Chapter 16: Colours of Society — Communities and Tribes of Rajasthan
SECTION 1: Chapter 16: Colours of Society — Communities and Tribes of Rajasthan
Exams: RPSC / RSSB / REET / Board Exam
SECTION 2: Core examination focus
Study communities through geography, culture and constitutional recognition. Always attach the census year to a population figure. Caste, tribe, clan and Scheduled Area are different concepts. A traditional occupation does not describe every member today.
Keywords: Community, Scheduled Tribe, Census 2011 Question frequency varies by examination and year; a fixed average of 3–5 questions is not verified.
SECTION 3: District-wise contributions
| District / region | Contribution | Person / community | Year / period | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Udaipur | Bhil; Kathodi settlements | Bhil / Kathodi | Living tradition | Kotra, Jhadol |
| Dungarpur | Bhil and Damor | Local communities | Living tradition | Simalwara |
| Banswara | Bhil culture, Mangarh | Govind Guru | 1913 | Mangarh |
| Pratapgarh | Southern tribal region | Bhil communities | Living tradition | Southern Aravallis |
| Jaipur / Dausa | Eastern Mina region | Mina communities | Census 2011 | Eastern Rajasthan |
| Alwar / Sawai Madhopur / Karauli | Mina population | Mina communities | Census 2011 | Eastern belt |
| Baran | Saharia settlements | Saharia | Living cultural region | Shahabad, Kishanganj |
| Sirohi / Pali | Garasia region | Garasia | Living tradition | Abu Road, Pindwara, Bali |
| Rajsamand / Chittorgarh | Parts in Scheduled Area | Notified territory | 2018 notification | Check village boundaries |
| Bikaner / Jaisalmer / Jodhpur | Pastoral and performing traditions | Raika, folk artists | Living tradition | Western Rajasthan |
| Kota | Hadoti social landscape | Multiple communities | Living tradition | Kota |
SECTION 4: Foundations and thematic study
Identity and census
Mina — Mina is the largest Scheduled Tribe by population. Bhil must not be called Rajasthan's largest ST.
13.48 percent — 13.48 percent is the Rajasthan figure for 2011. About 8.61 percent refers to India, not Rajasthan.
9,238,534 — The ST population was 9,238,534 in 2011. This is not the total state population.
12 — There are 12 main entries. Alternate names and subgroups within an entry are not additional entries.
They are different social concepts — Caste, tribe and clan are not synonyms. ST is a specific constitutional category.
Geographical concentrations
Eastern Rajasthan — Jaipur, Dausa, Alwar and Sawai Madhopur are important areas. This does not exclude residence elsewhere.
Southern Rajasthan — Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and Pratapgarh are important. Remember the Aravalli and cross-border cultural setting.
Shahabad-Kishanganj, Baran — Saharia settlements are concentrated in Shahabad-Kishanganj of Baran. Kishanganj is not Kishangarh.
Dungarpur — Simalwara is in Dungarpur. Damor should not be described as exclusively a Thar community.
Garasia — This Sirohi area is important for Garasia settlement. Garasia areas also extend into Udaipur and Pali.
Notified communities
Rajput Garasia — The official entry excludes Rajput Garasia. The exception matters in examinations.
Separate entries — Mina and Bhil Mina are separate main entries. Similar names do not make them one entry.
Catechu extraction — The name and tradition are associated with catechu extraction. This does not determine every member's present occupation.
Patelia — Patelia is a main listed entry. Broad caste labels must not automatically be declared ST.
Damor-Damaria — Damor and Damaria occur within one entry. Distinguish alternate names from separate communities.
Culture and dance
Bhil — Gavari is associated with the Bhil of Mewar. It is not a synonym for Garasia Walar.
Garasia — Walar is associated with Garasia cultural identity. A dance association does not by itself establish legal status.
Official RPSC 2018 answer — Loor is the correct option in RAS 2018 question 15. Gavari and Terah Taali are different forms.
2010 — Kalbelia songs and dances were inscribed in 2010. This is an intangible cultural heritage listing.
Recognise regional diversity and changing lives — Living cultures have local variations. Do not invent a founder or founding year for a community.
Pastoral and artisan communities
Pastoralism — Raika/Rebari are associated with pastoral traditions. This does not fix every member's occupation today.
Ironworking — Gadia Lohar are associated with ironworking. Cultural community and constitutional listing are distinct matters.
Western Rajasthan — They contribute prominently to Thar folk music. Performing communities are not automatically STs.
Do not apply it to every member today — Education, urbanisation and employment change livelihoods. A historical occupation is not a compulsory identity.
The state's legal ST list — Social history includes many communities. Legal classification requires a separate official check.
Constitutional foundations
Article 342 — Article 342 concerns Scheduled Tribes. The list is specific to a state or Union territory.
Parliament — Parliament can include or exclude by law. Local custom does not itself amend the list.
Fifth Schedule — Article 244(1) and the Fifth Schedule are relevant. Rajasthan is not a Sixth Schedule state.
Article 338A — 338A concerns the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. Distinguish Articles 338 and 338A.
Educational and economic interests of weaker sections — Article 46 directs promotion of weaker sections, especially SCs and STs. It is a Directive Principle of State Policy.
Areas and development policy
19 May 2018 — C.O.270 dated 19 May 2018 is important. Do not confuse its boundary frame with current district counts.
Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh — These three were joined by parts of five other then-existing districts. Not all eight were included in full.
1996 — PESA 1996 extends Panchayat provisions to Scheduled Areas. It is not an identical special regime for every village in India.
2006 — The short title uses 2006. Being Act 2 of 2007 does not change that title year.
