Major Tribes: Characteristics and Traditions

3A. Bhil — The Largest Tribe

Bhil is derived from the Dravidian word "bil" meaning bow — the Bhils are traditionally known as skilled archers. They are the largest tribal group in Rajasthan and one of the largest in India, with presence in Gujarat, MP, and Maharashtra.

Historical Standing

Bhils played a significant role in medieval Rajputana. The founder of the Mewar kingdom, Bappa Rawal (8th century CE), is said to have been raised by Bhils. The Mewar royal family maintains the symbolic tradition of receiving a Bhil's thumb-blood (tilak) at the time of coronation — a practice that persisted into the 20th century and symbolizes the ancient compact between the Rajput ruling class and the Bhil forest lords.

Social Structure

• Pal system: Bhil villages are grouped into pals (clusters of 5–30 villages) administered by a hereditary palia or patel (chief).
• Gotras: Bhils follow an exogamous clan/gotra system; common gotras include Katara, Vasuniya, Maida, Bamnia. Marriage within the same gotra is strictly prohibited.
• Phalia: The sub-unit below the pal, roughly equivalent to a hamlet; the phangi is the male council that adjudicates disputes.

Marriage Customs

• Dapa pratha: Bride price paid by the groom's family to the bride's family — the inverse of dowry. The amount (called dapa) is negotiated and typically includes cash, livestock, and grain.
• Nata pratha: A socially recognized form of secondary union. If a married woman wishes to leave her husband and live with another man, the new man pays a "nata price" to the first husband. The arrangement is announced at a community gathering; children from the nata union are legitimate. This custom has attracted legal scrutiny but remains socially operative.
• Haldi-tel ceremony: Pre-wedding turmeric-oil application ritual, followed by the pithodi (women's songs).

Economy and Livelihood

Bhil economy is predominantly forest-based. Key activities include:

• Collection of mahua flowers (used for brewing mahua daru)
• Tendu leaves and bamboo collection
• Supplementary agriculture (maize, urad, groundnut) on hillside ager (terrace) fields

Traditional forest-based economy has been disrupted by forest reservation policies — a primary source of alienation and discontent. See constitutional provisions under Section 6.

Religious Beliefs

Bhils worship a pantheon of local deities:

• Kali Bai — a folk goddess, martyred in a 1947 freedom struggle episode; famous freedom fighter from Dungarpur
• Ghotia Baba — protector deity
• Ancestral spirits (pitu)

Bhagoria festival (practiced across the Rajasthan-MP border) is a festival where young Bhils choose life partners through mutual consent at the bazaar. Holi celebrations are elaborate — Bhils celebrate Holi for several days with distinctive Bhagoria traditions.

Gavri — The Great Folk Theatre

Gavri, also called Raai or Gauri, is performed exclusively by Bhil communities across Udaipur, Rajsamand, and Bhilwara districts. The performance cycle spans 40 consecutive days starting 2–3 days after Raksha Bandhan (August–September).

Key features of Gavri:

• Male actors only; performers observe ritual purity (no leather, no fish, no alcohol) throughout the 40-day cycle
• Central character: Puriya (portraying Shiva) and Raai (a female impersonator representing Parvati)
• Episodes include Shiva-Parvati mythology, the demon Bhura-Bawasi narrative, and local folk legends
• The performance is ambulatory — the troupe moves from village to village across the 40 days
• Submitted for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage consideration; Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi supports revival programmes

3B. Meena (Mina) — The Eastern Tribe

Meena is Rajasthan's second-largest tribal group and the dominant tribe of eastern Rajasthan. The name derives from the Sanskrit matsya (fish) — Meenas regard the fish as a totemic symbol and claim descent from Matsya Bhagwan (Vishnu's fish avatar). Their historical territory was the Matsya region around present-day Bharatpur, Alwar, and Jaipur.

