Gond community is considered to be the one of most ancient tribes of India with counting history of several thousand years. With many upheavals of long drawn political history of India it has undergone through multiple changes in its social and cultural orientations. Significantly earlier under rule of Rajputs (as subordinates of Mughals) and later under socio-cultural umbrella of Marathas, Gond tribe of contemporary Gondwana Kingdom experienced dynamic changes in its cultural and social spheres.
This study investigates subsequent changes brought by this Maratha rule with special emphasis on Bhosle’s of Nagpur in Vidarbha region of Modern State of Maharashtra in India. We try to understand reasonable causes, historical conditions, socio-political and economic background under which dynamic changes ranging right from philosophy, language, religion to the cultural heritage of Architectures of Gond Culture. Here, through a thorough investigation of available literary evidences
and our appropriate and reasonable logic we also commented on some concepts which are interesting to know about. Overall this study in brief gives idea about changes in social and cultural life on Gond Community after successful establishment and running of Bhosle Rule.
Socio-Cultural changes in Gond Tribal-Culture Brought by Political interventions of Contemporary Bhosle Maratha's of Nagpur with special reference to Gond kingdoms of Vidarbha (India) Shubham Shiwankar
M.A. Sociology
Hislop College, Nagpur
Abstract -Gond community is considered to be the one of most ancient tribes of india with counting history of several thousand years. With many upheavals of long drawn political history of india it has undergone through multiple changes in its social and cultural orientations. Significantly earlier under rule of Rajputs (as subordinates of Mughals) and later under socio-cultural umbrella of Marathas, Gond tribe of contemporary Gondwana Kingdom experienced dynamic changes in its cultural and social spheres. This study investigates subsequent changes brought by this Maratha rule with special emphasis on Bhosle's of Nagpur in Vidarbha region of Modern State of Maharashtra in India. We try to understand reasonable causes, historical conditions, socio-political and economic background under which dynamic changes ranging right from philosophy, language, religion to the cultural heritage of Architectures of Gond Culture. Here, through a thorough investigation of available literary evidences and our appropriate and reasonable logic we also commented on some concepts which are interesting to know about. Overall this study in brief gives idea about changes in social and cultural life on Gond Community after successful establishment and running of Bhosle Rule.
Keywords- Gond Tribe, Bhosle-Maratha, Social change, Cultural change, Rajputisation, Sanskritisation
I. Introduction
Tribe in Social anthropology, is a notional form of human social organisation based on set of smaller groups ( known as bands) having temporary or permanent political integration, and defined by traditions of common descent, language, culture and ideology. One of such tribes is Gond tribe, of Dravidian stock, which is believed to have its origin in a period prior to the southward migration of Dravidian people of India, aprox. around 2000 B.C.(8) Some excerpts from Rig-veda also indicates connections of Gonds with ‘ Kuyevo' tribe prominent contemporarily. They ruled over cental indian region including southern slopes of Satpuda plateu, portions of Nagpur plains, Narmada and Godavari valley which encompassed together was historically known as Gondwana.(2) According to 2011 census of India, Gonds, the major tribe of the country has been notified as scheduled tribe in states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Uttaranchal having a total population of 1,13,44,629. Their original language is a Gondi dialect.(21) Which with same consistency is being spoken, over considerable area of old Gondwana. Gond Rulers were subdivided into multiples thrones. like Raj- Gonds(ruling class), Khatola-Gonds, Madia Gonds, Dhur Gonds, Mokasi Gonds, Dadve Gonds, Gaita Gonds, Koya Gonds etc.
This tribe initially was completely dependent on natural resources around them, as pastorals. Who carried a significant part of their history in southern india, then marched and settled in Central indian region of Nagpur. But, after coming in contact with central indian political powers they transformed themselves into a ruling class and then onwards till British raj they continued their monarchies and maintained them intact. But while having this Rule of tribe during its existence as a tribe multiple factors like sub-ordination by neighboring contemporary powers left some of significant imprints on both society and culture of Gond tribe.
II. OBJECTIVES
1) To understand emergence and evolution of Gond society and culture.
2) To investigate historical background that influenced evolution of Gond culture and society.
3) To analyze socio-cultural changes in Gondi culture and society caused by subordination from contemporary neighboring- competitive powers with greater emphasis on
III. Research Methods and tools used
1) Content analysis
2) Literature Review
IV. Brief Historical background of Gonds
With reference to this study Tribe's history can be arranged more vividly in two fine and successive stages.
