Philosophy of Tribal Culture

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Social movements among tribes aim at collective action to alter, reconstitute, reinterpret, restore and protect social structure, with a view to improve social, cultural, economic and political conditions of the tribal people. Hinduism, Christianity, British rule, modern education and post independence legislations have generated a high level of consciousness among the tribals, which has in turn encouraged several movements.Some movements have asserted their tribal identity and political solidarity. Ecological-cultural isolation, economic backwardness and a feeling of frustration have been responsible for these movements. However, those tribals who are either too isolated or too integrated with Hindu society are not involved in these socio-cultural movements.

Aniruddh Jha is a Professor of Philosophy, University of Hyderabad. He achieved his degrees M.A. (Philosophy) and PhD (Moral Values of Hinduism in Veda) from BHU, Varanasi. He has worked extensively on Vedic philosophy, Classical Indian Philosophy, Contemporary Indian Philosophy, Comparative Religion and Buddhism. He has authored several spiritual books. He has authored more than twenty research papers and articles published in national and international journals. He has travelled all over India to teach Indian Religion & Philosophy.

Social movements among tribes aim at collective action to alter, reconstitute, reinterpret, restore and protect social structure, with a view to improve social, cultural, economic and political conditions of the tribal people. Hinduism, Christianity, British rule, modern education and post-independence legislations have generated a high level of consciousness among the tribals, which has in turn encouraged several movements.

Some movements have asserted their tribal identity and political solidarity. Ecological-cultural isolation, economic backwardness and a feeling of frustration have been responsible for these movements. However, those tribals who are either too isolated or too integrated with Hindu society are not involved in these socio cultural movements.

The Unnati Samaj, an organisation established in 1912 for socio-cultural reforms, and the Adivasi Mahasabha established in 1938, aimed at revivalism in the Jharkhand region of Bihar. The Jharkhand movement in 1950 was, however, started to fight land alienation and exploitation and for political solidarity among the tribes of Bihar and the adjoining states of West Bengal, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. This movement ultimately culminated into a demand for the formation of a separate state for the adivasis of these four states.

Tribal movements encompass a very wide arena. The unique geopolitical situation and historical background need to be taken into consideration while analysing movements in the North-East, including Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram.

Movements in these areas generally refer to cultural and political revivalism. Political autonomy, control over the forests, socio-religious, cultural and linguistic considerations have been the key factors in other tribal movements.

For example, in case of the Jharkhand movement in Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh the main points were related to historicity, ideology, structure, leadership and sub-regional identity. Based on these considerations, Jharkhand was formed as a new state out of Bihar.

In anthropology, a tribe is a human social group. Exact definitions of what constitutes a tribe vary among anthropologists. The concept is often contrasted with other social groups concepts, such as nations, states, and forms of kinship.

In some places, such as India and North America, tribes are polities that have been granted legal recognition and limited autonomy by the national or federal government.

The word tribe first occurs in English in 12th-century Middle English-literature, in reference to the twelve tribes of Israel. The Middle English word is derived from Old French tribuand, in turn, from Latin tribus (plural tribûs), in reference to a supposed tripartite division of the original Roman state along ethnic lines, into tribus known as the Ramnes (or Ramnenses), Tities (or Titienses), and Luceres, corresponding, according to Marcus Terentius Varro, to the Latins, Sabines and Etruscans respectively. The Ramnes were named after Romulus, leader of the Latins, Tities after Titus Tatius, leader of the Sabines, and Luceres after Lucumo, leader of an Etruscan army that had assisted the Latins. In 242-240 BC, the Tribal Assembly (comitia tributa) in the Roman Republic included 35 tribes (four "urban tribes" and 31 "rural tribes"). According to Livy, the three "tribes" were squadrons of cavalry, rather than ethnic divisions.

The term's ultimate etymology is uncertain, perhaps from the Proto-Indo European roots tri- ("three") and bhew ("to be"). The classicist Gregory Nagy says, citing the linguist Émile Benveniste, that the Umbrian trifu (equivalent of the Latin tribus) is apparently derived from a combination of "tri-and "bhu-, where the second element is cognate with the Greek root "to bring forth" and the Greek phulę "clan, race, people" (plural phylai). The Greek polis ("state" or "city") was, like the Roman state, often divided into phylai.

**Contents and Sample Pages**