Scheduled tribes

The People of India project, a massive exercise carried out by the Anthropological Survey of India, has generated a wealth of information on the hundreds of communities, castes and tribes which exist in this country. These communities are presented in an alphabetical order for easy reference, and the subjects covered in each case include all aspects of culture and society, location, language, script, biological variation, educational level and impact of development.

This volume in the series is the first comprehensive and systematic account of India's 461 tribal communities, including their 172 segments which are distributed in many parts of the country. This is also probably the most complete list of the Scheduled Tribes, a few of which have been indentified for the first time in Arunachal Pradesh and Lakshadweep.

The tribals inhabit mainly those hilly regions which are the repository of minerals and natural resources. Strategically located, they are the country's sentinels. They distinguish themselves from other Indian citizens by their colourful, traditional attire. They are also heterogeneous, biologically, culturally and linguistically, as they are spread over wide spaces. Most of the tribal communities are marked by division and even by incipient forms of hierarchy, even though the tribes are relatively egalitarian. They have been increasingly influenced by 'development processes, particularly education, communication and health-care. Forms of private property have emerged. There is a shift from traditional occupations, many of which have declined to modern occupations, including government service, in which an increasingly large number of tribes are becoming involved. While tribals as a whole practice almost all the religions of India, there has been a revival of ancient tribal religion as a marker of identity.