Historical Significance

• Pre-Rajput period: Meenas controlled large swaths of eastern Rajasthan. Many place names with the suffix -wali, -pur, or -wada across Jaipur, Alwar, and Sikar districts are associated with ancient Meena settlements.
• Jai Singh II land records (18th century) document Meena zamindars (landholders) across the Dhundhar region.
• During British rule, Meenas were listed under the Criminal Tribes Act 1871 — a stigmatizing colonial designation repealed by the Criminal Tribes (Repeal) Act 1952.

Social Organization

• Gotras and exogamy: Meenas have 24 gotras grouped into two divisions — Zamindar Meena (landed) and Chowkidar Meena (watchmen).
• Parishad system: The Meena Mahasabha (est. 1944) functions as a social reform organization working to eliminate child marriage, caste discrimination within sub-groups, and promote education.

Customs

• Nata pratha is also practiced among Meenas, similar to Bhils.
• Death rituals: Meenas traditionally practiced both burial and cremation; cremation is now more common. The Pachela ritual (13th day after death, community feast) is retained.
• Holi and Gangaur are primary festivals; Meena women observe Gangaur vrat with distinctive folk songs (geet).

3C. Garasia — The Hill Tribe

Garasia (sometimes Garasia-Rajput or Girasia) are descended from Rajput clans who intermarried with tribal populations in the Aravallis. The name is derived from garas (a land grant), indicating their historical status as minor landholders. Census 2011 counted approximately 3.09 lakh Garasias in Rajasthan, concentrated in Sirohi (Abu Road, Pindwara), Pali, and Udaipur districts.

Unique Marriage Customs

Custom	Description
Chhod pratha	A woman may leave her husband; no formal divorce needed; she keeps her children
Morum pratha	Trial marriage — couple lives together for a trial period before formal marriage
Paith vivah	Marriage by elopement with community recognition afterward
Tana vivah	Marriage by exchange — two families exchange brides

Note: These customs give Garasia women unusual social autonomy compared to mainstream society.

Economy and Religion

Economy: Forest produce (gum, resin, timber), pastoralism (cattle, sheep), rain-fed agriculture. Garasias hold traditional garas (pasture rights) in the Aravalli hill tracts.

Religious practice: Garasia religion blends Hindu elements (Shiva, Durga worship) with animism. Ancestral spirits (pitars) are propitiated at household shrines. Govari dance (performed at festivals) and Manch (night singing sessions) are distinctive cultural expressions.

2023 PYQ relevance: The RPSC Mains 2023 question directly asked for "socio-economic profile of the Garasia tribe" — see Model Answer Framework section for the template response.

3D. Saharia — The PVTG

Saharia (also Seharia) is classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) — the only one in Rajasthan. They inhabit the transition zone between the Vindhya hills and the Chambal plains in Baran district (Shahabad and Kishanganj tehsils), with small populations in Kota and Jhalawar.

Socio-economic Profile

• Population: approximately 1.07 lakh (Census 2011), with very slow growth rate
• Literacy: ~37% (2011), the lowest among Rajasthan's major tribal groups
• Traditional occupation: forest gathering (sahari beri — forest camp dwelling), honey collection, collection of mahua, achar/bhilawa fruit, bidi leaves
• Land ownership: Extremely low; most are landless or hold marginal holdings
• Housing: Traditional sahari (forest hamlet) of scattered huts; now partially settled in revenue villages

Welfare Challenges

The 2002–03 Saharia starvation deaths in Baran exposed the failure of the Public Distribution System (PDS) to reach isolated PVTG habitations. As a result, the Union government introduced a dedicated Saharia Development Programme with:

• Enhanced per-capita TSP spending
• Anganwadi intensification
• Direct benefit transfer for mahua collection

3E. Damor and Kathodi

Damor: Approximately 1.10 lakh persons (Census 2011), concentrated in Dungarpur and Banswara. They speak a Rajasthani-Gujarati mixed dialect. The community practices dapa (bride price) and traditional dance forms.

Kathodi: Small tribal group (~45,000) in Udaipur and Sirohi. Traditionally basket-weavers and katha (catechu) extractors from khair trees. Highly mobile with low land-ownership and a high malnutrition burden.

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