Tribes of India

69 tribes on their home ground — Bhil to Shompen, PVTGs, polyandry and matriliny, and every tribe → state trap.

On this map (69)

Changpa · Ladakh — Changthang plateau · nomadic herders. Nomadic herders of the Changthang plateau who rear Pashmina goats
Brokpa (Drokpa) · Ladakh — Dah–Hanu villages. Dard-speaking people of a few villages on the lower Indus; flower-decked headgear
Gujjar–Bakarwal · Jammu & Kashmir — Pir Panjal · seasonal herders. Move herds up to the high pastures in summer and down to Jammu in winter
Gaddi · Himachal Pradesh — Dhauladhar · Bharmour · shepherds. Pastoral sheep- and goat-herders of the Dhauladhar and Bharmour (Chamba)
Jaunsari · Uttarakhand — Jaunsar-Bawar · Dehradun. Jaunsar-Bawar hills of Dehradun district
Bhotia · Uttarakhand — Upper valleys · Chamoli–Pithoragarh. Trans-Himalayan traders and herders of the high valleys (Niti, Mana, Johar)
Raji (Van Rawat) · Uttarakhand — Pithoragarh forests · PVTG. Small forest group of Pithoragarh–Champawat; a PVTG
Buksa (Bhoksa) · Uttarakhand — Terai–Bhabar · PVTG. Terai–Bhabar belt (Dehradun, Pauri, Nainital, Bijnor); a PVTG
Tharu · Uttar Pradesh — Terai · UP–Uttarakhand–Bihar. Biggest tribe of the Terai (UP, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Nepal); malaria-resistant
Bhil · Rajasthan — Rajasthan–Gujarat–MP–Maharashtra. India’s LARGEST tribe by population (UPSC 1979)
Meena · Rajasthan — Eastern Rajasthan. Largest Scheduled Tribe of Rajasthan
Sahariya · Madhya Pradesh — Shivpuri–Guna–Baran · PVTG. Forest people of north MP and Baran (Rajasthan); Rajasthan’s only PVTG
Siddi · Gujarat — Gir forest · African descent. Descendants of East Africans (Bantu) brought centuries ago; Jambur village near Gir
Warli · Maharashtra — Palghar–Dahanu. Known for Warli painting: white stick figures on mud walls
Korku · Maharashtra — Melghat–Satpura. Munda-language tribe of the Satpura (Melghat)
Gond · Madhya Pradesh — Gondwana · MP–CG–MH–OD. Second largest tribe; Gondwana = their old kingdoms (Garha-Mandla)
Baiga · Madhya Pradesh — Dindori–Mandla · PVTG. Shifting cultivators (bewar) of the Maikal hills; a PVTG
Kol · Madhya Pradesh — Rewa–Jabalpur–Chitrakoot. Kol – Jabalpur ✓ (UPSC 2000)
Muria and Maria (Madia) · Chhattisgarh — Bastar · Abujhmarh. Gond groups of Bastar; Muria = ghotul youth dormitory; Bison-horn Maria dance
Korwa (Hill Korwa) · Chhattisgarh — Jashpur–Surguja · PVTG. Hill Korwa = PVTG of north Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand
Santhal · Jharkhand — Santhal Parganas · JH–WB–OD. Third largest tribe; Santali (Ol Chiki script) in the 8th Schedule since 2003
Sauria / Mal Paharia · Jharkhand — Rajmahal hills · PVTG. Shifting cultivators of the Rajmahal hills; PVTGs
Birhor · Jharkhand — Hazaribagh–Ranchi · PVTG. Semi-nomadic forest people: rope-making, monkey-trapping; a PVTG
Oraon (Kurukh) · Jharkhand — Ranchi–Gumla–Lohardaga. Speak Kurukh — a Dravidian language in the middle of Munda country
Munda · Jharkhand — Ranchi–Khunti. Munda – Chota Nagpur ✓ (UPSC 2000); Sarhul festival (UPPCS)
Ho · Jharkhand — Kolhan · West Singhbhum. Munda-language tribe of Kolhan; Warang Chiti script
Lodha (Lodha-Sabar) · West Bengal — Paschim Medinipur · PVTG. A PVTG once branded “criminal” under colonial law (de-notified 1952)
Toto · West Bengal — Totopara · Alipurduar · PVTG. About 1,600 people in one village, Totopara, on the Bhutan border; a PVTG
Juang · Odisha — Keonjhar · PVTG. Hill people of Keonjhar; a PVTG with youth dormitories (majang)
Saura (Savara) · Odisha — Gajapati–Rayagada. Terrace farmers of the Eastern Ghats; Saura (idital) wall art; Lanjia Saura = PVTG
Dongria Kondh · Odisha — Niyamgiri hills · PVTG. Dongria Kondh – Odisha ✓ (UPSC 2013); a PVTG
Bonda · Odisha — Malkangiri hills · PVTG. Austroasiatic hill people of Malkangiri; a PVTG
Koya · Telangana — Godavari valley · Bhadrachalam. Godavari forest tribe; Sammakka–Saralamma (Medaram) jatara, one of Asia’s biggest tribal fairs
Lambada (Banjara) · Telangana — Telangana–AP. Scheduled Tribe in Telangana/AP; mirror-work embroidery
