UNIT 2 TRIBES OF KARNATAKA

Structure
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Tribes of Karnataka
2.3 Present Scenario of Tribes in Karnataka
2.4 Let Us Sum Up
2.5 Further Readings and References

2.0 OBJECTIVES
After reading this unit, you will be able to:
 Enumerate the various important tribes living in the state of Karnataka;
 Describe the various facets of Tribal culture and its varied exuberance; and
 Discuss in details the present socio-economic states of tribes in the society of
Karnataka.

2.1 INTRODUCTION
Geographically, Karnataka occupies the centre tableland of the Deccan Plateau. At
times, it has been termed as an anthropological museum, where the people of different
racial traits are seen. Apart from the so-called Dravidians and Indo-Aryan races, the
land has notable strains of other categories too. Owing to their rich and varied cultural
elements, the tribes of Karnataka have drawn the attention of numerous anthropologists.
After conducting several researches on the lifestyle, culture and tradition of these tribes
of Karnataka, they have been able to throw some important points about them. In this
unit, we shall be emphasizing on getting a general overview about tribal life of Karnataka
and also talk about few important tribes in particular.

2.2 TRIBES OF KARNATAKA

According to 2011 census, Karnataka with an area of 1, 91,791 sq. km. has a population
of 61,095,297 with 30,966,657 males and 30,128,640 females.

Demographic Profile of Tribals in the State

Karnataka’s population constitutes 7% of India’s tribal population. According to 2011
census, there are 101 Schedule Caste and 50 Scheduled Tribes in Karnataka. A vast
majority of people of the Schedule Caste and the Scheduled Tribes live in rural areas.
The tribal population of Karnataka increased to 4,248,987 lakh in 2001 from 1,915,691
lakh in 1991. The decadal growth rate during this period is a high 80.8 per cent, caused
not by a spurt in fertility rates but by the addition of several new tribes to the Scheduled
Tribes category.

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Tribes of South India
Cultural Aspects of Tribals in Karnataka
The tribes of Karnataka have built their settlements in several hilly and mountainous
areas. As far as the languages are concerned, the tribes of Karnataka state converse
with each other in different languages with Kannada language being the main language.
Today these tribes of Karnataka speak in other languages like Malayalam, Hindi etc.
Following the tradition of most of the tribes of the whole country, these tribes of Karnataka
are also followers of diverse religions. Although Hinduism is the most prevalent religion,
there are only a handful of tribes of Karnataka who have adept to religions like Islam
and Christianity.
Several other tribal communities of Karnataka possess their distinct tradition and ethnicity.
They communicate in their local dialect and they also maintain their own tradition. Some
of them are also reckoned as being originated from the warrior race. Coorg and Kodavas
are known for their cultural and traditional distinctions among the tribal communities.
Fairs and festivals too are an integral part of the culture of and tradition of the state of
Karnataka. The tribes of Karnataka are also known for their costumes, cultural habits,
folk dances and songs, foods and their way of celebrating different festivals and
occasions. A renowned dance format of the tribal communities of Karnataka is the
‘open- air folk theatre’, better known as Bayalataa. This dance-drama in general has
four or five actors or actresses, aided by a jester. The theme of this dance drama
centers around several mythological stories. However, there are times when true life
incidents are also emphasized in this dance of the tribes of Karnataka. This dance is
executed at religious festivals and various social and family occasions. Generally these
festivals start at night and carry on till quite a long period of time. Other dance forms
that are quite popular amongst all the tribes of Karnataka are namely Yakshagana,
Doddata etc. In case of both the dance forms, the tribes of Karnataka enact several
famous stories of the great epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. Certain norms are
followed by the tribes of Karnataka while undertaking dance performances. For instance
the costumes are complicated, the make-up is loud, facial expression are vital and are
usually associated with thunderous noises and ‘war-cries’.
The long list of the tribes of Karnataka state includes Bedar tribe, Toda tribe, Hakkipikki
tribe, Jenu Kuruba tribe, Kadu Kuruba tribe, Kattunayakan tribe, Konda Kapus tribe,
Sholaga tribe etc. Among several tribal communities of the state of Karnataka, the
Bedar tribe is worth mentioning which is far famed by several names, namely, Beda,
Berad, Boya, Bendar, etc. Another tribal community of Karnataka is the Hakkipikki
tribe. The birth of this Hakkipikki tribal community has rich history, which also establishes
a relation with the famous Ranaprathap Singh.
The Jenu Kuruba tribes have caught the attention of all the famous anthropologists of
the Indian Territory because of their profession, superb language, households etc. Kadu
Kuruba tribe is one of the significant tribes who have got the rich tradition of worshiping
stone and also their predecessors with lots of festivity and enthusiasm. Apart from these
tribal groups, the Kattunayakan tribe is said to be the descendants of the Pallavas.
Collection of food is one of the chief professional activities of the Kattunayakan tribes
who also have got inclination to religious values and ethnicity. Konda Kapus tribe falls
in the list of the scheduled tribes in the whole of the Indian subcontinent exulting in its
culture and tradition.
Another important tribal group, Sholaga tribe, has a belonging to the Kannada group.
18 Numerous members of the Sholaga tribes converse with each other in the beautiful
language of Sholaga , which is also famous amongst other people in different names like Tribes of Karnataka

