Gondi people

The Gonds
Regions with significant populations
India Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Karnataka, Bihar
Languages
Gondi, Telugu, Marathi, Hindi
Religion
Gondi ( Koya Punem ), Hinduism[1]
Related ethnic groups
Khonds

The Gondi (Gōndi) or Gond people are a Dravidian people of central India, spread over the states of Madhya Pradesh, eastern Maharashtra (Vidarbha),[2] Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Western Odisha. With over ten million people, they are the largest tribe in Central India.[3] They are a designated Scheduled Tribe in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha and West Bengal.[4] The Gond are also known as the Raj Gond. The term was widely used in 1950s, but has now become almost obsolete, probably because of the political eclipse of the Gond Rajas.[5] The Gondi language is closely related to the Telugu, belonging to the Dravidian family of languages. About half of Gonds speak Gondi languages while the rest speak Indo-Aryan languages including Hindi. According to the 1971 census, their population was 5.1 million. By the 1991 census this had increased to 9.3 million[6] and by 2001 census this was nearly 11 million. Since past few decades they have been at the receiving end due to Naxalite–Maoist insurgency in central part of India.[7] Gondi people are also used as shields against Naxalites by Government of Chhattisgarh through Salwa Judum.[8]

History

Scholars believe that Gonds settled in Gondwana, now known as eastern Madhya Pradesh, between the 13th and 19th centuries AD. Muslim writers described a rise of Gond state after the 14th century. Gondas ruled in four kingdoms (Garha-Mandla, Deogarh, Chanda, and Kherla) in central India between the 16th and 18th centuries. They built number of forts, palaces, temples, tanks and lakes during the rule of the Gonds dynasty. The Gondwana kingdom survived till late 16th century. They also gained control over the Malwa after the decline of the Mughals followed by the Marathas in the year 1690.[9] The Maratha power swept into Gondland in the 1740s.The Marathas overthrew Gond Rajas (princes) and seized most of their territory. While Some Gond zamindaris (estates) survived until recently. .[10] During the British regime in India, Gonds challenged the Britishers in several battles.

Gonds in freedom struggle

This State included the regions of Sagar, Damoh, Mandla, Seoni, Narmada Valley and possibly a portion of Bhopal. The state had 53 forts. Dalpat Shah as its ruler. When he died he left behind his widow Durgawati, who was from Chandel Rajput dynasty, and their infant son Bir Narayanawati became the Regent. Abul Fazal says that Durgawati ruled her kingdom with wisdom and ability. She delighted in hunting and bringing down wild animals with her own gun. Asaf Khan,[11] the Governor of Kara or Allahabad, was tempted by the wealth of Gondwana. Occasionally he ravaged the borders of the kingdom. Rani Durgwati started negotiations with Akbar for a peaceful settlement and when those negotiation failed, she retaliated by making forays against Bhilsa. Asaf Khan[11] marched toward Gondwana. Durgawati defended her territory bravely, but she was out numbered and defeated in a battle between garh and Mandal in the modern Jabalpur District. Rani Durgawati was wounded and she plunged a dagger into her chest and ended her life to save herself from disgrace. Her kingdom was annexed in 1564 by Akbar and was devastated and a lot of the wealth fell into the hands of the Mughals. Bir Narayan died fighting in the defence of his country. According to V.A.Smith, Akbar's attack on a princess of a character so noble was mere aggression, wholly unprovoked and devoid of all justifications other than the lust for conquest and plunderlol.".[12] Ramji Gond formed an army, and rebelled against the British, as the local people were unhappyfor separating out Berar from the Hyderabad province of the Nizams.[13]

Art

The Pardhan Gonds are a clan of the large Gond tribe inhabiting central India.[14] They traditionally served the larger tribal community as musicians, bardic priests and keepers of genealogies and sacred teachings. With declining support for their traditional role, the Pardhan Gonds have adapted their oral traditions for the visual medium has already been adapted from auspicious designs on the walls and floors of mud huts for acrylic paintings on canvas, pen and ink drawings, silkscreen prints and large scale murals. Several Gond artists[15] have travelled abroad for exhibitions and Pardhan Gond painting has gained popularity in the mainstream art market. With decline in interest in oral storytelling traditions, storytelling through the animation medium may be a way of reigniting interest in culture amongst the younger generations of Pardhan Gonds.

