{"id":118082,"date":"2026-08-08T17:57:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:27:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=118082"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:57:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:27:24","slug":"tribes-of-west-bengal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/tribes-of-west-bengal\/","title":{"rendered":"Tribes of West Bengal, Name List, Regions, Culture, History"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>West Bengal <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has 40 constitutionally notified Scheduled Tribes (STs), with a population of 52.97 lakh, accounting for about 5.8% of the State\u2019s population as per Census 2011. Major tribes include<\/span><b> Santhal , Oraon, Munda, Bhumij, Kora, Lodha, Toto, Birhor, Sabar, Rabha, Lepcha, Bhutia, Mahali and Bedia. Toto, Birhor and Lodha are the three PVTGs of the State<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Major Tribal Regions of West Bengal<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Jangalmaha<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">l: Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram and parts of Paschim Medinipur have a high concentration of Santhal , Munda, Bhumij, Kora, Lodha, Sabar and Mahali communities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Dooars and North Bengal<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Oraon and Rabha are prominent, particularly in the tea-garden belt of Jalpaiguri and adjoining areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Darjeeling-Kalimpong Hills<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Lepcha and Bhutia are the major Himalayan tribal communities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Alipurduar<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Toto, one of the smallest and most vulnerable tribal communities, is concentrated mainly in Totopara.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Major Tribes of West Bengal<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Major tribes include<\/span><b> Santhal , Oraon, Munda, Bhumij, Kora, Lodha, Toto, Birhor, Sabar, Rabha, Lepcha, Bhutia, Mahali and Bedia, Toto, Birhor and Lodha etc\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>Santhal\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Santhal<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 is the <\/span><b>largest <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/scheduled-tribes\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Scheduled Tribe<\/b><\/a><b> of West Bengal <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and one of the most important tribal communities of eastern India.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Distribution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Mainly Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur, with a presence in parts of North Bengal.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Language<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Santhali, an Austroasiatic language, written in the Ol Chiki script developed by Pandit Raghunath Murmu.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Constitutional status<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Santhali was included in the <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/8th-schedule-of-indian-constitution\/\" target=\"_blank\">Eighth Schedule<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through the 92nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Culture<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Traditional religious practices emphasise nature worship and sacred groves known as Jaher.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Historical significance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The Santhal Hul of 1855-56, led by Sidhu, Kanhu, Chand and Bhairav Murmu, was a major tribal resistance against colonial exploitation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Oraon<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Oraon are a major tribal community of North Bengal, particularly the Dooars and tea-garden belt.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Distribution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Mainly Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and adjoining areas, with settlements in parts of southern West Bengal.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Language<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Kurukh, belonging to the Dravidian language family.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Livelihood<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Agriculture and tea-garden labour are important sources of livelihood.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Culture<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Sarhul and Karma are important festivals associated with nature, agriculture and community life.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Munda<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Munda are an important Austroasiatic-speaking tribal community found mainly in western and southern West Bengal and the tea-garden belt.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Language<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Mundari, an Austroasiatic language.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Traditional organisation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The Munda-Manki system formed part of their traditional village-level organisation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Belief system<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Nature worship is central, with Singbonga occupying an important place in traditional beliefs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Livelihood<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Agriculture, wage labour and forest-based activities are significant.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Bhumij<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bhumij are concentrated mainly in the Jangalmahal region and have close historical and cultural links with the Munda group.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Distribution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Mainly Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Livelihood<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Agriculture and forest-based activities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Historical significance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The Bhumij Revolt of 1832 was directed against colonial land and revenue policies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Culture<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Traditional practices include worship of Sing Bonga and local deities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Kora<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kora is a relatively less-known but significant tribal community of western and central West Bengal.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Distribution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Bankura, Birbhum, Purulia, Paschim Medinipur, Hooghly and Bardhaman.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Traditional occupatio<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n: Earthwork, including soil digging, tank construction and road building.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Livelihood<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Agriculture, agricultural labour and wage employment are increasingly important.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The community has historical links with the wider Munda tribal group.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>PVTGs of West Bengal<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">West Bengal has<\/span><b> three <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/particularly-vulnerable-tribal-groups-pvtgs\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Toto, Birhor and Lodha. Their small populations and socio-economic vulnerabilities make them particularly important for targeted tribal-development policies.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Toto<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Toto is one of the smallest tribal communities in India and is concentrated mainly in Totopara of Alipurduar district.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The community has a distinctive Tibeto-Burman linguistic and cultural identity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Historically, the Totos depended on agriculture, livestock and local natural resources.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their small population makes demographic security, healthcare, education and cultural preservation key concerns.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Birhor<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Birhor is a small, traditionally semi-nomadic and forest-dependent PVTG found mainly in Purulia.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traditional livelihoods included rope-making from forest fibres, forest collection and hunting.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their vulnerability is linked to a small population, limited livelihood opportunities and dependence on natural resources.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Lodha<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lodha is a forest-dependent PVTG concentrated mainly in Paschim Medinipur and Jhargram.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traditional livelihoods were closely connected with forest resources.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The community was affected by the colonial <\/span><b>Criminal Tribes Act, 1871<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, resulting in long-term social stigma.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the Act was repealed in 1952, socio-economic marginalisation remains an important concern.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Other Important Tribal Communities<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tribal landscape of West Bengal extends beyond the major groups and PVTGs.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sabar\/Sava<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">r: Found mainly in Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur; traditionally dependent on forests and forest-based livelihoods.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Rabha<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Concentrated in the Dooars, particularly Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar; traditionally known for elements of matrilineal social organisation and the Baikho festival.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Lepcha<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A major Himalayan tribal community of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, with a strong cultural relationship with mountains, forests and nature.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Bhutia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A Himalayan community with Tibetan origins, strongly influenced by Buddhist traditions and historically associated with the Darjeeling region.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Mahali<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Traditionally associated with bamboo and cane craftsmanship, especially basket and mat making.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Bedia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A smaller tribal community concentrated largely in the southwestern parts of the State, with agriculture and wage employment becoming important livelihoods.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Tribal Movements and Historical Significance<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">West Bengal has an important place in the history of tribal resistance to colonial rule.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Santhal\u00a0 Hul (1855-56)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A major uprising against moneylenders, zamindars and colonial administrative structures in the Santhal\u00a0 region.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Bhumij Revolt (1832)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Resistance against colonial revenue and land policies in the Jungle Mahals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These movements highlight the centrality of land, forests, livelihood security and autonomy in tribal resistance.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tribes of West Bengal include Santhal, Oraon, Munda, Bhumij and PVTGs like Toto, Birhor and Lodha. Know their regions, culture, history and significance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":118025,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[9409],"class_list":["post-118082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-general-studies","tag-tribes-of-west-bengal","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118082"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118082\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":118113,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118082\/revisions\/118113"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}