Kadu Sholigar, Sholiga, Sholigar, Solaga, Soliga, Soligar, Solanayakkans, Sholanayika.

They are the followers of Hindu religion. Moreover, the wonderful houses, good clothes,
ennobled language has drawn the attention of many people towards the tradition of this
Toda tribal community. These tribes have added multiplicity in the culture and tradition
of Karnataka.
Historically, the tribal economy was based on subsistence agriculture and/or hunting
and gathering. However, since the tribal people treated land as a common resource,
they rarely had land titles, and thus, lost their lands to outsiders when exploitation of
forest resources began to take place on a significant scale. This ensured that a majority
ended up as small and marginal landholders. For the purpose of getting an in depth
insight into the Tribal life of Karnataka, we shall elaborate on the social and cultural
lives of the main tribes of Karnataka:
i) Toda
Toda Tribe of Karnataka is reckoned by the beautiful houses, nice costumes and enriched
language and their culture. The origin of the Toda tribal community has got a history
behind it. As per the records of the anthropologists, this Toda tribal community has
established their settlements and lives cordially with other tribal communities like the
Badaga, Kota, and Kurumba.
The Todas are seen as a pastoral tribe who herd buffaloes that roam the Nilgiri hills.
Their way of living is simple and with their flowing beards, long hair, fine bodies and tall
sticks in hand they resemble the prophets of the Old Testament. The Toda tribes judge
time by the opening of the evening primrose which they call the ‘six o’clock flower‘.
As far as the languages are concerned, this Toda tribal community converse with each
other in the language of the same name i.e. Toda language which belongs to the Dravidian
language family with complex and intricate phonology. They are conversant with the
earlier and present lingua franca of the Nilgiris, Badaga and Tamil. The Tamil script is
used by them.
According to a particular school of thought, the Toda tribal community is one of the
original tribal communities who had resided in the rugged provinces of the Nilgiris. Thus
for quite a long time, the Toda tribal community have lead a life of complete isolation
and alienation. Then in around 1823, the contemporary administrator of Coimbatore,
John Sullivan liked the place of residence of this Toda tribal community and finally
bought it from them. He also formed a town at that region which is popularly known as
Udagamandalam. Thus the rapid communication with the modern world brought about
several changes in the lifestyle this community. Areas where these Toda tribes make
their dwellings are integrated under the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve; a UNESCO famed
International Biosphere Reserve.
Like most of the tribal communities of Indian subcontinent, the Toda tribal community
has got huge inclination towards religion and spiritualism. This Toda tribal community
worships their dairy-buffaloes with lots of veneration. Besides this Toda tribal community
has a plethora of Gods and Goddesses. Kona Shastra is the sole religious occasion,
which deals with yearly sacrifice of a male buffalo calf.
The society of Toda tribe is very well knit. Monogamy is an ideal norm. Child marriage
is the norm. Mates are normally acquired through negotiation, otherwise marriage by
elopement is permissible, but marriage by capture is no more practiced. Bride price is 19
Tribes of South India paid both in cash and kind. Residence after marriage is patrilocal. Divorce is permissible
as is the remarriage of a divorcee, widow or a widower. The Toda women take part in
agricultural operations, tend cattle, collect fuel and fetch potable water. They participate
in economic activities and observe rituals. A pregnant woman is separated from the
household as it entails pollution. The toda marriage rituals are simple. The marriage and
nuptials are performed at the bride’s residence. The Toda funeral rites are rather
elaborate. At the time of funeral rites, buffalo sacrifice is obligatory. Ancestors are
worshipped by these people.
As far as the occupations of this Toda tribal community is concerned, maximum of
these Toda tribes have taken up the occupations of cattle rearing and dairy farming.
Most of the members have huge herd of buffaloes. This Toda tribal community sustains
their livelihood from milk products. Toda tribes have also developed expertise in silver
making. Although traditionally, the Toda are pastoral, but of late about a quarter of
them have taken up commercial agriculture, particularly the cultivation of vegetables
such as potato and cabbage.
Their attitude towards formal education is positive and thus their literacy rate is improving.
Modern allopathic medicines, the Kurumba medicinal system and other indigenous
methods of health care are simultaneously utilized by them. Hill area Development
Programmes and other rural economic development projects are availed of and the
resultant benefits are appreciated. Wood is the domestic fuel used. Their arable lands
are irrigated by lift irrigation, rain water and water drawn from wells. The agriculturist
Toda utilizes organic manure, as well as chemical fertilizers and insecticides. Midday-
meal schemes, facilities of the Integrated Child Development scheme and of the public
distribution system are available to them. Their attitude towards savings is not positive
and they depend on moneylenders and shopkeepers for procuring loans and credit.
ii) Jenu Kuruba
Jenu Kuruba tribes of Karnataka are original residents of the forests regions of the
Western Ghats. A Kuruba or Kurumba group who derive their name from jen or honey
which they used to collect from the forest. They are concentrated in the Kodagu and
Mysore districts of Karnataka. In the Kannada language, the term ‘Jenu‘ signifies honey
and ‘kuruba‘ stands for caste. Therefore their name suggests that these Jenu Kuruba
tribes have adapted the profession of honey gathering. Their speech, locally called Jenu
Nudi, is a dialect of Kannada, one of the South Dravidian languages. They speak to
others in Kannada. They use the Kannada script.
The anthropologists also have traced a rich history of the origination of this Jenu Kuruba
tribal community of Karnataka. According to them, after the downfall of the Pallava
dynasty, several Jenu Kuruba tribes have taken refuge in different places of the southern
state of Indian subcontinent. The Jenu Kuruba tribes have taken up occupations like
small land employers and cultivators. Since many of these Jenu Kuruba tribes have
settled down in several forests hideouts, quite naturally these Jenu Kuruba tribes
embraced the natural habitat of the forest region. Due to the elongated alienation, these
Jenu Kuruba tribes have developed their own culture and ethnicity.
Adult marriage is preferred and alliances are generally made through negotiation. The
people are monogamous. Divorce can be sought by either spouse. The remarriage of
widows, widowers and male or female divorcees is permissible. Women participate in
all economic activities and contribute to the family income considerably. But they are
not allowed to participate in the worship of some deities. The Jenu Kuruba bury the
20 dead and observe pollution for twelve days.
Moreover the Jenu Kuruba tribes lead a carefree lifestyle of a typical nomad, adapting Tribes of Karnataka

