NCERT Explained: Class VII History, Chapter 5 - Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities

Introduction to the Topic

History is often written from the perspective of powerful kings, vast empires, and grand monuments. However, the history of India is also deeply rooted in the stories of people who lived outside the boundaries of established kingdoms and the rigid caste system. These were the tribal societies, the nomadic groups, and the itinerant traders who played a vital role in the social and economic fabric of the subcontinent. In Class VII History, Chapter 5, titled 'Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities', we explore how these societies functioned, how they interacted with settled kingdoms, and how they eventually transformed over time.

During the medieval period, while major dynasties like the Mughals, Cholas, and Delhi Sultans were expanding their territories, another kind of social change was occurring. This chapter helps us understand that Indian society was not just divided by kings and subjects, but also by different ways of life. We will look at how tribal groups maintained their independence, how nomads connected distant markets, and how some tribes eventually built powerful states of their own, such as the Gonds and the Ahoms.

Key Concepts Explained

1. Beyond Big Cities: Tribal Societies

In most parts of the subcontinent, society was already divided according to the rules of varna. these rules, prescribed by the Brahmanas, were accepted by the rulers of large kingdoms. This led to a clear distinction between the high and low, and between the rich and poor. However, there were other societies that did not follow these social rules. These are often called tribes.

Tribal societies were characterized by several unique features:

• Equality: Unlike varna-based society, tribal groups were generally not divided into numerous unequal classes. Members of a tribe were united by kinship bonds.
• Livelihood: Most tribes obtained their livelihood from agriculture. Others were hunter-gatherers or herders. Many combined these activities to make full use of the natural resources of the area where they lived.
• Nomadism: Some tribes were nomadic and moved from one place to another.
• Control of Land: A tribal group controlled land and pastures jointly, and divided these among households according to its own rules.

2. Who were the Tribal People?

Contemporary historians and travelers have left very little information about tribes. Tribal people did not keep written records. But they preserved rich customs and oral traditions. These were passed down to each new generation. Today, historians have started using such oral traditions to write tribal histories.

Tribal people were found in almost every region of the subcontinent. Some powerful tribes controlled large territories. For example:

• In Punjab, the Khokhar tribe was very influential during the 13th and 14th centuries. Later, the Gakkhars became more important.
• In Multan and Sind, the Langahs and Arghuns dominated \textensive regions.
• The Balochis were another large and powerful tribe in the north-west. They were divided into many smaller clans under different chiefs.
• In the western Himalaya lived the shepherd tribe of Gaddis.
• The distant north-eastern part of the subcontinent was entirely dominated by tribes like the Nagas and Ahoms.
• In many areas of present-day Bihar and Jharkhand, Chero chiefdoms had emerged by the 12th century. Raja Man Singh, Akbar’s famous general, attacked and defeated the Cheros in 1591.
• The Mundas and Santals were among the other important tribes that lived in this region and also in Orissa and Bengal.

3. How Nomads and Mobile People Lived

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.

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 grains for the Mughal army during military campaigns.

Many pastoral tribes reared and sold animals, such as cattle and horses, to the prosperous people. Different castes of petty pedlars also travelled from village to village. They made and sold wares such as ropes, reeds, straw matting, and coarse sacks. Sometimes mendicants acted as wandering merchants. There were also castes of entertainers who performed in different towns and villages for their livelihood.

4. Changing Society: New Castes and Hierarchies

As the economy and the needs of society grew, people with new skills were required. Smaller castes, or jatis, emerged within varnas. For example, new castes appeared amongst the Brahmanas. On the other hand, many tribes and social groups were taken into caste-based society and given the status of jatis. Specialised artisans – smiths, carpenters, and masons – were also recognised as separate jatis by the Brahmanas. Jatis, rather than varna, became the basis for organising society.

Among the Kshatriyas, new Rajput clans became powerful by the 11th and 12th centuries. They belonged to different lineages, such as Hunas, Chandelas, Chalukyas, and others. Some of these, too, had been tribes earlier. Many of these clans came to be regarded as Rajputs. They gradually replaced the older rulers, especially in agricultural areas. The rise of Rajput clans to the position of rulers set an example for the tribal people to follow. With the support of the Brahmanas, many tribes became part of the caste system. But only the leading tribal families could join the ruling class. A large majority joined the lower jatis of society.

5. A Closer Look: The Gonds

The Gonds lived in a vast forested region called Gondwana – or “country inhabited by Gonds”. They practised shifting cultivation. The large Gond tribe was further divided into many clans. Each clan had its own raja or rai. About the time that the power of the Delhi Sultans was declining, a few large Gond kingdoms were beginning to dominate the smaller Gond chiefs.

The Garha Katanga was a rich Gond state. It earned much wealth by trapping and exporting wild elephants to other kingdoms. When the Mughals defeated the Gonds, they captured a huge booty of precious coins and elephants. They annexed part of the kingdom and granted the rest to Chandra Shah, an uncle of Bir Narain. One of the most famous rulers was Rani Durgavati, who ruled on behalf of her five-year-old son, Bir Narain. She was very capable and fought bravely against the Mughal forces led by Asaf Khan in 1565. She preferred to die rather than surrender.

6. A Closer Look: The Ahoms

The Ahoms migrated to the Brahmaputra valley from present-day Myanmar in the 13th century. They created a new state by suppressing the older political system of the bhuiyans (landlords). During the 16th century, they annexed the kingdoms of the Chhutiyas (1523) and of Koch-Hajo (1581) and subjugated many other tribes. The Ahoms built a large state, and for this, they used firearms as early as the 1530s.

Ahom society was divided into clans or khels. A khel often controlled several villages. The Ahom state depended upon forced labour. Those forced to work for the state were called paiks. A census of the population was taken. Each village had to send a number of paiks by rotation. People from thickly populated areas were shifted to less populated places. Ahom clans were thus broken up. By the first half of the 17th century, the administration became quite centralised.

The Ahoms also had a unique culture. Poets and scholars were given land grants. Theatre was encouraged. Important works of Sanskrit were translated into the local language. Historical works, known as buranjis, were also written – first in the Ahom language and then in Assamese.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Diversity of Society: Medieval India was not just about kingdoms; it included diverse tribal and nomadic societies that lived outside the varna system.
• Tribal Characteristics: Tribes were based on kinship, shared resources, and often lived in forests, hills, or deserts. They preserved history through oral traditions.
• Nomadic Links: Groups like the Banjaras were crucial for trade, moving goods across the country and supporting imperial armies.
• Integration into Caste System: Over time, many tribes were integrated into the varna system as 'jatis', while leading tribal families often joined the Rajput ruling class.
• Gonds: A powerful tribal group in central India that built a centralized administrative system and fought bravely against Mughal expansion.
• Ahoms: A tribe from Myanmar that settled in the Brahmaputra valley, created a sophisticated state with forced labor (paiks), and maintained detailed historical records (buranjis).
• Transformation: By the end of the medieval period, many tribal societies had undergone significant social, political, and economic changes through their interaction with settled communities.