Chenchu · Andhra Pradesh — Nallamala forest · PVTG. Hunter–gatherers inside the Nagarjunsagar–Srisailam Tiger Reserve; a PVTG
Yanadi · Andhra Pradesh — Nellore · Sriharikota coast. Coastal tribe of Nellore; many were moved off Sriharikota island for the launch centre
Soliga · Karnataka — BR Hills. BR Hills forest people; first tribe to win community forest rights inside a tiger reserve (2011)
Toda · Tamil Nadu — Nilgiri hills · PVTG. Buffalo-herding people of the Nilgiris ✓ (UPSC 2005); a PVTG
Irula (Irular) · Tamil Nadu — Nilgiri foothills · PVTG. Famous snake- and rat-catchers; their co-op supplies venom for antivenom
Paliyan · Tamil Nadu — Palani hills. Honey and forest-produce gatherers of the Palani–Cardamom hills
Cholanaikkan · Kerala — Nilambur forest · PVTG. A few hundred people who lived in rock shelters of the Nilambur forests; a PVTG
Kadar · Kerala — Anaimalai · Parambikulam · PVTG. Forest-produce gatherers of the Anaimalai–Parambikulam hills; a PVTG
Kani (Kanikkar) · Kerala — Agasthyamalai. Shared their knowledge of the arogyapacha plant (anti-fatigue “Jeevani”) and got a share of the profit — a classic benefit-sharing case
Lepcha · Sikkim — Dzongu · original people of Sikkim. The original people of Sikkim; Dzongu reserve in the Teesta valley
Limboo (Limbu) · Sikkim — West Sikkim. Limboo – Sikkim ✓ (UPSC 2013); also in east Nepal
Monpa · Arunachal Pradesh — Tawang · Buddhist. Tibetan-Buddhist people of Tawang and West Kameng
Nyishi (old name Dafla) · Arunachal Pradesh — Central Arunachal. Largest tribe of Arunachal; the “Dafla hills” of old maps are their hills
Apatani · Arunachal Pradesh — Ziro valley. Ziro valley: wet rice with fish in the same field; Apatani → India (UPSC 2002)
Adi (old name Abor) · Arunachal Pradesh — Siang valley. People of the Siang valley; “Abor” is the old name (UPPCS)
Mishmi · Arunachal Pradesh — Dibang–Lohit. People of the Dibang and Lohit valleys; Mishmi takin
Mising (Miri) · Assam — Brahmaputra banks. River-bank people of upper Assam; stilt houses (chang ghar)
Bodo · Assam — North bank · BTR. Largest Scheduled Tribe of Assam; Bodoland Territorial Region (Sixth Schedule)
Karbi (Mikir) · Assam — Karbi Anglong. Karbi Anglong hills (the Mikir hills); Sixth Schedule council
Konyak · Nagaland — Mon district. Nagaland : Konyak ✓ (UPSC 1999); famous for facial tattoos
Lotha · Nagaland — Wokha. Lotha is a language of Nagaland (UPSC 2005)
Angami · Nagaland — Kohima. Terrace wet-rice farmers around Kohima; Kisama = Hornbill Festival venue
Kuki · Manipur — Manipur hills. Hill people of Manipur (also Mizoram, Nagaland); Kuki – Uttar Pradesh ✗ (UPPCS trap)
Garo (A·chik) · Meghalaya — Garo hills · matrilineal. Khasi and Garo → Meghalaya (UPSC 1987); both matrilineal
Khasi · Meghalaya — Khasi hills · matrilineal. Matrilineal: the youngest daughter (ka khadduh) inherits
Jaintia (Pnar) · Meghalaya — Jaintia hills. Pnar people of the Jaintia hills; Behdienkhlam festival
Mizo (Lushai) · Mizoram — Mizo hills. Lushai = the old name for the Mizo; Chapchar Kut festival
Chakma · Mizoram — South Mizoram · also Arunachal. Buddhists who came from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (Bangladesh); Chakma council in Mizoram
Bru (Reang) · Tripura — Tripura · PVTG. A PVTG; Bru who fled Mizoram in 1997 were resettled in Tripura under a 2020 agreement
Great Andamanese · Andaman & Nicobar Islands — Strait Island. Once ~5,000 people; now a few dozen, resettled on Strait Island
Jarawa · Andaman & Nicobar Islands — South–Middle Andaman west coast. Negrito hunter–gatherers; the Andaman Trunk Road through their reserve is a long debate
Sentinelese · Andaman & Nicobar Islands — North Sentinel Island. Most isolated people on earth; entry banned
Onge · Andaman & Nicobar Islands — Little Andaman. Negrito group of Little Andaman ✓ (UPSC 2004)
Nicobarese · Andaman & Nicobar Islands — Car Nicobar. Largest and most settled A&N tribe; Mongoloid, not Negrito
Shompen · Andaman & Nicobar Islands — Great Nicobar · PVTG. Forest people of Great Nicobar ✓ (UPSC 2009); the Great Nicobar project affects their land