to various occupations like conventional food collectors, shifting cultivators. These Jenu
Kuruba tribes also carry on cultivation as a supplementary profession. Instead of plowing
the field, these Jenu Kuruba tribes rub the surface with a sort of bamboo spear.
Housing settlements of these Jenu Kuruba tribes too witnesses the style and excellence
of the whole of the Jenu Kuruba tribal community. Most of these Jenu Kuruba tribal
communities reside in some tiny houses, popularly known as Hadi or Hatti.
Formal education is favored for the boys and to a certain extent for the girls. There are
number of drop outs among the Jenu Kuruba students due to economic reasons.
Residential schools impart primary education to the Jenu Kuruba children. These people
use both traditional and modern system of medicine. Their attitude toward family planning
is not very favorable. Facilities for drinking water, electricity, roads, postal services are
available to them. They have been provided with houses by the government. The
community has not responded positively towards the idea of saving money, and continues
to depend on moneylenders and shopkeepers for procuring loans.
iii) Bedar
Bedar Tribes of Karnataka are also known as Beda, Berad, Boya, Bendar and are
divided in six social groups. Bedar tribes belong to the famous Dravidian language
family group. The Bedar tribal community can be found in several places of Karnataka.
They are also known as Beda, Berad, Boya, Bendar, Berar, Burar, Ramoshi, Talwar,
Byadar, and Valmiki.
The word ‘bedar‘ has an etymological significance. The word has been derived from
the word bed or bedaru, which signifies a hunter. The ancestors of Bedar tribes were
the Pindaris. However, some claim that their ancestors were Tirole Kunbis.
The origin of the name of the tribe is not properly known. It is said that the meaning of
the term bedar is without fear. Less information is available about the origin of these
Bedar tribes. Within the Bedar tribal community, there are few Hindus and are called
Bedar. The Muslims are being referred as Berad. These Bedar tribes themselves like to
be identified as Naikwadi since they work as village policemen or Talwar (watchmen)
or Naikmakkalu (chief‘s children).
The societal structure of the Bedar tribal community is quite significant. The Bedar
tribes have six social groups. Bedar tribes have taken up occupations like farming
labourers, security guards, workers, stonecutters, drovers etc. Apart from these
occupations, the Bedar tribal are also engaged in occupations of servants, traders,
messengers, police and soldiers. The Bedar tribal community is of a mixed nature.
There are three sub-divisions of Bedar tribal communities. These are Maratha, Kande
and Telugu Bedars. They have their indigenous customs and traditions. They eat meat
and also drink liquor.
Just like many of the tribal communities, the institution of marriage is given prime
importance in Bedar tribal communities. The proposal of marriage usually comes from
the parents of the bridegroom. Although child marriage is prevalent in the Bedar society;
the bride does not reside with her husband till her puberty. Marriage within the sub
group of the Bedar community is not allowed. Widow re-marriage and divorce are
permitted amongst the Bedar tribes. In matters of administration, especially in case of
disputable matters, the Bedar tribes take the help of the village headmen, popularly
called Kattimani.
21
Tribes of South India Bedar tribal community has developed immense faith on various practices related to
religion and spiritualism like fortune telling, magic and astrology. In the Bedar tribal
community, all the Brahmins undertake the role of priests. In some places however,
