Page 70 - sst_class_07

another. Settled agriculturists remained few in number. There were also people following

other professions such as selling their goods or entertaining people with folk tales and songs.
some influential tRibes

• Khokhar tribe was an influential tribe in the 13th and 14th century.
• Gakkhars tribe became more important later. Their chief, Kamal Khan Gakkhar, was
made a noble (mansabdar) by emperor Akbar.

• In Multan and Sind, the Langahs and Arghuns dominated extensive regions before they
were subdued by the Mughals.
• In the western Himalaya lived the shephered tribe of Gaddis.

• The Balochis were another large and powerful tribe in the north-west. The Balochis
were divided into many smaller clans. A clan is a group of families of households
claiming descent from a common ancestor under different chiefs. Tribal organisation
is often based on kinship or clan loyalties.

• In many areas of present day Bihar and Jharkhand, Chero chiefdoms had emerged by
the twelfth century.
• The distant north-eastern part of the subcontinent too was entirely dominated by
tribes — the Nagas, Ahoms and many others.

• The large tribe of Bhils was spread across western and central India.

• Further in South there were large tribal populations of Koragas, Vetars, Maravars and
many others.
• The Maharashtra highlands and Karnataka were home to Kolis, Berads and numerous others.

• The Gonds were found in great numbers across the present-day states of Chhattisgarh,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra
Pradesh. By the late sixteenth century, Under Aurangzeb, Mughal forces captured
many of them had become settled many Chero Fortresses and conquered the
agriculturists and some even zamindars, tribe. The Mundas and Santhals were among
but lots of Bhil clans remained hunter the other important tribes that lived in this
gatherers. region and also in Orissa and Bengal.

life Of nOmadic Tribal grOuP

Most of the tribal people were nomads. Nomads are known as a group of communities who
use to travel place to place for livelihood. They move about with their animals in search
of food, water and shelter. When the supply of food or water got exhausted they moved to
another area. They exchanged whatever they had such as milk, wool, oil, honey with the
settled people for grains and various products they needed.

We have read about nomadic and travelling traders in previous class. They travelled with
their families in big groups. Records tell us that they transported grains or other food
materials on bullock carts. They breed and sold animals such as horses and cattle to people
living in settled towns whenever they visited.

70 Social Studies-7