Chapter - Review:

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• During the 19th century, tribal people in different parts of India were involved in various activities like Jhum cultivators, Hunters & Gatherers, Herded animals, & Settled cultivation.

• Itinerant cultivation took place in small plots of land, mainly in the forests.

• In Jhum cultivators, the farmers cut off the tree tops to allow sunlight to reach the ground and burned the vegetation on the ground to clean it for cultivation.

• They scattered the ashes from the fire, which contained potash, to fertilize the ground.

• Once the harvest was prepared and harvested, they moved to another field. One field that was once grown was left fallow for several years.

• Itinerant farmers have been discovered in the mountainous and wooded regions of northeastern and central India.

• The lives of these tribal peoples depended on the freedom of movement in the forests and the possibility of using the land and forests to cultivate their crops. 

• In many parts of the country, tribal groups lived by hunting animals and gathering forest products.

• They saw forests as critical to their survival. The Khonds were such a community that lived in the forests of Orissa. They routinely engaged in collective hunting and then shared the meat.

• They used a wide range of shrubs and forest herbs for medicinal purposes and sold forest products in local markets.

• Local weavers and leathers turned to the Khonds when they needed supplies of kusum and palash flowers to colour their garments and leather.

• Tribal groups often had to buy and sell in order to obtain commodities that were not produced in the community.

• Money lenders gave out loans with which tribals responded to their cash flow needs, adding to what they gained. But interest on the loans was generally quite high.

• A lot of tribal groups lived in animal farming. They were pastoralists travelling with their herds of cattle or sheep depending on the season

• When one spot ran out of grass, they moved to another area. 

• The Van Gujjars of the Punjab Hills and the Labadis of Andhra Pradesh were livestock farmers, the Gaddis of Kulu were shepherds and the Bakarwals of Kashmir were goat breeders. 

• Even before the 19th century, many members of the tribal groups had begun to set up,and cultivating their fields in one place year after year, rather than moving from one place to another.

• They started using the plow and progressively acquired rights to the land on which they lived. In many cases, such as the Mundas of Chottanagpur, the land was part of the whole clan.

• For the British authorities, established tribal groups like the Gonds and Santhals are more civilized than hunters or itinerant farmers.

• Very often, some people within the clan have become more powerful than others, some have become leaders and others disciples. Powerful men often rented their land instead of farming it on their own.

• The fate of the tribals who were forced to move away from their homes in search of employment was even worse.

• From the end of the nineteenth century, tea plantings began to appear and mining became an important industry.

• Large numbers of tribes were recruited to work on the tea plantations of Assam and the coal mines of Jharkhand. They were hired by entrepreneurs who paid them miserably low wages and prevented them from returning home.

4. Tribals Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age

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Q1. Fill in the blanks:

(a) The British described the tribal people as ____________.

(b) The method of sowing seeds in jhum cultivation is known as ____________.

(c) The tribal chiefs got ____________ titles in central India under the British land settlements.

(d) Tribals went to work in the ____________ of Assam and the ____________ in Bihar.

Ans:-

(a) Savage  

(b) Boardcast 

(c) land 

(d) Tea plantation; Coal mines. 

2. State whether true or false:

(a) Jhum cultivators plough the land and sow seeds.

(b) Cocoons were bought from the Santhals and sold by the traders at five times the purchase price.

(c) Birsa urged his followers to purify themselves, give up drinking liquor and stop believing in witchcraft and sorcery.

(d) The British wanted to preserve the tribal way of life.

Ans:-

(a) False

(b) True 

(c) True 

(d) False

3. What problems did shifting cultivators face under British rule?

Ans:- The life of shifting cultivators was directly connected to the forest. So, when the british brought changes in forest laws, their life was badly affected. The british

Q4. How did the powers of tribal chiefs change under colonial rule?

Ans: 

(i) He got the ownership of land in many villages, but his governmental powers were taken away.

(ii) They were forced to obey the rules made by the British authorities.

(iii) They had to pay tribute to the British.

(iv) As a private position towards the British, their groups had to be disciplined.

(v) The strength which they had before, is no more.

Q5. What accounts for the anger of the tribals against the dikus?

Ans:

(i) The tribals were restless with the revenge around them and the problems arising due to British rule.