1) Gond Kingdom of period before arrival of Bhosle-Maratha rule in central india i.e. Gondwana.
2) Internal dynastic struggles in Gondwana Kingdom which eventually resulted in Maratha intervention and gradual decline of kingdom.
1) Gond kingdom of period before arrival of Bhosle-Maratha rule in central India
This initial stage starts around 900 A.D. when a tribe initially was completely dependent on natural resources from forests around them and carried a significant part of their history in southern india. Then onwards roughly after 1000A.D. they started their northward journey initially up to Godavari into Vidarbha, and from there they moved up to Indravati in Bastar of modern state of Chhattisgarh as well as Wardha and Wainganga of Satpuda range in state of Maharashtra. (13)
Characteristic feature of this stage are significant- religiously they used to worship nature having extreme animism with faith in supernatural powers associated with nature. They had their own language which can be deciphered and have much inclination towards Dravidian language family both in terms of Script as well as Pronounciations.(14) This stage was of some uniform lifestyle without much vivid changes in their culture and so in their social organization.
The first historically recorded Gond kingdoms came up in central India's hilly region in the 14th and 15th century AD. The first Gond king was Jadurai, who deposed Kalchuri Rajputs, at whose court he had earlier worked, to grab the kingdom of Garha Mandla (modern Mandla and Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh). The second kingdom of Deogadh (Chhindwada in Madhya Pradesh and Nagpur in Maharashtra), was created by King Jatba in the 15th century. One of his successors, who after consolidating 12 smaller villages established the Town of Nagpur in 1702, Bakht Buland Shah, converted to Islam to win the favour of emperor Aurangzeb. However, he did not demand conversion from his subjects and married a Gond woman. He fell into disfavour in Delhi after he plundered some Muslim kingdoms of Deccan.(20) Around the same time as Deogadh, the Kherla (Baitul in Madhya Pradesh to Chikhaldara in Amravati district in Maharashtra) kingdom also came up. Its first king, Narsingh Rai, who deposed a Rajput ruler, had love-hate relationship with the Rajput and Muslim rulers in his vicinity who attacked his fort due to its geographical accessibility. The kingdom was later annexed by Bakht Buland Shah. (12) The Chanda kingdom (Chandrapur in Maharashtra), a contemporary of the Kherla and Deogadh kingdoms, produced several remarkable rulers who developed excellent irrigation systems and the first well defined revenue system among the Gond kingdoms.(12)
Sociological perspective shows that sequence of events during this period influenced Gond culture in very remarkable manner. After deposing Rajput rulers from Garha Mandla a new sense of ruling ignited among Gond Community. Taking Rajput rule as a yardstick a new monarchy emerged. New names resembling Rajput culture were being adopted. e.g. Hirde Shah of Mandla. Dalpat Shah of Garha etc. (12) primarily being a Tribal/Adivasi community it is established that, Gond culture had considerable extent of Patriarchy where women was considered reasonable and important unit of culture in terms of working or earning livelihood but in terms of political rule and general nature of women she was considered not valuable than mens.(5) therefore associating terms of valour of womens on battlefield was out of the blue in Gond culture. But in unique example of battle of Gonds against Mughal army of Emperor Akbar in leadership of Viceroy Asaf Khan it is exceptional that Rani Durgavati chose death over impending defeat by enemy forces. Gonds having not an established religion started worshiping cows as a sacred part of hindu ritualism, Gond monarchs started performing ‘ Hiranyagarbha Yadnya' (sacrifice) a theological key to become Hindu Kshatriya. Gondi people started adopting hindu theological concepts of Deities like of ‘Badadeo' supposed to be Shiva (chief Deity of Rajput and hinduism) and Danteshwari of Dantewada in modern state of Chhattisgarh supposed to be Mahakali. In this way amalgamation of Gonds under Mughals or their subordinates i.e. Rajputs left some significant imprints on culture of Gonds in terms of both theologically as well as ethically.
2) Internal dynastic struggles in Gondwana Kingdom which eventually resulted in Maratha intervention and gradual decline of kingdom.
