TAMILNADU NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

(A State university established by Act No.9 of 2012)

Navalur Kuttapattu, Srirangam (TK), Tiruchirappalli – 620 009. Tamil
Nadu.
Submitted for the internal assessment for the course of
BA.LL.B (Hons.) - First Semester
Academic Year: 2020-2021

SUBJECT: SOCIOLOGY-I
THE GONDS

Course Faculty: Dr. Hemalatha Bhat Submitted by: Naveen.M

Assistant Professor of Sociology (BAO200029), BA LLB
Tamil Nadu national Law University 1ST YEAR, TNNLU
Trichy – 620 027 Trichy – 620 027
 DECLARATION

Me, Naveen.M pursuing BA LLB (HONS)- 2021, do hereby declare that the
project entitled “The gonds” ________________________________submitted
to Tamil Nadu National law University (TNNLU), Trichy, in partial fulfillment
of requirement of award of degree in undergraduate in law is a record of
original work done by us under the guidance of Dr. Hemalatha Bhat, Assistant
Professor of Sociology, TNNLU, and has not formed basis for award of any
degree or diploma or fellowship or any other title to any other candidate of any
university.

Date: 22-2-2021
Name: Naveen.M (BA0200029)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am over helmed in all humbleness and gratefulness to acknowledge my depth
to all those who have helped me to put these ideas, well above the level of
simplicity and into something concrete.

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my professor,

Dr.Hemalatha Bhat who gave me the golden opportunity to do this wonderful
project on the topic "The Gonds”, and also helped me in structuring the current
research project. Through the opportunity she gave, i came to know about so
many new things. I am really thankful to her.

Any attempt at any level can’t be satisfactorily completed without the support
and guidance of my parents and friends. I would like to thank my parents who
helped me a lot in gathering different information, collecting data and guiding
me from time to time in making this project, despite of their busy schedules,
they gave me different ideas in making this project unique.

Thanking you,
Naveen.M
BA0200029
1ST Year, BA LLB

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 INTRODUCTION
 REVIEW OF LITERATURE
 OBJECTIVES, METHODOLOGY AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY
 DETAILED ANALYSIS
 SUMMARY OF THIS PROJECT
 CONCLUSION
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 ANNEXURE I – PICTURES OF GONDS AND DIFFERENT THINGS RELATED
TO THEM
 ANNEXURE II – QUESTIONS

INTRODUCTION

The Gonds are an ethnic gathering found in india. They are by and large
discovered to be over the conditions of Madhya Pradesh, eastern Maharashtra,
Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha.
They are otherwise called Gondi or Koitur. Gonds implies people of hills. The
majority of the populace lives in the uneven regions; henceforth they are given
the name gonds. Gonds are viewed as one of biggest clan bunch in south asia
with a populace of 13 million according to the indian evaluation report of 2011.

Scholastics accept that Gonds got settled in Gondwana, presently known as East
Madhya Pradesh, between the 10th and thirteenth hundreds of years AD.
Muslim creators portray the development of the Gond States after the 1400s.
The Gond administrations governed four realms to be specific the Garha-
Mandla, Deogarh, Chanda, and Kherla in central India between the sixteenth
and mid-eighteenth hundreds of years. Gondi has a connnect with the Dravidian
language family and is more related to Telugu. Language offers a social
connection with the numerous networks in the Gonds. The 2011 Indian Census
detailed around 2.98 million Gondi speakers, distibuted in southeastern Madhya
Pradesh, eastern Maharashtra, southern Chhattisgarh and northern Telangana.
The greater part of the Gonds, be that as it may, communicates in the more
extensive dialects of the territory they abide in. As of now, their fundamental
language is viewed as Hindi. At the point when we talk about the way of life
followed by Gonds, there is no social consistency between the Gonds, while the
religion of all the Gond public spins on the clique of faction and town divinities,
along with the love of predecessor. Larger part of the Gonds follows the religion
of Hindu while there are not many gatherings which follow Christianity
moreover. The Gonds are additionally partitioned into four kinds, in particular
the Raj Gonds, Madia Gonds, Dhurve Gonds, Khatulwar Gonds

As we go on, we will find in insight regarding the various kinds of gonds

referenced previously. In this examination paper, we will talk about in detail
about the historical backdrop of Gonds, their area, religion, language, legends,
customs, culture and numerous different viewpoints identified with them. We
will likewise examine in insight regarding the social issues faced by them

