Bhils
Topic: Mughal Agrarian Society and Economy · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Peasants, Zamindars and the State"
Meaning
The Bhils are a forest people of western and central India. In Mughal times (16th–17th centuries) they did not live by settled farming alone. They moved through the year and did different work in each season. This shows what "jangli" really meant then: a way of making a living from the forest, not a lack of civilisation.
Example
A Bhil family gathered forest produce in spring and fished in summer. They grew crops in the monsoon and hunted in autumn and winter. This seasonal cycle, and the moving about that came with it, was typical of forest communities in Mughal India.
Don't confuse with
- Khud-kashta peasants: They were settled villagers who farmed their own village's land all year. The Bhils combined gathering, hunting, fishing and shifting cultivation as the seasons changed.