The Gonds, one of the oldest tribes of the country, were notified as scheduled tribes in the following states according to the 2011 census: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, and West Bengal. They are a primitive tribal community involved in hunting and food gathering, pastoral occupations, agriculture, martial assignments, basic trade and commerce, herbal medicine as well as rulers in Middle India, etc.
The first historically recorded Gond kingdoms came up in middle India’s hilly region in the 14th and 15th century AD. The first Gond king Jadurai ousted the Kalchuri Rajputs to grab the kingdom of Garha Mandla (1300 to 1789 AD). The second kingdom of Deogarh was created by King Jatba in 1590 AD which lasted till 1796 AD. Around the same time as Deogarh, the Kherla kingdom also came up in 1500 AD and remained for a century. Its first king, Narsingh Rai, who ousted a Rajput ruler, had a love-hate relationship with the Rajput and Muslim rulers in his locale that attacked his fort due to its geographical accessibility. The Chanda kingdom (1200 to 1751 AD), a contemporary of the Kherla and Deogarh kingdoms, produced several remarkable rulers who developed excellent irrigation systems and the first well-defined revenue system among the Gond kingdoms.
Later they were overpowered by British forces. This was a period of transition for middle India, which was initially ruled by Maratha power in the 18th century and later in the 19th century followed by the mighty Britishers. These dominances made an incredible change in the political, social, and economic scenario. However, as the Gonds ruled over a large kingdom of middle India for many centuries, they have developed their own social, religious, and cultural base.
The Gond community is vast as it is divided into several sections which differ in their nature. Gonds are primitively subdivided into Raj-Gonds, Khatola-Gonds, Madia Gonds, Dhur Gonds, Dadve Gonds, Mokasi Gonds, Gaita Gonds, Koyas, etc. These sections were ordinarily endogamous and consisted of clans that were grouped into exogamous phratries within them.
Gond Family
The Gond family is a unilateral social group that consists mainly of parents and their children both male and female. The Gonds use the term ‘pari’ to express their group. The clan among the Gonds is an independent group consisting of family members who bear the same clan name. Members of the clan believe that they have descended from a common ancestor. The clan being patrilineal a man passes on his clan’s name to his children. A woman doesn’t carry her father’s clan name after marriage.
Class, Caste, and Societal Status
The Gonds are divided into numerous class and caste groups known by different names. The member of both a class and a caste was determined by birth, and an individual is considered to belong to the class or caste of his or her father.
In a Gond society, the woman is treated on par and equally with the other sex. She lives her life shoulder to shoulder with the male sharing in all work, including earning a livelihood. Most of the domestic work centered around her. Her opinions are validated and considered in all the major discussions of the family. A woman is excluded from certain ritual observances. Despite all these, the Gond woman enjoys a respectable status in society.
Marriage
The Gonds practice various traditions and types of marriages, which includes, Ostasana Marmi (Regular), Lamsena or Lamhade Marmi (by Service), Kotavalda or Ata sata (by Exchange), Poyse Ottur or Kals Ottur (by capture), Arwitana /Harvititur or Haiwar Marmi (by Elopement), Haiwark wat/Paitu or Odiyattur Marmi (by Intrusion), Pat or Tiks Tasana Marmi (Adult or Widow Marriage), Yer Dosana Marmi (Bhul Bihao), etc. The Gond's forbidden marriage between blood relatives. The Raj Gonds, the ruling Gonds, married according to Hindu customs, while most of the other marriage ceremonies were conducted by Doshi or Baiga.
An important aspect of the marriage system in the Gond society is the bride price. The widows in the Gond society are allowed to marry. Even the practice of divorce is lenient. The Gonds no longer practice Polygamy. Cross-cousin marriages are still prevalent in Gond society.
Religious Life
Traditionally the Gonds are polytheistic and followers of animism and Nature worship. But they have been under the influence of the socio-religious complex of Hinduism and have been constantly changing in the light.
The Gonds have many Gods and Goddesses in whom they firmly believe like Bhagavan (the Creator), Bara-Pen, Budhalpen, Phersapen (the great God) Mahadeo, Dulha Pen (Bride-groom God), Ghansam or Bagroom-Pen (tiger God), Hardul Pen (God of cholera and wedding), Kuwara Bhivsen, Nat Awal, Thakur Pen, Hulera Pen, Matiya-Pen, Narayan-Pen, Koya-Pen, Maswasi-Pen, Marai Mata, Darti Mata (Mother earth Goddess), etc.
Festivals
The Gonds celebrate various festivals throughout the year, most of them are connected with the agricultural season. Their festival includes Akhari, Jiwati, Pola, Diwali Nawo tindana, Dussera, and Phag or Shimga festivals. They also celebrate the common Hindu festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Raksha-Bandhan, Nag Panchami, Diwali, Holi.
Concept of Death
The Gonds have their concept of death. The funeral rites are part of the metaphysical significance that death occupied an important occurrence in the birth-life-death cycle. Initially, the burial was only practiced by the Gonds, however, the cremation was also started. Since then both burial and cremation are being practiced.
The Gonds believe in life after death so it is customary to offer worldly possession of man either inside or on the top of the graveyard when a person dies.
Clothing
The male members of Gond society wore dhotis that came up to their knees, a vest, and shawl over the shoulder, and a turban on their head. They wore silver bangles on their wrists, wearing bangles was a sign of good fortune, a locket around their neck and earrings. The women wore six to eight-yard saris reaching to the knees and tied with a belt. The women loved jewelry. The ornaments were considered protective gadgets. They also tattooed their bodies. Tattoos were seen as true jewelry that remained with the women even after they died and were said to please the Gods. The women believed that tattooing beautified the body as well as made it healthy. However, the aesthetic, cultural, and magical values, connected with the traditional dress, ornaments, and tattoo marks, are also fast disappearing due to developmental activities.
Ghotul Institution
When there were no educational institutions available to the Gond community the Ghotul was functioning as a training, learning center and had a religious affiliation. It inculcated the integrity and uniqueness among all the members of the Ghotul. However, with the invasion of the Britishers, the Ghotul system was destroyed as they considered it as a center for conspiracy against them.
Gondi Language
The language spoken by the Gonds in their daily life is Gondi. The inter-group communication of Gonds is purely in their mother tongue Gondi. But they communicate with outsiders in a mixed type of colloquial Hindi language.
The Gonds were the most cultured community. However, due to development and urbanization, many of them are living in poverty today. They are prone to exploitation and lack the availability of basic resources.
References:
(i) Anurag Trivedi, "India’s Tribal Communities- The Gond Tribe of Chhattisgarh"
(ii) Dr. Salve Prakash Nivrutti, "Study of Indian Tribes - Regional distribution of tribes in India - B) Gond"
(iii) Shamrao Koreti, "Socio-Cultural History of the Gond Tribes of Middle India"
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