Asked in exams

UPSC 2014Changpa: Uttarakhand ✗, Pashmina goats ✓, ST ✓
UPPCSGaddi → Dhauladhar; pastoral livestock
UPPCSPolyandry → Jaunsari (and Toda)
UPPCSBhotia – Uttar Pradesh ✗
UPSC 2000Buksa – Pauri-Garhwal ✓
UPPCSTharu: Diwali is a mourning festival
UPSC 1979Largest tribal population → Bhils
UPPCSBhil = India’s largest tribe (asked 2 ways)
UPSC 2014Sahariya and Agariya → wrong option for the sapling festival
UPSC 2014Month-long fruit-sapling festival → Gond and Korku
UPSC 1984Not a central-India tribe → Todas (Gonds are)
UPSC 2000Kol – Jabalpur ✓
UPPCSMadia & Muria – Pauri Garhwal ✗ (Bastar)
UPSC 2000Korwa – Kodagu ✗
UPSC 2018After the Santhal uprising → Santhal Parganas + no land transfer to non-Santhals
UPPCSSanthal = Proto-Australoid
UPPCSBirhor → Jharkhand
UPPCSOraon → Jharkhand
UPSC 2021Ulgulan → Birsa Munda’s revolt 1899–1900
UPSC 2000Munda – Chhotanagpur ✓
UPPCSMunda → Sarhul festival
UPSC 2013Dongaria Kondh – Odisha ✓
UPSC 2013Bonda – Tamil Nadu ✗
UPSC 1999Madhya Pradesh : Lambada ✗
UPPCSChenchu → Andhra Pradesh
UPPCSYanadi → Andhra Pradesh
UPSC 2005Todas live in the Nilgiri area ✓
UPSC 1984Not found in central India → Todas
UPPCSToda → Nilgiris; polyandry
UPSC 2019Irular and Konda Reddi are PVTGs ✓
UPSC 2014Irula and Toda → wrong option for the sapling festival
UPPCSPaliyan → Tamil Nadu
UPPCSKadar → Kerala–Tamil Nadu
UPSC 2014Bhutia and Lepcha → wrong option for the sapling festival
UPPCSLepcha → Sikkim
UPSC 2013Limboo – Sikkim ✓
UPSC 2002Apatani → India
UPSC 1999Arunachal : Apatani ✓
UPPCSAbor → Arunachal Pradesh
UPPCSMishmi – Rajasthan ✗
UPSC 1999Assam : Miri ✓
UPSC 2013Karbi – Himachal Pradesh ✗
UPSC 1999Nagaland : Konyak ✓
UPSC 2005Lotha is a language of Nagaland ✓
UPPCSAngami → Nagaland; Rengma is Naga, not A&N
UPPCSKuki – Uttar Pradesh ✗ (Manipur)
UPSC 1987Khasi and Garo → Meghalaya
UPPCSWest → east: Garo → Khasi → Jaintia → Naga
UPSC 2002First hill tribe met after the 1765 Diwani → Khasis
UPPCSChakma = refugees from Bangladesh in the North-East
UPPCSJarwa → Andaman
UPPCSSentinelese → Andaman and Nicobar
UPSC 2004Onge → Andaman and Nicobar Islands
UPSC 2009Shompen → Nicobar Islands

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