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The article named “The Gonds Kingdom” written by Aparna Pallavi and
published by the website down to earth has helped the research paper by
providing us with information related to the history of gonds. The article
explains to us in detail about different gond kingdoms and rulers who ruled
different parts of india; mainly the hilly regions of central India during the 14 th
and 15th century. The article also talks about the cultural flux; the cultural
influence made by the gond rulers. It also talks about the impact of the ruler on
the economy and resource during his ruling period. One of the main drawbacks
which were found in this article is the lack of information regarding the origin
of gonds. This articles which explains to us the history of the Gonds failed to
mention the place of emergence of this tribe which is also considered as a part
of history.

Secondly, Wikipedia aided the on-going research paper by providing me with

the basic information regarding gonds. It helped by providing basic facts on
many areas like history of gonds, culture, religion etc. it also aided the research
paper by providing accurate figures and numbers on the total population. It also
gives the count area wise and showcased the population growth and the
variation in it over the years.

An essay which was published by the website encyclopedia has aided the
current research paper by giving detailed information on Gonds and different
aspects related to it. The essay gave all the information covering all the areas
ranging from the history of gonds to even the slightest information like their
clothing, their food etc. One of the main highlight of this essay was that it aided
the research paper by giving information on the origin of gonds (even though it
was an assumption) which no other article/ essay provided. It cleared the
drawback which was set by the article mentioned first.

OBJECTIVES OF THIS STUDY

In this following research paper, we will be

 Studying the history and origins of Gonds

 Studying the different aspects related to gonds
 Studying the different social issue faced by gonds (if any)

METHODOLOGY INVOLVED IN THIS STUDY

In this research project, doctrinal methods of collection of data and information

are used in order to do research in a qualitative as well as quantitative manner.
Doctrinal method includes articles, papers, and mainly literary sources from the
internet, due to Covid-19 pandemic.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Firstly, extensive research could not be done due to the lack of much
information in the internet. The number of articles/ journals talking about the
Gonds tribe was limited. Most of the articles which talked about it possessed the
same information in it and no extra information was given in any articles except
few.

The second limitation in the study was the on-going pandemic due to which
field work could not be done and the study also didn’t have much for the field
work being necessary.
Another limitation faced in this study is the lack of accurate information
regarding the origin of Gonds. There were no proper details available to say the
origin precisely and even the details about the origin which was provided were
mere assumptions.

DETAILED STUDY OF THE GONDS

 LOCATION

The Gonds dwell in focal India and in the states of Maharashtra and
Orissa. As "slope individuals," they have truly been subsidiary with the
slopes and uplands of the Deccan Peninsula. There are numerous Gonds
living around the Satpura Hills, the Maikala Range and the Son-Deogarh
Highlands, and the Bastar Plateau. Gond regions extend south and east of
the upper spans of the streams Narmada and Son and spreads to the River
Godavari and the wilderness of Madhya Pradesh–Orissa.

The upland territories are for the most part somewhere in the range of
2,000 and 3,000 feet with incidental pinnacles frequently arriving at
around 4,000 feet The territory is depleted by the progressions of a large
number of India's fundamental streams (like the Narmada, Tapti, Son,
Mahanadi, and Godavari). Land cover is thick in zones, and contact is
generally testing.

• POPULATION AND DISTRIBUTION

According to the Indian statistics report of 2011, there of 13 million

individuals who have a place with the Gonds. The Gonds are considered
as probably the biggest clan on the planet. In the event that we further see
into the dispersion design, we can see the gonds in the accompanying
 states: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar
Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh (unified), Bihar, Karnataka, Jharkhand, West
Bengal and Gujarat with most noteworthy thickness in Madhya Pradesh
(5,093,124) and the least thickness in Gujarat (2,965)

 ORIGIN

None knows about the underlying foundations of the Gonds. They have a
place with the layers of the native people groups of India who originate
before the Aryan and Dravidian speakers of the locale. They are for the
most part sorted by race as Proto-Australoids. Since their language is
Dravidian, the Gonds may have crossed terrains toward the south where
Dravidian dialects are found. DNA information demonstrates that they
may have fanned out from early Proto-Australoids who evidently
relocated from Africa to Australia along the banks of India. However, the
relocations of Gonds until they entered their current country stay hidden
in the fogs of time. Researchers guarantee that the Gonds had shown up
in Gondwana between the ninth and thirteenth hundreds of years AD.

