“Picture of Korwas, one of the wildest of the Kolarian tribes in the Province of Chutia Nagpur” (from 100 year old book)

Research Article Written by London swaminathan

Date: 6 July 2016

Post No. 2948

Time uploaded in London :– 16-20

( Thanks for the Pictures)

DON’T REBLOG IT AT LEAST FOR A WEEK!  DON’T USE THE PICTURES; THEY ARE COPYRIGHTED BY SOMEONE.

(for old articles go to tamilandvedas.com OR swamiindology.blogspot.com)

Picture of an Oraon

Part 4 was published here on 24^th of June. First part contains a detailed introduction.

My points of view

Foreigners called the hill tribes “natives” and “aborigines” dividing the Hindu community which is wrong; in fact, they are just forest dwellers. They were ‘uncivilised’ in western eyes. This is also wrong; in many cases, tribes were more honest and truthful who stuck to some beliefs. Foreigners told us that the tribes also came from north west of India; this is also wrong. We have proof at Bimbetka caves and other places to show that they have been living here for more than 30,000 years.

They lived simultaneously with the city civilisation of Vedic India and Indus Valley civilization. There are lot of proofs in the Vedas, Ramayana and Mahabharata to show that they were part and parcel of Hindu society. Jatayu of Eagle tribe in the Ramayana called Dasaratha his father (like father). Hanuman of Monkey tribe was well versed in Nava Vyakarana.

Like today they were living in forests leading their own life and minding their own business. 2000 year old Sangam Tamil literature show all the tribes lived at the same time of Pandya and Chera kings. There is a beautiful description of the hunters and what they brought for the great Chera King Senguttuvan (See Silappadikaram). Senguttuvan’s period showed a highly developed civilisation who sold black pepper to the Romans and got gold bars. Raguvamsam of Kalidasa also showed the condition of the forest tribes when emperor Raghu ruled.

Foreigners are wrong in saying that one race drove away another race to the forest.

One may wonder, why then there is a visible difference in their appearance? Why then there is a difference in languages?

Simple answer is they have been living separately for thousands and thousands of years. Hindu scriptures are the only scriptures in the world which talk about life over millions of years. Other histories are based on 5000 year scale. Hindus are the only one race who divided the mankind in to 18 groups (I have written an article on the 18 groups a few years ago; but foreigners divided there Aryan, Dravidian, Munda, Mongoloids and aborigines)

Now I will give the description of a foreigner with my comments side by side:

Source book: The People of India by Sir Herbert Risley, second edition 1915, London

Oraons (Pictures: Plates 17 and 18)

“The nucleus of the tribe is in Chutia Nagpur proper, from whence they have spread as settlers to all the surrounding districts and as labourers to Assam, Kachar, Mauritius, the West Indies and other British and French Colonies”.

My comments: They were so innocent that the foreigners exploited them by telling them lot of lies. They were bought from their parents using agents and made them to work like animals on foreign soil. Tamil poet Bharatiyar has sung about their plight in Fiji and Pacific islands. Films also were made on this theme.

Oraons’ jewellery is very different from other tribes living in the same area. Why? If they are part of the same Dravidian stock, there can’t be hundreds of differences!

Juang man and Girls (Plate 19 and 20)

“Keonjhar, one of the Cuttack Tributary states, is the legendary cradle of the race.  The beads forming the girdles worn by the girls are of fine earthenware made by themselves. The bracelets are of brass and the necklaces of glass beads or flowers. The rest of the attire is of leaves. The origin of Juang millinery is obscure. According to one legend the goddess of the Baitarani river caught a party of Juangs dancing naked, and ordained for the women, on pain of divine displeasure, the costume shown in the illustration. This consists of the young shoots of any tree with long soft leaves, struck through the girdle in front and behind suitably draped. For the men, the goddess prescribed a shred of bark from the Tumba tree, which has now given place to an exiguous piece of cloth”.

My comments: The leaf attire is mentioned in hundreds of places in Sangam Tamil literature;(See my article on this subject)  one must note that it was the condition of the forest tribe even when great Tamil emperors traded with the Romans and amassed golden bars. The concept of River Goddess is purely a Hindu concept. All over India the river goddesses are propitiated even today. The name Baitarani is of pure Sanskrit origin.

Juang Girls with Leaf Attire

Bendkar tribe (Plates 21, 21)

“The man holds the only implement they use in tillage. It is the origin of the plough! The typical form of the Bendkar plough is at straight piece of a branch of a tree with a shorter piece of another branch growing out of it. The long piece forms the handle, the short one the share. They don’t use iron or cattle in their agriculture.”

My comments:

They also live in the Keonjar area like Juangs, but they use a primitive plough. Juangs gather food from the forest where as Bendkars cultivate. So much difference between one tribe and another tribe in the same area. Why? If they are of the same Dravidian stock, one would have learnt better techniques from another; so foreigners’ theories are wrong.

Juang Male with spare arrow in his hair!

Andaman Tribes

“The Andamanese represent a type found only in these islands and have affinity with no other race on the Indian subcontinent. They are probably a remnant of a Negrito people at one time inhibiting Burma or the Malay peninsula. In ancient times Andaman islands see to have been connected with the Malay peninsula, and thus migration became possible. They are nomadic. Their numbers have considerably decreased owing to infertility, high infant mortality, increased death rate among adults due to the influence of civilisation and imported diseases.”

My comments: Divisive and cunning foreigners divided Hindus into Dravidians and Aryans without any proof, based on languages and skin colour. When they met some problems, they created more races such as Munda, Mongoloid and aborigines. When they came across Veddahs and Andamanese they created more races such as Negritoes. But New Guinea island alone has got over 700 languages spoken by the aborigines. Australian aborigines have got over 200 languages. Do they belong to 700 and 200 different races?

About the skin colour: If man has originated in Ethiopia as we believe today, why then we all look differently -brown, white and black? When did this change happen? How did this change happen? Where is the place of race if all of us came from Africa 40,000 years ago? If climate decides the colour of the skin, how come there are black birds living in temperate regions and white birds living in tropical regions? If mutation of genes is the cause what is the role of the race then?

Bendkar male and female

The fact of the matter is when you live in isolation you develop your own language, your own customs and your own beliefs. When you are exposed to outside influence, changes happened. Thousands of years ago the changes happened very slowly. All the old race theories are becoming obsolete with genetic research.

Jarawas of Andaman islands are cannibals; hunters of men. Are they Dravidians? Or Negritoes? Do all the Dravidians and Negritoes are man eaters (cannibals)?

In short, the hill tribes and aborigines are a great mystery. A lot of research is required before forming any theories. On the contrary, jaundice eyed foreigners divided the Hindus and then looked for theories!

Picture of  Andamanese

To be continued………………