Lingayat Mathpatis also act as priests. Amongst the Bedar tribes, both the religions of
Hinduism and Islam are prevalent. Janai, Jokhai, Khandoba, Hanmappa, Ambabai,
Jotiba, Khandoba are some of the supreme deities of the Bedar tribal community.
Images from deities like Durgava, Maruti, Venkatesh, Yellamma and Mallikarjun, are
made from silver, copper or brass images and the Durgamurgavva image is made in a
box on their head.
Cultural exuberance of the whole of the Bedar tribal community has nicely being depicted
in all its aspects like festivals, language, jewelleries etc. The people of Bedar tribal
community communicate in Bedar language. Today the Bedar tribes use diverse languages
like Kannada language and Marathi language. Jewelleries are an integral part of the
costumes of the Bedar tribal community. Both Bedar males and females are very fond
of wearing ornaments that are made up mainly from silver and gold. As per the custom,
these Bedar tribes have a set of conventional jewelleries. The Bedar tribes wear gold
and silver bracelets (khade), waist girdles (uddurs), and gold earrings (muruva). In
addition, Bedar females place their hair in a loose knots, wear several other ornaments
like nose-rings, a gold necklace, Dhora is a social hoofed silver jewellery which these
Bedar females wear on the head. Moreover there are quite a handful of Bedar tribes
who shave their heads, according to the custom.
Tattooing also is a special custom of these Bedar tribes. The males and females of the
Bedar tribe do tattooing on the several parts like forehead, corners of the eyes and
forearms. Rites, rituals, customs are part of the Bedar tribal community. Basavis are a
group of Bedar tribal females who reside inside the temple premises. After branding
them with stamps by the spiritual head the Bedar girls get to the temple where a necklace
is attached around their neck in the name of the god. Fairs and festivals are part and
parcel of the culture and tradition of the Bedar tribal community. The Bedar tribes
celebrate various Hindu festivals like Diwali, Dussehra, and Holi and have a conventional
headman or guru. They celebrate these festivals with tribal songs and dances.
iv) Hakkipikki
The name of the community is derived from their traditional occupation of bird catching:
hakki in Kannada means a bird while pikki is an echo-formation. Their titles are Singh,
Rao and Appa.The community is distributed in the Mysore, Kolar, Shimoga and Hassan
districts of Karnataka. They speak in the Indo-Aryan language, Vaghari, at home and
in the regional language, Kannada, with outsiders. They are conversant with Tamil,
Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi and use the Kannada script. Hakkipikki tribes of
Karnataka are Kshatriya or warrior tribal community and set their community after
defeat by the Mughals.
The Hakkipikki tribes are said to be semi nomadic and the tribe has four clan divisions
namely the Gujratia, Kaliwala, Mewara and Panwara. Among these clans Gujratia is
considered as being the highest status clan whereas Mewara is considered as the lowest
one. Adult marriage is the rule among them and marriages are mostly arranged by
negotiation though instances of marriage though exchange and elopement are also
reported. Monogamy is the common form and some cases of polygyny have been
reported. During a marriage, bride price is paid in cash, and after marriage patrilocal
residence is followed. Divorce may be granted on account of adultery or maladjustment,
22
and the remarriage of widows, widowers and divorcees is permissible. There has been
a recent increase in the age at marriage. Women participate in all the economic, social Tribes of Karnataka

