Geographical distributions of Tribe

Geographical Distributions of Tribe

The tribes of India are dispersed widely over geographical territory, and scholars have attempted to arrange them in the regions they inhabit. Based on the geographical location and the tribal demographical set-up, anthropologists have tried to chalk out a zonal classification or a regional grouping of the tribes of India. For instance, B.S. Guha has classified the tribes of India into three zones: 

a) The north and north-eastern zones in the mountain valleys and eastern frontiers of India. 

b) The central or middle zone occupies the older hills and plateaus along the dividing line between Peninsular India and the Indo-Gangetic Plains, including the converging line of the Western Ghats. 

c) The southern zone comprises the whole of Peninsular India. 

D.N. Majumdar and T.N. Madan in their book Introduction to Social Anthropology (1956) have also offered a similar classification. They are the Northern and North-Eastern Zone, the Central or Middle Zone and the Southern Zone. 

S.C. Dube has demarcated four geographical regions: the North and North-Eastern Zone, the Middle Zone, the South Zone and the West Zone. 

Taking into consideration the zonal classification given by different anthropologists from time to time and considering geographical, ecological, socio-economic, administrative, ethnic and racial factors, L.P. Vidyarthi put forward a five-fold classification system, which included the Himalayan region, Middle India, Western India, South India and the Islands. 

(I) The Himalayan region is sub-divided into: 

A. The north-eastern Himalayan region comprises the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and the mountainous region of West Bengal, including Darjeeling. 

B. Central Himalayan region comprising the Terai areas of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. 

C. North-Western Himalayan region comprising the states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. 

The tribes inhabiting this region are the Akas, Daflas, Apatanis, Mishmis, Khamptis, Singphos, Kukis, Khasis, Garos, Lepchas, Bhotias, Tharus, etc. 

(II) Middle India Region comprising the states of Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. About 55% of the country’s total tribal population lives in this region. The tribes inhabiting this region are the Juangs, Kharia, Khonds, Bhumijs, Baiga, Muria, Marias, Mundas, Gonds, Santhals, Oraons, etc. 

(III) Western India Region comprising the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The tribes inhabiting this region are the Barodias, Bharwads, Bhils, Damors, Dhanwars, Dhodias, Girasias, Gonds, Katkaris, Koknas, Kolis, Minas, Siddi, Warlis, etc. 

(IV) South India Region comprising the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. The tribes inhabiting this region are the Chenchus, Irulas, Paniyans, Kurumbas, Kadars, Todas, Badagas, Kotas, etc. 

(V) The Island Region comprises the islands of Andaman and Nicobar in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea. The tribes inhabiting this region are the Jarwas, Onges, the Great Andamanese, and the North Sentinelese. 

K.S. Singh has offered a similar classification of tribes of India into the Northeastern India, Middle India, Southern India, North-western Himalayas, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands Zones. Within this geographical classification, there is a lot of disparity in regard to the distribution of the country’s tribal population. We can come across a very high concentration of the tribal population in the eight states of central or middle India, comprising about 85 percent of the total tribal population. This is followed by the eight northeastern states, comprising about 11 percent, while the rest is distributed over the states and union territories of northern and southern India. 

However, if we try to see the ratio of the tribal population to the total population, we can find that the ratio is high in the northeastern states except for Assam. It ranges from 64-95 percent in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and between 30-35 percent in Tripura and Manipur. The ratio is over 90 percent in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, whereas it ranges from 22-23 percent in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh in central India. In the rest of the country, the ratio ranges from as low as 1-12 percent. 

Besides the zonal and geographical distribution, tribes have also been classified on the basis of their ecological habitat. On this basis, they are classified as those who live in the hills (Hill Karbis, Hill Tiwas of Assam), plains (Bodos, Singphos), forests (Kadars of Kerala), rural, urban and industrial areas.