhutiyas (1523) and of Koch-Hajo (1581) and
subjugated many other tribes.
How do Nomadic Pastoralists live and earn?
OR, Who are nomadic pastoralists?
Ans. Nomadic pastoralists moved over long distances with their animals. They
lived on milk and other pastoral products. They also exchanged wool, ghee, etc.,
with settled agriculturists for grain, cloth, utensils and other products. They
bought and sold these goods as they moved from one place to another,
transporting them on their animals.
How did the tribes earn their livelihood?
Ans. Many tribes obtained their livelihood from agriculture. Others were hunter-
gatherers or herders. Most often they combined these activities to make full use
of the natural resources of the area in which they lived. Some tribes were
nomadic and moved from one place to another. A tribal group controlled land and
pastures jointly, and divided these amongst households according to its own
rules.
Write a brief note on Banjaras.
Or , Were the Banjaras important for the economy?
Ans. The Banjaras were the most important trader nomads. Their caravan was
called tanda. Sultan Alauddin Khalji used the Banjaras to transport grain to the
city markets. Emperor Jahangir wrote in his memoirs that the Banjaras carried
grain on their bullocks from different areas and sold it in towns. They transported
food grain for the Mughal army during military campaigns. With a large army
there could be 100,000 bullocks carrying grain.
How did the emergence of large states change the nature of Gond society?
Ans. The emergence of large states changed the nature of Gond society –
a. Their basically equal society gradually got divided into unequal social classes.
b. Brahmanas received land grants from the Gond rajas and became more
influential.
c. The Gond chiefs now wished to be recognised as Rajputs. They began forming
marital relation with Rajputs.
How was the administration of the Ahom state organised?
Ans. i. The Ahom state depended upon forced labour. Those forced to work for
the state were called paiks.
ii. A census of the population was taken. Each village had to send a number of
paiks by rotation.
iii. People from heavily populated areas were shifted to less populated places.
Ahom clans were thus broken up.
iv. By the first half of the seventeenth century the administration became quite
centralised.
Mention some special features of tribal societies.
Ans. i. They did not follow the social rules and rituals prescribed by the
Brahmanas. Nor were they divided into numerous unequal classes.
ii. Members of each tribe were united by kinship bonds.
iii. Many tribes obtained their livelihood from agriculture. Others were hunter-
gatherers or herders.
iv. Some tribes were nomadic and moved from one place to another. A tribal
group controlled land and pastures jointly, and divided these amongst households
according to its own rules.
Write about the Rani Durgawati.
Ans. Durgawati was the daughter of Salbahan, the Chandel Rajput raja of
Mahoba. She got married to Dalpat, the son of Gond raja Aman Das. Dalpat,
however, died early. Rani Durgawati was very capable, and started ruling on
behalf of her five-year-old son, Bir Narain. Under her, the kingdom became even
more extensive. In 1565, the Mughal forces under Asaf Khan attacked Garha
Katanga. A strong resistance was put up by Rani Durgawati. She was defeated and
preferred to die rather than surrender. Her son, too, died fighting soon after.
Write about Ahom society.
Ans. Ahom society was divided into clans or khels. There were very few castes of
artisans, so artisans in the Ahom areas came from the adjoining kingdoms. A khel
often controlled several villages. The peasant was given land by his village
community. Even the king could not take it away without the community’s
consent. Originally, the Ahoms worshipped their own tribal gods. During the first
half of the seventeenth century, however, the influence of Brahmanas increased.
Temples and Brahmanas were granted land by the king. In the reign of Sib Singh
(1714-1744), Hinduism became the predominant religion. But the Ahom kings did
not completely give up their traditional beliefs after adopting Hinduism. Ahom
society was very sophisticated. Poets and scholars were given land grants. Theatre
was encouraged.
What do you know about Mongols?
Ans. i. The best-known pastoral and hunter gatherer tribe in history were the
Mongols. They inhabited the grasslands (steppes) of Central Asia and the forested
areas further north.
ii. By 1206 Genghis Khan had united the Mongol and Turkish tribes into a
powerful military force. At the time of his death (1227) he was the ruler of
extensive territories.
iii. His successors created a vast empire. At different points of time, it included
parts of Russia, Eastern Europe and also China and much of West Asia.
iv. The Mongols had well-organised military and administrative systems. These
were based on the support of different ethnic and religious groups.
In what ways was the history of the Gonds different from that of the Ahoms?
Were there any similarities?
Ans. Differences / dissimilarities
i. The Gonds lived in a vast forested region called Gondwana – or “country
inhabited by Gonds”. The Ahoms migrated to the Brahmaputra valley from
present-day Myanmar in the thirteenth century.
ii. Gonds practised shifting cultivation. The Ahoms also introduced new methods
of rice cultivation.
iii. Gonds society was not as developed as Ahoms. The Ahoms built a large state,
and for this they used firearms. They could even make high quality gunpowder
and cannons.
iv. Gonds were influenced by Rajputs. In order to gain power and recognition,
they had marriage alliances with Rajputs. Ahoms annexed the kingdoms of the
Chhutiyas and of Koch-Hajo and subjugated many other tribes.
similarities
i. Both the tribal states were attacked by Mughals at different times. Despite
their brave defence, both were defeated by the Mughals.
ii. Both granted land to the Brahmanas.
iii. Both developed centralised administrative systems.