Geography Ch16 – Races & Tribes

🧬 B.S. Guha's Historical Anthropometric Classification

Main Race	Sub-types	Note
Negrito	—	Earliest population element in this historical framework
Proto-Australoid	—	Related to Australian Aboriginals
Western Brachycephals	Alpinoid, Dinaric, Armenoid	—
Nordic	—	—
Mediterranean	Palaeo-Mediterranean, Mediterranean (True), Oriental Mediterranean	—
Mongoloid	Palaeo-Mongoloid, Tibeto-Mongoloid	—

🧬 Races — Memory Summary

Negrito (Oldest)

Proto-Australoid

Western Brachycephals (3 sub-types)

Nordic

Mediterranean (3 sub-types)

Mongoloid (2 sub-types)

⚡ MEMORY TRICK — 6 Races

N P M M W N → Negrito, Proto-Australoid, Mongoloid, Mediterranean, Western Brachycephals, Nordic

🚨 EXAM TRAP

In Guha's older historical classification, Negrito was treated as the earliest population element
Proto-Australoid = related to Australian Aboriginals
Mediterranean has 3 sub-types: Palaeo-Mediterranean, Mediterranean (True), Oriental Mediterranean
Mongoloid: 2 broad divisions — Palaeo-Mongoloid + Tibeto-Mongoloid
Western Brachycephals: 3 sub-types — Alpinoid, Dinaric, Armenoid

📊 Tribal Population — Key Facts

8.6%

ST % of India's population

705

ST ethnic groups in Census 2011 framework

Mizoram

Highest ST% State (94.4%)

Lakshadweep

Highest ST% UT (94.8%)

Bhil

Highest tribal population tribe

Gond

2nd highest tribal population

🏆 Top States — ST Population (by Number)

1. Madhya Pradesh

2. Maharashtra

3. Odisha

4. Rajasthan

⚡ QUICK RECALL

MP > MH > Odisha > RJ — by number of tribal population

📊 Top States — Highest ST % of State Population

Rank	State	ST %
1st	Mizoram	94.44%
2nd	Nagaland	86.46%
3rd	Meghalaya	86.15%
4th	Arunachal Pradesh	~68.8%
5th	Manipur	~40.9%

🚨 EXAM TRAP

Mizoram has the highest Scheduled Tribe share of population, while Madhya Pradesh has the largest Scheduled Tribe population in absolute numbers.
Bhil = largest tribe by population | Gond = 2nd
UT highest ST% = Lakshadweep (94.8%)
Total tribes = 705 types

🏔️ North & North-East Tribes

State	Major Tribes
Arunachal Pradesh	Apatani, Mishmi, Nyishi (older: Dafla), Aka/Hrusso, Singpho, Khamti
Assam	Bodo/Boro, Mising (Miri), Karbi (Mikir), Kachari groups, Rabha
Meghalaya	Garo, Khasi, Jaintia, Hmar
Manipur	Kuki, Mao
Mizoram	Mizo, Lakher, Paui, Lushei
Nagaland	Angami Naga, Sema Naga, Konyak Naga, Lotha Naga
Tripura	Chakma, Garo, Kuki
Himachal Pradesh	Gaddi, Gujjar, Kinnar
Jammu & Kashmir	Gaddi, Bakarwal
Uttarakhand	Bhotia, Buksa, Jaunsari, Raji, Tharu (five notified ST communities)

⚡ QUICK RECALL — NE Tribes

Meghalaya is associated with the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia peoples; its three major hill regions bear the same names.
Nagaland = Naga tribes (Angami, Sema, Konyak, Lotha)
Mizoram = Mizo, Lushei | HP = Gaddi, Gujjar

🚨 EXAM TRAP

Garo, Khasi and Jaintia are major communities of Meghalaya, and the State's hill regions are named after them.
Bodo = Assam (NOT Nagaland)
Chakma = Tripura (also found in Bangladesh)
Tharu = Uttarakhand (Tarai area tribes)
Bakarwal = J&K (nomadic pastoral tribe)

🌿 Central India Tribes

State	Major Tribes
Madhya Pradesh	Bhil★, Gond★, Baiga, Korku, Sahariya, Bharia
Chhattisgarh	Gond, Baiga, Binjhwar, Kanwar/Kawar, Maria/Muria, Nagasia
Rajasthan	Bhil★, Meena, Kathodia, Garasia
Odisha	Juang, Saora/Savara, Kharia, Kondh, Bonda
West Bengal	Asur, Bhumij, Birhor, Lodha, Lepcha, Mahali, Malpahariya

🏹 Bhil — Largest Tribe of India

Bhil = largest tribe by population in India
Found mainly in: MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra
Gond = 2nd largest tribe
Gond mainly in: MP, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra

🌿 Andhra Pradesh Tribes

Chenchu

Yanadi

Koya

Bagata

Kondh

Savara

Jatapu

🚨 EXAM TRAP

Bhil = largest tribe (India) | found in MP + Rajasthan both
The Gond are commonly listed as India's second-largest tribal group, with their largest population in Madhya Pradesh.
Baiga = Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
Madhya Pradesh has the largest Scheduled Tribe population in absolute numbers and includes large Bhil and Gond communities.