Bhosle-Maratha of Nagpur are considered as blood-relatives of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from their ancestral genealogy and are supposed to hail from village Beradi near Hingani in the present Pune district of state of Maharashtra. Reason of Their arrival into Vidarbha is still unknown but it is evident that contemporary of Shivaji maharaj, Sabaji bhosle of Nagpur rendered him help during his expeditions to Vidarbha.
First prominent ruler from Bhosle Family Parsoji Bhosle earns credit of consolidating Gondwana from Gond rulers, who after proving his loyalty towards the ‘ gaadi' of Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj received honour of Jari Patka and title of ‘ Sena Saheb Subha' in 1699. After clash with Mughals Chhatrapati shahu maharaj worried about central indian territory of Maratha rule and hence handed over the official title of ‘Sena sahib subha' and issued a sanad granting him and his successors in perpetuity ‘ mokasa' of the following places-
Prant Ritapur and Sarkar-Gavel, Prant Berar, Prant Deogad, Chanda and Gondavana and 147 Mahals Around Nagpur.(S.K. Sane, 1915)
After successful establishment of partial independent rule of Nagpur-Bhosle's over a small region Raghuji Bhosle emerged as a second prominent ruler after Parsoji. At the same time some internal dynastic struggle started taking blaze in Gondwana kingdom. Chanda Sultan died in about 1738. His illegitimate son, Wali Sah killed Mir Bahaddar, the legitimate son of Chanda Sultan. Rani Ratan Kuvar, the widow of Chanda asked for Raghuji Bhosle's help as her two other sons Akbar and Burhan were minors. Raghuji at once proceeded and after prisioning Wali Shah settled dispute of inheritance. As a symbol of gratitude Rani Ratan Kuvar considered Raghuji as her third son and gave him the third part of her kingdom. She paid him Rupees Ten Lacs for war expenses. In 1737, the Rani granted Raghuji a sanad of her one-third kingdom bestowed upon him. The Rani also agreed that she would not enter into a treaty with any other power without the knowledge of Raghuji. With the possession of these parts of Devagad, Raghuji shifted his headquarters from Bham (in modern district of Yawatmal) to Nagpur. And finally the crown edifice of Gondwana- Deogarh Kingdom was made a part of Bhosle-Maratha's kingdom. Consistently Garha-Mandla was also included in Bhosle rule. Following these development the only part of Gondwana Kingdom left after all these developments, Chanda was also included in Maratha Kingdom with grant of pension to heirs of Chanda. (17)
As Rani Ratan Kuvar herself gave a part of her kingdom to Raghuji Bhosle it was perceived as a willful and friendly initiative by monarch on common people of tribe. This gave a sense of respect towards Maratha rule and hence their culture was supposed as ideal one. (3)
V. Socio-cultural changes in Gond Culture after arrival of Bhosle- Maratha Rule over Gondwana
In order to understand the sociological perspective of changes brought by maratha rule over Gond culture this study tries to analyse functional aspects of both cultures with special emphasis on later one, through both vertical and horizontal angles. Maratha rule carved some fundamental changes on tribe's society and culture. Provided in some cases these changes were more concerned with blind imitation of Maratha society. These changes varied from class and caste to the philosophy which reflected its footprints into art and culture of Gonds. Some of the Changes reflected on tribal culture are as follows-
1) Class and Caste
Like other social groups or societies gond society was also stratified at multiple levels. This stratification was based on hereditary rank and position in society. The division was based on different phratries /groups having distinct number of gods in it called as ‘saga'. At an operational level, there were nine ‘saga' and those were referred to by numbers (1 to 7, 12 and 16). However, references to twelve gods (from 1 to 12) named simply as “Undidev Saga,” “Randudev Saga” all the way to “Padvendev Saga” (the 10th God), “Pandunddev Saga” (the 11th God) and “Padrandev Saga” (the 12th God) could also be found, and they all have names. Each Gond was a follower of one of the numbered groups of gods.(9) Each saga had one or more subdivisions locally called as “pari”, some of the pari earned rights to worship prime deities of Gonds called ‘ Persa pen' which after ascendance of Bhosle rule was honoured to Deshmukhs and patils of Maratha community after looking at their status in society.(2) This division was a social Phenomenon and was not related with status or political differences in society. But this stratification was not rigid as compared to caste system of Hinduism. Once the Maratha rule spread over Gondwana, Marathi (Hindu) culture was being perceived as a superior one
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