ST residents also live outside Scheduled Areas — Scheduled Area is a territorial notification. An ST person's legal status rests on a separate basis.
Reform and movements
Govind Guru — Govind Guru was associated with tribal social reform. Mangarh 1913 is central to his memory.
Motilal Tejawat — Motilal Tejawat is associated with Eki mobilisation. Do not confuse him with Govind Guru's Bhagat movement.
17 November 1913 — Mangarh firing occurred on 17 November 1913. 7 March 1922 concerns Dadhvav.
Gujarat — Dadhvav is associated with the Eki movement. Do not place it in a Rajasthan district.
Eki — Matrikundiya is in Chittorgarh. The 1921 mobilisation is associated with Tejawat's Eki movement.
PVTG and programmes
Saharia — Saharia is Rajasthan's PVTG. PVTG is not a synonym for all ST communities.
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group — This is a specific development-policy category. PVTG is the appropriate contemporary terminology.
15 November 2023 — PM-JANMAN was launched on 15 November 2023. It focuses on the development needs of PVTG communities.
Fifth Plan — The TSP strategy was adopted in 1974–75 during the Fifth Plan. It was not introduced in the First Plan.
Udaipur — The institute is in Udaipur. Do not assign an unverified founding year.
Matching and chronology
Saharia-Baran — Baran is the principal Saharia area. Also remember Damor-Dungarpur and Garasia-Sirohi.
Both true; reason explains assertion — Article 342 operates with reference to states or Union territories. Status in one state is not automatically universal.
Mangarh-Eki mobilisation-PESA-PM-JANMAN — The sequence is 1913, 1921, 1996 and 2023. Connect movement and policy timelines carefully.
Garasia-all Rajput Garasia are ST — The official Garasia entry excludes Rajput Garasia. The other pairs express principal cultural or geographical associations.
Rajasthan ST: 13.48 percent, Census 2011 — State both geography and year with a figure. A state share is not the share of every district.
Official list: 12 main entries
Bhil (including listed subgroups); Bhil Mina; Damor/Damaria; Dhanka (including Tadvi, Tetaria, Valvi); Garasia (excluding Rajput Garasia); Kathodi/Katkari (including listed subgroups); Kokna/Kokni/Kukna; Koli Dhor/Tokre Koli/Kolcha/Kolgha; Mina; Naikda/Nayaka (including listed subgroups); Patelia; Seharia/Sehria/Sahariya.
Languages, oral traditions and census records provide different kinds of evidence. Origin legends do not establish constitutional status.
SECTION 5: People and dated contributions
| Person | Birth year | Field | Contribution | Contribution year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Govind Guru | 1858 | Social reform | Bhagat movement, Mangarh | 1913 |
| Motilal Tejawat | 1886 | Tribal mobilisation | Eki movement | 1921 mobilisation |
| Manikyalal Verma | 1897 | Public service | Mewar Prajamandal | 1938 |
SECTION 6: Places and institutions
| Place / institution | Location | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Mangarh Dham | Banswara; Rajasthan-Gujarat border | Memory of 1913 and Govind Guru |
| Matrikundiya | Chittorgarh | Eki mobilisation |
| Dadhvav | Gujarat | 1922 firing; not in Rajasthan |
| MLV Tribal Research and Training Institute | Udaipur | Tribal research and training |
| Shahabad-Kishanganj | Baran | Saharia region; not Kishangarh |
SECTION 7: Timeline
| Year / date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 1858 | Birth of Govind Guru | Bhagat movement leader |
| 1886 | Birth of Motilal Tejawat | Eki movement leader |
| 1913 | Mangarh firing | 17 November |
| 1921 | Eki mobilisation | Matrikundiya |
| 1922 | Dadhvav firing | 7 March; Gujarat |
| 1950 | Constitution commenced | Scheduled Tribe framework |
| 1974–75 | TSP adopted | Fifth Five-Year Plan |
| 1981 | Earlier Scheduled Area order | Superseded in 2018 |
| 1996 | PESA Act | Panchayats in Scheduled Areas |
| 2006 | Forest Rights Act title year | Distinguish Act 2 of 2007 |
| 2011 | Census benchmark | ST share 13.48 percent |
| 2018 | Rajasthan Scheduled Area order | 19 May; C.O.270 |
| 2023 | PM-JANMAN launched | 15 November; focus on PVTGs |
SECTION 9: Summary and quick recall
Link person, place and period; distinguish similar names and administrative categories.
| Topic | Recall point |
|---|---|
| Identity and census | Mina |
| Geographical concentrations | Eastern Rajasthan |
| Notified communities | Rajput Garasia |
| Culture and dance | Bhil |
| Pastoral and artisan communities | Pastoralism |
| Constitutional foundations | Article 342 |
| Areas and development policy | 19 May 2018 |
| Reform and movements | Govind Guru |
| PVTG and programmes | Saharia |
| Matching and chronology | Saharia-Baran |
SECTION 10: Mnemonics, distinctions and map recall
Mnemonic: East–Mina; South–Bhil; Baran–Saharia. These are major concentration areas, not exclusive habitats.
Avoid confusion: Mina and Bhil Mina are separate notified entries. The Garasia entry excludes Rajput Garasia. Raika/Rebari, Gadia Lohar, Jat, Gurjar, Brahmin, Vaishya and Rajput cannot be labelled ST from cultural descriptions alone. Legal status depends on the official state-specific list. Do not substitute Kota for Shahabad-Kishanganj in Baran.
Map: Jaipur-Dausa-Alwar in the east; Udaipur-Dungarpur-Banswara-Pratapgarh in the south; Sirohi-Pali in the southwest; Baran in the southeast. The eight districts cited in the 2018 order belong to its historical boundary frame.