🌴 South India & Islands Tribes

State / UT	Major Tribes
Kerala	Irular, Kurumba, Kadar, Paniyan
Tamil Nadu	Toda, Kota, Kurumba, Paniyan
Andaman & Nicobar	Great Andamanese, Nicobarese, Onge, Jarwa (Jarawa), Shompen, Sentinelese

🏝️ Andaman — Primitive Tribes

Sentinelese — one of the world's most isolated Indigenous communities (North Sentinel Island)
Jarawa (Jarwa) — protected Andaman PVTG with historically limited outside contact
Onge — Little Andaman island
Great Andamanese — very small Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group population
Shompen — Great Nicobar
Nicobarese — main Nicobar group

🎺 Toda Tribe — Tamil Nadu

Toda = famous tribe of Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu
Known for buffalo pastoralism
Distinctive curved barrel-shaped houses
Kota = craftsmen tribe of Nilgiri

🚨 EXAM TRAP

Sentinelese = one of the most isolated tribe in world — North Sentinel Island, A&N
Toda = Tamil Nadu (Nilgiri Hills) — buffalo pastoralists
Kurumba = found in both Kerala AND Tamil Nadu
Jarawa (Jarwa) = also A&N — different from Sentinelese (both avoid contact)

📍 Jharkhand Tribes — Most Important for BPSC

🏹 Jharkhand — Major Tribes

Santhal ★

Munda ★

Ho ★

Oraon ★

Birhor

Kharia

Pahariya

Bhumij

🏹 Santhal

Largest tribe of Jharkhand
Found in: Santhal Pargana, Jharkhand + WB + Odisha
Santhal Rebellion (1855-56) — against British
Leaders: Sidhu and Kanhu

🏹 Munda

Ancient tribe of Chotanagpur Plateau
Birsa Munda — legendary tribal leader (Ulgulan)
Munda Rebellion = Ulgulan (Great Tumult)
Found in: Ranchi, Khunti (Jharkhand)

🏹 Oraon (Kurukh)

Also called: Kurukh
Found in: Ranchi, Lohardaga, Gumla (Jharkhand)
Also in Bihar + WB + Odisha
Language: Kurukh (Dravidian origin)

🏹 Ho Tribe

Found in: Singhbhum district (Jharkhand)
Related to Munda group
Language: Ho (Austroasiatic)

⚔️ Major Tribal Rebellions — Jharkhand Region

Rebellion	Tribe	Leader	Year
Santhal Rebellion (Hul)	Santhal	Sidhu & Kanhu	1855–56
Ulgulan (Great Tumult)	Munda	Birsa Munda	1899–1900

📍 Bihar — Tribal Context

Bihar's ST% = relatively low (most tribes in Jharkhand — carved out 2000)
Before 2000: Santhal, Munda, Oraon, Ho = all in "Bihar"
Present Bihar = some tribal communities in border areas
WB border = Santhal presence in Bihar's eastern areas
Tharu tribe = found in Bihar's Champaran (Terai area)

⚡ QUICK RECALL — Tribes

Jharkhand major tribes: Santhal, Munda, Ho, Oraon, Birhor, Kharia
Santhal = largest in JH | Santhal Rebellion = 1855 (Sidhu-Kanhu)
Birsa Munda = Ulgulan (1899-1900) | Found in Ranchi-Khunti area
Bhil = India's largest tribe | Gond = 2nd largest
Mizoram = highest ST% state (94.4%) | MP = highest ST number
Tharu = Bihar's Champaran (Terai) + Uttarakhand

🚨 EXAM TRAP

Santhal Rebellion = 1855 (Hul) | Leaders = Sidhu and Kanhu (NOT Birsa)
Birsa Munda = Munda tribe leader | Rebellion = Ulgulan (1899-1900)
Oraon = also called Kurukh — Kurukh belongs to the Dravidian language family; core belt is Ranchi–Lohardaga–Gumla
Birhor = Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), Jharkhand
The Tharu are an important Scheduled Tribe of Bihar's Champaran Terai region.

🏹 Indian Geography — Chapter 16