According to the International Labour Organization, there are approximately 476.6 million Indigenous people in the world, belonging to 5,000 different groups, in 90 countries worldwide.
Possibly the most famous of all African tribes, the Maasai live along the semi-arid Great Rift Valley in Kenya and Tanzania. These expansive homelands are close to many of Africa's top game parks, meaning the tribe is often in close contact with international tourists.
7 Oldest African Tribes
- Maasai. Age: over 3,000 years old. Location: southern Kenya and northern Tanzania.
- Berbers. Age: over 10,000 years old.
- Sandawe. Age: over 87,000 years old.
- African Pygmies. Age: over 100,000.
- Hadza. Age: over 100,000 years old.
- Nama. Age: 100,000 – 140,000.
- San (Bushmen) Age: 100,000 – 140,000 years old.
Indians, AmerindiansGenerically, the Indigenous peoples that live not only in Brazil but also in the entire American continent are called Indians. This name is the result of a historical mistake made by the first Europeans who arrived in America, who thought they had reached India.
Adivasis, as their name reflects, are the earliest inhabitants of the subcontinent and once inhabited much larger areas than they do at present. Little is known of their history, although it appears that many were pushed into the hill areas after the invasions of the Indo-Aryan tribes 3,000 years ago.
Of all the tribes in Kenya, Kikuyu is the most populous one, having its own set of cultures and traditions. This Bantu group forms a 22% population of Kenya and mostly inhabits Kenya's Central region.
4 Major Caste Groups in India: According to Varna
- Brahmans: Brahmans are at the top in Varna hierarchy.
- Kshatriyas: Next to Brahmans are the Kshatriyas in varna ranking.
- Vaishyas: Vaishyas rank below Kshatriyas, but fall within the ambit of ritually high Varna.
- Shudras: These belong to the lowermost class in Varna ranking.
According to the 2011 Census of India, Bhil is the most populours tribe with a total population of 4,618,068, constituting 37.7 per cent of the total ST population. Gond is the second largest tribe, with a population of 4,357,918 constituting 35.6 per cent.
India's tribal population is over-dependent on agriculture and forest-related livelihood sources. While 43 per cent of non-tribals depend on agriculture, 66 per cent of the tribal population survives on these primary sector livelihood sources.
The seven sister states of Noth-east India, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand are known as the tribal states of India.
The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes comprise about 16.6% and 8.6%, respectively, of India's population (according to the 2011 census).
Modern demographics and economic conditionAccording to 2007 reports, Brahmins in India are about five percent of its total population. The Himalayan states of Uttarakhand (20%) and Himachal Pradesh (14%) have the highest percentage of Brahmin population relative to respective state's total Hindus.
New Delhi: In the pristine islands of Andaman and Nicobar, live one of the oldest tribes of India, the Jarawa. With a scanty population of almost 420, they are almost on the verge of extinction. They live along the western coast of the south and middle Andaman Islands.
The Sarna Adivasis of Jharkhand have put forward this demand for several years. They demand not to be counted as Hindus in the census, saying their religion is Sarna. Members of the community inhabit the Chhota Nagpur region.
As of 2013, Bhils were the largest tribal group in India. Bhils are listed as indigenous people of the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan—all in the western Deccan regions and central India—as well as in Tripura in far-eastern India, on the border with Bangladesh.
Statewise Scheduled Tribes List
| State | Tribes |
|---|
| Karnataka | Gond, Patelia, Barda, Yerava, Bhil, Koraga, Adiyan, Iruliga, |
| Kerala | Malai, Aarayan, Arandan, Uralis, Kurumbas, Arandan, Eranvallan |
| Madhya Pradesh | Kharia, Bhils, Murias, Birhors, Baigas, Katkari, Kol, Bharia, Khond, Gonds, |
Still to get a brief idea about Indian tribes, here is a comprehensive list of 20 tribes, picked from different corners of India.
- Gonds Tribes.
- Bhils Tribes.
- Santhal Tribes.
- Great Andamanese Tribes.
- Khasi Tribes.
- Garo Tribes.
- Angami Tribes.
- Munda Tribes.
Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes Population
| Scheduled Castes |
|---|
| State with highest proportion of Scheduled Castes | Punjab ( 28.9 %) |
|---|
| Scheduled Tribes |
| State with highest proportion of Scheduled Tribes | Mizoram ( 94.5 % ) |
| State with lowest proportion of Scheduled Tribes | Goa (0.04 %) |
Major concentrations of tribal people live in Maharashtra, Orissa, and West Bengal. In the south, about 1 percent of the populations of Kerala and Tamil Nadu are tribal, whereas about 6 percent in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are members of tribes.
The Sarna ReligionThe followers of Sarna faith believe pray to nature. While many follow Hindu religion, some have converted to Christianity — this has become one of the planks of demanding a separate code “to save religious identity”— as various tribal organisations put it.
