Study Guide: Tribes, Nomads And Settled Communities (Class 7 History, Chapter 7) 🗺️

This chapter explores societies that existed outside the standard four-varna system, focusing on **tribes**, **nomads**, and the changes that occurred as they interacted with settled communities and state formation.

## I. Key Terms and Concepts

| Term | Definition/Description |

| :--- | :--- |

| **Varna** | The four-fold social division (Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras) primarily followed by settled societies. |

| **Jatis** | Smaller castes emerging within Varnas, often based on occupation (e.g., smiths, carpenters). Jatis, rather than Varna, became the basis of organising society. |

| **Tribe** | Societies that generally did not follow the social rules and rituals prescribed by Brahmanas and were not divided into unequal classes. United by kinship bonds. |

| **Khel** | An Ahom clan or a unit of society. |

| **Garh** | A division of the Gond kingdom, typically controlled by a particular Gond clan. |

| **Chaurasi**| A unit of 84 villages within a Gond 'garh'. |

| **Barhot** | A subdivision of a 'chaurasi', made up of 12 villages. |

| **Tanda** | A caravan of the Banjaras (trader-nomads). |

| **Paik** | Forced labourers in the Ahom state. |

| **Buranjis** | Historical works written by the Ahoms. |

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## II. Tribal Societies and Livelihoods 🏹

* **Characteristics:**

    * Did not follow the social rules and rituals prescribed by Brahmanas.

    * Not divided into many unequal classes; united by **kinship bonds**.

    * Possessed rich **oral traditions** (used by present-day historians).

    * Jointly controlled land and pastures, dividing them among households.

* **Livelihood:**

    * Mainly **agriculture**, but also included **hunter-gatherers** and **herders**.

    * Often combined these activities for full use of natural resources.

    * Some tribes were **nomadic**.

* **Major Tribes Mentioned:**

    * **Khokhars** (Punjab, 13th-14th centuries).

    * **Gakkhars** (later important in Punjab).

    * **Balochis** (North-West, powerful tribe).

    * **Cheros** (Bihar/Jharkhand, chiefdoms emerged by 12th century).

    * **Mundas** and **Santals** (Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Bengal).

    * **Kolis**, **Berads** (Maharashtra, Gujarat).

    * **Gonds** (Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh).

    * **Bhils** (Western and Central India; many became settled agriculturists/zamindars by late 16th century).

    * **Ahoms** (Brahmaputra valley, migrated from Myanmar).

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## III. Nomads and Trade: The Banjaras 🛒

* **Role:** The Banjaras were extremely important **trader-nomads** who controlled trade and commerce.

* **Movement:** They moved in **caravans** called **Tanda**.

* **Livelihood/Trade:**

    * They bought grain where it was cheap and carried it to places where it was expensive.

    * They transported food grain for the **Mughal army** during military campaigns.

    * Sultan Alauddin Khalji used them to transport grain to city markets.

* **Exchanges with Settled Agriculturists:**

    * **Nomadic Pastoralists Gave:** Wool, ghee, etc.

    * **Settled Agriculturists Gave:** Grain, cloth, utensils, and other products.

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## IV. The Gonds and State Formation 👑

* **Location:** Gondwana (across present-day Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, etc.).

* **Administration:**

    * Kingdoms were divided into **garhs** (controlled by a Gond clan).

    * Each garh was divided into a **chaurasi** (84 villages).

    * Chaurasi was sub-divided into **barhots** (12 villages each).

* **Changes in Society (After state formation):**

    * Equal society gradually became divided into **unequal social classes**.

    * Brahmanas became influential, receiving **land grants** from the Gond rajas.

    * Gond chiefs sought recognition as **Rajputs** (e.g., Aman Das, Raja of Garha Katanga, assumed the title of **Sangram Shah**).

    * **Garha Katanga** was a rich state, earning wealth by **trapping and exporting wild elephants**.

* **Key Figure:** **Rani Durgawati** (daughter of Salbahan, Chandel Rajput raja of Mahoba; married to Dalpat, Aman Das's son). Ruled on behalf of her son, Bir Narain, and resisted the Mughal attack under Asaf Khan in **1565**.

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## V. The Ahoms and State Consolidation 🏯

* **Origin & Location:** Migrated to the Brahmaputra valley from present-day Myanmar in the **13th century**.

* **State Building:**

    * Suppressed the older political system of the *bhuiyans* (landlords).

    * Annexed kingdoms of the Chhutiyas (1523) and Koch-Hajo (1581).

    * Built a large state using **fire-arms** as early as the 1530s.

    * Introduced new methods of **rice cultivation**.

* **Administration:**

    * Depended on **forced labour** called **paiks**.

    * A census of the population was taken.

    * Villages had to send a number of paiks by rotation.

    * Became quite **centralised** by the first half of the 17th century.

* **Society:**

    * Divided into **khels** (clans).

    * The peasant was given land by his village community; the king needed the community's consent to take it away.

    * Worshipped tribal gods, but **Brahmanas** and **Hinduism** gained great influence by the 17th century (especially under **Sib Singh**).

    * Was sophisticated: poets, scholars, and theatre were encouraged.

* **Conflict:** Mughals attacked the Ahom kingdom in **1662**.

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## VI. Changes in Varna-based Society

* **Emergence of Jatis:** Smaller castes or **jatis** (e.g., specialised artisans like smiths, carpenters) emerged *within* Varnas and became the new basis for organising society.

* **Inclusion of Tribes:** Many tribes were taken into the caste-based society and given the status of **jatis**.

    * Leading tribal families joined the **ruling class** (e.g., Gonds becoming Rajputs).

    * The large majority joined the **lower jatis**.

* **Influence of Islam:** Dominant tribes of Punjab, Sind, and the North-West Frontier adopted Islam and **rejected the caste system**.