Tribal History of Central India - 3 Volumes

by R.K. Sharma and S.K. Tiwari

Central India comprising of modern Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and adjoining regions strategically forming the heartland of our country has played a key-role in the development of historical and cultural traditions of the nation. It has been the playground of interacting political and cultural forces passing from north to south, east to west and vice versa in all ages of Indian history.

Interaction led to experimentation in diverse spheres of cultural life and in this process, the tribal population migrating to this part of the country in different phases of its history as well as those inhabiting the region from the earliest times had an invaluable contribution. It may be admitted that the study of the history and culture of a nation is never complete without having a thorough knowledge of the history and cultural growth of its tribes. Keeping this in view, an attempt has been made in this work to present an exhaustive and careful study of the tribal history of Central India from the earliest times till date, and their cultural contributions and growth.

The tribal culture of India has always been interpreted as something alien from the main stream of Indian culture and thought, whereas the historical truth is otherwise. These and other allied problems have been raised in the present study in an effort to remove prevailing misconceptions about the culture of tribal communities of India in general and Central India in particular.

This book in three volumes is an attempt to provide a historical background to trace cultural roots of the nation in a truly scientific spirit. The work thus fulfils a long-felt need of the scholars interested in getting a first hand, authoritative and up-to-date account of the tribal heritage of Central India at one place.

Contents:

1. Vol. I. Tribal communities of prehistoric and proto-historic times:
   1. Preface
   2. Primitive tribes of the stone age
   3. The earliest tribal settlement of Kayatha
   4. The tribal culture of Ahar
   5. The Chalcolithic tribal cultures
   6. The post-Chalcolithic tribal cultures
   7. The Megalithic tribal cultures
   8. Rock paintings of the primitive tribes.
2. Vol. II. Tribal communities of ancient and medieval periods:
   1. Traditional history of tribal migrations
   2. Major tribes of Ancient India-I
   3. Major tribes of Ancient India-II
   4. Minor tribes of Ancient India
   5. The foreign tribes
   6. Tribal origin of the medieval Rajput dynasties of Central India
   7. The Gonds.
3. Vol. III. Tribal communities of modern age:
   1. Tribal identity: a new concept
   2. Tribal communities of modern India
   3. Kol tribes of Central India
   4. Scattered and isolated Kolarian tribes of Central India
   5. Savars and their representatives in Madhya Pradesh
   6. Bhils and their near relatives in Madhya Pradesh
   7. Dravidian tribes of Madhya Pradesh
   8. Later Gond rulers and political unrest in the Gond regions
   9. Tribal communities in Independent India. Epilogue.
4. Select bibliography
5. Index.