and ritual activities and contribute to the family income. A phulwanti ceremony is observed
when a girl attains puberty. The dead are buried and death pollution is observed for
twelve days. Ancestor worship is part of the death rituals.
The traditional occupation of the Hakkipikki is trapping of birds and animals and the
collection of forest produce. Many of them lead a nomadic life and move from one
village to another, selling cosmetics used by the womenfolk. In order to sustain their
livelihood, these Hakkipikki tribal communities have taken up occupations like hunting.
Nowadays, a few are settled cultivators or are earning a livelihood as agricultural
labourers. Some of them are employed as peons and clerks in government establishments.
Following the tradition of most of the nomadic tribal communities, these Hakkipikki
tribal communities too follow the rules of matriarchy. When the male member of the
Hakkipikki family is out for most part of the year, a woman of the Hakkipikki tribal
community maintains the family. Many of the Hakkipikki tribal community women also
take a trip selling beads. Hakkipikki females in general execute skillful jobs like polishing
beads, organizing decorative flowers and vases amongst the tribal communities. Religion
has got an ardent faith in the numerous Gods and Goddesses. Every clan of the community
has their own deities and marriage of the worshippers of the same deity is strictly
prohibited. Amongst the numerous deities these Hakkipikki tribal community is the
ardent followers of the Goddess Chamundeshwari. They consider ‘Dadaji‘ as their
supreme God. Apart from these Gods, they worship Jogan, Vikhli, Nokor, and Dugao-
Kalka. They are considered as believers of Hindu religion and apart from these their
religious beliefs encompass some other religious beliefs, rituals and ceremonies, rites
etc.
The Hakkipakki generally do not favour formal education for their children, especially
for the females. However, it has been observed that a few boys have studied upto the
secondary level and a few girls upto the primary level. Children who attend schools
continue their studies due to the nomadic way of life of the community. They make use
of both traditional and modern medicines.
v) Sholaga
In Karnataka, they use the term Gowda, meaning a headman, as their title. In this state
they are mainly distributed in the hilly parts of Mysore district. The language they speak
amongst them is a dialect of the Dravidian language, Kannada. But the Urali Soliga
division speaks the Soliga language for intra-group communication and Kannada for
inter-group communication. They use the Kannada script. There are some people who
also have given alternative names to this language viz. Solanayakkans, Sholiga, Solaga,
Kadu Sholigar, Sholigar, Soligar, Sholanayika. As per the provision of the Indian
Constitution, Sholaga tribal community is one of the Scheduled tribes. This Sholaga
tribal community has a belonging to the Kannada group.
Adult marriage is generally practiced and normally arranged alliances are preferred.
Divorce is sanctioned on the grounds of adultery and maladjustment. The remarriage of
widows, widowers and divorcees is permitted. The Women of this community fetch
water, collect fuel and tubers, take part in social and ritual activities and contribute to
the family income. The dead are buried and ancestors are worshipped annually.
The traditional occupations of the Soliga were shifting cultivation and the collection of
minor forest produce. Now they have taken to forest and agricultural labour. A few of
them are landowning cultivators. 23
Tribes of South India Agriculture and farming are considered as the major occupation of the Sholaga tribal
community. Quite a number of this Sholaga tribal community collects various products
from the forest areas. That this Sholaga tribal community is very much pious and the
people of this group are religious minded. Hinduism is the main religion. The Soliga
worship community deities like Karayya, Kyatedevaru, Jadeswamy and some others.
Mahadeswar is their regional deity. They observe their traditional festivals like Rotti
Habba and Mane Devera Habba. There are residential schools in the Soliga area,
where primary education is imparted to the children. The general response of the people
towards formal education is favourable. A few boys and girls drop out after the primary
school level due to social and economic reasons. This community makes use of both
traditional and modern health care systems.
Check Your Progress I
Note: Use the space provided for your answer.
1) List our the major tribal groups found in the State of Karnataka.
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2.3 PRESENT SCENARIO OF TRIBES IN

