The majestic land of Rajasthan, is filled with unique heritage and culture. Know more about the tribals of Rajasthan who have survived the attacks and onslaughts on them by invaders like the Aryans, Hunas, Kusanas and the Sakas.
From the beginning of man's presence in the area that is now called Rajasthan, till around 1400 BC, the Bhil and Mina tribes roamed and ruled the land. The Aran invasion, representedby horse-drawn chariots and superior bows and arrows,seems to have tyrannised tribal migrations to the south and the east.Pushed into the natural hideouts-forests and the ancient and craggy Aravalli ranges, the Bhil and Mina tribes survived more easily. The northern, nomadic ethnic instrusions continued into Rajasthan.They were represented by the Sakas, Kusanas, Abhiras, Hunas and more.Quite a large number of these invaders are now covered by the blanket term Rajput whose royal lineage stood upon the ruins of the Gurjara-Pratihara empire.All too naturally, the warrior-invaders fitted the Aryan martial caste of Kshatriyas which in time came to be divided into 36 Rajput clans.
Bhils-the bowmen of RajasthanThe generic term which describes their tribe apparently derives its name from bil, meaning bow, which describes their original talent and strength. History corroborates the legends which tell of the Bhil superiority in archery.From the Mahabharatha emerges Eklavya,a Bhil who surpassed the skill of Arjuna only to be repressed by the comand of his guru.The Ramayana tells of Valia, the Bhil bandit who reformed with the blesings of saraswati, the goddess of learning, to become valmiki, the renowned poet-sage.
Minas-the militant defendersThe Minas are not just Rajasthan's largest tribal group-they are also the most widely spread. In the north, they inhabit the Jaipur-Sikar belt of Shekawati, continuing into Alwar district. The Mina tribesusually have at all, athletic build with sharp features, large eyes, thick lips and a light brown complexion.
Gaduliya Lohars-the nomadic blacksmithsThe Gaduliya Lohars derive their beautiful bullock carts, or gadis that have taken them wandering from their original land, Mewar, to different parts of India.Legend has it that they were committed to fight on behalf of Rana Prathap who battled bravely against the Mugul Emperor, Akbar when Maharana Prathap was ousted from Chittaur and he fought the historic battle of Haldighati, the Gaduliya Lohars were a clean of warring Rajputs who swore to enter the Merwar stronghold of Chittaur only after the victory of their Maharana.
Garasias-the 'fallen' RajputsAccording to the legend,the Garasia tribals are descended from the chauhan Rajputs of Jalore in south-west Rajasthan.Some six centuries ago, after defeat in a battle, they fled to the hills,where they mingled their blood,their myths and rituals with the local Bhil tribals, to become a distinct group. The Garasias have an interesting custom of marriage through elopement which usually takes place on the occasion of the annual gaur fair held during the full moon of March-April. The Garasis celebrate 'nyat', a feast of honour, for their dead which is performed only on Mondays and a stone memorial called 'sura' is erected after the cremation.
Sahariyas-the jungle dwellersThe Sahariyas possibly derive their name from
'sher' or juncle in Persian. Although they are belived to be an offshoot of the Bhils,they supposedlyearned this name from the Muslim ruler of Shahbad, since they had chosen to make their ho0me in the juncle hideouts of the Shahbad district of Kota, and in the neibhouring regions of Jhalawar, Sawai, Madhopur, Durgarpur and Udaipur.
Damors-the migrated tribeThe small l community of Damours seems to have moved northwards from their original home in Gujarat to settle inDungarpur and Udaipur districts.
