TRIBALS

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Rajasthan is home to many a tribes who have very interesting history of origin, customs and social practices. So much so that even today they are fart distinct from the 'civilised' society around them. While a few tribes are medieval in their origin, mainly due to events in history, there are a few who date their origin back to one of the oldest prehistoric civilisations in world viz. the Indus valley civilisation.

History
From the beginning of man’s presence in the area that is now called Rajasthan, till around 1400 BC, the Bhil and Mina tribes roamed and ruled the land. The Aryan invasion, represented by horse drawn chariots and superior bows and arrows, seems to have tyrannised tribal migration to the south and the east. Pushed into the natural hideout forests and the ancient and craggy Aravalli ranges, the Bhil and the Mina tribes survived more easily. The northern, nomadic ethnic intrusions continued into Rajasthan. They were respected by the Sakas, Kusanas, Abhiras, Hunas and others. Quite a large number of these invaders are now covered by the blanket term Rajput whose royal lineage stood upon the ruins of the Gurjara (Pratihara Empire). All too naturally, the warrior- invaders fitted the Aryan material caste of Kshatriyas which in time came to be divided into 36 Rajputs clans.

The camouflaged existence of Rajasthan's original inhabitants certainly isolated them from the main stream, keeping them unaware of the changes. Today, they may be considered a backward people but that does not, in anyway, call for any pejorative interpretations of their primitivism.

The various tribes of Rajasthan are:

Bhils
The bow men of Rajasthan
The Bhils form an important group, which inhabits mainly the southern districts of Rajasthan and the surrounding regions of Udaipur and Chittaurgarh. The generic term, which describes their tribe apparently, derives its name from bil, meaning bow, which describes their original talent and strength.

Minas
The militant defenders
The Minas are not just Rajasthan’s largest tribal groups- they are also the most widely spread. In the north, they inhabit the Jaipur-Sikar belt of Shekhawati, continuing into Alwar district in the southwest; the Minas settlements mix with the Bhils of Bundi-Kota-Jhalawar.

Lohars
The nomadic blacksmiths
The Gaduliya Lohars derive their name from their beautiful bullock carts or gadis that have taken them wandering from their original land Mewar (Udaipur), to different parts of India. Legend has it that they were  committed to fight on behalf of Maharana Pratap of Chittaurgarh, who battled bravely against the Mogul emperor Akbar.

Garasias
The fallen Rajputs
According the legend the Garasia tribals are descendents from the Chauhan Rajputs of south-west Rajasthan. From Six centuries ago, after defeat in a battle, they fled to the hills, where they mingled with the local Bhil tribals to become a distinct group. The tribal population of Garasias is confined to regions around Mt. Abu and the Kotra region of Udaipur.

Sahariyas
The jungle dwellers
The Sahariyas possibly derive their name from sher or jungle in Persian. Although they are believed to be an off shoot of the Bhils, they supposedly earned this name form the Muslim Ruler of Shahbad, since they had chosen to make their home in the jungle hide outs of the Shahbad district of the Princely State of Kota and in the neighboring regions of Jhalawar, Sawai Madhopur, Dungarpur and Udaipur. They have also spread to the districts of Jaipur and Bharatpur.