Tribe
Also called: Janjati, Scheduled Tribe · Topic: Buddhism, Jainism and Heterodox Traditions · NCERT: Class 6, Ch 7 "India's Cultural Roots"
Meaning
A tribe is a group of families or clans who share common descent (the same ancestors), culture and language. They live as a close-knit community under a chief and traditionally hold no private property. Ancient India had no separate word for "tribe". Such groups were simply janas (peoples) living in particular places such as forests or mountains. The Constitution uses the words "tribes" and janjāti. Nineteenth-century labels such as "primitive" or "inferior" have now been largely dropped.
Example
According to the 2011 Census, India had 705 tribes, with about 104 million people. They include the Todas of the Nilgiris, the Munda and Santhal of eastern India, and the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh who worship Donyi-Polo.
Don't confuse with
- Caste: a group fixed by birth within a ranked social order, often tied to an occupation. A tribe is a community of shared descent and culture without such ranking inside it.
- Janapada: the territory where a jana settled, not the people themselves.