Adivasi

The Ādivāsī (आदिवासी), literally the "ancient inhabitants", are the various tribes in India who are claimed to be indigenous to the country, with their own set of customs and traditions. The Indian government recognises over 700 minority groups as Scheduled Tribes (ST), and they are entitled to affirmative action policies, including reservations in jobs. Under Indian law, no citizen has the right to secede from the country.

The Aryans were originally herdsmen from Central Asia who migrated to India and Persia some time after 2000 BCE. While they did not displace the indigenous groups in northern India, they absorped them into their culture through patron-client systems. The area of India inhabited by the Aryans was once called Āryāvarta (आर्यावर्त) in Sanskrit.

In contrast, the indigenous groups south of the Vindhya Range thrived for centuries. The Deccan and Chota Nagpur plateaus host various Dravidian and Munda tribes. Ladakh, North-Eastern India and Sikkim were also outside the Aryan influence until the late medieval times, and both regions host Tibeto-Burman tribes. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are geographically in Southeast Asia, and host innumerable tribes, many of which are off-limits for tourists.

The Bhils (Hindi: भील Bhīl) are native to western Madhya Pradesh, northern Maharashtra and southern Rajasthan, with a sizable population in parts of Gujarat. They were one of the various tribes in India who revolted against the British rule. They are also known for its Pithora painting, as well as the folk dance Ghoomar that mark the rite of passage for girls. The Bhil villages are traditionally led by a headman (Gameti) who has the authority and decision-making powers over most local disputes or issues. In addition, every Bhil village has its local deity (Gramdev), and the families have their own household deities (Jatidev, Kuldev or Kuldevi), commonly symbolised by stones.

The Kolis (Marathi: कोळी Koḷī) are seaside fishing communities in Maharashtra, and the indigenous people of Mumbai. There are around 20 Koli colonies (koḷīvāḍā) in and around the city, and there's a fish market near the entrance of a Koli colony. The fishing boats are anchored at a jetty which is used for drying out the fish as well as for gathering of many folks in special events.

The Gondis (Gōṇḍīr or Kōītūr) are native to Central India, especially in southern Chhattisgarh, eastern Madhya Pradesh, northern Telangana and eastern Vidarbha. The tribe is the namesake of the prehistoric Gondwana supercontinent whose remnants make up the present-day Indian subcontinent.

While many tribes in Eastern India practice Hinduism or Christianity, some also practice their own religion called Sarnaism, primarily in Jharkhand.

The Khonds (Odia: କନ୍ଧ Kandha) are hunter-gatherers native to Odisha and the state's largest tribe. They are known for their rich cultural heritage, valorous martial traditions, and indigenous values centring on harmony with nature. They once fiercely rebelled against the East India Company from 1753 to 1856, and carried out sustained guerrilla warfare as well as pitched combat.

The Kurukhs (कुँड़ुख़ Kũṛuḵẖ) or Oraons (उराँव Uṛāⁿv) are native to Eastern India. Traditionally they depended on the forest and farms for their rituals and livelihoods, although they now have transitioned to settled agriculturalists. Many Oraons migrated to the tea gardens of Assam and West Bengal, as well as to the Caribbean and Fiji as part of the British indenture system. They once rebelled against the East India Company and local zamindars in 1832 against tax imposition, which is known as the Kol uprising

The Nagpuris (Hindi: नागपुरी Nāgpurī) or Sadans are native to western Jharkhand, and are the namesake of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. Although they are generally considered Aryan, their culture is very similar to the surrounding tribals, and they don't strictly follow the Brahmanical religion that all other Aryan groups do. They speak three local languages, Khortha in northern Jharkhand, Sadri (Nagpuri) in southern Jharkhand, and Kurmali (Panch Pargania) in Singhbhum.

The Santals (Santali: ᱥᱟᱱᱛᱟᱲ Santaṛ) are the largest tribal group in Jharkhand and West Bengal, with sizable populations in Assam, Bihar, Odisha and Tripura. They are best remembered in history for the Santal rebellion of 1855, led by Sidhu and Kanhu, something the Santals these days are still proud of. As a result of the rebellion, the British formed a 5,000 km² (1,900 sq mi) autonomous region called the Santhal Parganas, now part of Jharkhand since 2000. There's also a Santal museum near Santiniketan in West Bengal.

The Meiteis (Manipuri: ꯃꯩꯇꯩ Meitei, Bengali: মৈতৈ Maitai) of Manipur have their own history separate from Aryan and Dravidian civilisations. Comprising the majority of the state's populations, the Meiteis practice both Hinduism and the indigenous Sanamahism.

Native to Mizoram, the Mizos were originally semi-nomadic who would cultivate hillside slopes for a few years and then migrate the whole village to another location. However, with the arrival of the British in the 19th century, their lifestyle got changed significantly, with mass adoption of Christianity and the Western culture. Mizoram has consistently ranked as one of India's most literate states, and its traffic discipline has always stunned the mainland Indians.

The Nagas are actually a group of diverse tribal groups in Nagaland with similar traditions. Folk songs and dances are essential ingredients of the Naga culture, as its oral tradition is alive through this medium. The Naga cuisine is characterised by smoked and fermented foods.

Despite being portrayed in the Baahubali film, Kiliki is not a real language spoken by any South Indian tribe, and is rather an Indian equivalent of Klingon.

The Badagas (Tamil: படக Paṭaka) are native to the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, and they live in nearly 400 villages. They follow endogamy, and they have distinct traditions regarding childbirth, naming ceremony, puberty, marriage, seven-month pregnancy, housewarming and death. They are known to place great reverence in Sri Mariamman, and they celebrate a Ratha Yatra at the Mariamman temple in Ooty every year in April. Besides, they worship their seven founding ancestors under the name Hethappa or Hetha.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands host innumerable tribes, broadly classified into two categories: the Andamanese and the Nicobarese. While it's certain that the Nicobarese are related to the Austroasiatic tribes of Eastern India, the Andamanese tribes are still shrouded in mystery, many of whom are off-limits for tourists. The most notorious of them are the Sentinelese who avoid any kind of contact from the outside world, leading to a complete ban for anyone even considering to visit the North Sentinel Island.

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