 HISTORY
The principal verifiably recorded Gond realms were established in the
territory of focal India in the fourteenth and fifteenth hundreds of years
AD. The main King of the Gond was Jadurai, who dismissed the Kalchuri
Rajputs, in whose court he had served previously, to overcome the realm
of Garha Mandla (present day Mandla and Jabalpur in Madhya
Pradesh).The second realm of Deogadh (Chhindwada in Madhya Pradesh
and Nagpur in Maharashtra) was set up in the fifteenth century by King
Jatba. Around a similar time as Deogadh, the Kherla realm (Baitul in
Madhya Pradesh to Chikhaldara in Amravati region in Maharashtra)
 additionally arose. His first lord, Narsingh Rai, who had dismissed the
leader of Rajput, had an adoration disdain relationship with the Rajput
and the Muslim rulers in his area who had attacked his fortification
because of its geological openness. The Chanda realm (Chandrapur in
Maharashtra), a contemporary of the Kherla and Deogad realms, has
created numerous striking rulers who have created incredible water
system frameworks and the main very much characterized charge
structure between the Gond realms. The time of Gonds administering
reached a conclusion in the eighteenth century.

 LANGUAGE
Gondi has a place with the Dravidian language family and is identified
with Tamil and Kannada. Language gives a social connection the
numerous networks in the Gond. Numerous Gonds communicate in
Hindi, Marathi, or Telegu, as well.

 RELIGION

Persa Pen is the most distinctive quality of Gond's confidence. As

numerous different clans, Gonds adores an incomparable god known as
Baradeo, whose elective names are Bhagavan, Sri Shambu Mahadeo, and
Persa Pen. Every Gond group has its own Persa Pen, which protects all
individuals from the tribe. Every town has its Village-Guardian and
Village-Mother who are adored as locals notice day by day merriments.
Gonds likewise revered the family and family divine beings, the lords of
the ranch and the lords of the animals. Divinities like Shitala Mata, a
goddess of smallpox, help battle off sickness.

 FOLKLORE
 Inherited minstrels and experienced narrators called Pardhans enlighten
stories concerning Gond legends and fantasies. According to the legends
and conviction, it was said that when the gond divine beings were
conceived, they were abandoned by their mother. It was goddess Parvati
who saved them. However, shiva, spouse of Parvati kept them hostage in
a cavern. Pahandi Kapar Lingal, a Gond legend protected them with the
assistance of goddess Jangu bai. The safeguarded Gonds divine beings
emerged from the cavern and got isolated into four unique gatherings,
because of which there are four gatherings of Gonds now, , in particular
the Raj Gonds, Madia Gonds, Dhurve Gonds, Khatulwar Gonds. This is
one of the renowned old stories.

 RITES
Gonds shield pregnant ladies from condemnations and abhorrent powers,
and play out a couple of functions after a child is conceived. A mother's
brother usually names a baby boy, while a dad's sister names the child in
case of girl child. Kids grow up as a feature of the family, clan, and
phratry (one of the four significant divisions of Gond society) and at last
get familiar with the methods of their own kin. Both the boys and girls
does assist in protecting family crops from winged creatures and
monkeys. Guys experience a custom shaving of stubbles, mustaches, and
eyebrows as a characteristic of development. Young ladies are considered
to be totally mature at their first feminine cycle.
 FAMILY LIFE
Gond's culture is split into four classes known as phratries or sagas in
Gondi. Each saga traces its descent to one of the four classes of gods who
emerged from the cave after their liberation by the hero Lingal. The saga
is split into many clans. A clan is made up of a group of individuals who
 feel they have a shared ancestor. Usually, it's accepted to marry outside
the clan. Kinship and marriage traditions between the Gonds represent
larger regional trends. The custom is cross-cousin marriage (for example,
to marry one's mother's brother's daughter), which is characteristic of
southern India. However, there are groups that have been affected by
northern peoples, such as Marathas, that adopt northern practices to
decide their marriage partners. Similarly, the northern Gonds allow the
widows to remarry the siblings of the deceased husband.
The Gonds normally chose their marriage partners, and the Tribal
Council approves the matches. The father of the groom pays the price of
the bride. Gond weddings have a variety of appropriate ceremonies. The
key part of the ceremony is where the bride and groom walk around the
wedding post seven times. The newborns remain with the groom's family
until they can move into their own home.

 INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
Visiting culture varies all through the country, yet the Gonds are friendly
residents. The vacationer is welcomed and given little presents, perhaps
some dried tobacco leaves or organic product from the trees. Numerous
towns and homes have visitor hovels where travelers can remain with any
level of protection.

 LIVING CONDITIONS

Gonds live in villages spread all over focal India. Every village has a boss
(referred to by neighborhood names, for example, mukhia, mahji, or patel)
and a town chamber (panchayat) chose by the residents. The gathering,
comprised of the headman, the cleric, the town gatekeeper, and four to five
older folks, is answerable for the smooth working of the town and maintains
 the traditions and practices of Gond. More pertinent issues are discussed and
dictated by all the men of the general public. Notwithstanding its inhabitants
of Gond, the town has standings like Ahir (cowherds), Agaria
(metalworkers), Dhulia (drummers) and Pardhan (poets and artists). A
conventional Gond town comprises of a few villages, each comprising of a
local area of firmly related family. The property (which incorporates homes,
pens and sheds) houses a family unit, for the most part an average family,
comprising of guardians, hitched children and their families. Houses are
regularly rectangular, comprising of mud and cover. They are comprised of a
lounge, a kitchen, a veranda, and a unique space to which ladies resign while
they are discharging. Among numerous South Asian societies, ladies in the
present circumstance are considered to be ceremonially contaminated and
confined from the remainder of the family. There is a sanctum to the faction
divine beings in a single corner of the building.The ways of life among the
Gonds reflect financial status. Numerous Gonds are relatively helpless
ranchers or field laborers, and this can be reflected in their absence of
material belongings. The Gond houses contain little furnishings, perhaps a
few beds and some wooden stools, with mats utilized for sitting and resting.
The kitchen includes an assortment of cooking tools, metal and pots of
pottery, and capacity bins. Today, the more extravagant Gonds are building
their homes in stone and outfitting them all the more richly.

 CULTURAL HERITAGE

Craftsmanship, routine have a critical task to carry out in Gond culture. The
Gonds are energetic performers, and each happy occasion is praised with
routine. In specific models, like Dandari artists, dances recognize the
emotional retelling of Gond folklore episodes. Nonetheless, dances are not
typically subsidiary with any proper occasion or celebration and must be
 accomplished for diversion. A large number of the tunes that go with dance
seem, by all accounts, to be provocative in nature. The Dhulia is a specific
standing that addresses the Gonds. The Pardhan versifiers keep up the
accounts, fantasies, and history of the Gonds, giving these practices from age
to age. Of the different legends of the Gonds, maybe the most significant is
the incredible epic that praises the set of experiences and achievements of
the Gonds and adventures of the way of life saint Pahandi Kapar Lingal.

 CLOTHING

The men of Gond for the most part wear a dhoti, or an undergarment. The
dhoti is a long piece of white cotton texture folded over the midsection,
drawn between the legs and got into the abdomen. Ladies wear sari cotton (a
piece of material tied around the abdomen, with one end threw over the
correct shoulder) and choli (tight-fitting, trimmed pullover)

 FOOD

The staples of the eating routine of Gond are two millets known as kodo and
kutki. They are either bubbled in a stock or seared in a dry grain. Stock is
liked for the initial two dinners of the day. Dry cereal is devoured around
evening time, regularly with vegetables. Plants are either developed in
nurseries or collected from forest alongside roots and tubers. Nectar is
likewise acquired from backwoods. Rice is a lavish product that Gonds love
at celebrations and celebrations. The vast majority of the Gonds incline
toward meat. Creatures butchered at celebrations are eagerly eaten, and
creatures executed in the backwoods add to the eating regimen. The Gonds
need to swear off the meat of the animals that are their family symbols.
 Gonds develop tobacco for smoking, and produce alcohol from the mahua
tree for festivities.

 CRAFTS

Gonds have a rich art history that incorporates earthenware, container

making, body inking, and floor painting. They paint red and dark examples
on the dividers of their homes. These portrayals likewise commend
celebrations and show ponies, winged creatures, people, chasing and
moving. Gonds are making instruments. They make commemoration
pinnacles of wood and stone for their dead. They generally beautify their
homes with cut entryways and boards.

 EDUCATION
Education of Gonds goes from 25 percent in Maharashtra to under 15
percent in Madhya Pradesh. Among the females in Madhya Pradesh, this
decays to around 4 percent. Hardly any kids go to class consistently, and
young ladies seldom go to elementary school.

