Question

Write an account on the geographical and racial classification of tribal India.

Answer 1

The geographical classification of tribes as given by Guha is as follows :

North and North-Eastern Zone: The northern part includes tribes from Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Eastern Punjab, North Uttar Pradesh, e.g., Gaddis, Jads, Kinner, Pangwal and Jaunsari, Tharu, Bhoksa, Bhatia. The north-eastern zone of India includes, tribes of Assam, Manipur, Tripura, e.g., Nagas, Kuki, Khasi, Lushai, Garo, etc.

The Central or Middle Zone: It comprises of the plateaus and mountain belt between Indo-Gangetic plain. It includes the tribes’like the Mundas, the Todas, the Santhals of Middle India and the Chenchu tribes of Western India.
The Southern Zone: It includes tribes of Andhra Pradesh, Coorg, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, etc. (Todas, Chenchu, Panyan, etc.)

 

The racial classification of tribes is as follows:

Proto-Australoid: The physical features of people are short to medium body structure, long and high head, broad and small face along with small flattened nose. It includes tribal of the middle and central zone, e.g., Munda of Chota Nagpur, Ho of Bihar, Chenchu of South India, etc.

Mongoloid: It includes tribes of North India and the Uttarakhand hilly region. The typical physical features include yellowish skin colour, straight and dark hair, prominent cheekbones, flat nose and almond-shaped eyes, epicanthic fold, e.g., Bhatia, Naga, Lepcha, Khasi, etc.

Negrois: The typical physical features of such tribes include black skin colour, black woolly hair, flat lips, flat nose, etc., e.g., Irula, Kadar, Paliyan, Onge, Angami Naga and Jarwa.