Some of the best known painters of the Jangarh Kalam school are : Jangarh's wife, Nankusia Shyam,[16] his children Japani and Mayank,[17] his nephews Bhajju Shyam[18] · [19] · [20] · [21] and Venkat Singh Shyam[22] and his sister and brother-in-law Durga Bai[23] and Subhash Vyam and Ram Singh Urveti[17] · .[24]

Language

The prime language spoken by Gond Tribe is Gondi. Beside this, the Gond tribes have a good command on Telugu, Hindi, Marathi, Parsi and many other Dravidian languages. In 1928 Munshi Mangal Singh Masaram designed brahmi based script for Gondi, but it is not widely used nowadays. A recently discovered script Gunjala Gondi Lipi is used to write Gondi language.[25]

Science

Many astronomy ideas were known to ancient Gonds.[26] Gond tribals had their own local terms for Sun, Moon, Constellations and Milky way. Most of these ideas were basis for their time keeping and calendrical activities. Other than Gonds the Banjaras and Kolams are also known to have knowledge of astronomy.[27][27]

Notable Gonds

See also

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2011
  2. ↑ https://books.google.co.in/books?id=X39c2VODLT0C&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16&dq=royal+gonds&source=bl&ots=0Ma0RGj47o&sig=rurWYLnJxqTJZnGHtkrfXUECmOI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sf29VJDEHZfh8AXC8oHQCw&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=royal%20gonds&f=false
  3. ↑ "Gondi people".
  4. ↑ "List of notified Scheduled Tribes" (PDF). Census India. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  5. ↑ Indian Tribes -R.C.Verma ISBN 81-230-0328-5
  6. ↑ Indian Tribes ISBN 81-230-0328-5
  7. ↑ http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/theatre/bringing-rural-realities-on-stage-in-urban-india/article7592193.ece?homepage=true
  8. ↑ Salwa Judum
  9. ↑ http://www.ecoindia.com/tribes/gonds.html
  10. ↑
    • Bates, Crispin (1995). "Race, Caste and Tribe in Central India: the early origins of Indian anthropometry". In Robb, Peter. The Concept of Race in South Asia. Delhi: Oxford University Press. p. 233. ISBN 978-0-19-563767-0. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
  11. 1 2 http://narsinghpur.nic.in/history.htm
  12. ↑ History of Medieval India-V.D.Mahajan ISBN 81-219-0364-5
  13. ↑ http://www.scribd.com/doc/194993577/Tribal-Rebellions-of-India#scribd
  14. ↑ Jangarh Kalam - Udayan Vajpeyi et Vivek. Published in 2008 by Tribal Welfare Department, Madhya Pradesh, India. ISBN 81-903764-3-8
  15. ↑ Gond artists
  16. ↑ Bulli & The Tiger - Shalina Reys and Nankusia Shyam - Pratham Books - 2010 - ISBN 9789350220177
  17. 1 2 Freedom : Sixty Years After Indian Independence, illustrations: Mayank Kumar Shyam, Ram Singh Urveti, Bhuri Bai ... - Art and Heritage Foundations - 2007 - ISBN 978-8190485807
  18. ↑ La petite sirène - Gita Wolf et Sirish Rao, illustrations: Bhajju Shyam - Syros - 2009 - ISBN 9782748508413
  19. ↑ La vie nocturne des arbres - Bhajju Shyam, illustrations: Durge Bai et Ram Singh Urveti - Acte Sud Junior - 2013 - ISBN 978-2-330-02132-0
  20. ↑ Mon voyage inoubliable - Bhajju Shyam, illustrations: Bhajju Shyam - Syros - 2014 - ISBN 9782748514902
  21. ↑ Alone in the Forest - Gita Wolf & Andrea Anastasio - illustrations: Bhajju Shyam - Tara Books - 2012 - ISBN 978-81-923171-5-1
  22. ↑ Finding My Way - A Gondwana Journey - Venkat Raman Singh Shyam with S. Anand - navayana 2012 - A draft sample for Frankfurt Buchmesse 2012
  23. ↑ Book of Rhyme - Gita Wolf, illustrations: Durga Bai - taraBOOKS - 2010 - ISBN 978-93-80340-06-7
  24. ↑ I saw a Peacock with a fiery Tail - illustrations: Ram Singh Urveti - Tara Books - 2011 - ISBN 978-93-80340-14-2
  25. ↑ Gunjala Gondi Lipi
  26. ↑ http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1306/1306.2416.pdf
  27. 1 2 http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1406/1406.3044.pdf

Videography

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External links

This article includes material from the 1995 public domain Library of Congress Country Study on India.

Category:Indian painting

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