• WORK

The Gonds' relations with the woodland demonstrate that, before, they were
traveling trackers or food finders who had begun to develop changes. Today,
they are fundamentally furrow cultivators whose horticulture differs little
from other cultivating ranks in their general vicinity. While some Gond
social orders have ascended to the degree of property managers, developing
 interest ashore is reflected in huge quantities of landless workers among the
Gonds.

 SOCIAL ISSUES

Gonds are confronted with issues normal for ancestral people groups in
South Asia and the majority of the world. They suffer hardship and
mistreatment and are much of the time compelled to live on less rich land in
country regions. They are confronting developing strain on their homestead,
an increment in the quantity of landless positions and an undeniable degree
of destitution. The deficiency of tutoring and the helpless degree of
education further limit monetary freedom.

Past that, the actual presence of the Gond bunch is a test in itself. Given their
numbers, the Gonds are an array of different ancestral gatherings. While they
all consider themselves to be Gonds, there isn't anything that can tie them
into a sound political force. Their wide geological spread and level of
ancestral division are running after the improvement of a Gond political
personality. Also, if this wasn't the situation, the administration to do this is
painfully inadequate. This puts the Gond people group at a critical weakness
in India today, where admittance to capital for financial advancement is
consistently dependent upon political support.

For instance, certain non-tribals have overseen, by political maneuvering, to

acquire lawful ancestral status, that is, to be distinguished as the Scheduled
Tribe. The Gonds of Andhra Pradesh basically lost their possibly advantage
in trying to safeguard their domains when the Banjaras, a gathering that had
gotten comfortable Gond region, figured out how to be delegated a
Scheduled Tribe in the state in 1977. Their recently gotten ancestral status
 made the Banjaras ready to acquire Gond land "legitimately" and fight with
Gonds for held political positions, places in instructive establishments, and
different advantages saved to the Scheduled Tribes. Since the Banjaras are
not expected to show up in the close by Maharashtra, there has been an
inundation of Banjara exiled people from that state to Andhra Pradesh
looking for better possibilities

CONCLUSION
From this project, I am to know about Gonds and different aspects related
to them in detail. Starting from knowing their origin, we came upon to
know their past history, their culture, traditions, rites and many other
things. I also came to know about the social problems they are facing
presently.
On detailed research, I also came to know that with the support of
Chattisgarh government and the sponsorship of a company, the Gonds
formed a militant group called Salwa Judum to counter the Naxalites
violence in the region. It was started in 2005 but was later disbanded by
the Supreme Court on 2011.
Salwa Judum also faced many controversies like child soldiers, human
rights violation and state sponsoring, possibly becoming the reason for
disbanding of the militia.

ANNEXURE I – PICTURES OF GONDS AND DIFFERENT THINGS

RELATED TO THEM

 DISTRIBUTION
 PEOPLE OF GONDS
 DANCES
 GONDI FOODS
 GONDS CLOTHING
 GOND’S HOUSES
 ANNEXURE II – QUESTIONS

1. What is the theory behind the origin of Gonds?

2. What are the different groups of Gonds?
3. Explain the myth behind the emergence of 4 types of Gonds
4. What type of clothing does the Gond men’s wear? Name them.
5. What are the main foods of Gonds
6. Explain the tradition followed when it comes to the naming of a new born
baby
7. Mention any evidence of gender inequality in Gonds which is mentioned
in this paper
8. What is Salwa Judum?
9. The first trace of Gond kingdom was found in which century?
10. Why the tribe got the name gond and what are the other names used for
them?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Drishti IAS. “Gond Tribe,” January 20, 2020.

https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gond-
tribe#:~:text=Gonds%20are%20one%20of%20the,Madia%20Gonds.

 “The Gond Kingdoms.” Down To Earth. Accessed February 21, 2021.

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/the-gond-kingdoms-46701.

 “Salwa Judum.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, February 18, 2021.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salwa_Judum.
 “Gonds.” Countries and Their Cultures. Accessed February 21, 2021.
https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Germany-to-Jamaica/Gonds.html.

 “." Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life. .

Encyclopedia.com. 18 Feb. 2021.” Encyclopedia.com. Encyclopedia.com,
February 21, 2021. https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-
law/anthropology-and-archaeology/people/gond.

 “Gondi People.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, February 18, 2021.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gondi_people.