Chhattisgarh Tribes

The state of Chhattisgarh shaped at the time when the sixteen Chhattisgarhi speaking southeastern provinces of Madhya Pradesh acquired statehood on November1, 2000. It is supposed to be the tenth largest state of India as per its territory. It shares its borders with Madhya Pradesh on the north-west, Maharashtra on the west, Andhra Pradesh on the South, Orissa on the east, Jharkhand on the northeast finally Uttar Pradesh on the north. Raipur is the capital of the state. There were various aspects accountable for the formation of this state. A heterogeneous blend of different social, cultural, political, historical and economic issues has been part of the cause of the evolvement of the state. Chhattisgarh is by and large considered as a tribal subjugated state. It houses a major population of the tribes in its territory. It is noted that in spite of the contemporary avant-garde influence prevailing in every nook and corner of the country, the tribal people of Chhattisgarh have retained their original culture and traditions. As per the 1991 census, the approximate tribal population according to the respective districts recorded at that time was as follows: Raipur – 18.6%, Bilaspur – 23.4%, Durg – 12.6%, Rajnandgaon – 25.3%, Surguja – 54.8%, Bastar – 67.7% and Raigarh – 45.5%. The most familiar tribes found in the state are Muria, Baiga, Kamars, Halbas, Gonds, Bhumja, Kawars etc. Out of these, few tribal families like the Gonds have exchanged cultural practices with the local Hindus, whereas on the other hand the orthodox tribes like the Baigas and the Kamars have maintained their originality till date. The state has seen many tribal upheavals from the late 18th century to the initial few decades of the 20th century. The rebellions varied from time to time, place to place; however the reasons behind these revolts remained almost the same. The main idea behind this political, social and economical unrest was the demand for the conventionally immutable right of the tribal societies on the natural and confined wherewithal, land and jungle.