KARNATAKA
Demographic Profile
According to 2011 census, there were 42,48,987 Scheduled Tribes people (34,29,791
Rural and 8,19,196 Urban) which is about 6.6% of the total population of the State.

Sex Ratio
The overall sex ratio of the ST population of Karnataka is 990, which is higher than
973 reported for state population in 2011.The sex ratio of ST population has improved
from 961 reported in 1991 Census. The overall sex ratio as well as child sex ratio (0-
6) of ST population of Karnataka is similar to the corresponding national figures for ST
population. At individual tribe level, Gond and Koli Dhor have lower sex ratio in total
and 0-6 age group populations, in comparison to the state ST population as well as
other major STs.

Work Participation Rate

The work participation rate (WPR) is the percentage of workers to the total population.
The WPR of 50.3 per cent among the ST population in 2011 is higher than that of the
state population (45.6 per cent). The WPR has increased from 47.8 per cent reported
in 1991.
Marital Status
Marital status is one of the important determinants of fertility and growth of a population.
The 2011 Census data on marital status show that 46.14 per cent persons among the
STs of Karnataka are ‘never married’. The ‘currently married’ constitute 47.47 per
cent while 15.83 per cent are ‘widowed’ and only 0.16 per cent is ‘divorced and
24 separated’.
 Tribes of Karnataka
Literacy Rate
The literacy rate of STs in Karnataka is a cause for concern, as it has consistently been
lower than that of the total population. The literacy rate among Scheduled Tribes, which
was 48.3 per cent in 2001, increased to 62.1 per cent in 2011, while the state average
moved up from 66.6 to 75.36 per cent. The gap between the literacy rate of the total
population and the ST population is very wide, although there has been a marginal
decline of about 1.6 percentage points in the last decade. While the literacy rate of
Scheduled Tribes has improved in the decade 2001-2011, they still have a long way to
go before they catch up with the rest of the population. The ST literacy rate in 2011
(62.1 per cent) was even lower than the literacy rate of the total population in 2001
(66.64 per cent), placing them more than a decade behind in literacy levels. Though the
literacy rate for women has increased at a faster pace than for males, it is still problematic
because it is so much lower than the literacy rate for all women in 2011.
Religion
Hinduism is the predominant religion of ST population of the state. The 2001 Census
data show that Hindus constitute 98.17 per cent, followed by Muslims 44,599 (1 per
cent). The remaining population belongs to the category of ‘other religions and
persuasions’ and ‘religion not stated’.
The literacy rate of STs in Karnataka is a cause for concern, as it has consistently been
lower than that of the total population. Unequal access to schooling is exacerbated by
the fact that ST children stay in school for the least amount of time, as gets indicated by
the mean years of schooling.
Lack of data is a constraint when it comes to tracking the health indicators of the ST
population. Declining access of the tribal people to forest areas, which had earlier
provided them with food rich in protein and micronutrients, is the biggest cause of poor
nutrition amongst the tribal population of Karnataka.
Check Your Progress II
Note: Use the space provided for your answer.
1) Describe briefly the educational status of tribals in Karnataka.
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2.4 LET US SUM UP

We have discussed the tribes of Karnataka in a detailed manner emphasizing on the
important tribes. It is now important to sum up what we have discussed so far. This will
help us to get a better understanding of the subject matter of this unit, and also help us
to review our own understanding of the subject matter.
We started the unit with an introductory note on the Tribes Karnataka. Next, we
discussed the Demographic profile and cultural elements of the tribal life in Karnataka.
Along side, we tried to have an insight into the major tribes of Karnataka. Eventually
the discussion ended with a brief on the present scenario of the tribes in the context of
Progress made as per the Census of India 2011.
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Tribes of South India
2.5 FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
1. Karve, I., (1954), ‘Anthropometric Measurements in Karnataka and Orissa and
a comparison of these Two Regions with Maharashtra’, Journal of the
Anthropological Society of Bombay, 8(1).
2. Singh, Suresh.K (1986), Tribal situation in India, Indian Institute of Advanced
Study, Shimla.
3. Thurston, E. (1975), Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Cosmo publications,
Delhi.
4. Census Report 2011. Government of India. Retrieved from www.censusindia.gov.in.

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