(ii) His familiar way of life was seen to be destroyed.

(iii) Their livelihood was in danger.

(iv) Their religions were dissolving.

Q6. What was Birsa’s vision of a golden age? Why do you think such a vision appealed to the people of the region?

Ans: They spoke of the golden age "Satyuga", in which the Munda people lived a good life, built embankments, planted trees and gardens, cultivated to feed their stomachs, and controlled the natural springs. Birsa wanted people to cultivate their land once again and stick to one place. They should work on their own farm. In that imaginary age, Munda should not shed the blood of his fraternities and relatives and live honestly.

4. Tribals Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age:

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Que: Some were jhum cultivators

Ans: Some tribal people practised jhum cultivation, that is, shifting cultivation. This cultivation is done on small patches of land and the planters cut down the treetops to allow sunlight to reach the ground, and burnt the vegetation to clear it for cultivation. After the crop was ready and harvested they were shifted to another field. Shifting cultivators were found in the hilly and forested tracts of north-east and central India. These tribal people moved freely within the forests and that’s the reason they practised shifting cultivation.

Que: Some were hunters and gatherers?

Ans: Tribal groups in many regions survived on hunting animals and gathering forest produce. The Khonds were a community who survived on collective hunts and divide the meat amongst themselves. This community ate fruits and roots and used oil extracted from the seeds of the sal and mahua to cook food. Shrubs and herbs were used from forests for medicinal purposes.

These forest people exchanged goods with the things they needed in return for their valuable forest produce. When the forest produced shrank, tribal people had to wander out in search of work as labourers. Tribal groups were dependent on traders and moneylenders because they often needed money to buy and sell in order to be able to get the goods that were not produced within the locality. But, the interest charged on the loans was very high.

Que: Some herded animals

Ans: Herding and rearing was also an occupation for many tribal groups. They were pastoralists who moved with their herds of cattle or sheep according to the seasons.

Que: Some took to settled cultivation

Ans: Tribal groups, even before the nineteenth century, began settling down. The land for the Mundas of Chottanagpur belonged to the clan as a whole. All members of the clan were regarded as descendants of the original settlers, who had first cleared the land. British officials saw settled tribal groups as more civilised than hunter-gatherers or shifting cultivators.

Que: How Did Colonial Rule Affect Tribal Lives?

Ans: During British rule, the lives of tribal people changed.

Que: What happened to tribal chiefs?

Ans: Before the British arrived, the tribal chiefs were important people. They enjoyed economic power and had the right to administer and control their territories. But, their functions and powers changed under British rule. They lost their administrative powers and were forced to follow laws made by British officials in India.

Que: What happened to the shifting cultivators?

Ans: The British wanted tribal groups to settle down as it was easier to control and administer settled peasants. The British introduced land settlements to get regular revenue sources for the state. Land settlement means the British measured the land, defined the rights of each individual to that land, and fixed the revenue demand for the state. The British effort to settle jhum cultivators was not very successful. Facing widespread protests, the British had to ultimately allow them the right to carry on shifting cultivation in some parts of the forest.

Que: Forest laws and their impact

Ans: Tribal lives were directly affected by the changes in forest laws. Some forests were classified as Reserved Forests as they produced timber which the British wanted. The British people stopped the tribal people entering the forests but they faced a problem of getting laborers. So, the colonial officials came up with a solution. The colonial officials decided to give jhum cultivators small patches of land in the forests and allow them to cultivate. In return, those who lived in the villages had to provide labour to the Forest Department. Many tribal groups disobeyed the new rules, continued with practices that were declared illegal, and at times rose in open rebellion.

Que: The problem with trade

Ans: During the nineteenth century, traders and moneylenders started coming into the forest more often. They wanted to buy forest products, offered cash loans, and asked tribal groups to work for ages. In the eighteenth century, the demand for Indian silk was high in European markets. The silk market expanded so the East India Company encouraged silk production. The Santhals of Hazaribagh reared cocoons and the traders dealing in silk gave loans to the tribal people and collected the cocoons. The middlemen made huge profits.

Que: What is search for work?

Ans: From the late nineteenth century, tea plantations started coming up and mining became an important industry. Tribals were recruited in large numbers to work at the tea plantations of Assam and the coal mines of Jharkhand.