Question

What are the major features of the tribal societies?

Answer 1

(1) Common name:

Each caste has a distinct name of its own through which it is distinguished from others.

(2) Common territory:

Tribes generally occupy common geographical ar­eas.

(3) Common language:

Members of one tribe speak the same language. Each tribe has its own dialect, if not the script.

(4) Common culture:

Each tribe has prescribed patterns of behaviour and festivals and deities to worship.

(5) Endogamy:

Each tribe has the practice of marrying members within their own tribe.

(6) Political organisation:

All tribes have their own political organisation. They have councils of elders which control members.

(7) As against the national average of 43 per cent, 57 per cent of the tribals are economically active.

(8) As regards the nature of work, against 73 per cent national average, 91 per cent tribal workers are engaged in agriculture. About 3 per cent tribals are engaged in manufacturing (against 11% of general population) and 5 per cent in servicing (tertiary) sectors (against 16% average of general population). About 1 per cent tribals are engaged in forestry and food-gathering.

Some other features of the tribals are: most of them live in isolated terrains; the main sources of their livelihood are agriculture and gathering of forest produce; they do not cultivate for profit; they still largely rely on barter system; they spend a greater part of their earnings on social and religious ceremonies; and a large number of them are illiterate and are vic­timised by unscrupulous forest contractors and moneylenders.

Answer 2

The following are the major features of tribal societies:

1. The tribal groups do not follow the social rules and traditional customs prescribed by Brahmanas.

2. Their main occupation includes agriculture and hunting-gathering.

3. The mainly live in the forest, desert, hilly and areas out of reach of the common people.

4. The members of the tribal societies are united by kinship bonds.