Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities

Two social orders existed simultaneously in medieval India:

Varna-based society (settled, agrarian):

• Hierarchical: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra + untouchables
• Based on caste — birth determines occupation and social status
• Lived in villages and towns; paid revenue to kings
• Followed Sanskrit texts, rituals, temple religion

Tribal/non-varna society:

• Organised by kinship (clan/lineage) — not caste
• Egalitarian within the tribe — no caste discrimination
• Lived in forests, hills, river valleys; practised shifting cultivation, hunting, gathering
• Had their own chiefs, customary laws, deities (animism, nature worship)
• Did NOT always pay revenue to kings — often autonomous

Interaction: These two systems were not completely separate:

• Tribal chiefs sometimes became "Rajputs" by adopting varna identity and Hindu practices
• Some tribes cultivated land → became peasants integrated into agrarian economy
• Some tribal communities provided specialised services to settled society (forest goods, trade routes, military service)
• The boundary was fluid — movement in both directions over centuries

Gond Kingdoms (Gondwana):

The Gonds were one of India's largest tribal communities — inhabiting the forests of central India (modern Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Odisha).

State formation:

• By the 15th–16th centuries, Gond chiefs had established large kingdoms ("garhas") — each controlling a defined forest territory with a fort as the centre
• The Gond kingdom of Garha Mandla (modern MP) was one of the most powerful — ruled over 70,000 villages according to Akbarnama

Durgawati — the warrior queen:

• Rani Durgawati: Gond queen of Garha Mandla (1550–1564 CE)
• Married into the Gond royal family (Chandel Rajput origin)
• After her husband's death, she ruled as regent for her son and expanded the kingdom
• Akbar's general Asaf Khan attacked Gondwana (1564) — Rani Durgawati fought bravely but was defeated; she killed herself rather than be captured
• A national symbol of tribal resistance; Rani Durgawati University (Jabalpur) named after her

Integration with Rajput society:

• Gond chiefs who adopted varna practices and Hinduism were sometimes accepted as Rajputs
• Inter-marriage with Rajput families: Durgawati herself came from a Chandel Rajput family
• This shows how the boundary between tribal and settled society was negotiable

Banjaras — the great traders of medieval India:

Banjaras were a nomadic trading community who traversed all of India with large caravans (known as Tanda).

What they transported:

• Grain (especially important — armies needed grain; banjaras supplied armies on the move)
• Cattle, salt, cloth, metal goods
• Connected surplus-producing regions to deficit regions

Organisation:

• A Tanda could have thousands of bullocks and hundreds of traders
• Led by a Naik (chief) who negotiated with local rulers and ensured safe passage
• Paid tolls to local rulers in exchange for right of way

Mughal armies: Mughal campaigns depended heavily on Banjara grain carriers — without them, feeding large armies in unfamiliar territory was impossible.

Modern identity: Banjaras are today classified as a Scheduled Tribe in several states. Their distinctive embroidery (mirror work, colourful geometric patterns — "Lambani embroidery" in Karnataka) is internationally recognised as a craft form; Lambani embroidery received GI tag and is practised by Banjara women in northern Karnataka.

Other nomadic communities:

• Gaddi shepherds (Himachal Pradesh): Move between high alpine pastures in summer and lower valleys in winter
• Raikas/Rabaaris (Rajasthan): Camel herders; move across Rajasthan and Gujarat seasonally
• Van Gujjars (UP, Uttarakhand): Buffalo herders in forested Himalayan foothills

Forest resources and tribal communities:

Medieval kingdoms depended on forests for:

1. War elephants: Forest-dwelling tribals were the only people who could capture, tame, and supply elephants — essential for medieval warfare
2. Timber: Ship-building (Malabar teak), palace construction, siege weapons
3. Medicinal herbs and forest products: Resin, honey, beeswax, lac (used for dyeing)
4. Trade routes: Tribal communities controlled mountain passes and forest paths — they taxed or guided traffic through their territories

Tribal response to state expansion:

• Some welcomed state authority (access to trade, titles, prestige goods)
• Some resisted fiercely (forest provided natural defence; knowledge of terrain was an advantage)
• The Bhils of Rajasthan controlled Aravalli passes — Rajput rulers needed their cooperation for trade and military movements; Bhil chiefs sometimes sat beside Rajput rulers at coronations (symbolising the legitimacy of forest peoples)